Articles | Volume 18, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2557-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2557-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Mapping surface hoar from near-infrared texture in a laboratory
James Dillon
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Civil Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
Christopher Donahue
Department of Geography, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada
Evan Schehrer
Department of Civil Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
Karl Birkeland
USDA Forest Service National Avalanche Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
Kevin Hammonds
Department of Civil Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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Short summary
Surface hoar crystals are snow grains that form when vapor deposits on a snow surface. They create a weak layer in the snowpack that can cause large avalanches to occur. Thus, determining when and where surface hoar forms is a lifesaving matter. Here, we developed a means of mapping surface hoar using remote-sensing technologies. We found that surface hoar displayed heightened texture, hence the variability of brightness. Using this, we created surface hoar maps with an accuracy upwards of 95 %.
Surface hoar crystals are snow grains that form when vapor deposits on a snow surface. They...