The active and passive microwave response to snow parameters: 2. Water equivalent of dry snow

Experimental measurements of the variation of the radar backscattering coefficient σ° and microwave emissivity ∈ with water equivalent W of dry snow are presented and compared to predictions of simple semiempirical scattering and emission models. The results show that σ° and ∈ are generally dependent on the snowpack water equivalent as well as contributions by the underlying soil, and that the variation with W is a function of frequency and angle of incidence.