Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Evaluation of the FlowCapt Acoustic Sensor for the Aeolian Transport of Snow

Alexandre Trouvilliez LGGE, UMR 5183, CNRS, and UR ETNA, Irstea, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, and DTecEMF, Cerema, LGCE, Plouzané, and Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France

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Florence Naaim-Bouvet UR ETNA, Irstea, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, and Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France

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Hervé Bellot UR ETNA, Irstea, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, and Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France

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Christophe Genthon LGGE, UMR 5183, CNRS, Saint-Martin d'Hères, France

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Hubert Gallée LGGE, UMR 5183, CNRS, Saint-Martin d'Hères, France

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Print Publication:
01 Sep 2015
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-14-00104.1
Page(s):
1630–1641
Restricted access

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Abstract

FlowCapt acoustic sensors, designed for measuring the aeolian transport of snow fluxes, are compared to the snow particle counter S7optical sensor, considered herein as the reference. They were compared in the French Alps at the Lac Blanc Pass, where a bench test for the aeolian transport of snow was set up. The two existing generations of FlowCapt are compared. Both seem to be good detectors for the aeolian transport of snow, especially for transport events with a flux above 1 g m−2 s−1. The second-generation FlowCapt is also compared in terms of quantification. The aeolian snow mass fluxes and snow quantity transported recorded by the second-generation FlowCapt are close to the integrative snow particle counter S7 fluxes for an event without precipitation, but they are underestimated when an event with precipitation is considered. When the winter season is considered, for integrative snow particle counter S7 fluxes above 20 g m−2 s−1, the second-generation FlowCapt fluxes are underestimated, regardless of precipitation. In conclusion, both generations of FlowCapt can be used as a drifting snow detector and the second generation can record an underestimation of the quantity of snow transported at one location: over the winter season, the quantity of snow transported recorded by the SPC is between 4 and 6 times greater than the quantity recorded by the second-generation FlowCapt.

Denotes Open Access content.

Corresponding author address: Alexandre Trouvilliez, DTecEMF, Cerema, Technopôle Brest Iroise BP 5, 155 Rue Pierre Bouguer, 29280 Plouzané, France. E-mail: alexandre.trouvilliez@cerema.fr

Abstract

FlowCapt acoustic sensors, designed for measuring the aeolian transport of snow fluxes, are compared to the snow particle counter S7optical sensor, considered herein as the reference. They were compared in the French Alps at the Lac Blanc Pass, where a bench test for the aeolian transport of snow was set up. The two existing generations of FlowCapt are compared. Both seem to be good detectors for the aeolian transport of snow, especially for transport events with a flux above 1 g m−2 s−1. The second-generation FlowCapt is also compared in terms of quantification. The aeolian snow mass fluxes and snow quantity transported recorded by the second-generation FlowCapt are close to the integrative snow particle counter S7 fluxes for an event without precipitation, but they are underestimated when an event with precipitation is considered. When the winter season is considered, for integrative snow particle counter S7 fluxes above 20 g m−2 s−1, the second-generation FlowCapt fluxes are underestimated, regardless of precipitation. In conclusion, both generations of FlowCapt can be used as a drifting snow detector and the second generation can record an underestimation of the quantity of snow transported at one location: over the winter season, the quantity of snow transported recorded by the SPC is between 4 and 6 times greater than the quantity recorded by the second-generation FlowCapt.

Denotes Open Access content.

Corresponding author address: Alexandre Trouvilliez, DTecEMF, Cerema, Technopôle Brest Iroise BP 5, 155 Rue Pierre Bouguer, 29280 Plouzané, France. E-mail: alexandre.trouvilliez@cerema.fr
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