Question

Which wavelength regions are most appropriate for differentiating snow and clouds

Answer 1

Answer:

Snow can be distinguished from clouds by using near-infrared and short-wave infrared channels because clouds reflect noticeably more radiation than snow in these regions (Crane and Anderson, 1984; Dozier, 1984).

Answer 2

Answer:

Because clouds reflect substantially more radiation than snow in these regions, snow may be distinguished from clouds using near-infrared and short-wave infrared channels (Crane and Anderson, 1984; Dozier, 1984).

Explanation:

• Snow and ice are excellent reflectors of visible light but poor reflectors of near-infrared (NIR).
• Water clouds have a high reflectance, ice clouds have a medium reflectance, and snow cover has a very low reflectance, according to NIR data.
• When the spectral response patterns of snow and other land cover types are compared, it is discovered that:
• 1) snow has a higher contrast between the VIS and SWIR spectral regions;
• 2) snow has relatively higher reflectance in the VIS region compared to other land types such as water, soil, and vegetation; and
• 3) snow, like clouds, has higher reflectance values in the VIS region but much lower reflectance in the SWIR region.
• This can be used to tell the difference between snow and clouds.
• The margins of snow cover can be identified using thermal infrared data.
• Cloud and snow can be distinguished using short-wave and thermal infrared data paired with visible channels (WMO CHy-14, 2012).
• Snow and ice have a higher absorption at short-wave infrared wavelengths than liquid-phase clouds, although there is still some confusion between snow on the ground and ice-phase clouds.

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