Flexible networked array for measuring snow water equivalent (swe) and system network for providing environmental monitoring services using the same

Abstract

A snow water equivalent (SWE) networked array for installation on ground surface of variable surface geometry, and configured for measuring snow water equivalent (SWE) in remote snow fall accumulations. The SWE-measuring networked array includes a plurality of snow data collection modules (SDCM) connected together over a specified region of space, and each SDCM measuring the weight and temperature of snow over its local weight surface, and generating electrical signals representative of the weight and temperature of the snow load on the weigh surface. One or more snow data collection module for measuring the snow load on a weighing surface, along with the temperature of said weighing surface, and generating composite electrical signals representative of the snow weight and temperature; a data multiplexing and power distribution module is used for receiving the composite signal; and a central data processing module is used to process the composite signals received from the data multiplexing and power distribution module and generating a SWE data value weighted according to a specific method.