Application of spaceborne scatterometer for mapping freeze-thaw state in northern landscapes as a measure of ecological and hydrological processes

Landscape freeze/thaw transitions coincide with marked shifts in albedo, surface energy and mass exchange, and associated snow dynamics. Monitoring landscape freeze/thaw dynamics would improve our ability to quantify the interannual variability of boreal hydrology and river runoff/flood dynamics. The annual duration of frost-free period also bounds the period of photosynthetic activity in boreal and arctic regions thus affecting the carbon budget and the interannual variability of regional carbon fluxes.