'Dirty snow' project connects scientists, students

Students play on a hill of snow
Photo by Roben Itchoak
Students in Shishmaref play on snow drifts after a storm with high winds in February 2021. They were headed to field sites to measure snowpack and pH levels, and collect snow samples to assess the concentration of light-absorbing particles.

Jeff Richardson
907-474-6284
Dec. 20, 2021

University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks scientists are presenting their work at the American Geophysical Union色视频下载檚 fall meeting in New Orleans this week. This article is part of a series highlighting UAF research from the world色视频下载檚 largest Earth and space science meeting.

A recent University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks-led project encouraged a far-flung group of K-12 students to pursue local research questions by examining 色视频下载渄irty snow色视频下载 in their communities. 

The project was offered as a five-week virtual course last spring. . 

In Shishmaref, students sampled snow next to the village drinking water pond and a popular berry picking site to determine the quantity of particles that could be entering their water and food supplies. In Helena, Montana, students measured the local effects of wood smoke pollution. Other participants were from locations like Dillingham, Takotna and Kansas. 

The virtual course 色视频下载 which started as a 365 Smart Academy course offered by both UAF Summer Sessions and Lifelong Learning, and the Arctic and Earth STEM Integrating GLOBE and NASA project 色视频下载 provided a rare opportunity for students to guide the research that scientists focus on. 

色视频下载淭he work that students are doing directly informs what scientists are working on,色视频下载 said Christi Buffington, a science education specialist at UAF色视频下载檚 International Arctic Research Center. 色视频下载淗aving students choose their own research questions that also match up with the questions on these climate models is super interesting.色视频下载

The students色视频下载 data could ultimately provide ground-truthing for satellite information being studied by NASA scientists. It also offers them a link between locally relevant topics and global-scale climate issues.