Measurement of BRDF of snow and sea ice in the Ross and Amundsen Seas by the visible and near-infrared channels of MODIS

To validate snow and ice products of MODIS, data sets of BRDF of snow and sea ice surface were collected in January to February 1999 in the Ross Sea, and in February to March 2000 in the Ross Sea and Amundsen Sea. Clear sky BRDF patterns of snow surface on sea ice floes show that for moderate to large viewing zenith angles, maximum reflectance occurs around the principal plane, and a minimum generally occurs between 100/spl deg/ and 140/spl deg/ of azimuth angle. BRDF patterns for a ridged ice floe with a refrozen snow surface full of ice clusters show much stronger anisotropy than an unridged flat ice floe with a pure and more homogeneous snow cover.