Effect of grain geometry on electrical properties of snow at frequencies up to 100 MHz

The complex dielectric constant of snow samples with different stages of metamorphism and different densities and liquid water contents has been measured in the frequency range of up to 100 MHz. Both the static dielectric constant and the loss factor at frequencies between 1 and 100 MHz depend strongly on the snow texture. The shape of the snow grains or clusters has been found to be an important texture parameter; it is particularly suited for snow classification. A significant influence of the size of the grains on the electrical properties has not been observed. Under the condition of a low ionic conductivity, shape factors to classify snow samples can be derived from the static permittivity. Compared to the determination of shape factors from thin snow sections, the dielectric method is most suitable for application to wet snow.