Course Sponsors

• International Arctic Research Center (IARC), University of Alaska, Fairbanks
• International Arctic Science Commitee (IASC)
• International Glaciological Society (IGS)

Course content

The course is intended to provide glaciology graduate students with a comprehensive overview of the physics of glaciers and current research frontiers in glaciology. Key topics to be covered include, but are not limited to:

• Glacier mass balance and glacier meteorology
• Response of glaciers to climate change
• Glacier dynamics, surging and tidewater glaciers, ice streams
• Ice-ocean interactions
• Ice-sheet modeling, Inverse modeling
• Glacier hydrology
• Remote sensing in glaciology
• Role of glaciers in the Arctic system
• Current research frontiers in glaciology
• Societal implications of current glacier wastage.

A focus will be on modeling and quantitative glaciology. We also intend to broaden the scope by including some related topics relevant to the Arctic and especially Alaska, such as glacier-volcano interactions, permafrost, sea ice and isostatic rebound.

The course is part of summer sessions of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 3 credits.

Course location

The course will be held 7-17 June 2010 including 8 full days at the Wrangell Mountains Center in McCarthy, followed by a one day workshop at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

McCarthy is located a roughly 8 hour drive south of Fairbanks in the Wrangell Mountains, south central Alaska. McCarthy is a small village (< 100 inhabitants) in immediate vicinity to 5000 km² glaciers originating in the Wrangell Mountains (up to 5000 m a.s.l.).

Course organization

Lectures will be given each morning. Material will be consolidated in computational exercises in the afternoon. In addition, each student will work on a glaciology computer project as a member of a small team together with an instructor and will present their results at the end of the course. In addition, all students will present their own research in short talks or posters during a mini-conference. One to two field trips to the glaciers nearby will be organized and will expose students to some hand-on experience in field methods.

The course will end with a 1-day workshop in Fairbanks on 'Snow, ice, permafrost and water in a warming Arctic,' including a number of invited speakers from the University of Alaska and elsewhere.

The course will be offered for graduate credit through the UAF Summer School Program (3 credits, equivalent to 6 ECTS credits).

Tentative schedule

Lecturers

Anthony Arendt, Matthias Braun, Ed Bueler, Regine Hock, Erin Pettit, Martin Truffer (UAF)

Robert Anderson (INSTAAR, Boulder)

Tad Pfeffer (University of Colorado, Boulder)

All lecturers are expected to be present during the entire length of the course to guarantee close interaction between students and instructors. Also, each lecturer will design and supervise at least one of the student projects.

Course participants

The course will be open to 25 graduate students from around the world targeting primarily early stage PhD students who perform glacier related research. Qualified applicants will be selected on the basis of their experience with, interest in, and commitment to glaciology. Secondly, we will consider diversity in terms of nationality, gender and academic background.

Application and admission

The summer school is open to 25 graduate students worldwide world targeting primarily early stage PhD students who perform glacier related research.

Application must be sent to Regine Hock before 1 February 2010. Students will be notified by the middle of February 2010.

The application should include:

1. a short CV that includes a list of relevant coursework, publications, presentations and glacier field experience
2. a statement of motivation (approximately 1/2 page)
3. a short description of your research project (approx. 1/2 page) including the name of your research supervisor
4. an indication as to whether or not you are a member of the IGS

Please submit all documents in ONE single pdf file including your name as file name.

Qualified applicants will be selected on the basis of their experience with, interest in, and commitment to glaciology. Secondly, we will consider diversity in terms of nationality, gender and academic background. All students are expected to participate in the entire course, i.e. including the day of lectures in Fairbanks. The course starts and ends in Fairbanks.

Course prerequisites

Graduate standing; some university level math and physics is highly recommended.

Course material

Costs

Students will be expected to cover their travel to and from Fairbanks. In addition students need to pay a course fee of approx. 200 Dollars which includes accommodation in Fairbanks and McCarthy, meals in McCarthy, transport to and from McCarthy and course material. Some student assistance may be available.

Practical Information

Students will camp in tents in a primitive camping area. All meals will be provided at the Wrangell Mountains Center by their staff. Students will be expected to help with washing dishes, etc.

Note that McCarthy is remote (2 hour drive on a dirt road from the main road between Fairbanks and Valdez). Access to facilities like showers and electricity is limited. Internet access is restricted.

Pictures