FMCW radars for snow research

Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radars have been used by snow scientists for the past 30 years. This radar technology provides a promising alternative to point measurements, as properties such as snow depth can be measured quickly and non-destructively. Recent advances in microwave FMCW radar technology have resulted in lightweight, portable instrumentation. This is in contrast to the early FMCW radar systems which were often too heavy to cover large distances efficiently. These advanced FMCW radars provide snow scientists and hydrologists with the ability to map snow pack properties, such as depth, snow water equivalent (SWE) and stratigraphy, rapidly over large distances, at high resolution. We discuss the development of FMCW radar over the past 30 years and review the diverse applications of these radars by snow scientists.