Snow in a geology department? Do you have an opinion? If so, you are not alone. People tend to be divided down lines about this- either they feel snow should be considered geology, or that it should be kicked around to physics or geography departments. There is not really one discipline that makes up snow science, however. It is a mix of physics, meteorology, climate, hydrology etc. And perhaps the most important application of the science is the management of snow avalanches. As slope stability, landslides and avalanches are a big part of our geological context in northern Norway, it seems fitting that we should address it as a subject within the Department of Geosciences!
We have been developing this part of our curriculum for a few years now, focusing on the science of snow as a material, and the management of avalanche hazards. This has concrete links to the work we already do in the geohazards arena in the department. Snow avalanches are not a new topic at UiT! The Center for avalanche research and education (CARE) at UiT addresses decision-making and behaviour in snowy terrain. They are an active group with research projects ranging from communicating avalanche warnings to why we take risks. They even have a podcast- Skredpodden [Norwegian only]- see links in the sidebar to the left. Back in our department, we are starting to see results of concentrated effort to expand snow avalanche activities. Current staff members now include adjunct Associate Professor Jordy Hendrikx, from Montana State University, and adjunct Associate Professor Christian Jaedicke, from NGI. We have created two new courses:
- GEO-2015: Introduction to snow and avalanche science
- This is a bachelor course taught by Jordy in the spring semester
- GEO-3139: Snow avalanche science and management
- A course taught by Christian in the spring semester
See a UiT article about GEO-3139 in 2021.
In addition to the teaching, we are developing the research side. I (Louise) am currently searching for a postdoc in snow avalanche and slush flow forecasting. This person will work within the EU-funded project Impetus, providing a demonstration activity for uptake to the digital twin in development, and data input to climate adaptation pathways for local government.
We are hoping to develop this area within the department even more in the near future. Avalanches impact everyone in the winter season in Arctic Norway. First and foremost, avalanches take lives. Every season. See this first-hand account of being caught in a snow avalanche in the 2022 season by our recent graduate and NPI Glaciologist Calvin Shackleton.
Communicating avalanche danger to keen skiers provides a challenge in the region every season. The 2022 season has been particularly harrowing as tourism bounces back following the relaxation of covid-19 travel regulations. Snow avalanches also threaten infrastructure away from the back country environment. Some roads and tracks are at risk, as well as houses and buildings. Recent work by Dyrrdal et al. 2020 has demonstrated that avalanche activity has become more intense and frequent in the last 50 years. We will likely see this trend continue due to climate change, although some hazards such as snow drift are expected to decrease. The need to bring more fundamental science to this area is undeniable.
Some previous masters students have incorporated snow avalanche hazards into their site studies. For example, Linn Asplin’s master’s thesis examines rockfall and snow avalanche protection at a risky road site on Senja (Svartholla). The road is the main access route through north Senja, and every year is inundated with rockfalls, snow avalanches and occasionally ice falls. We hope that future generations of UiT graduates are better equipped to be working with these types of topics. So, in conclusion, watch this space. And please get in touch if you want to talk about snow in the department.