Increasingly, cosmic ray probes are being used to monitor soil moisture and estimate the amount of water available in the form of snow in the mountains. A joint research project with the University of Innsbruck combines the advantages of this technology with those of satellite images. So, how do cosmic ray probes work? What are their advantages? And, what needs to be considered when using them in the mountains?

Technologies to protect against drought are increasing 

Betting on cosmic rays

In the past few days, a small Cessna aircraft carrying an experimental technology flew over the Senales Valley in South Tyrol between Vernago Lake and Grawand. Over the course of two flights, a sensor measured the heat exchange between snow and air. On the ground, along the same routes, eight teams led by Eurac Research experts measured snow depth with scaled rods and weighed the snow to determine its type. If analysis of the data collected proves the technology is reliable and the measurements match those taken on the ground, it could go on to be mounted on satellites. 

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A breath of snow

Open-Earth-Monitor Cyberinfrastructure

CCI+ Phase 2 - New ECVs / Snow (ESA Climate Change Initiative on the essential climate variable snow) 

OPTION CCI+ Phase 2 - High Resolution Snow Mapping from Sentinel-2 and Landsat Data 

AlpSnow

An interregional glacier monitoring system for the South Tyrol-Tyrol region

Improve the Science of Processes within the Cryosphere by Integrating Hydrological Modelling with Remote Sensing in a Multi-Level Data Fusion Approach - a Contribution to Cryosphere Monitoring in the EUREGIO Region

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Riccardo Barella

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OEMC

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Snow CCI+ Phase 2

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ESA OPTION CCI+ SNOW

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MAGAZINE Science Stories that Inspire

Betting on cosmic rays

A breath of snow

Riccardo Barella

Projects

Project

OEMC

Project

Snow CCI+ Phase 2

Project

ESA OPTION CCI+ SNOW

Project

Alpsnow

Project

GLISTT

Project

CRYOMON- SciPro

MAGAZINE Science Stories that Inspire

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A breath of snowself.__wrap_b(":Rjqllabjlm:",1)

Betting on cosmic rays

A breath of snow