Principle and application of apparatus for monitoring ice/snow thickness based on a magnetostrictive displacement sensor

Magnetostrictive displacement sensor has characteristics of high precision, high reliability and multi-position detecting. Based on the principle of this sensor, a new apparatus for monitoring ice/snow thickness and ice foundation variation was developed. This apparatus was used to measure ice thickness in freezing laboratory for about 540 h and landfast-sea-ice thickness and snow depth in Antarctica for about 6 months. Precision estimation indicates that the error of the apparatus is ±0.13 cm in laboratory and ±0.20 cm in field, respectively. The data, especially for the field data, with high precision, can give a powerful support to analyze the process of ice growth and decay in a short-temporal scale, and to thoroughly understand the couple interaction processes among atmosphere, ice and ocean, furthermore, to modify ice thermodynamic numerical model. In addition, this apparatus will supply technical support for ice engineering research.