| Summary: | Abstract- Using satellite technology to estimate snow characteristics has been employed for years. Despite considerable progress, challenges still exist with respect to accuracy and reliability. It is the aim of this study to estimate snow depth using Special Sensor Microwave (SSM/I) channels and Equal-Area Scalable Earth Grid (EASE-GRID). The study focuses on the Great Lakes Region in the United States. Fifteen SSM/I and EASE-GRID formatted pixels were selected, each 25 by 25 kilometers in size. The pixels were selected based on latitude and land cover characteristics that would produce data significant for a comprehensive study of brightness temperature (TB) of the different SSM/I channels. The actual values for snow depth or ‘ground true data ’ were obtained from the National Climate Data Center (NCDC) and the National Operational Hydrological Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC). The NCDC provided daily snow depth measurements reported from various stations located in the study area. The measurements were recorded and projected to match EASE-GRID formatting. The NOHRSC SNODAS data set was produced using airborne Gamma radiation and gauge measurements combined with a physical model. The data set consisted of different snow characteristics such as SWE and snow depth, both available in gridded format through the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). SSM/I channel signatures – GTVN (19V-37V), GTH (19H-37H), and SSI (22V-85V) – were used along with SWE and Snow Depth to establish a relationship
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