Snow Measurement 2013 Excellence in Snow Measurement

Agenda »Introduction »Snow height sensor - USH-8 »Snow Water Equivalent sensor - SSG »Snow Pack Analyser – SPA General Product Presentation

Introduction For more than 25 years Sommer GmbH has developed and produced high quality sensors for meterological, hydrological and geological applications. Since 1989 Sommer has put a special focus on snow measurement and avalanche warning systems and developed robust sensors for determination of »Snow height »Snow temperature »Snow water equivalent »Liquid water content in snow pack »Snow melt-off prediction Snow Measurement

Introduction » Snow covers more than 60% of the Northern hemisphere » Snow is an important freshwater resource » Water will be more and more valuable » Environmental damages - flood management, avalanche service Snow Measurement

Introduction Snow Measurement

Introduction 6 Snow Measurement 2013 air temperature and humidity snow surface temperature (infrared) solar panel snow depth (ultrasonic) global radiation lightning protection measurement system enclosure GSM / GPRS antenna (radio transmission) snow temperature profile (snow-covered) SWE sensor (snow-covered)

USH-8 SNOW DEPTH SENSOR 7 Snow Measurement 2013

USH-8 Snow Depth Sensor »Continuous and contact-free ultrasonic snow depth sensor »Designed for extreme conditions »Robust sealed ceramic membrane »Correct measurement during snowfall and snow drift »Protective shield against icing »Integrated lightning protection »High measuring accuracy due to integrated temperature compensation »Energy-saving sensor operation »Standby“ between measuring phases »Ideal for solar-powered stations »Simple sensor integration »Analogue and digital interface Snow Measurement

USH-8 Snow Depth Sensor Interface »Analog: »Output: Snow depth »4 - 20mA (configurable) »Max. load 300 Ω »Digital: »Output: Snow depth, air temp., quality flag »Connection via RS 232 »Various ASCII formats supported Snow Measurement

USH-8 Snow Depth Sensor 10 Snow Measurement 2013 H (m)Ø (m)DB (m) 20,4 1,0 30,6 1,2 40,8 1,4 51,1 1,6 61,3 1,8 71,5 2,0 81,7 2,2

USH-8 Snow Depth Sensor 11 Snow Measurement 2013

SSG – SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT SENSOR 12 Snow Measurement 2013

SSG – SWE Sensor »Continuous measurement of Snow-Water-Equivalent (SWE) »Minimization of ice bridging effects »Optimized thermal flow between sensor and ground due to perforated aluminium sheets, providing high accuracy during the melting process »Robust and long life aluminum construction »Measure up to 200 / 500 / / 2000 mm of SWE »No antifreeze liquid required »Simple system integration »No preparation of the measuring site required Snow Measurement

SSG – SWE Sensor »Higher accuracy during melting process compared to snow pillow. Snow Measurement

SSG – SWE Sensor 15 Snow Measurement 2013 Modular construction, no part heavier than 10 kg

SPA – SNOW PACK ANALYSER 16 Snow Measurement 2013

SPA – Snow Pack Analyser »The Snow Pack Analyser is a unique system for automatic and continuous measurement of all relevant snow parameters. »Snow depth »Snow density »Snow water equivalent (SWE) »Content of liquid water and ice »Standard SPA for up to 2m snow height. Others on request Snow Measurement

SPA – Snow Pack Analyser »Automatic, continuous measurement »Energy-saving sensor operation »“Standby“ between the measuring phases »Ideal for solar-powered stations »No measurement errors caused by ice layers »Possible installation at hillsides »System assembly on demand »Information about »the whole snow pack »At a specific snow depth level (with multiple sensors at different heights) »an extended area, by measuring with up to 4 SPA-sensors Snow Measurement

SPA – Snow Pack Analyser SPA Measurement Príncipe »Three components of snow are determined: »Ice »Liquid water »Air »The dielectric constant between ice, water and air is different »The dielectric constant is determined by complex impedance measurements Snow Measurement

SWE from SPA and snow pillow 20 Snow Measurement 2013

SWE from SPA and new snow 21 Snow Measurement 2013

Snow density at 10 cm near ground 22 Snow Measurement 2013

Run-off prediction 23 Snow Measurement 2013 Point A »Snow compression starts »SWE constant Point B »Significant increase of liquid water content prior to the start of the run-off AB Point C »Run-off starts »SWE decreases C

SPA – Snow Pack Analyser Snow Measurement » Forecast of water capacity from snow melt and run-off » Flood prevention » Management of hydro power resources » Liquid water content » Prediction of wet snow avalanches » Flood prediction » Large areal resolution » Calibration of remote sensing data » Calibration of numeric models

SPA – Snow Pack Analyser 25 Snow Measurement 2013

26 Snow Measurement 2013 Thank you for your attention! Wolfram Sommer Matthias Kaufmann CEODirector International Sales