SINTER: Snow International

Welcome to the online SINTER snow School! Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, we have moved the snow school into this brand new format. This year, with help from our friends over at CUAHSI, we are proud and excited to present the webinar: Introduction to Snow Hydrology. Head on over to CUAHSI's site to find the zoom links if you would like to attend these seminars live. Otherwise they can be found here on this site.

Field Methods

In this webinar we will discuss: 1) why we still need to measure snow properties in the field; 2) how to measure snow depth, density and water equivalent; and 3) how to measure snow microstructural properties. We will illustrate a range of traditional and state-of-the-art field snow measurement techniques and engage in small group discussions on the considerations required to capture temporal and spatial variability in seasonal snowpacks.

Snow Energy Balance

This webinar will introduce the basics of snow energy balance. This will include an introduction to energy exchange processes, how processes vary with different snow covered environments, the relationship between energy and mass balance, and how snow energy balance is measured and modeled.

Remote Sensing I

This webinar will introduce the basics of snow remote sensing using the optical (solar) wavelengths, including an overview of different instruments/techniques (multispectral satellites, imaging spectroscopy, lidar, photogrammetry), and how they are used to map variables such as snow reflectance, snow covered area, and snow depth. The webinar will include a hands-on introduction to snow radiative transfer and controls on snow reflectance.

Remote Sensing II

This webinar will introduce the basics of snow remote sensing using microwave wavelengths (millimeter to centimeter), explore how different frequencies interact with the snow cover through volume scattering and phase delay approaches, provide an overview of passive versus active (radar) instruments, and highlight existing and future mission concepts that leverage these techniques.

DEI in the Snow Sciences

Snow science, and more broadly hydrology and the geosciences, currently lacks diversity. This panel discussion, followed by an open forum, will identify factors that act to limit diversity in snow science and hydrology, and pathways to equity and inclusion.