Winter course for field snowpack measurements

Transcription

1 70 th Eastern Snow Conference Winter course for field snowpack measurements Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada NASA Snow Working Group Remote Sensing COURSE PROGRAM & INFORMATION March 8 th 12 th

2 Winter course for field snowpack measurements Program and Information March Jouvence Sherbrooke, QC, Canada 2015 Sponsors The snow school could not operate without the support of its sponsors. This year the snow school would like to thank: Campbell Scientific Canada ( Radiometrics Corporation ( AvaTech ( The Eastern Snow Conference (

3 An invitation to the Eastern Snow Conference 2015 The Eastern Snow Conference (ESC) is a joint Canadian/U.S. organization. The Eastern snow conference is described in the first published Eastern Snow Conference Proceedings as a relatively small organization operating quietly since its founding in 1940 by a small group of individuals originally from eastern North America. The conference met eight times between 1940 and The first Eastern Snow Conference Proceedings contained papers from its 9 th Annual Meeting held February 14 and 15, 1952, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Today, its membership is drawn from Europe, Japan, the Middle East, as well as North America. Our current membership includes scientists, engineers, snow surveyors, technicians, professors, students and professionals involved in operations and maintenance. The western counterpart to this organization is the Western Snow Conference (WSC), also a joint Canadian/US organization. Every fifth year or so, the ESC and WSC hold joint meetings. At its annual meeting, the Eastern Snow Conference brings the research and operations communities together to discuss recent work on scientific, engineering and operational issues related to snow and ice. The location of the conference alternates yearly between the United States and Canada, and attendees present their work by giving talks or presenting posters. Authors submit their manuscripts for publication in our yearly Proceedings of the Eastern Snow Conference. These manuscripts are subject to a standard academic journal peer review process. Volumes of the Eastern Snow Proceedings can be found in libraries throughout North America and Europe; papers can also be found through the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) in the United States and CISTI in Canada and issues since 2000 are available on the conferences website at In recent years, the ESC meetings have included presentations on snow physics, management and hydrology, snow and ice loads on structures, river ice, winter survival of animals, remote sensing of snow and ice, glacier processes, snow science as a teaching tool and socio-political impacts of winter. The ESC encourages student research through its Wiesnet Medal. This medal and a cash prize of $750 is presented annually to the best student paper presented (orally) at the conference. Campbell Scientific Canada also graciously awards a $500cash prize to the student research showing the most innovative use of technology in the gathering of data. Finally, the David Miller Award ($100) is awarded to the best student poster presentation at the annual Conference The 2015 Eastern Snow Conference will be held in Jouvence, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada on June 9 th 11 th On behalf of the ESC executive committee, we invite all the students attending the snow course to consider submitting an abstract 2015 conference. On behalf of the 2015 ESC executive committee 3

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5 Ahead of the Weather Who We Are Radiometrics is the world s leading manufacturer of microwave radiometers for environmental remote sensing. For more than two decades, Radiometrics has provided hundreds of worldwide customers with radiometer systems, innovative software tools and technical support for environmental monitoring and prediction. Applications include high-impact local weather forecasting, wind, solar and electric load forecasting, weather modification, and soil moisture remote sensing. Radiometrics operates the Boundary Layer Network, a nationwide U.S. radiometer network, in partnership with Earth Networks. This first-ofa-kind commercial network delivers boundary layer thermodynamic data essential for accurate short term local weather forecasting. Products MP-Series Profilers The rugged, lightweight and portable MP-3000A Microwave Profiler delivers continuous temperature and humidity profiles with radiosondeequivalent assimilation accuracy, and liquid profiles. Patented design and methods ensure accurate long-term, all-weather performance; mature software generates a full suite of forecast tools and indices in familiar meteorological formats. Optimize local high-impact weather surveillance and prediction with profiling Radiometers from the industry leader. PR-Series Radiometers The PR-Series radiometers are often used in non-weather forecasting applications. The photo above is on Baffin Island, Canada, where measurements are being made in the ice pack with a pair of PR-Series radiometers. Among other things, customers use PR-Series radiometers, to remotely sense soil, sea, snow, ice and vegetation properties in frequency channels ranging from 1.4 to 89 GHz. Portable, rugged PR-Series radiometers are ideal for accurate and reliable atmospheric and earth surface observations. They have been operated from aircraft, trailer, snowmobile and dogsled platforms. PR-Series radiometers of different bands can be used simultaneously to solve custom problems or collect research data. Satellite-based microwave observations are increasingly used for nearsurface soil moisture, sea, snow, ice and vegetation remote sensing. PR-Series radiometers are ideal for calibration and validation of AMSR, SSMI, SMOS and proposed SMAP satellite observations, as well as other earth surface remote sensing applications. 5

6 The 2015 winter course for field snowpack measurements from iswgr will be hosted at the Jouvence Centre de villégiature located in Orford, Québec: 131, chemin de Jouvence Orford, (Québec) J1X 6R2 Jouvence is located in the Eastern Townships, approximately 1h30 from Montréal. Jouvence is located on a 194-acre site on the shores of Lake Stukely in Mont-Orford National Park. Known for its warm hospitality and excellent food, Jouvence has been an Eastern Townships treasure for over 35 years. The accommodation on site will be held in the Rafale old schoolhouse. Rafale can accommodate up to 34 people, and will be dedicated solely for the snow school. It includes, single, double and multiple occupancy accommodations. The registration price includes multiple occupancy for students for 4 nights. 6

7 2015 WINTER SNOW COURSE 2015 Teaching staff Dr. Alexandre Langlois (co-chair) Alexandre Langlois received the Ph.D. degree from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, in 2007, where he focused on the analysis of snow over sea ice using passive microwave radiometry. He participated in numerous field campaigns in the Canadian and European Arctic. He is currently a Professor with the Centre d Applications et de Recherches en Télédection, Département de Géomatique Appliquée, Université de Sherbrooke, where his main work focuses on snow and passive microwaves model coupling over land. Dr. Kelly Elder (co-chair) Kelly Elder received the Ph.D. degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in He taught hydrology and snow hydrology at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, from 1995 to In 2000, he joined the Rocky Mountain Research Station, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Fort Collins, where he has been a Research Hydrologist since 2000 and has also served as a Project Leader. He is the Scientist-in-Charge at the Fraser Experimental Forest, Fraser, CO. His research interests include snow processes, disturbance hydrology, climate, and avalanches. Dr. Florent Domine Florent Domine received the Ph. D. degree from the University de Paris in He was a research associate at NOAA between before joining the Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l Environnement in Grenoble, France. Since 2011, he is a "Directeur de Recherche", a CNRS position at Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, hosted by Université Laval in Quebec city. His current fields of research are snow physics and snow chemistry, as related to climate change and permafrost decay. Dr. Alain Royer Alain Royer received the Ph.D. degree in geophysics from the University of Grenoble, France, in In 1988, he became a member of the professorial team of the Université de Sherbrooke. Between 2000 and 2010, he was the Head of CARTEL. His research interests are environmental geophysics from space, including the development of surface parameter retrieval algorithms from remote sensing data applied to northern climate change analysis. He was involved in the IPY Canadian Cryosphere project ( ), for improving remote sensing of snow. 7

8 2015 WINTER SNOW COURSE Dr. Hans-Peter Marshall Hans-Peter Marshall received his B. S. in physics from the University of Washington and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 2005 in civil engineering. Hi current research focuses on microwave radar, remote sensing of snow and ice, glaciology, snow stability modeling, avalanche detection, spatial variability of snow, calibration/validation of remote sensing of snow and highresolution snow measurement techniques. 8

9 2015 WINTER SNOW COURSE 2015 SNOW SCHOOL PROGRAM ARRIVAL: SUNDAY 8 TH MARCH H00-19H00-19H30 REGISTRATION, SETUP IN ACCOMMODATIONS TEACHING STAFF MEETING DAY 1: MONDAY 9 TH MARCH H00-8H30 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION (A. LANGLOIS, K. ELDER) SESSION #1 Introduction to snow measurements (OUTSIDE) In teams by rotation. Five groups, 45 minutes rotation. 8H30-12H15 ALL. STATION #1 Langlois STATION #2 Dominé STATION #3 Marshall STATION #4 Elder STATION #5 Royer Snow layering and structure Snow grain size and type Density and processes Spatial variability Temperature and processes 12H15-13H30 LUNCH ON SITE SESSION #2 Snow importance and microstructure (INSIDE) 13H30-14H30 A. Langlois and A. Royer State and importance of snow 14H30-15H30 HP Marshall and K. Elder Snow metamorphism, climatic conditions and snow microstructure 15H30-16H00 BREAK AND DISCUSSION 16H00-17H00 F. Dominé Determining snow specific surface area using optical methods 18H00-19H00 DINNER ON SITE 19H00- SPARE TIME 9

10 2015 WINTER SNOW COURSE DAY 2: TUESDAY 10 TH MARCH H00-8H30 WELCOME AND DAY PLANNING (A. LANGLOIS, K. ELDER) SESSION #3 Advanced field snow measurements (OUTSIDE) In teams by rotation. Five groups, 45 minutes rotation. 8H30-12H15 ALL. STATION #1 Langlois STATION #2 Dominé STATION #3 Marshall STATION #4 Elder STATION #5 Royer SMP/Avatech DUFISSS Magnaprobe Macrophotography SBR 12H15-13H30 LUNCH ON SITE SESSION #4 Remote sensing of snow (INSIDE) 13H30-14H30 A. Royer Visible and near-infrared 14H30-15H30 A. Langlois Passive microwaves 15H30-16H00 16H00-17H00 BREAK AND DISCUSSION HP Marshall Active microwaves 18H00-19H00 DINNER ON SITE 19H00- SPARE TIME 10

11 2015 WINTER SNOW COURSE DAY 3: WEDNESDAY 11 TH MARCH H00-8H30 WELCOME AND DAY PLANNING (A. LANGLOIS, K. ELDER) SESSION #5 Team research questions Five teams, each partnered by one instructor. 8H30-9H00 Question assignment Team 1 = Hypothesis 1 Team 2 = Hypothesis 2 Team 3 = Hypothesis 3 Team 4 = Hypothesis 4 Team 5 = Hypothesis 5 9H00-10H00 Sampling design and methodology preparation 10H00-12H00 Field measurements for research questions 12H00-13H00 LUNCH ON SITE 13H00-17H00 Field measurements for research questions (cnt d) 18H00-19H00 DINNER ON SITE 19H00- SPARE TIME / WORK ON THURSDAY S PRESENTATIONS 11

12 2015 WINTER SNOW COURSE DAY 4: THURSDAY 12 TH MARCH H00-9H00 BREAKFAST SESSION #6 Team projects presentations Five teams, five oral presentations (30 minutes per presentation TOTAL). 9H00-11H30 Oral presentations 9H00-9H30 Team 1 9H30-10H00 Team 2 10H00-10H30 Team 3 10H30-11H00 Team 4 11H00-11H30 Team 5 11H30-12H00 12H00-13H00 School close LUNCH ON SITE 12