A cone-tipped metal rod designed to be driven downward into deposited snow. The measured amount of force required to drive the rod a given distance is an indication of the ram resistance of the snow (
see snow hardness). (Swiss rammsondecone tip angle 60
(1) The distance to a target such as a glacier surface from an Active sensor such as a sonic ranger or a radar. (2) The cross-track coordinate in the coordinate frame of an airborne or orbiting radar.
See azimuth. (3) Of an Active sensor, to measure the distance to, that is, to 'range to', a target. Senses 2 and 3 have evolved from sense 1, which originated in gunnery but has become common in several branches of remote sensing.