Red and Near-infrared Spectral Reflectance of Snow

Download or read book Red and Near-infrared Spectral Reflectance of Snow written by H. W. O'Brien and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The spectral reflectance of snow in the range of 0.60 to 2.50 micrometers wavelengths was studied in a cold laboratory using natural snow and simulated preparations of snow. A white barium sulfate powder was used as the standard for comparison. The high reflectance (usually nearly 100%) of fresh natural snow in the visible wavelength declines rapidly at wavelengths near and beyond 0.80 micrometers, as the spectral absorption coefficients of ice increase. The rate of decline of near-infrared reflectance due to aging is strongly affected by the history of the snow during aging. Snow aged under certain conditions may retain 90% or so of its reflectance in the visible red, yet may be only about 10% as reflective as the original fresh snow beyond 2.2 micrometers. Several environmental factors such as ambient temperature and wind effects which contribute to the variability in snow reflectance are discussed.