Remote sensing of snow using active and passive microwave systems

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Snow and glacier melt provide water for more than one sixth of the world’s population yet observed changes and model predictions of snowmelt supply suggest that by 2050 future water demands in several parts of Canada and Eurasia are at risk of not being met by snow melt runoff (Mankin et al., 2015). Snow is also important for business activities. For example, the British Columbia ski industry revenue for 2012-13 was $1.3 billion which represents 9% of all annual provincial tourism activity. Yet snow also attracts significant economic costs. Hazards created by flooding from rapid spring snowmelt can also be devastating. For example, the recent 2013 flood in the South Saskatchewan and Elk river basins have been projected to cost in excess of $6 billion (Pomeroy et al. 2015), making it one of the costliest natural disasters in recent Canadian history. While snow accumulation is an important resource, its management is becoming increasingly challenging as the winter snow season regime changes with global warming. For example, the snow season is shortening with the average snow melt date shifting earlier in the season (Derksen and Brown, 2012). Changes impact the ski industry, food production and the hydroelectric power generation in regions that rely on snowmelt runoff.