Svalbard Snow Network (SnowNet) - consolidating and expanding the network for future actions

SnowNet was initially developed to respond to the need for increasing cooperation among international snow researchers and to highlight the role of snow in the Svalbard environment and its connection to other Flagship programs. This interdisciplinary research network, including classic disciplines such as chemistry, physics, glaciology and biology, was mainly focused on physical and bio-geo-chemical aspects of snow research at different temporal and spatial scales. Although the initial phase of SnowNet has been fruitful (several reports and research articles in the process of being submitted), the results from previous workshops and pilot studies has led us to recognize that in order to fully encompass the role of snow in Svalbard, we need to expand the network to include snow related activities in fields such as terrestrial biology, atmospheric transport modeling, hydrology and geochemistry. Therefore, in order to continue the SnowNet group and its activities, we aim to organize two workshops in the coming two years. The goal of these workshops is to integrate more scientists (especially early career scientists) from different backgrounds to foster and reinforce international collaboration among scientists and to solidify the existing network. We will also work more towards sharing resources with field planning of future activities and will develop a common plan for monitoring snow parameters at different permanent sites, using existing infrastructures (Ny-Ålesund, Hornsund and Longyearbyen). The development of a web page feels also like a need to us and we will start developing our own web-page, that would be linked to other flagships in order to update people on on-going, planned and past activities, thus connect even more people and reduced redundant measurements. Finally, the second workshop will serve us to develop the future of our Network, and planned of developing EU proposal, to sustain the network, as well as developing a large research project.