Temporal coverage: 31 March 2015 - present
The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) “Snow Mass 9 km (L4, 12z-3z Time Average, Model Value-Added)” layer displays a model-derived global 3-hr time average of snow mass in kg/m2 posted on a 9 km EASE-Grid 2.0. Snow mass estimates are based on a snow model component of the NASA Catchment Land Surface Model. 12z-3z indicates the 3-hourly time averaging interval between the 12:00:00 UTC and 3:00:00 UTC analysis updates.
The SMAP spacecraft carries two instruments, a radar (active) and a radiometer (passive), that together make global measurements of land surface soil moisture and freeze/thaw state. It is useful for monitoring and predicting natural hazards such as floods and droughts, understanding the linkages between Earth’s water, energy and carbon cycles, and reducing uncertainties in predicting weather and climate.
References: SMAP L4 9 km EASE-Grid Surface and Root Zone Soil Moisture Geophysical Data
Data field: snow_mass