Observing System Simulation Experiment for Remote Sensing of Snow at P-Band

Recently, the Signal of Opportunity (SoOp) has been used in monitoring the snow pack from P-band. This technology makes use of existing satellite transmissions and become a cost-effective alternative to existing active technologies. The theoretical principle is based on the phase change of the reflected P-band signal to change in SWE. The P-band radio signals come from geostationary Mobile Use Objective System (MUOS) communication satellites, operating with dual-frequency channels at P-band (360–380 MHz and 240–270 MHz). P-band frequencies have excellent capability in penetration through thick vegetation (a confounding factor in existing SWE retrievals), and will offer unprecedented capability to sense snowpack under forest canopy. This paper provides an end-to-end simulation through OSSEs and support the understanding of physical mechanizes of surface features that contributing to the received signals.