Measuring complex dielectric permittivity from GPR to estimate liquid water content in snow

Abstract

Summary The primary source of water for much of the semi-arid western U.S. is snow stored in mountain basins. Monitoring the snow water equivalent (SWE) is critical in water resource management. There are currently no methods to accurately measure SWE over large lateral distances. Groundpenetrating radar (GPR) is a tool that can potentially provide laterally continuous measurements. Previous studies have shown that measurements of GPR velocity can provide accurate estimates of SWE in dry snow. However,