The cryosphere forms an integral part of the climate system of the Earth. The cryosphere contains up to 75-80 % of the freshwater supply and in the Northern Hemisphere, seasonal snow cover extends to 49% of the total land surface in midwinter. The cryosphere affects the climate system through its influence on surface energy balance, moisture flux and atmospheric circulation over both seas and land surfaces. Monitoring of seasonal snow cover properties is therefore essential in understanding interactions and feedback mechanisms related to the cryosphere.
However, as a complex and highly variable medium, many essential properties of seasonal snow cover have traditionally been difficult to measure. Applications in diverse fields such as hydrology, avalanche forecasting and Earth Observation from space would benefit from improved quantification of snow cover properties, in particular related to the snow microstructure. The past 10 years snow science has seen a rapid change from a semi-quantitative to a quantitative science. Understanding physical and chemical processes in the snowpack requires detailed measurements of the microstructure. The progress in quantitative measurements was recently solidified by the Snow Grain Size Intercomparison Workshop 2014.
The most important quantitative techniques are micro-tomography, BET gas adsorption, and applicable in the field, reflection measurements in the infrared spectrum, near-infrared photography and high-resolution penetrometry.
Target audience
Any graduate student or post-doc working on snow or in some snow related field is welcome to participate. Those fields may cover Glaciology, Hydrology, Oceanography, Geography, but also Biology or Chemistry as well as Engineering or Material Sciences.
Course structure
In this workshop we will teach the state-of-the-art snow measurement techniques. The focus of this workshop lies on field measurements, combined with theoretical lessons in the classroom.
Field measurements will be done in small groups of 3-4 students. Each group of students will have to prepare a report describing the methods, results and interpretation. The course corresponds to 3 ETCS-Points.
Location
Campus of the Arctic Research Center at Finnish Meteorological Institute FMI in Sodankylä, Finland. Accommodation is provided on campus of FMI, with direct access to the field sites.
Transport from Rovaniemi to Sodankylä by bus. Rovaniemi is best reached by plane (e.g Finnair) from Helsinki. Details on travel will be provided soon.
Course cost
200 Euro including
Full accommodation at FMI Sodankylä and Saariselkä (with breakfast, field lunch and dinner) from Sunday, Feb. 8 - Saturday, Feb. 14 2015
Bus transport Sodankylä - Saariselkä and Saariselkä - Rovaniemi
Travel to tundra field site
Rental ski gear for field trip
Registration
Registration is closed. For questions send an Email to snowschool [at] slf.ch
Organization
Sodankylä is located in northern Finland in the boreal and sub-Arctic zone. Temperatures in February may drop to -30°C, and the snow cover is on average 50-70 cm deep. In the Alpine tundra of Saariselkä high wind speed are possible as well. As the course is to a great extent based on field work and excursions, proper clothing is essential. Participants should:
- bring their own winter gear (warm and wind-proof clothing such as warm down jacket, snow boots, thick gloves/mittens, warm underwear etc)
- be healthy enough to undertake the extended field day in the Alpine tundra of Saariselkä
- have a valid travel insurance
Finnish Meteorological Institute FMI
- Juha Lemmetyinen (Juha.Lemmetyinen@fmi),
- Leena Leppänen (Leena.Leppanen [at] fmi.fi),
- Anna Kontu (Anna.Kontu [at] fmi.fi)
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF
- Martin Schneebeli (Schneebeli [at] slf.ch),
- Martin Proksch (Proksch [at] slf.ch)
Lecturers
- Martin Schneebeli, WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF
- Juha Lemmetyinen, Finnish Meteorological Institute FMI, Finland
- Chris Derksen, Environment Canada
- Jean-Charles Gallet, Norwegian Polar Institute NPI, Norway
- Alex Langlois, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Martin Proksch, WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF
- Anna Kontu, Finnish Meteorological Institute FMI, Finland
- Isabelle Gouttevin, IRSTEA, Lyon, France
- Sveta Stuefer, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, USA
Contact information:
snowschool [at] slf.ch
Preliminary program
Sunday: Arrival
Monday: Lectures & classroom practice with field equipment; social event (ice breaker)
Tuesday: Lectures and basic field experiment techniques
Wednesday: Lectures and basic field experiment techniques
Thursday: Lectures and basic field experiment techniques; wrap up session
Friday: Extended field experiment: Saariselkä tundra site
Saturday: Departure
Travel Information
Transport to the 1st European Snow Science Winter School in Sodankylä, Finland, will be provided from Rovaniemi airport & town centre to Sodankylä and back by bus. Rovaniemi is best reached by plane (e.g Finnair or Norwegian) from Helsinki, but an overnight train is also possible.