A comparison of US and Canadian airborne gamma radiation snow water equivalent measurements

Submitted by Armida on Fri, 02/15/2013 - 15:26
TitleA comparison of US and Canadian airborne gamma radiation snow water equivalent measurements
Publication TypeConference Proceedings
Year of Conference1983
AuthorsCarroll, T. R., Glynn J. E., and Goodison B. E.
Conference Name51st Annual Western Snow Conference
Series TitleProceedings of the 51st Annual Western Snow Conference
Date PublishedApril 1983
PublisherWestern Snow Conference
Conference LocationVancouver, Washington
KeywordsAirborne gamma radiation, Snow water equivalent
Abstract

During the week of February 15, 1982, the National Weather Service and the Geological Survey of Canada made airborne gamma radiation snow water equivalent measurements on a network of 43 flight lines in central Saskatchewan. Seventeen flight lines were flown by both the National Weather Service and Geological Survey of Canada aircraft and provide data for a system comparison. The results indicate that the two systems can make independent snow water equivalent measurements with an RMS error of 4.5 mm between systems. In excess of 2500 ground-based snow depth and water equivalent samples were collected on three flight lines and indicate that airborne snow water equivalent measurements can be made with an RMS error of 6.2 mm and a bias of 4.3 mm (6.4 percent).
URLsites/westernsnowconference.org/PDFs/1983Carroll.pdf