Reading snow: A note on microwave remote sensing of snow cover

Abstract

Monitoring of terrestrial snow on both local and global scales is a topic of ever-increasing interest due to the crucial role that the snow plays in the climate dynamics, water resource management, energy production, and risk prevention. In this framework, microwave remote sensing is an important tool for observing snow cover and retrieving snow depth (SD) and water equivalent (SWE). This paper summarizes the most important aspects of the microwave remote sensing of snow by highlighting major results and problems.