Articles | Volume 13, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3413-2019
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3413-2019
Research article
 | 
20 Dec 2019
Research article |  | 20 Dec 2019

Continuous and autonomous snow water equivalent measurements by a cosmic ray sensor on an alpine glacier

Rebecca Gugerli, Nadine Salzmann, Matthias Huss, and Darin Desilets

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Cited articles

Ali, S. A., Aadhar, S., Shah, H. L., and Mishra, V.: Projected Increase in Hydropower Production in India under Climate Change, Sci. Rep., 8, 12450, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30489-4, 2018. a
Andreasen, M., Jensen, K. H., Desilets, D., Franz, T. E., Zreda, M., Bogena, H. R., and Looms, M. C.: Status and Perspectives on the Cosmic-Ray Neutron Method for Soil Moisture Estimation and Other Environmental Science Applications, Vadose Zone J., 16, 1–11, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2017.04.0086, 2017. a, b, c, d
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Campbell Scientific: Instruction Manual SR50A, SR50A-316SS and SR50AH Sonic Ranging Sensors, revision: 10/16 edn., available at: https://s.campbellsci.com/documents/us/manuals/sr50a.pdf (last access: 14 December 2019), 2016. a, b
Castebrunet, H., Eckert, N., Giraud, G., Durand, Y., and Morin, S.: Projected changes of snow conditions and avalanche activity in a warming climate: the French Alps over the 2020–2050 and 2070–2100 periods, The Cryosphere, 8, 1673–1697, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1673-2014, 2014. a
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Short summary
The snow water equivalent (SWE) in high mountain regions is crucial for many applications. Yet its quantification remains difficult. We present autonomous daily SWE observations by a cosmic ray sensor (CRS) deployed on a Swiss glacier for two winter seasons. Combined with snow depth observations, we derive the daily bulk snow density. The validation with manual field observations and its measurement reliability show that the CRS is a promising device for high alpine cryospheric environments.