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Deep snow measurements suggested using cosmic radiation
Author(s) -
Bissell Ver C.,
Burson Zolin G.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr010i006p01243
Subject(s) - snow , water equivalent , attenuation , snow cover , environmental science , cosmic ray , remote sensing , radiation , cosmic cancer database , detector , particle detector , liquid scintillation counting , scintillation , meteorology , optics , geology , physics , nuclear physics , astronomy , radiochemistry , chemistry
The attenuation of highly penetrating cosmic radiation shows promise as a means of measuring the water equivalent of snow cover. The attenuation of cosmic radiation by water is sufficient to make the method practicable, especially for deep snow. As an example, statistical counting errors in a two‐detector setup (using 10 cm by 10 cm Nal(Tl) scintillation detectors, one above the snow and one beneath the snow) would produce a water equivalent measurement accuracy of better than 1% in measuring 100 cm of water with a 24‐hour measurement time.