2025/2026

Educational goals With the theorical and the practical preparation of the course and after the final exam, the student will be able to define the framework of the environmental context of the cryosphere (Glacier, snow and permafrost) in mountain areas, including features and potential risks, and to organize knowledge and data for eventual solutions and interventions. From the practical point ov view a special attention (with a deep programme of theoric and practical exercises) will be devoted to snow surveys and related methodologies and sinthetic outcomes, in particular, snow stratigraphy and snow on the ground profile. Fundamental priciples of geomorphology of mountain environment will be introduced, coupled to the study and recognising/survey, in the framework of global warming, of landforms and effects. In particular, applying knowledge and understanding, communication and learning skills will be verified.

The student needs consolidated basical knowledge from high school frequence (desirable frequence and study of the lectures of course) of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Geology/Physical Geography.

Claudio Smiraglia. Guida ai ghiacciai e alla glaciologia - Forme, fluttuazioni, ambienti. Zanichelli, 1992
IMONT e AIGEO (AA.VV.) - Testimoni di una montagna scomparsa. Bononia University press. 2006
Ballantyne Colin – Paraglacial Geomorphology. C.K. Ballantyne / Quaternary Science Reviews 21 (2002) 1935–2017
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-3791(02)00005-7
AINEVA. Meteorologia alpina. https://aineva.it/pubblicazioni/metereologia-alpina/
AINEVA. La neve. https://aineva.it/pubblicazioni/la-neve/
AINEVA. Le valanghe. https://aineva.it/pubblicazioni/le-valanghe/
IACS (International Association of Cryospheric Science) - GLOSSARY OF GLACIER MASS BALANCE AND RELATED TERMS. https://wgms.ch/downloads/Cogley_etal_2011.pdf
https://wgms.ch/downloads/FoG_Submission_instructions.pdf
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-glaciology/article/randolph-glacier-inventory-a-globally-complete-inventory-of-glaciers/730D4CC76E0E3EC1832FA3F4D90691CE
https://www.affariregionali.it/comunicazione/dossier-e-normativa/25-anni-di-attivit%C3%A0-di-monitoraggio-del-ghiacciaio-del-calderone/

1st PART - Snow Science: 12 HOURS OF LECTURES AND 2 DAYS OF EXERCISES ON SITE (each day of 6 hours)
2nd PART - Glaciology: 12 HOURS OF LECTURES AND 2 DAYS OF EXERCISES ON SITE (each day of 6 hours)

1st PART - Snow Science: 12 HOURS OF LECTURES AND 2 DAYS OF EXERCISES ON SITE (24 hours in total)
Lesson SS-G 1: Introduction to the course. The cryosphere. Introduction to glaciology and to Snow Sciences, aims and methodology – “Mountaineering expedition and progresses of glaciological and environmental research in high altitude” (1 hour)
Lesson SS 2 – Introduction to Snow Sciences, Atmospheric condition, seasonal snow precipitation: genesis and classification of crystals (1 hour)
Lesson SS 3: The snow on the ground: type of snow and metamorphism of the snow on the ground
Lesson SS 4: The calculation of temperature gradient in the snow profile and application: tools and methods in Snow Sciences: the snow profile (1 hour)

Practice exercises on the snow EN1-EN6: surveys and safety on the snow on the ground: snow stratigraphy and profile (6 hours)

Lesson SS 5: Snow stability and its evaluation: the snow movements (1 hour)
Lesson SS 6: The avalanches: features and classification: the competent authorities in Italy (1 hour)
Lesson SS 7: The avalanche hazard: the avalanche forecast bulletin – reading and evaluation (1 hour)
Lesson SS 8: The avalanche risk: the mitigation and Structural avalanche protection
(1 hour)
Lesson SS 9: Snow avalanche mapping (1 hour)
Lesson SS 10: Digital Snow avalanche mapping in Italy (1 hour)
Lesson SS 11: Snow avalanche rescue operation (1 hour)
Lesson SS 12: Italian lows framework on snow avalnanche(1 hour)

Practice exercises on the snow EN7-EN12: avalanche safety and rescue operation (6 hours)

Total time: 12 hours of lessons and 12 of field exercises = 24 hours



2nd PART - Cryosphere, the Ice, the Glacier and Glaciology: 12 HOURS OF LECTURES AND EXERCISES ON SITE (24 hours in total)

Lesson G 1: Italian mountain and high mountain environment (Latium Apennine). Verification of personal knowledge: conceptual map of Italian mountain, in particular Apennine (1 hour)
Lesson G 2: From the snow to ice. Ice chemistry and phisyc. The glacier: features and classification (1 ora)
Lesson G 3: Distribution of the glacier: italian glacier, sea ice, ice in the cave, buried ice (1 hour)
Lesson G 4: The calculation of ice mass balance of the glacier (1 hour)
Lesson G 5: The study case of the ghiacciaio del Calderone (1 hour)
Lesson G 6: Zone of methamorfism. Movement of the glacier. Velocity and thickness of the ice and method measure (1 hour)
Lesson G 7: Glacial processes and landforms. Glacial morphogenesis and morphologia – flux landforms – Glacial erosion and landforms and cartography -Glacial transport and deposition – Moraines – fluvioglacial and subglacial deposition. (1 hour)
Lesson G 8: Permafrost and periglacial processes and landforms (1 hour)
Lesson G 9: Paraglacial evolution (1 hour)
Lesson G 10: Glacial fluctuation and cronology. Snow and ice deposit as climatic and environmental archive. Risks of glacial environment (introduction) (1 hour).
Lessons G 11 and G 12: Displaying and analysis in GIS opensource (Qgis) environment of glacial evolution and changes in global warming framework: the glaciers of the Alps (2 hours)

Practice exercises of high mountain environment and geomorphology 1 - EG1-EG6: Glacial geomorphology and cartography (6 hours)

Practice exercises of high mountain environment and geomorphology 2 - EG7-EG12: Periglacial and paraglacial geomorphology and cartography (6 hours)

Total time: 12 hours of lessons and 12 of field exercises = 24 hours

Claudio Smiraglia. Guida ai ghiacciai e alla glaciologia - Forme, fluttuazioni, ambienti. Zanichelli, 1992
IMONT e AIGEO (AA.VV.) - Testimoni di una montagna scomparsa. Bononia University press. 2006
Ballantyne Colin – Paraglacial Geomorphology. C.K. Ballantyne / Quaternary Science Reviews 21 (2002) 1935–2017
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-3791(02)00005-7
AINEVA. Meteorologia alpina. https://aineva.it/pubblicazioni/metereologia-alpina/
AINEVA. La neve. https://aineva.it/pubblicazioni/la-neve/
AINEVA. Le valanghe. https://aineva.it/pubblicazioni/le-valanghe/
IACS (International Association of Cryospheric Science) - GLOSSARY OF GLACIER MASS BALANCE AND RELATED TERMS. https://wgms.ch/downloads/Cogley_etal_2011.pdf
https://wgms.ch/downloads/FoG_Submission_instructions.pdf
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-glaciology/article/randolph-glacier-inventory-a-globally-complete-inventory-of-glaciers/730D4CC76E0E3EC1832FA3F4D90691CE
https://www.affariregionali.it/comunicazione/dossier-e-normativa/25-anni-di-attivit%C3%A0-di-monitoraggio-del-ghiacciaio-del-calderone/

The lectures will be give , depending on the indications and guide lines of the University, in mixed way, on site and recorded (available, on demand, for students regularly registered.
Lectures will be held on Monday 16:00 - 18:00 at the Rieti boulding. If weather, environmental and safety conditions will be favorable, 4 final didactic experiences (4 days, each of 6 hours) will be performed on site, on snowy ground in the first part 1- Snow science and Part 2 - Glaciology, possibly in Terminillo/Gran Sasso d'Italia areas, dealing with snow survey and tests and Glacial geomorphology and cartography.

The exam will be oral and developed in: 1) presentation (in power point) on a topic, chosen by the candidate, within the ones of the program of lectures, max 15 min., and 2) questions on the program and 3) focussing question the exposed presentation. The sum of the results on the 3 parts will be the final vote.The mimimum vote is fixed in 18/30; the maximum 30/30 cum laude.

    Massimo Pecci