The 4th Swiss Glacier Field Course was organized as a program of Antarctic
Science Curriculum offered by Graduate School of Environmental
Science, Hokkaido University. From 1 to 11 September 2009, 9 graduate
students participated activities took place in the Swiss Alps. Two
students from Chiba University joined us this year, which made the
program an excellent opportunity of inter-university
interaction.
The course began with two lectures by Prof. Heinz Blatter
and Prof. Martin
Funk from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). Then, we
moved to Berner Oberland for excursions to Unter Grindelwaldgletscher
and High Altitude
Research Station at Jungfraujoch. Following four days were
allocated for field research work on Rhonegletscher. Under beautiful
weather, field measurements, such as GPS survey, subglacial water
pressure measurements, climatic measurements, were carried out by the
students themselves. The program continued to a day trip to
Gornergletscher in Wallis. The field data obtained in Rhonegletscher
were processed and presented by the students on the final day. The
course was completed by the lecture offered by Atsumu Ohmura, Professor
Emeritus, ETH.
This course is approved as a program of International Antarctic Institute
(IAI). Students from IAI partner institutions are encouraged to
join us. We thank for the support provided by VAW, ETH-Zurich and
International Foundation High Altitude Research Stations Jungfraujoch
and Gornergrat.
