SnowPI joins discussions on the changing cryosphere in Bergen and Reykjavík
SnowPI researchers took part in two major Polar gatherings this October, bringing the project’s scientific and societal perspectives to discussions in Bergen and Reykjavík.
Polar CORDEX Annual Meeting, Bergen, 5-7 October 2026
SnowPI contributed new results and perspectives to the recent Polar CORDEX Annual Meeting, hosted by NORCE and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research in Bergen, Norway.
Project Coordinator Priscilla Mooney (NORCE) presented some of their recent work on projected changes in snow indices in the Arctic, as well as new insights into extreme changes in surface mass balance and precipitation extremes in Antarctica. Heidrun Matthes (AWI) presented her work on permafrost change.
The SnowPI researchers received excellent feedback and inspiring ideas from an engaged audience. Discussions will continue online in the coming months between members of the Polar CORDEX community and SnowPI.
In preparation for IPY5, the community discussed prioritising kilometre-scale regional climate models and the research needed to realise this ambition for the Polar regions. There are many polar processes still poorly understood and poorly modeled. IPY5 and upcoming international initiatives such as Antarctica InSync and Arctic Ocean 2050 present exciting opportunities to close these gaps.
Kilometre-scale modelling contributes to SnowPI’s objective of delivering societally relevant climate information by improving the representation of snow and its interactions in regional climate models.
Polar CORDEX is an international scientific initiative that uses high-resolution regional climate models to simulate past, present, and future climate conditions in the Arctic and Antarctic. Polar CORDEX operates as a regional domain of the wider Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX), which is sponsored by the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and coordinated jointly with the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) project.
Arctic Circle Assembly, Reykjavík, 8-10 October 2026
At the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík, Iceland, SnowPI joined its three sister projects – ICELINK and LIQUIDICE and CryoSCOPE – for a session titled “Inland Ice and Climate: Codeveloping Community Resilience” on the morning of Saturday, 10 October.
The Arctic Circle Assembly is one of the largest annual international gatherings focused on the Arctic. The Assembly covers various topics ranging from geopolitics to climate science. Ongoing changes to glaciers, ice sheets, snow cover and permafrost are increasing the need for reliable climate information and close collaboration between researchers and Arctic communities.
Following short presentations from representatives of the four projects, the session opened up for discussion with Arctic Circle delegates. Participants were invited to share their experiences, concerns and priorities and to discuss how changes in glaciers, ice sheets, snow cover and permafrost affect the climate system and communities, particularly across the Arctic and North Atlantic region.
The session explored how research can better support climate adaptation and resilience, emphasising collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, local governments, public utilities and other stakeholders to identify local priorities and knowledge needs.
For SnowPI, this dialogue is key to connecting advances in cryosphere science with the information and knowledge needed to support adaptation and ecosystem management.
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