On the validation of snow densities derived from snowpower probes in a temperate snow cover in eastern canada: First result

In situ validation of remote sensing images of snow, monitoring greenhouse gas emissions and more accurate forecasting of water input to large hydraulic basins from snowmelt in remote areas can be supported through the development of new automatic snow measurement sensors, like the SNOWPOWER probe. This German technology consists of a flat band cable, usually 10 m long, through which high and low frequencies measurement data sets are made with a Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR) and an impedance analyser. When the cable is completely or partly embedded into the snow cover, it gives real time and continuous corresponding density and liquid water content measurements. The SNOWPOWER probe prototype is being tested in Switzerland and in Eastern Canada, at the J-C Chapais Experimental Farm (Agriculture and Agrifood Canada) near Quebec city. At this site, four flat cables were installed prior to the winter of 2002-2003. A series of weekly measurements have been conducted to monitor their behaviour in a moderate continental climate (Dfb) and to validate the algorithms for determining snow wetness and density. In this paper, we discuss the quality of those high and low frequency measurements. We also compare the snow parameter estimations with field data. Key Words: SNOWPOWER, sensor, snow density, snow wetness, TD