Tip of SnowMicroPen: meausuring snow properties in the field
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Tip of SnowMicroPen: meausuring snow properties in the field

by Juerg Schweizer, WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland

The SnowMicroPen (SMP) measures the penetration resistance of snow. The tip is 5 mm in diameter and pushed into the snow with a constant speed of 20 mm/s. The depth-penetration signal represents a snow hardness profile. From the penetration resistance layer properties such as snow density and other mechanical properties can be derived.