Retrieval of Snow Mass using Ku- and X-band SAR Data

An overview on a method for retrieving snow mass (snow water equivalent, SWE) from dual-frequency (Kuand X-band) backscatter data is presented. Basic principles, input data requirements, and constraints of the retrieval algorithm are explained. During the AlpSAR campaign in winter 2012/13 Ku- and X-band radar images were acquired with the airborne SnowSAR sensor over three test sites in the Austrian Alps. Radar backscatter signatures and SWE maps, derived from SnowSAR backscatter images, are shown for the test site Leutasch, located in an Alpine valley. The impact of snow structure on radar backscatter and SWE retrieval is discussed.