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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Improvement of snow physical parameters retrieval using SAR data in the Arctic (Svalbard)

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International audience; Arctic snow cover dynamics offer a changing face in terms of temporal duration andwater equivalent, due to recent climate change conditions (Callaghan et al., 2011; Lemke & Jacobi,2012). Indeed, the Arctic is now experiencing some of the most rapid and severe climate change onearth. In this context, innovative and improved methods are helpful to enhance management of thesnow-pack resource for climate research, hydrology and human activities. The characteristics of Arcticsnow are different from “temperate” snow (i.e. the Alps), in terms of thickness, internal structure, thermalconductivity, and metamorphism. Ground observation often indicates wind slab at the snow surface,internal rounded grains, depth hoar at the bottom, and often internal ice layer or at the interfacewith ground surface (Dominé et al., 2016; Gallet et al., 2017, for spring snow). This work is part of the“Precip-A2” project (OSUG, Grenoble-France), focusing on snow and its interaction with the atmosphere,especially in terms of chemistry, radiative processes and precipitation. The application site isthe Brøgger peninsula, focused on Ny-Ålesund area, Svalbard, Norway (N 78°55’ / E 11° 55’). Onesub-task of the Precip-A2 project is dedicated to X-band radar measurements (ground and spaceborne)to retrieve physical properties of arctic snow.