An ESA project has recently demonstrated that new ways of processing satellite data can show how different properties of snow can be observed from space. This new method is expected to lead to a much deeper understanding of the role snow plays in the Earth system. Snow is a fundamental component of Earth’s energy and water cycles. It plays an important role reflecting solar radiation back out to space, emits heat and holds a significant percentage of the global freshwater budget. However, over the last 30 years global snow cover has been shrinking owing to climate change. The consequences could be far reaching. To improve our knowledge of the effect that declining snow cover is having on the Earth system and to understand how water resources from snowmelt are changing, the properties of snow must be studied in more detail. Read More
