Articles | Volume 16, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3199-2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3199-2022
Research article
 | 
10 Aug 2022
Research article |  | 10 Aug 2022

Comparison of manual snow water equivalent (SWE) measurements: seeking the reference for a true SWE value in a boreal biome

Maxime Beaudoin-Galaise and Sylvain Jutras

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Cited articles

BC Ministry of Environment: Snow Survey Sampling Guide, Environmental Sustainability & Strategic Policy Division, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/water/snow/snow_survey_sampling_guide.pdf (last access: 8 August 2022), 1981. 
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Choquette, Y., Ducharme, P., and Rogoza, J.: CS725, An Accurate Sensor for the Snow Water Equivalent and Soil Moisture Measurements, International Snow Science Workshop Grenoble, 7–11 October 2013, Chamonix Mont-Blanc, 931–936, 2013. 
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Short summary
Our study presents an analysis of the uncertainty and measurement error of manual measurement methods of the snow water equivalent (SWE). Snow pit and snow sampler measurements were taken during five consecutive winters. Our results show that, although the snow pit is considered a SWE reference in the literature, it is a method with higher uncertainty and measurement error than large diameter samplers, considered according to our results as the most appropriate reference in a boreal biome.