A transdisciplinary approach to assess measurements of albedo across snowy landscapes using multiple sensors at multiple scales

This project will apply high-resolution UAV-based measurements of broadband and hyperspectral surface albedo over three varied snow-covered landscapes. These data will be used to assess and quantify the differences between calculated values of surface albedo from Landsat 8/9 (USGS & NASA) and Sentinel 2a/b/c (European Commission (EC) & European Space Agency (ESA)). Our efforts will also advance capacity to incorporate UAV-based measurements of surface albedo into operational calibration and validation products. Our project also looks forward, addressing the goals of NASA’s Terrestrial Hydrology Program’s (THP) SnowEx, a five-year field campaign to address the most important gaps in snow remote sensing knowledge, and provide insights and knowledge that support a future snow-focused satellite mission. Our research is trans-disciplinary and follows a continuum of scientific research from project testing through data curation. We will advance sensor technologies, test and optimize field methods, and collect robust datasets. Subsequent analysis and assessment of these data will be in collaboration with USGS Landsat project science and Landsat calibration/validation teams, with a focus on the newly launched Landsat 9 mission. These data will be systematically organized in accordance with FAIR practices to enable their viability for the scope of this project and as a legacy dataset with long term viability. We also place a considerable emphasis on graduate education and training by supporting a simultaneous and co-mentored cohort of two PhD students (one in Earth Sciences and one in Electrical Engineering, PhD), in addition to an undergraduate researcher(s) throughout the project. Dr. Christopher Crawford (Collaborator, USGS) a Research Physical Scientist and the Landsat Project Scientist for the USGS is a collaborator on this project, with a research focus on remote sensing of the cryosphere. Dr. Crawford works directly with colleagues at NASA and the European Space Agency to further efforts to harmonize space observations from the Landsat and Sentinel-2 missions. His USGS research is focuses on remote sensing of the cryosphere. Dr. Carrie Vuyovich, will serve as Technical Monitor for this project. Dr. Vuyovich is a physical scientist in the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and lead snow scientist for the NASA Terrestrial Hydrology Program and NASA SnowEx. Additionally, Dr. Charles Gatebe, Chief of the Atmospheric Sciences Branch at NASA Ames, will provide scientific counsel on this project, especially as it relates to the Terrestrial Hydrology Program’s (THP) Snow Albedo Test Bed Scoping Studies. The areas of expertise for this proposal require a combination of snow hydrology, UAV-based measurements, optical and electrical sensors, and earth data informatics.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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