More Accurate Snow Measurements
MAR 19, 2013
Geologists use GPS and lasers to assess snowfall amounts.
More Accurate Snow Measurements
Get Inside the Science:
Scientists Deploy Lasers, GPS Technology To Improve Snow Measurements
Ethan Gutmann, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Buzzwords:
- Snowfall - The depth of snow that falls over a specified area during the past day or the previous observation.
- Laser - A device that emits an intense beam of light of a single color or narrow range of colors. Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
- Global Positioning System (GPS) - A satellite-based navigation system that uses approximately 30 satellites, each containing atomic clocks that circle the Earth and can precisely identify a location anywhere on the planet.
