SEN3APP

Extended Baltic Sea Drainage Basin Direct Broadcast FSC Based on NPP VIIRS/Sentinel-3 SLSTR (SYKE & FMI)

Product Code & Name

FSC-Fractional Snow Cover Extent

Contact

Dr. Kari Luojus, Finnish Meteorological Institute
Email: kari.luojus () fmi.fi
Dr. Sari Metsämäki, Finnish Environment Institute
Email: sari.metsamaki () ymparisto.fi

Overview

The Daily Fractional Snow Cover (DFSC) product for extended Baltic region provides the fractional snow cover (FSC) in percentage (%) per grid cell for all satellite overpasses of a given day (for the Pan-European domain). The product represents the best estimate of today’s snow cover. If there are multiple snow observations (only far north within a day), the satellite observations applied are those giving best solar illumination (highest solar elevation). The product is generated for each day based on a 24 hours’ time window limited by sunlight. The product is produced and made available for each day in near real time.

Data Portals

FMIARC GeoPortal

Validation Status

The VIIRS-based product, being rather new, has not been extensively validated, but the algorithm behind it (applied to the nearly corresponding sensors: Terra/MODIS and Envisat/AATSR) has been validated. The algorithms have been applied in Northern Hemisphere SE production in GlobSnow) and in European-scale SE production in CryoLand-project (Solberg et al., 2013). The validation results reported in these projects are valid and representative so far, until VIIRS (or preferably S-3) based validation is carried out. The existing validations relevant to the Extended Baltic Sea Fractional Snow Cover Extent product are presented in:
Solberg, R., Metsämäki, S., Malnes, E., Hindberg, H., Bippus, G., Nagler, T., Luojus, K., Ryyppö, T., Hiltunen, M., and Pulliainen, J. (2013): Implementation of Upgraded Snow Services - V1.0. EU FP7 CryoLand, Internal Deliverable ID4.6, 86 pp. Publication in preparation.
Metsämäki, S., Mattila, O.-P., Pulliainen, J., Niemi, K., Luojus, K., Böttcher, K. (2012). An optical reflectance model-based method for fractional snow cover mapping applicable to continental scale. Remote Sensing of Environment, 123, 508-521.
Metsämäki, S., Pulliainen, J., Salminen, M., Luojus, K., Wiesmann, A., Solberg, R., Böttcher, K., Hiltunen, M. and Ripper, E., "Introduction to GlobSnow Snow Extent products with considerations for accuracy assessment", Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 156, January 2015, pp. 96-108, doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2014.09.018.

User Guide

The description of the Extended Baltic Sea FSC product is in preparation. The description to the legacy FSC product, which is for most parts applicable, is available here:
http://www.globsnow.info/se/GlobSnow2_SE_SWE_Product_User_Guide_v1_r1.pdf

Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document

The algorithm is described in:
Metsämäki, S., Pulliainen, J., Salminen, M., Luojus, K., Wiesmann, A., Solberg, R., Böttcher, K., Hiltunen, M. and Ripper, E., "Introduction to GlobSnow Snow Extent products with considerations for accuracy assessment", Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 156, January 2015, pp. 96-108, doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2014.09.018.
Metsämäki, S., Mattila, O.-P., Pulliainen, J., Niemi, K., Luojus, K., Böttcher, K. (2012). An optical reflectance model-based method for fractional snow cover mapping applicable to continental scale. Remote Sensing of Environment, 123, 508-521. Additional information regarding the algorithm can also be found in the User Guide.

Spatial Coverage & Resolution

Limited Pan-European domain
Spatial resolution: 1000m, (in future 500m)

Temporal Coverage & Resolution

Daily product
Weekly and Monthly aggregate products

Platform(s)

Suomi NPP

Sensor(s)

VIIRS

Data Format (s)

NetCDF, GeoTIFF

Version

V1.0