The OpenSSP Snow Particle and Scattering Property Database: Current Status and Future Plans

The OpenSSP database is a catalog of synthetic ice and snow particles and the associated scattering properties. These data can be accessed through a web interface (https://storm.pps.eosdis.nasa.gov/storm/OpenSSP.jsp ) that allows users to select particles through a number of criteria such as particle morphology, size distribution, or mass-size relationship. The OpenSSP data, along with other particle databases, have facilitated high-fidelity studies relating particle properties to multi-spectral active and passive microwave, millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave remote sensing observations. In this presentation, we will provide the current status of OpenSSP, including the most recent improvements to the web interface. We will also discuss the ongoing evolution of OpenSSP, including work to include melting, rimed, and polycrystal particles, as well as scattering methods beyond the discrete dipole method that are currently being implemented and tested. Finally, we will demonstrate the breadth of applications of the catalog in both microphysical studies and sensor simulations.