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ULTRASONIC DEPTH GAUGE
Snow depth is monitored constantly beneath the instrument tower using a Campbell Scientific UDG01 Ultrasonic Depth Gauge. This sensor measures the distance from the sensor to the surface; it is currently mounted at 6.0 above the ground, so during peak snowpack conditions it is 2-3 m above the snow surface. The primary components of this sensor are the Polaroid Ultrasonic transducer and the Polaroid 6500 Sonar Ranging Module. The instrument bounces an ultrasonic wave off the surface and listens for the return echo. The time from transmit to return of the echo is the basis for determining the distance to the surface. The sensor has a measurement range of 0.1-6 m, and an accuracy of +/- 1 cm or 0.4% of Distance to Target, whichever is greatest. The measurement resolution is 0.5 mm. The IFOV of the sensor is approximately 20 degrees, so at low snow depths (large distances) echoes are sometimes recorded from the tower itself, resulting in a multiple signal. [Source: University of Colorado at Boulder]