Published 12 issues per year
ISSN Print: 0040-2508
ISSN Online: 1943-6009
Indexed in
REMOTE SENSING OF SNOWFALLS. REVIEW
ABSTRACT
Snow is the most common type of solid precipitation, therefore the development of remote sensing methods for study of snow characteristics by solution of inverse problems on the base of a detailed study of properties of such phenomena is of great interest. In general, the calculation problem of reflection characteristics of nonspherical particles of precipitation has a long history, but researches of radar backscattering of liquid precipitation are characterized by the most completeness. The review of mechanical and electrical properties of snow was performed and the characteristics of physical and numerical modeling of the radar scattering characteristics for precipitation particles are analyzed. The paper shows the appropriateness of studying the radar scattering by precipitation particles and the advantages and disadvantages of the modern calculation methods of radar scattering characteristics of dielectric objects were analyzed. Remote measurements of integral characteristics of snowfalls over the large areas permit to define reserve of water for agriculture, to perform hydrological forecasts and provide avalanche safety in mountainous areas.