👉 Over the past weeks, our team at ANavS successfully installed four GNSS-based snow monitoring stations across Chile and Argentina – ranging from 1,800 m to over 4,400 m altitude.
From Aconcagua Provincial Park to Paso de Agua Negra and Valle Nevado, this deployment combined cutting-edge GNSS technology with demanding high-altitude fieldwork.
📍 Image 1 – Horcones (Aconcagua, ~3000 m)
Our first station installed at the foot of Aconcagua – a milestone in bringing GNSS-based SWE monitoring to South America.
📍 Image 2 – Team & Collaboration (Horcones)
Fieldwork in close collaboration with our partners from IANIGLA.
📍 Image 3 – GNSS SWE Sensor (Detail)
The snow water equivalent (SWE) is computed from the pseudorange, carrier phase and signal strength measurements being provided by the GNSS receiver.
📍 Image 4 – Route to Paso de Agua Negra (~4400 m)
Reaching the second station required long drives through one of the driest and most remote regions of the Andes.
📍 Image 5 – Las Trancas Station (~1800 m)
A completely different environment – green, humid, and demonstrating the flexibility of our monitoring systems.
📍 Image 6 – Valle Nevado (~3500 m)
Our highest Chilean station with direct view towards Cerro El Plomo glacier – fully autonomous and solar-powered.
What makes this deployment unique?
✔️ GNSS-based Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) monitoring
✔️ Fully autonomous stations with solar power
✔️ Reliable data transmission via Iridium satellites
✔️ Operation in extreme and remote environments
💪 From drilling anchors into rock at 3,000 m to installing systems above 4,000 m – this project reflects what it takes to bring robust environmental monitoring into the real world.
🤝 A big thank you to our partners at IANIGLA – CONICET and Universidad de Chile and to everyone involved in making this deployment a success.