Passive microwave observations of snow and frozen soil at 3.95 GHz

Snow stratigraphy influence on the angular dependencies of the brightness temperature at 3.95 GHz is discussed. Measurements were made during two snow seasons of 1987-1988 and 1988-1989. In the beginning of the measurement season the angular dependencies look like Fresnel angular dependencies, when the Brewster angle is very pronounced and its value depends on the under-snow soil physical temperature. By the end of measurement season, the angular dependence of the brightness temperature was rather smoothed. It follows from consideration of the snow cover development that the smoothing of brightness temperature dependence coincides with the appearance of a layer of depth-hoar