Remote Sensing of

Snow Disaster
Shengli Wu
National Satellite Meteorological Center
2022.08
 Background
目录
Capability of Snow
Remote Sensing

Recent Progress

Snow Disaster
PART 01

Background
 Importance of Snow monitoring

• High reflectance – Global Energy balance

• Important water resource
• Snow disaster

Pulliainen et al., PNAS, 2017

Water Resource
 Global Snow Measurement

Mudryk et al., J. Clim, 2015

Climatological NH snow mass, 1981-2010
period Detrended mean correlation, pairs of daily SWE time
series (1981-2010)
 Requirement of Snow Measurement

C. Derksen, ECCC
7
 How to Meet the Requirement of Snow Measurement

C. Derksen, ECCC
PART 02
Capability of
Snow Remote
Sensing
Snow Cover
 Remote Sensing of Snow Cover
•in visable band snow and cloud have high
Snow
reflectance Cloud
•in NR band, cloud have much higher reflectance Vegetation
Soil
than snow Reflectance Water

NDSI =（VIR-NR）/（VIR+NR）

Normalized Difference Snow Index

(NDSI)

NDSI = (TM2 - TM5) / (TM2 + TM5) or (MODIS4-MODIS6)/(MODIS4+MODIS6) > 0.4 & TM4 or MODIS2 > 0.11
 Sensors for Snow Cover
(CMA Receiving)
• MODIS
• NOAA/AVHRR
• FY-3/VIRR
• FY-3/MERSI
• FY-2
• FY-4
• H8
FY-3/VIRR+MERSI Snow Cover product
 FY/3 VIRR Snow Cover Algorithm
制图模板 白天综合数据集 积雪检测参
地理信息数据 数据字典
（C1） SoZA、SaZA、R1、R2、R4、 数（A1-A7）
（B1-B3）
R6、R26、T20、T31、T32、t
A1：最接近赤道的月雪线查找表

填充
A2：NDSI-NDVI林区积雪判识查找表
是否有观测数据 1 [NDVI、T31]
数据 2 [NDSI] 陆地 A3：红外亮温差判识薄卷云查找表
晴空陆地判识
坏数
卫星数据质量检验
A4：新雪与冰水云判识R138R164查找表
据点
NDSI、DT12 R26 A5：新雪与冰水云判识R164T11查找表
云
云陆判识 云判识
暗 SoZA A6：新雪与冰水云判识R164R138查找表
像素 光照暗区判识
DT01 A7：新雪与冰水云判识T11mT12R164查找表
反射率太阳 陆地判识 B1：土地利用数据文件
SoZA 陆地
天顶角订正 DR16
陆地像素 陆地判识 B2：高程数据文件
饱和 B3：行政边界数据文件
反射率饱和判识
像素 RR46、R1、T31
雪判识 C1：VIRR日雪盖制图模板文件
B2 NDVI
根据数据时间计算BT11
判识物理量计算
水陆判识 水陆再判识 1 [B2、R1、R2、R6、DT01] Lat：像素点地理纬度
2 [A7、T31、T32、SaZA] Lon：像素点地理经度
3 [B2、Lat、TB11、T31] 云
水体像素
4 [B2、R26、TB11、T31、NDSI] SoZA：太阳天顶角
云判识 SaZA：卫星天顶角
NDVI、NDSI、RR21、DR16
1 [A2、NDVI、NDSI] R1：订正后的0.645um反射率
RR46、NDSI、T31 2 [NDSI、Lat、NDVI、T31、R2、R6] 雪
海洋 陆地判识
水体 B2 晴空水体判识 雪判识 R2：订正后的0.86um反射率
海洋与内 陆地 R4：订正后的0.55um反射率
内陆 陆水体判识 B2、NDSI、T20、T31、R1、
R1、R2、R6、T31
水体 R6、R26、DT01 雪判识 R6：订正后的1.64um反射率
晴空水体判识
云 R26：订正后的1.375um反射率
1 [B2、 Lat、TB11、R46、T31]
R26、Lat、B2、
T31、TB11
2 [DR16、R6、T31、TB31、 A4、A5、A6、A7、B2、 T20：3.75um亮温
RR46、DT02、R2] NDSI、R6、R26、T31、DT12
薄卷云判识 T31：11.0um亮温
3 [NDSI、T31、TB11、NDVI、R2] 云判识 A1、
云
云雪判识 云 Lat、Lon
R6、T20、DT02、 T32：12.0um亮温
RR46、NDSI 雪检验
中低云判识
R1、R6、R26、T31、TB11 NDVI=(R2-R1)/(R2+R1)：归一化植被指数
云
雪 云判识 雪 NDSI=(R4-R6)/(R4+R1)：归一化积雪指数
A1、 R1、T31、DR16、
Lat、Lon R6、NDSI、NDVI NDVI、T31、DR16、NDSI T31、RR46 DR16=R1-R6：差值积雪指数
陆地
雪检验 冰上雪判识 陆地判识 陆地判识
云 DT01=T20-T31：低云温差指数
陆地
A1、 R1、R6、T31、RR46、 DT02=T20-T32：低云温差指数
Lat、Lon DR16、NDSI、NDVI T31、B2、R1、R6、T20、RR46
雪 DT12=T31-T32：分裂窗亮温差
冰检验 冰判识 雪判识
冰
B2 RR21=R2/R1：比值植被指数
DT02、R6、RR46 T31、RR46
海洋与内陆 陆地 RR46=R4/R6：比值积雪指数
晴空水体判识 陆地判识
水体判识
TB11=f(t,B2,Lat)：以时间、高程和纬度
海洋 内陆 未判 未判 为变量的T11参考亮温
水体 水体 识点 识点
 Comparation between FY-3/VIRR and MODIS Snow Cover Product

MODIS/TERRA 20050211 B-6-2-1 VIRR 日雪盖

MOD10C Snow Coverage VIRR Snow Coverage

MOD10C Cloud Coverage VIRR Cloud Coverage

水体 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 水体 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
 Snow Coverage Algorithm of FY-4A/H8
Himawari-8: 7/2015-present, 10min H8 images
FengYun-4A: 12/2016-present, 15 min
FengYun-4B: 06/2021-present, 1 min
H8/AHI FY-4A/AGRI
Spatial
chan central
wavelength (𝜇m) resolution(km
nel (𝜇m)
)
1 0.45-0.49 0.47 1
2 0.55-0.75 0.65 0.5-1
3 0.75-0.90 0.83 1
4 1.36-1-39 1.37 2
5 1.58-1.64 1.61 2
6 2.10-2.35 2.22 2-4
7 3.5-4.0 (high) 3.72 2
8 3.5-4.0 (low) 3.72 4
9 5.8-6.7 6.25 4
10 6.9-7.3 7.1 4
11 8.0-9.0 8.5 4
12 10.3-11.3 10.8 4
13 11.5-12.5 12 4
14 13.2-13.8 13.5 4
Band 2,5: snow cover
 FY-4 Snow Coverage

Snow Melting in Tibetan Plateau

FY-4A Image (B751)

FY-4A multi-temporal Snow Coverage

Snow Free 0.2~0.4 0.6~0.8 Cloud
0~0.2 0.4~0.6 0.8~1.0

FY-4A multi-temporal Snow Cover

Snow Cloud

2022/8/25 17
Snow Depth/SWE
 Passive Microwave Remote Sensing of Snow

SMMR SSM/I AMSR-E FY-3B/MWRI AMSR2

1979-1987 1987-present 2002-2011.10 2010.11-present 2012.5.18-present
What’s the difference between AMSR-E and FY-3/MWRI
Risk of global climate data record

Witze 2017, Nature

Ageing satellites put crucial sea-
ice climate record at risk​
Current Status and Future Plan

2022:FY-3F(Morning orbit, Antenna size: 1.6m);

2022:FY-3G(Drift orbit, Antenna size: 1.2m);
2023:FY-3H(Afternoon orbit, Antenna size: 1.6m);
Antenna performance and NedT improved based
on FY-3A/B/C/D

FY-3A/B/C/D MWRI FY-3F/G/H MWRI

Frequency（GHz） 10/18/23/36/89 10/18/23/36/50/89/118/166/183

Antenna（m） 1 1.6/1.2
NedT（K） 0.8/1.0 0.5/0.8
Accuracy（K） 2.0 0.8/1.2
Co-location（Km） / 2
Main beam 0.9 0.95
 SD/SWE Remote Sensing
• Single Parameter algorithm
– 18v-36v or 18h-36h；
– Typical algorithm：AMSR-E/AMSR2.
• Multiple Parameters algorithm
– 18v-36v、18h-36h、89v-89h, with different land cover；
– Typical algorithm：EC algorithm（Derkson Chris）、FY-3/MWRI.
• Physical based algorithm
– Based on RT model, build relationship between SD/SWE and BT；
– Typical algorithm：HUT model、Matrix-doubling model。
 Snow characters of passive microwave

• Dry Snow
– Lower frequency: affected by sub-layer, soil moisture, land
cover type.
– Higher frequency: affected by snow depth, snow grain size,
snow density.

• Wet Snow
– Affected by snow surface wetness and roughness of
snow/atmosphere interface。
 Passive Microwave Remote Sensing of Snow

TBp = T1 + T2 + T3 + T4 + T5 Satellite

• T1 – Radiation of atmosphere
(1)
• T2 – Snow layer radiation to
atmosphere 大气 (4)
(5)
(2)
• T3 – sub-layer radiation
• T4 – inter-action between snow and 积雪
(3)

atmosphere
• T5 – inter-action between snow and
sub-layer
 Physical Fundamentals
Snow depth, snow grain size, snow density, snow wetness are the factors of Brightness
temperature
 Microwave Penetration depth of New Snow and Old Snow

6
Penetration depth (m)
new snow
5 old snow
4

3
6.9
2 10.7

1 19
37
0 89

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Frequency (GHz)
 Classical SD/SWE algorithm
1. SMMR operational SD/SWE(Chang, 1987)
•
SD( SWE ) = a + b  TB

SD = 1.59*(T18H – T37H )

2. Foster et al. (1997) Chang et al. (1997) improvement of forest factor

b  TB
SWE =
1− fc
 Problems of Classical SD/SWE algorithm

⚫ Horizontal heterogeneity: mix-pixel problem 25 km resolution of

sensors;
⚫ Vertical heterogeneity: interaction between atmosphere, vegetation,
snow, sub-layer;
⚫ Snow physical characters: Snow Grain Size, Snow Layers.
Effects of Snow Grain Size on Brightness Temperature at Different
Frequencies
• Depending on grain size, 37GHz has saturation
problem. But not lower frequencies;
• Snow grain size has great impact on the sensitivity of
ΔTb(18GHz-37GHz) to snow depth (or SWE);
• ΔTb(18GHz-37GHz) has multi-solutions.
Effect of bottom surface properties on ΔTb from a given
snow layer

19H-37H
55°
25 -12
20
ΔTB 15 -15
(K) 10 ΔTB
5 (K)-18
0
-21
-5
-10 -24
-15
-20 -27
-25
-30 -30
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Soil moisture (%) Rms height at ground surface (cm)

Brightness temperature gradient is sensitive to underground emission properties

The effect of snow fraction on microwave emissivity
FY3/MWRI Snow depth algorithm(FY-3B and FY-3C)

SD = Fberrent * SDbare + Fgrass * SDgrass + Fshrub * SDshrub + Fforest * SD forest

(SD>=5cm)

Sd(forest)= ab + bb *(t18h-t36v)+cb *(t18v-t18h)+db *(t89v-t89h)

Sd(farmland)= af + bf *(t18v-t36h)+ cf *(t89v-t89h)
Sd(grass)= ag + bg *(t18h-t36h)+cg *(t18v-t18h)+ dg *(t10v-t89h)
Sd(berret)= ab + bb *(t36h-t89h)+cb *(t10v-t89v)
Fberret, Fgrass, Ffarmland, Fforest are the coverage of bare soil, grass, farmland,
forest in one pixel.
Comparation between FY-3/MWRI and AMSR-E

MWRI AMSR-E

RMSE=17.8cm
RMSE=5.1cm
 Operational product of FY-3/MWRI
SWE Snow depth

2022/8/25 35
Comparation between SD(passive microwave sensors) and Snow cover product
(visible and infrared sensors)
Quantitive/geolocation Comparation between FY-3/MWRI
and AMSR-E
 Snow Cover algorithms Comparation

KELLY YANG
FY

GRODY HALL DAI

Legend
PAN 0

0 - 0.1

0.1 - 0.2

0.2 - 0.3
① Overall accuracy (OA): (TP+TN)/(TP+TN+FN+FP) 0.3 - 0.4
② Omission error (OE): FP/(FP+TP) 0.4 - 0.5

③ Commission error (CE) : FN/(FN+TP) 0.5 - 0.6

④ Positive predictive value (PPV)：TP/(TP+FP) 0.6 - 0.7

0.7 - 0.8

2022/8/25 0.8 - 0.9

38
0.9 - 1.0
 Snow Cover algorithms Comparation
Statistic result
Only Tibetan Plateau
China SCA reference
In situ measurements
Algorithm
SCA reference OA OE CE PPV Node
In situ measurements Dai SCA 0.174 0.277 0.964 0.723 A
Algorithm Algorithm
OA OE CE PPV Node 0.178 0.326 0.966 0.674 D
0.950 0.384 0.210 0.616 A A
FY3 SCA FY3 SCA 0.831 0.325 0.461 0.675
Algorithm 0.950 0.399 0.201 0.601 D Algorithm D
0.823 0.322 0.477 0.678
0.906 0.197 0.511 0.803 A A
Yang’s SCA Yang’s SCA 0.647 0.198 0.769 0.802
Algorithm 0.940 0.255 0.352 0.745 D Algorithm D
0.755 0.260 0.635 0.740
0.921 0.268 0.453 0.732 A A
Grody’s Grody’s 0.688 0.234 0.696 0.766
Algorithm 0.945 0.329 0.291 0.671 D Algorithm D
0.794 0.306 0.537 0.694

Pan’s Pan’s
0.919 0.173 0.498 0.827 A&D A&D
Algorithm Algorithm
0.731 0.866 0.945 0.134
0.931 0.492 0.347 0.508 A A
Hall’s Hall’s 0.791 0.453 0.613 0.547
Algorithm 0.941 0.534 0.197 0.466 D Algorithm D
0.849 0.491 0.469 0.509
0.895 0.280 0.549 0.720 A A
Kelly’s Kelly’s 0.692 0.283 0.680 0.717
Algorithm 0.931 0.344 0.387 0.656 D Algorithm D
0.780 0.328 0.562 0.672

2022/8/25 39
 non-linear relationship between SD and TBD
Both DMRT model and HUT model show non-linear relationship between
SD and TBD

Kelly et al. 2003（DMRT） HUT

Comparation of 5 algorithm

FY and WestDC are

better
 FY-3D/MWRI Snow Depth Algorithm

Ⅰ: XinJiang (Regress)；
Ⅱ: North East China (Forest factors)；
Ⅲ: Old Algorithm

NE
0.38 * d18h36h
SD[cm] =
1.0 − 0.7 * ff

Xinjiang SD[cm]=0.48* d18V36H

Improvement of FY algorithm

New FY is the best of the 3

algorithm
Validation
FY-3D over estimate

FY3D-AMSR2 (cm)

AMSR-2 over estimate

Thanks!