Work Packages

LIQUIDICE brings together cutting-edge research and expertise across six Work Packages (WPs) to improve our understanding of snow and ice dynamics and their impact on water resources. Here’s how they work together:

🔹 WP1: Field Observations – Collects and curates crucial data on inland ice, snow, permafrost, and water discharge, supporting process studies and model calibration.

🔹 WP2: Earth Observation – Delivers high-resolution snow cover data and develops technology to retrieve Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) using advanced satellite sensors.

🔹 WP3: Modelling & Forecasting – Builds global, regional, and local-scale models to enhance climate forecasts and explores the integration of snow and ice modelling in digital twins.

🔹 WP4: Climate Impact & Adaptation – Assesses the effects of glacier and snow melt on water discharge, develops climate adaptation strategies, and strengthens climate resilience.

🔹 WP5: Outreach & Communication – Ensures project findings reach scientists, policymakers, local stakeholders and general public, fostering knowledge exchange and real-world impact.

🔹 WP6: Coordination – Oversees scientific and administrative aspects, ensures data management, quality control, and ethical compliance, and facilitates collaboration through the Scientific Support Team.

Work package WP1 – Observations of inland ice, snow, permafrost and catchment discharge

Accurate climate models rely on high-quality observational data. WP1 enhances our ability to measure and analyze key cryospheric processes, ensuring crucial data is accessible and effectively used in climate modelling and remote sensing (WP2, WP3) and prepare proper adaptation strategies (WP4).

WP1 aims to:

Expand observational capacity by enhancing the direct measurement of crucial physical parameters and complex cryospheric processes.
Strengthen climate change connections by ensuring that observations are efficiently integrated into models and remote sensing applications in WP2, WP3, and WP4.
Improve data availability and usability by cataloguing and refining key datasets on snow, permafrost, albedo, and glacier mass balance, making them more accessible to scientists and decision-makers.

By making essential climate data more available and actionable, WP1 strengthens modelling efforts and helps society prepare for a changing climate.

WP Leader: GEUS

Work package WP2 – EO-based technologies for assessing the evolution of land ice and snow cover

WP2 focuses on enhancing Earth Observation (EO) datasets to improve our understanding of seasonal snow cover and land ice mass trends. This includes:

Developing a high-resolution snow cover dataset using Copernicus satellite products.
Advancing technology to retrieve Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) from L-band SAR, calibrated with ground stations.
Integrating Copernicus, ESA, and NASA datasets to extend and refine time-series data.

WP2 also builds on previous EU and ESA projects to produce high-accuracy estimates of land ice mass trends, essential for validating glacier and ice sheet models. By leveraging machine learning and data integration techniques, WP2 aims to extend historical records, improve model accuracy, and enhance projections of sea level rise.

These datasets will provide critical input for WP3, supporting more reliable climate modelling and future projections.

WP Leader: NORCE

Work package WP3 – Modelling and future projections: Global to Local and Integrated to Process-based

WP3 enhances the representation of land ice in climate and hydrological models, improving our understanding of ice-related processes at global, regional, and local scales. This work supports more accurate climate projections and impact assessments.

Key objectives include:

Integrating major land ice components into global models to assess their influence on the climate system.
Improving regional and local simulations of snow cover, ice mass balance, and water runoff, refining past and future projections.
Enhancing hydrological modelling through downscaling techniques and specialized numerical studies.
Validating models using large-scale satellite data (WP2) and local observations (WP1), ensuring accuracy and real-world applicability.
Exploring integration with digital twins, leveraging diverse modelling approaches for improved simulations.

By refining the links between ice, climate, and hydrology, WP3 strengthens the foundation for impact assessments in WP4, providing essential insights for understanding and adapting to climate change.

WP Leader: DMI

Work package WP4 – Impact of change in water resources from the cryosphere to society

As climate change reshapes landscapes and societies, WP4 focuses on developing adaptation strategies that enhance the resilience of local communities. By understanding societal responses and behavioral shifts, this WP ensures that adaptation solutions align with local needs, knowledge, and priorities.

The main objectives are:

Assessing Water Discharge Impacts – Using data from WP1–WP3, WP4 evaluates how glacier and snowmelt affect water availability for energy, agriculture, households, and tourism, while also assessing flood risks.
Adapting to Arctic Climate Change – Investigates glacier-permafrost interactions and their effects on groundwater, natural hazards, and Arctic communities, providing science-backed policy advice for sustainable adaptation.
Resilient Alpine Tourism – Engages local communities in the Monte Rosa region to assess climate risks, develop adaptive strategies, and create guidelines for sustainable tourism across alpine regions.

WP4 places a strong emphasis on local engagement—working closely with communities in Greenland, Svalbard, Norway, and Italy. By integrating Indigenous perspectives and ensuring fair and inclusive adaptation strategies, this WP contributes to a just, community-driven green transition. Through stakeholder dialogues, citizen engagement, and policy recommendations, WP4 bridges the gap between scientific knowledge and real-world action, helping shape climate-resilient societies.

WP Leader: University of Copenhagen

Work package WP5 – Dissemination, communication and exploitation

WP5ensures that LIQUIDICE delivers meaningful impact by fostering knowledge exchange, public engagement, and collaboration with international research networks. Through effective communication and outreach, WP5 connects scientific advancements with stakeholders, policymakers, and local communities.

The main objectives are:

Clear & Effective Communication – Ensuring seamless internal and external communication to support collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Raising Awareness – Highlighting the project’s outcomes and the importance of climate change adaptation for local communities.
Engaging Society – Implementing two-way communication to actively involve communities affected by climate change.
High-Quality Dissemination – Sharing research findings through accessible and impactful content.
Maximizing Stakeholder Impact – Strengthening connections with policy actors, industries, and research networks, maximizing synergies between dissemination and exploitation.

WP Leader: IG PAS

Work package WP6 – Project Management, Coordination and International & Cross-disciplinary Exchange

WP6 ensures the smooth, efficient, and high-quality management of LIQUIDICE, overseeing all activities, finances, and reporting to maintain scientific excellence and maximize impact. Effective management guarantees that the project stays on track, meets objectives, and fulfills contractual obligations.

WP6 focuses on:

Strategic Coordination – Overseeing project activities, tracking progress, and ensuring milestones and deliverables are met.
Financial & Administrative Oversight – Managing resources, reporting, and ensuring compliance with EC requirements.
Facilitating Collaboration – Establishing a Scientific Support Team (SST) to enhance communication between work packages and partners.
Data Management & Quality Assurance – Overseeing the Data Management Plan (DMP) to ensure all project data is accessible, reliable, and valuable.

WP Leader: IG PAS