Dielectric Characterization of Snow at 24 GHZ: Insights from a Low-Cost Radar in Sodankyla, Finland

Monitoring the internal structure of the snowpack is imperative for managing snow-related hazards like avalanches and snowmelt floods. The surge in availability of cost-effective, low-power, and low-profile 24 GHz frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radars, originally designed for the automotive sector, has opened new possibilities. This paper illustrates the application of a compact and economical FMCW radar to enhance snowpack studies by swiftly providing the dielectric properties of snow and potentially assessing density and liquid water content (LWC). The radar functions as a snowpit instrument, creating expedited snow profiles of dielectric properties, aiming to overcome the drawbacks of slower, operator-dependent traditional density cutters. Initial results showcase the real part of the relative dielectric permittivity in actual snow conditions. Results are compared with manual measurements directly taken in the snowpit and with the bulk measurements taken with a well-established multi-band radar.