Assessment of Passive Microwave Snow Cover Mapping Methods from FY-3C/MWRI Data in China

Ongoing information on snow and its extent is critical for understanding global water and energy cycles. Passive microwave data have been widely used in snow cover mapping for its long-time observation capabilities under all-weather conditions. But assessment of different passive microwave (PM) snow cover area (SCA) mapping algorithms have been rarely reported, especially in China. In this study, the performance of seven well documented successfully applied PM SCA mapping algorithms were tested using in situ snow depth measurements over China. The results shown in this study would contribute to the ongoing effort to improve the performance and applicability of PM SCA algorithms.