Evaluation of LiDAR-Derived Snow Depth Estimates From the iPhone 12 Pro

Snow is a critical contributor to the global water-energy budget with impacts on springtime flooding and water resource management practices. Laser altimetry [light detection and ranging (LiDAR)] is a remote-sensing technique that has demonstrated skill in monitoring snow depth, but the expense of purchasing and transporting traditional LiDAR equipment limits their operational use. In this work, we demonstrate that the LiDAR sensor installed on the Apple iPhone 12 Pro consumer smartphone is a real-time, handheld measurement instrument for accurately observing changes in snow depth. Two independent field experiments in Southern Ontario, Canada, found that the iPhone LiDAR was able to accurately capture daily changes in snow depth when compared to in situ snow ruler measurements. In situ and LiDAR comparisons of n = 75 days at measurement site A exhibit a correlation of r > 0.99, mean absolute bias less than 1 mm, and a root mean squared error (RMSE) of approximately 6 mm. A similar positive agreement was also noted at the second field study site for n = 16 measurements over the same period. The high accuracy of the LiDAR sensor suggests that a mobile application could be developed which allows users to quickly scan a snow-covered area before and after a snowfall event and consequently use this data to aid in filling current observational gaps through a citizen-science-based approach to measuring changes in snow depth.

Automated summary

The LiDAR sensor installed on the Apple iPhone 12 Pro smartphone is a real-time, handheld measurement instrument that accurately observes changes in snow depth. It shows high accuracy and potential for filling current observational gaps in snow depth measurements.