Linking Satellite Data and Community Knowledge to Advance Alaskan Snow Science
Seasonal snow plays an important role in the global water and energy cycles, and billions of people around the world depend on the melting of snow for water resources, in particular water supply, hydroelectricity, agriculture, etc. Surveillance of the Snowwater Equivalent (SWE) is essential to support these applications and to mitigate the damage caused by the floods of snowfall, avalanches and other catastrophes linked to snow. However, our ability to measure SWE remains a challenge, especially in northern latitudes where observations in situ SWE are rare and satellite observations are affected by the boreal forest and environmental conditions. Despite limited in situ measures, local residents of the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions provide a vast and precious corpus of knowledge and observations based on the place which are essential to understand the behavior of snow in the northern regions.
As part of a joint nasa snowex, nasa’s minority university research and education project (MUREP) for American Indian and Alaska Native STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) Commitment (Maianse), and Global Learning & Observations To Benefit The Environment (Globe) Program Partnership, A Team of Scientists Including Nasa Intern Julia White (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks), Carrie Vuyovich (Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center), Alicia Joseph (Nasa Goddard Space Flight Flight Center), and Christi Buffington (University of Alaska Fairbanks, Globe Office Implementation) studies the Equivalent in Snowwater (SWE) in the interior of Alaska. This project combines data from the interferometric synthetic opening radar by satellite (INSAR), mainly of the Sentinel-1 satellite, with the ground observations of the snow telemetry network (snotel) and the globe (global learning observations for the benefit of the environment). Together, these data sources help the team to study how Swe varies through the landscape and how it affects local ecosystems and communities. The team is also preparing for the future integration of data from the next Nisar mission (NASA isro Synthetic Aperture Radar), which should improve SWE’s recovery capacities.
After a collaborative visit to the Tammie Kovalenko classroom in November 2024, the students of Delta Junction Junior and Local High School in Vocational Agriculture (VO AG), including the members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA), began to collect data on the globes on snowy driving just outside their class. As the project progressed, students developed their own research issues. A student, Fianna Rooney, further pushed the project – presenting research posters in the Virtual Science International Globe Symposium (IVSS) and both the regional and national FFA conventions. His work highlights the growing role of Alaska young people in the sciences and how the investigation led by students can enrich both education and research results. (This trip was funded by the Arctic and Earth Signs project of the NASA science activation program – STEM Integrating Globe & NASA – Project at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.)
In February 2025, the team collaborated with the students of the Delta Junior Junior High and the secondary, as well as the Delta Junction Trails Association, to lead an intensive observation period of the globe (IOP), “Delta Junction Snowrifts”, to collect terrestrial coverage photos, a depth of snow and equivalent data in snowwater. Thanks to aligned interests and research objectives at Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF), the project was extended in the spring of 2025. Alaska employees for the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (ACUASI) collected high -resolution airborne data on the junior and senior High Schol. This additional data set has contributed to strengthening the connections between satellite observations and the measures of students on the ground.
This effort, led by a NASA trainee, scientists, students and members of the Alaska community, highlights the power of collaboration in science and education. The next steps will include collaboration with Alaska indigenous communities near Delta Junction, including the Healy Lake tribe, whose vast generational knowledge will be of great value to deepen our understanding of the dynamics of Alaska snow.
Find out more about the way in which NASA’s scientific activation program connects NASA scientific experts, real content and experiences with community leaders to activate minds and promote a more in-depth understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-accien-activation/
