WSL Institut pour l’étude de la neige et des avalanches SLF

Teaching

 
Snowcover: Physics and Modelling
 

The course at ETHZ provides an introduction to the relevant processes and physics required for key cryospheric applications covering snow and firn metamorphism, snow mechanics, wind transport of snow and energy and mass fluxes in the snowcover. The topics are relevant for glaciology, hydrology, atmospheric science, polar climatology and remote sensing.
 
 
Snow Science Winter School
 

The Snow Science Winter School will teach these modern techniques of snow measurements. The school consists of a field training complemented by theoretical lessons. It includes the practice with some of the state-of-the-art snow measurement techniques (specific surface area by reflection and spectroscopy, near-infrared photography, high-resolution penetrometry, micro-tomography, etc). Students will learn about how to characterize snow cover, what are the fundamental processes responsible for its evolution, and how does it interacts with the environment.

Available languages: English
 

Other publications

Publicly available publications: Mendeley or ResearchGate

Videos

videos about the MOSAiC expedition

MOSAiC-Expedition der Polarstern: Erklärstück

Research Interests

My current work is focused on snow and firn. The work in the past years was focused on how to measure snow properties quantitatively and at higher spatial resolution, and from the field- to the micro-scale. To this goal, I am developing new instruments. Scientifically, I am interested in all physical and geological processes occurring in the snowpack, and in different environments. Recent expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic widened my experience in these fascinating environments.

Specifically i work on the experimental investigation of snow physical properties at the micro- and macroscale (mechanical, thermal, optical), especially using micro-tomography. Using specific new tools, the processes in snow recrystallization, metamorphism and diagenesis are investigated. For this, I work on the development of new instrumentation (3 patents). One goal is also the application of quantitative stratigraphy to larger-scale processes, as remote sensing, avalanche formation and climate research.

Academic Education and Professional Experience

1991:  Dr. sc. tech, ETH Zürich (Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering)

1984:  Dipl. Kulturing. (Environmental Engineering), ETH Zürich

  • Head of Research Unit "Snow and Permafrost since May 2018
  • Invited researcher for field experiments in Antarctica (Project Coldest Firn CoFiAP, PI Dr. Sepp Kipfstuhl, Alfred Wegener Institut, Bremerhaven) 2012-2013, more...
  • Invited researcher for field experiments in Antarctica (Project EXPLORE, PI Dr. Jérôme Chappellaz, CNRS-LGGE, Grenoble) 2011-2012, more...
  • Invited researcher for field experiments (Snowball Earth Analogue, Allan Hills, Antarctica, PI Prof. Stephen Warren, Univ. of Washington) 2010-2011
  • Visiting scientist at LGGE/CNRS Grenoble (July 2008), with Dr. Paul Duval
  • Lecturer at ETH, since 2007
  • Named "Senior Scientist" of WSL since 2006
  • Head of Research Group "Snow Physics", 2006-2018

Services

  • Member Fachkommission 5 "Betrieb" VSS
  • Member Advisory Committee for APECS
  • Co-leader Working Group 1 COST ES1404 HarmoSnow
  • SCAR Alternate Delegate for Switzerland  (since 2014), Officer of the Action Group "Snow in Antarctica", SnowAnt
  • Member IASC Cryosphere working group (since 2013)
  • Member of the  Swiss Committee on Polar and High Altitude Research
  • Editor The Cryosphere (since 2012)
  • Associate Editor JGR-Earth Surface (2010-2013)
  • Associate Editor Water Resources Research (2009-2011)
  • European Geophysical Union, Section on Cryospheric Sciences, Secretary of Snow (2001-2009)

 

Publications - ORCID

Publicly available publications: Mendeley or ResearchGate

Projects

Publications