METHOD OF DETERMINING DEPTH OF SNOW COVER ON ICE OVER WATER BODIES Russian patent published in 2012 - IPC G01B15/00 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to hydrology and is concerned with determining the depth of snow cover on ice over water bodies based on probing data from artificial Earth satellites in a thermal channel in the infrared band. The thickness of snow-covered ice t_p which is converted to thickness of non-snow-covered ice, said thickness of snow-covered ice being determined using coefficients of linear similarity between the virtual relief of ice thickness for selected discrete intervals of thickness and the relief of the temperature field on the surface of ice cover, calculated from the original infrared image for each pixel, is compared with ice thickness t_e, which is determined using other remote techniques, based on a priori calculated characteristics linking heat conductivities of snow and ice with ice thickness and using the relationship h_s=λ_s·(t_p-t_e)/λ, where λ_s, λ denote heat conductivity of snow and ice, respectively.

EFFECT: automated monitoring of snow depth on ice cover with known spatial distribution of thickness thereof in an interactive mode.

3 cl, 3 dwg