The Cryosphere Discussions www.the-cryosphere-discuss.net 1994-0432 1994-0440 4 1 2010 10.5194/tcd-4-1-2010 http://www.the-cryosphere-discuss.net/4/1/2010/ http://www.the-cryosphere-discuss.net/4/1/2010/tcd-4-1-2010.html http://www.the-cryosphere-discuss.net/4/1/2010/tcd-4-1-2010.pdf 1 30 2010-01-13 Spatial and temporal variability of snow depth and SWE in a small mountain catchment T. Grünewald gruenewald@slf.ch M. Schirmer R. Mott M. Lehning WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland The spatio-temporal variability of the mountain snow cover determines the avalanche danger, snow water storage, permafrost distribution and the local distribution of fauna and flora. Using a new type of terrestrial laser scanner (TLS), which is particularly suited for measurements of snow covered surfaces, snow depth, snow water equivalent (SWE) and melt rates have been monitored in a high alpine catchment during an ablation period. 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