Monitoring of dynamic changes in alpine snow with terrestrial radar imagery

Remote sensing of snow with active and passive microwaves on terrestrial, aircraft and satellite platforms has a long tradition. However, the observation of dynamic processes on alpine slopes is difficult to achieve by fixed orbits and flight schedules. Terrestrial radar interferometers allow to overcome some of these constraints due to the portability of the system, the possibility to make repeat acquisitions in minute intervals, and the local observation capability. Results in the Swiss Alps prove the potential of the methodology to measure rapid and local changes in snow parameters such as changes of the liquid water content, sudden mechanical impact on the snowpack due to skiers and avalanches. Using standard interferometric techniques a local snow displacement map was computed providing information about the spatial and temporal behavior of creeping snow.