citizen science

How Citizen Scientists mapped Arctic Permafrost

Pauline Walz and Oliver Fritz January 30, 2026

Fig 1: Aerial view of an Arctic landscape near Aklavik, NWT, Canada. The characteristic polygon patterns on the Earth’s surface reveal the presence of permafrost in the soil. (Credit: UndercoverEisAgenten)

Cryosphere scientists know it well; the Arctic doesn’t give up its secrets easily. This is especially true when it comes to exploring permafrost -– frozen soils that store centuries of history underground. Keeping an eye on the state of permafrost is more important than ever, as widespread permafrost thaw is a direct result of rising global temperatures. However, monitoring the vast Arctic is not ...[Read More]

UndercoverEisAgenten – Permafrost, drones and young explorers investigating Arctic change

Marlin M. Mueller and Josefine Lenz November 24, 2023

Figure 1: Aerial view of Aklavik Northwest Territories Canada: A serene grid-patterned settlement nestled by the Peel channel of the Mackenzie River, surrounded by autumnal wilderness. [Credit: Christian Thiel]

The “UndercoverEisAgenten” project takes us on a drone journey over the ever-changing permafrost landscapes. Initiated by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) for Polar and Marine Research, the German Aerospace Center’s (DLR) Institute of Data Science, and the Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology (HeiGIT), this venture is about more than just capturing images. It̵ ...[Read More]

Cryo-Adventures – Hunting snow algae in the Alps

Biagio Di Mauro October 8, 2021

Figure 1. Researchers and students measuring snow optical properties during a snow algae bloom in the beautiful landscape of the Brenta Dolomites (Rhaetian Alps). [Credit: Cristian Ferrari]

We are used to think of algae as marine or lacustrine organisms, but they are actually able to thrive also on the cryosphere. In a previous post, we learnt how snow algae live and reproduce on snow. Now we will explore how and why scientists study snow algae, and how social media can be used for identifying new study areas. Snow algae in the Alps Snow algae in the Alps have been overlooked or conf ...[Read More]