Introduction

Particle Flux Analytics has teamed with the University of Utah Center for Engineering Innovation to produce the Multi-Angle Snowflake Camera (MASC), a precipitation measurement instrument formerly sold by Fallgatter Technologies, Inc. The Multi-Angle Snowflake Camera takes 30 micron resolution photographs of hydrometeors in free fall from three angles while simultaneously measuring their fallspeed. Current customers include government, university, and military agencies in the United States, Switzerland and Canada.

Multi-Angle Snowflake Camera

The Multi-Angle Snowflake Camera (MASC) takes 10 to 30 micron resolution photographs of hydrometeors from three angles while simultaneously measuring their fallspeed. The cameras are triggered by a vertically stacked bank of sensitive infrared motion sensors designed to filter out slow variations in ambient light. The triggering is auto-calibrated, and sensitive to snowflake sizes ranging from 100 micrometers to 3 cm (30,000 micrometers). Fallspeed is derived from successive triggers along the fall path. Photographs are obtained at a speed of up to 1/40,000th of a second and the hydrometeors are illuminated by three 40 W LEDs rated at 2700 lumens each.

The instrument is robust to cold and weather and runs unattended. Calibration is limited to occasional camera alignment and lens focusing using a calibration tool that attaches to the instrument. Software is included for image and fallspeed acquisition and display on PC platforms and for creating a live internet feed from the installation site. The executables include lossless (png) image compression to facilitate with data management. Tens of thousands of images might be obtained in a single day. Scientific analysis scripts are available for detailed post-processing.

Technical details are available in the specifications PDF.

For more information or to request a quote, please reach out to us at info@particleflux.net.

Publications

  • Garrett, T. J., Yuter, S.E., Fallgatter, C., Shkurko, K., Rhodes, S. R. and Endries, J. L., 2015: Orientations and aspect ratios of falling snow. Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 4617-4622, doi:10.1002/2015GL06404
  • Garrett, T. J. and Yuter, S. E: Observed influence of riming, temperature, and turbulence on the fallspeed of solid precipitation Geophys. Res. Lett. doi:10.1002/2014GL061016
  • Garrett, T. J., Fallgatter, C., Shkurko, K., and Howlett, D., 2012: Fallspeed measurement and high-resolution multi-angle photography of hydrometeors in freefall. Atmos. Meas. Tech., 5, 2625-2633, doi:10.5194/amt-5-2625-2012

Media

Images shown below were captured using a MASC in Salt Lake City, UT. Further media coverage.

Our Team

Timothy Garrett, PhD

Professor Tim Garrett is the President of Particle Flux Analytics, and Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah. His research focuses on aerosols, clouds, precipitation, radiation, and climate from theoretical, numerical and observational perspectives, including field work from the high Arctic to the tropical tropopause and high mountain environments. Professor Garrett is the author of 68 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and a patent.

Konstantin Shkurko

Konstantin Shkurko is the Vice President of Particle Flux Analytics, and a PhD student in Computer Graphics at the University of Utah. Konstantin leads software and firmware architecture for data collection, analysis, and display for Particle Flux Analytics. His research focuses on rendering algorithms and ray tracing hardware, and he holds a BA in Math and Physics and an MS in Computer Graphics from Cornell University. Konstantin's recent software development positions include Microsoft and Pixar.

Center for Engineering Innovation

The Center for Engineering Innovation provides prototyping and advanced engineering services for the University of Utah as well as industry and public/government collaborators. It offers complex tools, integrated processes and a knowledge base in highly advanced technologies that is unique to Utah.