Active microwave remote sensing systems and applications to snow monitoring

Abstract

This chapter describes research activities made over terrestrial snow covered areas with active microwave instruments, especially with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Even though an exhaustive review of all studies could not be considered in the framework of the book, the chapter consists of many significant developments which have been made recently in the space-borne and air-borne based active microwave remote sensing of snow properties including techniques of mapping snow, inferring snow wetness and snow water equivalence (SWE). The abilities and existing problems with the current sensors will be discussed. © Springer Science + Business Media B.V., 2008.