| CEOS EO HANDBOOK – MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS
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Measurements > Snow and Ice >
Snow cover, edge and depth >
Snow water equivalent
  | Measurement Definition*: Total-column water if snow is reduced to liquid. Linked to snow depth through assumptions or observation on density - Physical unit: [ mm ] - Accuracy unit: [ mm ].
Thematic Links |
| Instrument | Status/
Accuracy | Instrument Description | Measurement Technology | Timeline |
AMSR2
Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 | Operational
+/-16 cm | Measurements of water vapour, cloud liquid water, precipitation, winds, sea surface temperature, sea ice concentration, snow cover, soil moisture. | Multi-purpose imaging MW radiometer |  |
AMSU-A
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A | Operational
| All-weather night-day temperature sounding to an altitude of 45 km. | n/a | |
AMSU-A
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A | Operational
| All-weather night-day temperature sounding to an altitude of 45 km. AMSU-A on Aqua is still partially operational, with 9 of the 15 channels working and collecting data. | n/a | |
CSG SAR
COSMO-SkyMed di Seconda Generazione SAR | Operational
| All-weather images of ocean, land and ice for monitoring of land surface processes, ice, environmental monitoring, risk management, environmental resources, maritime management, Earth topographic mapping. | Imaging radar (SAR) | |
SAR (RADARSAT-2)
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) C band | Operational
| All-weather images of ocean, ice and land surfaces. Used for monitoring of coastal zones, polar ice, sea ice, sea state, geological features, vegetation and land surface processes. | Imaging radar (SAR) | |
SAR (RCM)
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) C band | Operational
| All-weather, C-band data to support ecosystem monitoring, maritime surveillance and disaster management. | Imaging radar (SAR) | |
SSM/IS
Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder | Operational
| Measures thermal microwave radiation. Global measurements of air temp profile, humidity profile, ocean surface winds, rain overland/ocean, ice concentration/age, ice/snow edge, water vapour/clouds over ocean, snow water content, land surface temperature. | Multi-purpose imaging MW radiometer | |
AMSR3
Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 3 | Being developed
| Measurements of water vapour, cloud liquid water, precipitation including snowfall, winds, sea surface temperature, sea ice concentration, snow cover, soil moisture. | Multi-purpose imaging MW radiometer | |
AMSR-E
Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS | No longer operational
+/-20 % | Measurements of water vapour, cloud liquid water, precipitation, winds, sea surface temperature, sea ice concentration, snow cover and soil moisture. Instrument stopped functioning 4th October 2011. | Multi-purpose imaging MW radiometer | |
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* Description adapted from WMO.
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