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https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1760
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1760
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Preprints
26 Jun 2024
 | 26 Jun 2024
Status: this preprint is open for discussion.

Brief Communication: Accurate and autonomous snow water equivalent measurements using a cosmic ray sensor on a Himalayan glacier

Navaraj Pokhrel, Patrick Wagnon, Fanny Brun, Arbindra Khadka, Tom Matthews, Audrey Goutard, Dibas Shrestha, Baker Perry, and Marion Réveillet

Abstract. We analyze snow water equivalent (SWE) measurements from a cosmic ray sensor (CRS) on the lower accumulation area of Mera Glacier (Central Himalaya, Nepal) between November 2019 and November 2021. The CRS aligned well with field observations and revealed accumulation in pre-monsoon and monsoon, followed by ablation in post-monsoon and winter. COSIPY simulations suggest significant surface melting, water percolation and refreezing within the snowpack, consistent with CRS observations, yet liable to be missed by surface mass balance surveys. We conclude that CRS can be used to complement more resource-intensive manual measurements to determine mass fluxes on remote, high-altitude Himalayan glaciers.

How to cite. Pokhrel, N., Wagnon, P., Brun, F., Khadka, A., Matthews, T., Goutard, A., Shrestha, D., Perry, B., and Réveillet, M.: Brief Communication: Accurate and autonomous snow water equivalent measurements using a cosmic ray sensor on a Himalayan glacier, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1760, 2024.
Received: 10 Jun 2024 – Discussion started: 26 Jun 2024
Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Navaraj Pokhrel, Patrick Wagnon, Fanny Brun, Arbindra Khadka, Tom Matthews, Audrey Goutard, Dibas Shrestha, Baker Perry, and Marion Réveillet

Status: open (until 07 Aug 2024)

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Navaraj Pokhrel, Patrick Wagnon, Fanny Brun, Arbindra Khadka, Tom Matthews, Audrey Goutard, Dibas Shrestha, Baker Perry, and Marion Réveillet
Navaraj Pokhrel, Patrick Wagnon, Fanny Brun, Arbindra Khadka, Tom Matthews, Audrey Goutard, Dibas Shrestha, Baker Perry, and Marion Réveillet

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Short summary
We studied snow processes in the accumulation area of Mera Glacier (Central Himalaya, Nepal) by deploying a cosmic ray counting sensor that allows to track the evolution of the snow water equivalent. We suspect significant surface melting, water percolation and refreezing within the snowpack, that might be missed by traditional mass balance surveys.
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