SnowDrone

This project aims to develop and evaluate an algorithm for deriving Snow Melt Phases (SMP) products for Hydroterra+. It will assess the impact of snowfall and/or surface melt occurring during the integration time of Hydroterra+ acquisitions on overall image quality. Furthermore, it will investigate the potential of SAR tomography for retrieving snow height and snow water equivalent (SWE), in preparation for a future dedicated snow satellite mission.

The project includes one pre-campaign in autumn 2026 and two multi-day measurement campaigns at the Gossenköllesee high-mountain test site during winter and spring 2026/2027. The winter campaign (January/February 2027) will focus on dry snow conditions, while the spring campaign (March/April 2027) will investigate wet snow and surface melt–refreeze processes. Both campaigns will combine C-band SAR drone observations, X-band tomographic SAR (TOMOSAR) acquisitions, in-situ snow measurements and meteorological observations to investigate snowpack properties and their temporal evolution. Each campaign will last up to eight days, with timing adapted to weather and snow conditions to ensure safe operations and optimal measurement opportunities.

  Project Results