ИСТИНА

Ice and seasonal snow cover approximately 30% of the total land surface of the planet. It is an important component of Arctic and Taiga ecosystems. The effect of the snow cover on the global ecosystem is huge. Snow controls the functioning of ecosystems through energy and water balance, affecting permafrost, soil and vegetation. Specific properties of the snow cover (such as albedo, insulation, density, microstructure etc.) may strongly vary depending on climate, weather conditions and local factors. This is why it is crucial to study these properties and to understand how they are produced through the winter. In this lecture I discuss the importance of snow research, its possible applications, measurement techniques and will give examples of the studies performed in Russia and Alaska (USA) during my PhD.