Shedding light on snow’s important role in Earth’s climate system

EU researchers are venturing into extreme arctic conditions to uncover the important role of snow in the Earth’s climate system.

The average temperature is -30 degrees Celsius, and there is darkness for up to 24 hours a day. These were the working conditions of a team of scientists who spent nine months studying Arctic snow.

Snow expert Dr. Marie Dumont describes the field at Cambridge Bay, also known as Ikalktootiak in Canada’s far north, as “very white, vast and cold.” I am doing it. This community is located in Canada’s far north and is primarily inhabited by the Inuit people.

“The coldest temperature we experienced was minus 50 degrees. It’s certainly a special kind of life,” she added.

The field survey is part of IVORI, a six-year project that will run until 2027 and aims to improve our understanding of snow, glaciers, ice sheets and permafrost.

mystery of snow

Some may wonder why it snows. Because there’s more than meets the eye. In fact, it is a pillar of our climate system.

“There are three main properties of snow that influence the Earth’s climate system,” explains Dumont, IVORI coordinator and director of the snow research center at Météo France, France’s official meteorological agency.

First, it’s white. Snow reflects solar radiation back into the atmosphere, reducing global warming.

Second, snow is made up of ice and air, making it an excellent insulator. Snow cover insulates the ground and protects everything in the soil from rising temperatures.

And finally, snowmelt affects the natural water cycle.

However, despite its enormous impact, snow still leaves many unanswered questions.

“Everyone feels they understand snow, but… In fact, we know very little about snow.”

“Even simple observations like why compacted snow makes some sounds and others don’t make some noise are unclear. Snow remains a mystery.”

arctic snow

Although all snow looks the same to the untrained eye, IVORI researchers know that Arctic snow is very different from the snow you encounter in Europe.

“We know something about how to model snow in alpine regions, but we know less about snow in the Arctic, even though this snowpack is far more important to Earth’s climate. ,” Dumont said.

For this reason, the IVORI team is working on developing a universal numerical model that can understand the different types of snow and represent the evolution of snow around the world, including all physical variables.

“We aim to change the way snow is described and modeled,” says Hagenmüller, an expert in the description of snow microstructures.

“Snow microstructure is a three-dimensional arrangement of ice and air,” he explains. “It determines the properties of the snow, including whether it is mechanically stable, whether it insulates the ground well, and how much water it produces when it melts.”

Monitoring the evolution of snow microstructure was the main objective behind the IVORI team’s two field activities.

The first experiment was conducted in the French Alps, while the second took the research team to a high-altitude Arctic research station in Canada. There they worked for two months using a tomography machine, a special X-ray scanner similar to a medical scanner, to collect and analyze snow samples every day.

Global warming and regional impact

Through this experience, scientists learned first-hand how indigenous communities are being affected by a warming climate.

“In the Arctic, people live in and with snow in a completely different way than in Europe. Snow is a very big part of their lives, and it’s changing very quickly.” says Dumont.

“We are seeing and feeling the effects of climate change in Europe, but we are feeling it even more in the Arctic.”

She explained that Arctic communities are facing very rapid changes and need to adapt their way of life.

“For example, local people usually use sea ice to get from one village to the next in winter, because it’s much faster. But sea ice is melting and no longer It’s not safe.”

As a result, communities will face increased risks going forward, she said. “People were worried that they would be homeless in a few days,” Dumont recalled. This is because permafrost, or permanently frozen ground, is thawing. The soil may become unstable and cause the house to collapse.

“Remembering this always reminds me of what I’m doing and why I’m doing it,” Dumont says.

climate forecast

Although IVORI’s research focuses on snow, it can also be applied to broader climate models and forecasts.

“We know that snow is a key component of the climate system. If we can’t predict the effects of snow, we can’t predict the climate,” Hagenmüller emphasizes.

Dumont said the models IVORI scientists are developing could lead to improved hydrological predictions, making better predictions about permafrost and landslide potential, and even predicting avalanches. explain.

“It helps with climate mitigation and helps us adapt to what’s going on with more accurate predictions.”

That way, Dumont hopes, the magic of snow will never be lost.

“Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated by snow. For me, snow makes everything look wonderful and perfect. It is wild and wild nature, and we are trying to preserve its beauty.” I hope you can.”