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(Kongoli et al., 2003). Examination of the AMSU measurements on November 7, 2005 indicated
that the 89 GHz frequency channel was not sufficiently sensitive to this newly deposited snow.
However, the 150 GHz window frequency channel exhibited scattering response, e.g., depressed
brightness temperatures relative to that of 89 GHz (see also Figure 2). Note that frequency
channels above 89 GHz are not available for the SSM/I or AMSR-E sensors. This unique
capability of the AMSU instrument to retrieve snowfall and to detect newly deposited snow cover
could be potentially incorporated and utilized for improved SWE retrievals for new snow. On the
other hand, in the blended SWE product, SWE over part of Mongolia as determined by the AMSU
product but labeled as “snow-free” land by the IMS is correctly left out. This overestimation of
snow cover over Mongolia by the AMSU persisted during much of the winter season of 2006, and
is also shown on February 15, 2006 (bottom panels). It is shown that overall, there is better
agreement between the microwave-derived SWE and the IMS snow cover, e.g., over Eastern
Canada, than in early winter. Exception is areas over Mongolia where overestimation of the
AMSU-SWE persists throughout the winter. Examination of MODIS snow cover maps indicated
that indeed these areas did not have snow cover, and therefore, they represent “false” snow areas
by the AMSU SWE product. Examination of the AMSU measurements over Mongolia indicated
relatively small values of the scattering index at 89 GHz (SI89), which is used in the AMSU snow
cover extent product to identify snow cover and in the AMSU-SWE product to compute fresh
snow SWE (Eq. 2 and 4). This low scattering signal at 89 GHz was present during night-time (low
temperatures) and day-time (above freezing temperatures). The presence of scattering in a wide
range of atmospheric conditions over Mongolia would be indicative of ground rather than
atmospheric effects, e.g., soil grain scattering (Basist et al., 1996). Figure 6 is a plot of the
percentage of the retrieved AMSU-SWE area relative to the IMS snow coverage from December
1, 2005 through April 15, 2006 (left-hand vertical axis) and of the overestimated AMSU-SWE
area as a percentage of the IMS snow coverage (right-hand vertical axis). It is shown that the net
SWE area mapped by the AMSU is at about 75% as compared to that of IMS, which is relatively
high for a microwave instrument. The overestimation of snow cover by the AMSU is about 6 %
relative to IMS snow coverage.
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