SnowImager – Precision Snowpack Analysis with Near-Infrared Imaging
The SnowImager is a field-validated measurement system for quantitative snow analysis in research and operational environments. Using near-infrared reflectance imaging, it determines key physical snow parameters such as specific surface area (SSA) and density. The instrument delivers fast and accurate two-dimensional measurements at millimetre resolution.
Instrumentation
The SnowImager is a field instrument designed to collect quantitative data on snow structure. It achieves this by capturing near-infrared reflectance images of a snow surface or profile. Its main components include a near-infrared illumination system and integrated cameras that record the reflected light. The light-tight housing shields the measurement area from ambient sunlight, ensuring controlled and reproducible conditions.
Data Products
The reflectance images captured with the SnowImager allow the derivation of specific surface area (SSA), density and, currently under development, liquid water content using dedicated post-processing algorithms and calibrations. Several reflectance images can be stitched together to obtain data from a larger snowpack or extended snow profile.
Results from the field
The SnowImager has been tested across a wide range of locations and environments. Field campaigns were conducted in Switzerland (Davos and Jungfraujoch), as well as in Finland, Greenland, and Antarctica. Snow specific surface area and density were derived from these datasets and validated against established reference instruments.
About
The SnowImager was developed through a close collaboration between Davos Instruments AG and the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF). A shared scientific interest and close proximity in Davos formed the basis of this joint project, with the aim of developing a robust, easy-to-use field instrument to advance snowpack characterization.
Following growing interest from the international research community, the NiviLux GmbH is a startup founded to continue this work. NiviLux builds on the original collaboration by further developing the SnowImager and ensuring its long-term availability to research institutions and applied users worldwide.
Davos Instruments AG , founded in 2016, is a Swiss company specialized in the development and manufacturing of scientific instruments, with particular expertise in high-precision (solar) radiation measurements. Davos Instruments is also a co-founder of NiviLux GmbH, contributing longstanding technical and engineering know-how from the SnowImager’s development.
The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) is a world-leading public research institution in snow and avalanche science, based in Davos, Switzerland. SLF acts as a research partner of NiviLux and continues to drive the scientific development of the SnowImager, including methodology, validation, and new applications.
