Saturday, December 7, 2024

The Advanced Topics in Snow Hydrology School

Work in progress for now

Course Title: Advanced Topics in Snow Hydrology

Course Duration: 4 days (February 18-21)
Instruction Format: Collaborative teaching with structured lectures (morning) and hands-on exercises or fieldwork (afternoon).


Day 1: Introduction to Snow Hydrology and Snow Processes

Morning (Lecture Session)

Lead Instructor: Kelly

  • General Snow Hydrology: Overview of snow hydrology (20 min).

  • Snow Energy and Mass Balance: Energy and mass dynamics in snowpacks (30 min).

Lead Instructor: Giacomo

  • Snowfall Trends in the Alps: Historical and current trends; climate change implications (40 min).

Lead Instructor: Kelly

  • Snow-Climate-Forest Interactions: Influence of forests and climate on snow hydrology (30 min).

Mini-Lecture Discussion/Q&A: Interactive discussion (30 min).

Afternoon (Exercises)

  • Exercise 1: Snow Mass Balance Calculations (Instructor: Kelly)

    • Students calculate snow energy and mass balance using sample datasets.

  • Exercise 2: Snowfall Trend Analysis (Instructor: Giacomo)

    • Analysis of real-world snowfall data using statistical tools.


Day 2: Snow Modeling and Data Integration

Morning (Lecture Session)

Lead Instructor: Kelly

  • General Snow Modeling: Principles, methodologies, and applications of snow modeling (30 min).

  • Integration of Empirical Data into Snow Models: Role of observational data in improving model accuracy (30 min).

Lead Instructor: John

  • Snow Modeling with the GEOtop Model: Introduction and case study overview (60 min).

Lead Instructor: Riccardo

  • Permafrost and Permafrost/Snow Relations: Overview of permafrost and its interactions with snow (30 min).

Mini-Lecture Discussion/Q&A: Interactive discussion (30 min).

Afternoon (Exercises)

  • Exercise 3: Snow Model Setup and Calibration (Instructor: Kelly)

    • Hands-on setup of a snow model using provided datasets.

  • Exercise 4: GEOtop Model Introduction (Instructor: John)

    • Students use the GEOtop model to simulate snowpack-permafrost interactions.


Day 3: Remote Sensing and Advanced Applications

Morning (Lecture Session)

Lead Instructor: Michele

  • Integration of Remote Sensing and Snow Modeling in the GEOframe Model: Introduction and applications (60 min).

Lead Instructor: Riccardo

  • Permafrost/Snow Case Study: Detailed presentation of a case study highlighting snow and permafrost modeling (45 min).

Lead Instructor: Kelly

  • Forest/Snow Case Study: Detailed presentation of a case study highlighting snow and forest interactions in modeling (45 min).

Mini-Lecture Discussion/Q&A: Interactive discussion (30 min).

Afternoon (Exercises)

  • Exercise 5: Remote Sensing Data Integration (Instructor: Michele)

    • Using satellite data to improve snow model predictions in the GEOframe model.

  • Exercise 6: Case Study Application (Instructor: Riccardo)

    • Students apply knowledge of snow-permafrost interactions in a modeling scenario.


Day 4: Fieldwork and Integration of Concepts

Morning (Field Trip Preparation & Fieldwork)

Lead Instructor: Giacomo

  • Field Trip Introduction: Overview of field methods and objectives (30 min).

  • Field Data Collection:

    • Snowpack measurement techniques (density, SWE, snow depth).

    • Observations of forest-snow and permafrost-snow interactions.

Afternoon (Field Data Analysis and Wrap-Up)

  • Exercise 7: Field Data Integration into Models (Instructors: All)

    • Students analyze collected data and evaluate how to incorporate into GeoTop

  • Wrap-Up Discussion:

    • Synthesis of course concepts, student reflections, and Q&A (30 min).


Materials and Resources

  • Lecture slides and notes (provided by instructors).

  • Datasets for exercises and fieldwork preparation.

  • Access to GEOtop and GEOframe modeling tools.


Assessment

  • Pre-course quiz on foundational concepts (10%).

  • Participation in exercises and fieldwork (40%).

  • Final project integrating lecture topics, exercises, and field data (50%).

No comments:

Post a Comment