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Full catalog/SNEX20_GM_CTSM
SNEX20_GM_CTSM·v1·dataset

3D scans of snow's internal grain structure (SnowEx 2020)

SnowEx20 Grand Mesa IOP Computed Tomography Snow Microstructure V001
cryosphere NASA NSIDC_CPRD Level 4 ExcelText FileBMP
In plain English

What it measures. Detailed 3D scans of the internal grain structure of snow from six snow pits, including two- and three-dimensional analyses and visual reconstructions of the snow's microstructure.

How it's made. Created on the ground by collecting snow samples during the SnowEx 2020 Grand Mesa campaign and scanning thin sections with a micro-CT (microcomputed tomography) instrument.

How & where you'd use it. Gives researchers an intimate look at how snow grains are arranged, useful for understanding how snow reflects radar and light and for improving snow models.

What's measured

CRYOSPHERE › SNOW/ICE › SNOW MICROSTRUCTURE

Coverage & cadence

  • Time span2020-02-03 → 2020-02-08
  • Measured byGROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS (Microtomography)
  • Processing levelLevel 4
  • Spatial extent-108.22839, 39.00511, -108.11049, 39.06532
  • FormatsExcel, Text File, BMP
  • StatusCOMPLETE

What you can do with it

  • Measure sea ice, snow cover and glaciers
  • Watch ice-sheet elevation change
  • Track freeze/thaw and permafrost
Official description

This data set characterizes snow microstructure for 6 snow pits from the SnowEx 2020 Grand Mesa Intensive Observation Period (February 2020) using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT). Included with this data set are two- and three-dimensional microstructural analysis of DMP/DEP casted and un-casted snow samples, available as .xlsx and .txt file, and visual representations of the three-dimensional snow structure, available is .bmp image files. Containers of snow were collected at 6 snow pits in approximately 17 cm intervals. There were approximately 5-8 discrete containers per pit and each container had an ~2 cm overlap with the sample below. A 6-cm section of snow was dissected from each container of snow, which were analyzed in ~2 cm sub-sections. Each sub-section was scanned in three intervals using a micro-CT instrument. The three interval scans comprise multiple slices, and were combined into the reconstructed final scan used for calculating the snow microstructural data.

Get the data

snex20_gm_ctsm_access.py
import earthaccess
earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")          # free Earthdata Login

results = earthaccess.search_data(
    short_name="SNEX20_GM_CTSM",
    version="1",
    bounding_box=(-122.5, 37.2, -121.8, 37.9),  # your area (W,S,E,N)
    temporal=("2024-01-01", "2024-12-31"),       # your dates
)
files = earthaccess.open(results)   # stream straight from NSIDC_CPRD
Browsing CMR needs no login. Downloading or streaming bytes needs a free Earthdata Login + the earthaccess package.