Master Project Example - Monitoring Snowline Dynamics on Norwegian Glaciers Using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Data

Background: Snowlines on glaciers are critical indicators of climatic conditions and glacier health. Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite data provide high-resolution, frequent observations suitable for monitoring snowline dynamics. Building upon the work of Winsvold et al. (2018) and the Copernicus Glacier Service (Andreassen et al., 2021), this project aims to analyse snowline changes and melt events across Norwegian glaciers.

Project description

Research Questions:

  • How have snowline positions on Norwegian glaciers changed over the Sentinel observation period?
  • What are the patterns of seasonal snowline fluctuations and melt events?
  • Can trends be identified that correlate with climatic variables?

Work Plan:

  • Acquire and process Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data for selected Norwegian glaciers.
  • Develop algorithms to detect and monitor snowline positions over time.
  • Analyse temporal patterns and correlate findings with climatic data.

Proposed course plan during the master's degree (60 ECTS)
GEOV316: Glaciology
GEOV325: Remote Sensing and GIS
GEOV336: Field and Laboratory Course in Quaternary Geology

Prerequisites
At least a B in GEOV205 or similar

Field-, lab- and analysis work
Remote Sensing: Processing and analysis of Sentinel satellite data.
Data Analysis: Time-series analysis of snowline positions; correlation with temperature and precipitation records.

Supervisors

Benjamin Robson (main supervisor)

Liss Andreassen, NVE

Last updated: 16.12.2025