February 2017 data set reports vertical profiles of snow reflectance, specific surface area (SSA), and optical equivalent diameter (grain size) at Grand Mesa, Colorado, USA. Reflectance was measured in situ using a 1310 nm integrating sphere laser device and converted to SSA and optical equivalent diameter. The dataset was last updated by NSIDC_CPRD on February 25, 2017.
Use Cases
- Model snow albedo and radiative transfer based on in-situ reflectance measurements.
- Estimate snow grain size evolution for avalanche or melt forecasting based on optical equivalent diameter.
- Validate satellite or airborne snow property retrievals based on ground-measured specific surface area.
- Study forest snowpack properties and their spatial variability based on geospatial location.
Strengths
- Data includes in-situ measurements using a 1310 nm integrating sphere laser device.
- Profiles are from a specific, forested study site about 40 miles east of Grand Junction, CO.
- Dataset provides derived metrics like specific surface area and optical equivalent diameter.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Last updated 2017-02-25 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified.
Provenance
- Source
- NSIDC_CPRD
- Collection Method
- Reflectance measured in situ using a 1310 nm integrating sphere laser device.
- Time Range
- February 2017
- Freshness
- Last updated 2017-02-25 23:59:59.999000.
- Geography
- Grand Mesa, Colorado, USA