Solia, a new meteorological instrument for characterization of main states of groundThis article is about a new meteorological instrument developed for the automation of state of ground observations in the Météo-France network. The principle uses a combination of scattering and reflecting phenomena from a reference surface illuminated by a visible source. This instrument is able to identify the main states of ground such as dry, moist, wet or snowcovered. In addition to optical measurements, a temperature probe in the surface of the patch identifies the solid-water states like glazed and hoar frost. Automation implies the use of an urban type reference surface like a concrete slab changing the initial concept of state-of-ground observation on grass.This instrument eliminates any subjective interpretation by the observer, and consequently allows normalization between different stations. Solia is the first meteorological instrument designed for state-of-ground determination, though surface observations systems for road applications have been used for a few years.
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