MEMLS3&a: Microwave Emission Model of Layered Snowpacks adapted to include backscattering
The Microwave Emission Model of Layered Snowpacks (MEMLS) was originally developed for microwave emissions of snowpacks in the frequency range 5–100 GHz. It is based on six-flux theory to describe radiative transfer in snow including absorption, multiple volume scattering, radiation trapping d...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2015-08-01
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| Series: | Geoscientific Model Development |
| Online Access: | http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/8/2611/2015/gmd-8-2611-2015.pdf |
| Summary: | The Microwave Emission Model of Layered Snowpacks (MEMLS) was originally developed for microwave
emissions of snowpacks in the frequency range 5–100 GHz. It is based on six-flux theory
to describe radiative transfer in snow including absorption, multiple volume scattering, radiation
trapping due to internal reflection and a combination of coherent and incoherent superposition of
reflections between horizontal layer interfaces. Here we introduce MEMLS3&a, an extension of
MEMLS, which includes a backscatter model for active microwave remote sensing of snow. The
reflectivity is decomposed into diffuse and specular components. Slight undulations of the snow
surface are taken into account. The treatment of like- and cross-polarization is accomplished by an
empirical splitting parameter <i>q</i>. MEMLS3&a (as well as MEMLS) is set up in a way that snow input
parameters can be derived by objective measurement methods which avoid fitting procedures of the
scattering efficiency of snow, required by several other models. For the validation of the model
we have used a combination of active and passive measurements from the NoSREx (Nordic Snow Radar Experiment) campaign in
Sodankylä, Finland. We find a reasonable agreement between the measurements and simulations,
subject to uncertainties in hitherto unmeasured input parameters of the backscatter model. The
model is written in Matlab and the code is publicly available for download through the following
website: <a href="http://www.iapmw.unibe.ch/research/projects/snowtools/memls.html"target="_blank">http://www.iapmw.unibe.ch/research/projects/snowtools/memls.html</a>. |
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| ISSN: | 1991-959X 1991-9603 |