Method and Accuracy of Estimating Snow Depth Using Sentinel-1 Sar Data in Niigata Prefecture in Japan

A method for estimating snow depth using Sentinel-1 SAR data was investigated, and its estimation accuracy was verified using observations at a snow depth station in a heavy snowfall area in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. A relation was observed between the snow depth and the backscatter coefficients of the VV and VH polarizations, for flat fields and even slopes covered with trees, and it was confirmed that the snow depth could be estimated from the backscatter coefficients. The estimation accuracy at the observatory is about 20 cm, which could be used to determine the snow cover over a wide area of the catchment for estimating the amount of snowmelt.