Application of ERS-1 Active Microwave Instrumentation Data to Remote Sensing ofSnow

摘要

Two test sites will be used to study the feasibility of the ERS-1 SAR and WindScatterometer to remote sensing of snow. Especially, the effect of vegetation to snow mapping is investigated. The test site in northern Finland consists of both sparsely forested areas and open areas (bogs, lakes, and clear-cut areas). The test site in North America consists mainly of agricultural prairies with lakes and some forested areas. The report presents the research plan of Finnish national ERS-1 snow program. The first part includes the development of measurement and data processing techniques and preparations for the airborne measurement campaigns. In the second part satellite data, airborne data and surface data on the test site will be acquired. In the last part the capability of ERS-1 to map snow-covered ground and melting snow will be analyzed. Also, the usefulness of complementing SAR data with other types of satellite data will be examined.