RT Journal Article
T1 New approaches and error assessment to snow cover thickness and density using air temperature data at different heights
A1 García-Maroto, Diego
A1 Durán Montejano, Luis
A1 Pablo Hernández, Miguel Ángel de
A2 Elsevier, 
AB Snow poles are inexpensive systems composed of a wooden mast with temperature sensors affixed at varying heights with the purpose of estimating the snow depth. They are frequently utilised in cold, remote regions where the maintenance of complex monitoring instruments becomes impractical. In this study, snow cover thickness is determined using different methods, based on the thermal behaviour of air temperature measured by a snow pole on Deception Island, Antarctica. The methods are compared to high-resolution measurements of snow depth obtained using an ultrasonic sensor at the same site. A new modified method is proposed and shown to give the best results. Errors and sensitivity to chosen thresholds of the various methods have been compared. Sensitivity tests have been also conducted to evaluate the impact of missing data from some of the sensors. Finally, the insulating effect on the thermal signal produced by the snow is used to obtain information on the snowpack density. Promising results have been found from this effort, opening new possibilities for the usage of snow poles and may lead to future studies.
PB Elsevier
SN 0048-9697
YR 2024
FD 2024-03-20
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/102821
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/102821
LA eng
NO García-Maroto D, Durán L, de Pablo Hernández MÁ. New approaches and error assessment to snow cover thickness and density using air temperature data at different heights. Sci Total Environ. 2024 Mar 20;926:171744. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171744
NO Government of Spain, Ministry of Economy and Competitivity
NO Spanish Polar Committee by contracts PERMATHERMAL
NO Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento 2022, Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain
DS Docta Complutense
RD 19 mar 2026