TY - JOUR

T1 - SNOWTRAN

T2 - A Fast Radiative Transfer Model for Polar Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Applications

AU - Kokhanovsky, Alexander

AU - Brell, Maximilian

AU - Segl, Karl

AU - Chabrillat, Sabine

N1 - Funding Information: This research has been funded by the EnMAP science program under the Space Agency at DLR with resources from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (grant number 50EE1923).

PY - 2024/1/14

Y1 - 2024/1/14

N2 - In this work, we develop a software suite for studies of atmosphere–underlying SNOW-spaceborne optical receiver light TRANsmission calculations (SNOWTRAN) with applications for the solution of forward and inverse radiative transfer problems in polar regions. Assuming that the aerosol load is extremely low, the proposed theory does not require the numerical procedures for the solution of the radiative transfer equation and is based on analytical equations for the spectral nadir reflectance and simple approximations for the local optical properties of atmosphere and snow. The developed model is validated using EnMAP and PRISMA spaceborne imaging spectroscopy data close to the Concordia research station in Antarctica. A new, fast technique for the determination of the snow grain size and assessment of the snowpack vertical inhomogeneity is then proposed and further demonstrated on EnMAP imagery over the Aviator Glacier and in the vicinity of the Concordia research station in Antarctica. The results revealed a large increase in precipitable water vapor at the Concordia research station in February 2023 that was linked to a warming event and a four times larger grain size at Aviator Glacier compared with Dome C.

AB - In this work, we develop a software suite for studies of atmosphere–underlying SNOW-spaceborne optical receiver light TRANsmission calculations (SNOWTRAN) with applications for the solution of forward and inverse radiative transfer problems in polar regions. Assuming that the aerosol load is extremely low, the proposed theory does not require the numerical procedures for the solution of the radiative transfer equation and is based on analytical equations for the spectral nadir reflectance and simple approximations for the local optical properties of atmosphere and snow. The developed model is validated using EnMAP and PRISMA spaceborne imaging spectroscopy data close to the Concordia research station in Antarctica. A new, fast technique for the determination of the snow grain size and assessment of the snowpack vertical inhomogeneity is then proposed and further demonstrated on EnMAP imagery over the Aviator Glacier and in the vicinity of the Concordia research station in Antarctica. The results revealed a large increase in precipitable water vapor at the Concordia research station in February 2023 that was linked to a warming event and a four times larger grain size at Aviator Glacier compared with Dome C.

KW - EnMAP

KW - hyperspectral measurements

KW - PRISMA

KW - snow albedo

KW - snow grain size

KW - snow optics

KW - top-of-atmosphere reflectance

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85183315047&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/rs16020334

DO - 10.3390/rs16020334

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85183315047

VL - 16

JO - Remote sensing

JF - Remote sensing

SN - 2072-4292

IS - 2

M1 - 334

ER -