Radiometric investigation of different snow covers in Svalbard

This paper examines the relationship between reflectance and physical chara cteristics of the snow cover in the Arctic. Field data were acquired for di fferent snow and ice surfaces during a survey carried out at Ny-Alesund, Sv albard, in spring 1998. In each measurement session reflectance in the spec tral range 350 - 2500 nm, snow data (including temperature, grain size and shape, density and water content), surface layer morphology, and vertical p rofile of the snow pack were recorded. A detailed analysis of reflectance b ased on the physical structure of snow was performed. Field reflectance dat a were also re-sampled at the spectral intervals of Landsat TM to compare t he ability of identifying different snow targets at discrete wavelength int ervals. This analysis shows that reliable data on snow structure and thickn ess are necessary to understand albedo changes of the snow surfaces.