Snow Microwave Radiative Transfer model

SMRT is a radiative transfer model to compute emission and backscatter from snowpack.

Getting started is easy, follow the instructions and explore the other repositories with examples in the 'smrt-model' github organization or read the detailed 'documentation'.

If you want to try without installing anything on your computer, use free mybinder.org notenooks: .

If you want to try SMRT without coding, use SMRT-App.

You can also explore the documentation and find code examples via the AI Wiki. Please let us know your experience of using this via discussions.

Quick Installation

To install the latest stable release:

pip install smrt

Alternatively, the latest developments are available using:

pip install git+https://github.com/smrt-model/smrt.git

or by 'manual installation'.

A simple example

An example to calculate the brightness temperature from a one-layer snowpack.

from smrt import make_snowpack, sensor_list, make_model

# create a snowpack
snowpack = make_snowpack(thickness=[10.],   # snowpack depth in m
                         microstructure_model="sticky_hard_spheres",
                         density=320.0,   # density in kg/m3
                         temperature=260, # temperature in Kelvin
                         radius=100e-6)   # scatterers raidus in m

# create the sensor (AMSRE, channel 37 GHz vertical polarization)
radiometer = sensor_list.amsre('37V')

# create the model including the scattering model (IBA) and the radiative transfer solver (DORT)
m = make_model("iba", "dort")

# run the model
result = m.run(radiometer, snowpack)

print(result.TbV())

License information

See the file LICENSE.txt for terms & conditions for usage, and a DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES.

DISCLAIMER: This version of SMRT is under peer review. Please use this software with caution, ask for assistance if needed, and let us know any feedback you may have.

Copyright (c) 2016-2025 Ghislain Picard, Melody Sandells, Henning Löwe.

Other contributions

• Nina Maass: initial implementation of the sea-ice functions
• Ludovic Brucker: initial implementation of the saline snow functions
• Mai Winstrup: initial implementation of the sea-ice functions
• Marion Leduc-Leballeur: test&debuging (snow and ice)
• Carlo Marin: debuging of the wet permittivities.
• Fanny Larue: debuging (LRM altimetry)
• Justin Murfitt: debuging (lake-ice, LRM altimetry)
• Julien Meloche: debuging (snow). Help to user. Iterative solver.
• Janna Rücker: implementation of new sea-ice functions
• Jacqueline Boutin: implementation of new sea-ice permittivity functions
• Hippolyte Signargout: code cleaning and modernization, documentation refactoring
• Ange Haddjeri: implementation of bedrock permittivity