Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) from Space
Project Description
The overarching goal for this effort is to mature concept ideas for a spaceborne microwave snow water equivalent (SWE) instrument for a future opportunity. This overarching goal will be achieved through a set of smaller tasks. The first step of the project will be to narrow down scientific needs based on previous studies and define instrument requirements. Existing data from SWE Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Radiometer (SWESARR) will be analyzed to define the minimum necessary observables to satisfy the science needs, as it provides 6 active (tri-band dual-polarization radar) and 3 passive (tri-band single polarization radiometer) observations. Once the concept design of the microwave instrument is defined, it'll be improved through an instrument design laboratory. The final instrument design will be further analyzed to assess how well it addresses the scientific needs.
More »Anticipated Benefits
“Snow in mountain regions contributes to water supplies for almost one-sixth of the world’s population (e.g., snowmelt supplies 85 percent of Colorado River water).” Yet, “measurements of accumulated snow on the ground, constitute an important unsolved problem in the hydrology and water resources in most of the world.” states the 2017 decadal survey. Accurate SWE measurements would improve the water management, as well as leading the way to better understand impacts of a changing climate to water resources. This project can benefit a future earth explorer mission for SWE as recommended by the decadal survey. At implementation stage, commercial sector might be an active partner as there are many commercial SAR satellites being developed in the frequency bands of interest for SWE.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Goddard Space Flight Center
(GSFC)
|
Lead Organization | NASA Center | Greenbelt, Maryland |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Maryland
