Where Snow Isn’t White: Zoom lecture recording
Snowpack landscape. Photo courtesy of the speaker.
Free Zoom lecture with Dr. Ned Bair
This Zoom lecture event occurred April 5, 2022. The webinar included a live presentation followed by a Q & A.
For the link to the recording, click the title: Where Snow Isn’t White
Clean snow/ice is only white in the visible wavelengths. It’s dark and even black in shortwave infrared regions, and pollution can darken it substantially in the visible wavelengths. This unique spectral signature forms the basis of optical remote sensing of snow. In the Western US and many other mountainous parts of the world, snow albedo controls snow melt rates, and affects global climate.
Dr. Ned Bair in the field. Photo courtesy of the speaker.
In his talk, snow researcher Ned Bair defined albedo and explained the distinction between intrinsic and apparent albedo. He gave an overview of how snow albedo is usually poorly measured and modeled, both in the field and from satellites and he presented new research to address these challenges. Using an example from his research, he showed how during the COVID-19 lockdowns, water supplies were dramatically affected in the Indus River Basin as the snow/ice surface became 30% cleaner due to pollution reductions.
Dr. Ned Bair. Photo courtesy of the speaker.
Dr. Ned Bair is an Associate Researcher at the Earth Research Institute at UCSB. He uses remote sensing and field techniques to study the cryosphere. He has worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers, as a consultant, a ski patroller, and a climbing guide. He is the Research Chair for the American Avalanche Association and lives in Mammoth Lakes, California.
