Comparison of multiple layer snow emission models

Modeling of snow emission at microwave frequencies is necessary in order to understand the relationships between the emitted brightness temperature and snowpack characteristics. Several empirical, semi-empirical and purely theoretical models for this purpose have been developed in recent years. This study compares the performance of two widely used semi-empirical models against experimental datasets of surface based radiometer measurements, coupled with snow stratigraphy observations from several sites in Finland and Canada. The results of the study emphasize the importance of careful inclusion of snow stratigraphy in simulations. Both models used are able to produce the measured brightness temperatures with sufficient accuracy; some differences and trends in modeling errors can be noted. However, using the presented datasets neither of the models perform conclusively better than the other when considering all observed channels.