Characterization of the Land Surface Freeze/Thaw State with SMAP-Reflectometry (SMAP-R)

The use of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) radar in received mode has allowed for a new dataset of Global Navigation Satellite System - Reflectometry (GNSS-R) measurements. GNSS-R techniques have been used for more than two decades and have proven successful perform altimetry studies and to retrieve ocean wind speed and soil moisture, monitor wetland dynamics, estimate snow depth, detect sea ice and determine sea ice types. In this paper, the SMAP-Reflectometry measurements are used to classify freeze/thaw (F/T) state over Alaska, studying the differences in the SNR signal at both V and H polarizations.