Study of the snow melt-freeze cycle using multi-sensor data and snow modelling

The melt cycle of snow is investigated by combining ground-based microwave radiometric measurements with conventional and meteorological data and by using a hydrological snow model. Measurements at 2000 m a.s.l in the basin of the Cordevole river in the eastern Italian Alps confirm the high sensitivity of microwave emission at 19 and 37 GHz to the snow melt-freeze cycle, while the brightness at 6.8 GHz is mostly related to underlying soil. Simulations of snowpack changes performed by means of hydrological and electromagnetic models, driven with meteorological and snow data, provide additional insight into these processes and contribute to the interpretation of the experimental data.