EESS talk on "Measuring snow properties at multiple scales"
Event details
| Date | 29.11.2016 |
| Hour | 12:15 › 13:15 |
| Speaker | Dr Martin Schneebeli, SLF Davos Snow & Permafrost group |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Abstract: Snow is a geological material, and in addition probably the only monomineralic rock that exists over long times at the surface of Earth at a very high homologous temperature. As a consequence, the depositional and metamorphic processes form a complex layering, with properties changing from hours to years. The measurement of basic structural properties (e.g. density, specific surface area) and physical properties (e.g. thermal conductivity, mechanical properties) is a challenging problem, as these properties are relevant for a wide range of fields, as hydrology, climatology, avalanche forecasting and Earth Observation from space. In recent years new techniques and instruments were developed to measure these properties from the micrometer-scale (e.g. computed tomography) to the m-scale (e.g. penetrometry). These techniques enable to quantify the structure of snowpacks at much higher spatial and temporal resolution than with traditional snow profiles, and bring new possibilities to validate and develop snowpack models.
Short biography: Martin Schneebeli is group leader of snowphysics at WSL and senior scientist. His work is focused on how to measure snow properties quantitatively and at higher spatial resolution, and from the field- to the micro-scale. He is interested in all physical and geological processes occurring in the snowpack, and in different environments. In his group a number of instruments are developed, especially the in-situ micro computed-tomography of snow.
Short biography: Martin Schneebeli is group leader of snowphysics at WSL and senior scientist. His work is focused on how to measure snow properties quantitatively and at higher spatial resolution, and from the field- to the micro-scale. He is interested in all physical and geological processes occurring in the snowpack, and in different environments. In his group a number of instruments are developed, especially the in-situ micro computed-tomography of snow.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
- This event is internal
Organizer
- EESS - IIE
Contact
- Prof. Michael Lehning, CRYOS-EPFL and SLF Davos