User Manual SPA Snow Pack Analyser
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1. General information
Snow has an enormous variability in space and time. Up to now mainly punctual measurements are
available for the relevant parameters. The Snow Pack Analysing System (SPA) constitutes an innovation
in snow measurement. It is a system for automatic and continuous measurement of all relevant snow
parameters like snow depth, snow density, snow water equivalent and contents of liquid water and ice.
There are several possibilities to install the system, depending on demand.
1.1. Principle of measurement
Fig. 1: Principle of measurement of the SPA-sensor
Snow consists of the three components ice, water and air. Referring to different measurement
frequencies, these components show different dielectric constants. Measuring the complex impedance
along a flat ribbon sensor (SPA-sensor) with at least two frequencies allows to estimate the volume
contents of the individual components. These specific volume contents equate the liquid water, ice and air
in the snow pack, which result in the snow density and the snow water equivalent.
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