Measuring snow and glacier ice properties from satellite

Satellite remote sensing is a convenient tool for studying snow and glacier ice, allowing us to conduct research over large and otherwise inaccessible areas. This paper reviews various methods for measuring snow and glacier i ce properties with satellite remote sensing. These methods have been improv ing with the use of new satellite sensors, like the synthetic aperture rada r (SAR) during the last decade, leading to the development of new and power ful methods, such as SAR interferometry for glacier velocity, digital eleva tion model generation df ice sheets, or snow cover mapping. Some methods st ill try to overcome the limitations of present sensors, but future satellit es will have much increased capability, for example, the ability to measure the whole optical spec trum or SAR sensors with multiple polarization or f requencies. Among the methods presented are the satellite-derived determina tion of surface albedo, snow extent, snow volume, snow grain size, surface temperature, glacier facies, glacier velocities, glacier extent, and ice sh eet topography. In this review, emphasis is put on the principles and theor y of each satellite remote sensing method. An extensive list of references, with an emphasis on studies from the 1990s, allows the reader to delve int o specific topics.