Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Glacies
Special Issues
Current Snow Science Research 2025–2026
share announcement

Current Snow Science Research 2025–2026

A special issue of Glacies (ISSN 2813-8740).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 671

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Steven R. Fassnacht

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Watershed Science Program in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, 1231 Libby Coy Way, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1476, USA
Interests: snow hydrology; spatio-temporal variability; hydrological modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fraser King

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
Interests: precipitation; machine learning; remote sensing
Dr. Krystopher Chutko

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geography, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Interests: hydrometeorology; isotope hydrology; earth surface processes; pedagogy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Snow is a globally important topic. Snowpack can cover a large portion of the Earth’s surface, affecting the climate, water resources, recreation, ecology, mobility and travel, safety, and other aspects of life on the planet. The characteristics of snow vary across both time and space. Snow is mostly seasonal, but it can be ephemeral or permanent. The dynamic nature of snow makes it a difficult medium to monitor and model.

We seek papers on any snow-related topics, including the characteristics and variability of snowpack properties, manual and remote sensing measurements of snowpack properties, snowpack modeling, snow as a hazard, snow hydrology, snow ecosystems, snow recreation.

We especially welcome papers on new research that advances our understanding of snow and related phenomena. Papers presented at recent conferences, such as the Eastern Snow Conference <https://www.easternsnow.org/>, Western Snow Conference <https://www.westernsnowconference.org/>, the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences <https://baco-25.org/>,  and the 5th International Conference on Snow Hydrology <https://snowhydro.unirioja.es/> will also be considered.

Prof. Dr. Steven R. Fassnacht
Dr. Fraser King
Dr. Krystopher Chutko
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Glacies is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • snow
  • snow as a hazard, avalanches, blowing snow
  • remote sensing of snow
  • snowpack measurements
  • spatial variability
  • snow modeling

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 2473 KB  
Article
Evaluating Snow Pavement Strength in Remote Cold Environments via California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and Russian Snow Penetrometer (RSP) Combined Testing
by Katie L. Duggan DiDominic, Margarita Ordaz, Terry D. Melendy, Jr. and Chrestien M. Charlebois
Glacies 2025, 2(4), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/glacies2040015 - 4 Dec 2025
Abstract
Accurate assessment of compacted snow strength is critical for ensuring the safety and performance of snow runways in cold environments. The Russian Snow Penetrometer (RSP) is widely used in snow science and engineering due to its simplicity, portability, and capability for rapid field [...] Read more.
Accurate assessment of compacted snow strength is critical for ensuring the safety and performance of snow runways in cold environments. The Russian Snow Penetrometer (RSP) is widely used in snow science and engineering due to its simplicity, portability, and capability for rapid field measurements under extreme conditions. Conversely, the California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test remains the benchmark for evaluating the load-bearing capacity of conventional granular materials but is seldom applied to snow because of logistical constraints and the material’s complex mechanical behavior. The relationship between these two pavement evaluation tools remains poorly defined. This work investigates how RSP strength indices relate to CBR measurements to determine whether the RSP can serve as a practical proxy for snow pavement load-bearing capacity. Side-by-side field measurements of snow pavement strength were collected over a 30 h period at two test section locations. Both methods captured temporal strength increases and spatial variability, with consistently higher values at the second site attributed to extended sintering. A moderate linear correlation (R2 = 0.44) between RSP and CBR results supports a quantifiable relationship between the two methods. These findings begin to bridge the gap between conventional pavement testing and snow-specific strength evaluation, demonstrating the potential of the RSP for rapid assessment of snow runways. Continued data collection and analysis will refine this relationship and strengthen its applicability for operational use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Snow Science Research 2025–2026)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 1917 KB  
Article
Compressed Snow Blocks: Evaluating the Feasibility of Adapting Earth Block Technology for Cold Regions
by Katie L. Duggan DiDominic, Terry D. Melendy, Jr. and Chrestien M. Charlebois
Glacies 2025, 2(4), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/glacies2040014 - 15 Nov 2025
Viewed by 289
Abstract
Snow construction plays a crucial role in military operations in cold regions, providing tactical fortifications, thermal insulation, and emergency infrastructure in environments where conventional building materials are scarce or require extensive infrastructure for support. Current snow construction methods, including manual piling and compaction, [...] Read more.
Snow construction plays a crucial role in military operations in cold regions, providing tactical fortifications, thermal insulation, and emergency infrastructure in environments where conventional building materials are scarce or require extensive infrastructure for support. Current snow construction methods, including manual piling and compaction, are labor-intensive and inconsistent, limiting their use in large-scale or time-sensitive operations. This study explores the feasibility of adapting a compressed earth block (CEB) machine to produce compressed snow blocks (CSBs) as modular, uniform building units for cold-region applications. Using an AECT Impact 2001A hydraulic press, naturally occurring snow was processed with a snowblower and compacted at maximum operating pressure (i.e., 20,684 kPa) to evaluate block formation, dimensional consistency, and density. The machine successfully produced relatively consistent CSBs, but the initial 3–4 blocks following block height adjustment were generally unsuccessful (e.g., incorrect block height or collapsed/broke) while the machine reached its steady state cyclic condition. These blocks were discarded and excluded from the dataset. The successful CSBs had mean block heights of 7.76 ± 0.56 cm and densities comparable to ice (i.e., 0.83 g/cm3). Variations in block height and mass may be attributed to manual snow loading and minor material impurities. While the dataset is limited, the results warrant further investigation into this technology, particularly regarding CSB strength (i.e., hardness and compressive strength) and performance under variable snow and environmental conditions. Mechanized snow compaction using existing CEB technology is technically feasible and capable of producing uniform, structurally stable CSBs but requires further investigation and modifications to reach its full potential. With design improvements such as automated snow feeding, cold-resistant components, and system winterization, this approach could enable scalable CSB production for rapid, on-site construction of snow-based structures in Arctic environments, supporting the military and civilian needs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Snow Science Research 2025–2026)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop