CoSDAS (2010-2011)

CoReH2O Snow Data Assimilation Study. ESA Study, Contract 23103/09/NL/JC.

The Cold Regions Hydrology High-Resolution Observatory (CoReH2O) mission has been selected as one of the candidate Earth Explorer missions for studies of technical and scientific feasibility and consolidation at Phase A level. The CoReH2O mission aims to close gaps in spatially detailed observations of key parameters of the global snow and ice masses for applications in climate research and hydrology. The proposed technical solution relies on a dual frequency, X- and Ku-band (9.6 and 17.2 GHz), dual-polarized (VV and VH) synthetic aperture radar. The scientific objectives of the mission are to address snow and ice processes over different temporal and spatial scales. This is taken into account by two different temporal observation phases. The first mission phase will employ a 3-day repeat orbit for snow and ice observations matching the time scale of typical mid- and high-latitude weather systems. The second mission phase will deliver near-complete observations of the global snow and ice-covered areas at a repeat cycle of about two weeks.

This poject aims on building a system that can combine remotely sensed SWE mesurements and snow model predictions to produce optimal analyses of SWE using data assimilation, and to quantify the impacts of SWE measurements on the accuracy of analyses and subsequent model forecasts as functions of measurement accuracy and frequency. Modular software will be developed for a single-column SWE analysis system, and thorough performance benchmarking will be undertaken.

 



Prime Contractor

Edinburgh Earth Observatory (EEO), School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Contract Number

23103/09/NL/JC

Partners

  • Environmental Earth Observation IT GmbH, Innsbruck, Austria
  • Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), Arctic Research Centre, Sodankylä, Finland
  • Groupe d'études de l'Atmosphère Météorologique, Météo-France, Toulouse, France


Objectives

  • assembling experimental ground-based data on the backscattering characteristics of snow at X- and Ku-band frequencies using the ESA SnowScat system;
  • implementating, evaluating and calibrating the snow models;
  • implementating an advanced data assimilation system;
  • performing SWE data assimilation experiments using the SnowScat measurements along with supporting meteorological data and direct snow measurements;

 

 

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