Ghislain Picard
Current position
Full Professor at IGE - OSUG - UGA
Contact Details
RORInstitut des Géosciences de l'Environnement
54, rue Molière
38402 - Saint Martin d'Hères
France
Tel: +33 4 76 82 42 45
Email: ghislain.picard@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
Github: ghislainp
Research topics
My area of research focuses on studying snow in the polar regions. It is crucial not only to quantify the amount of snow accumulation on the surface of the ice-sheets but also to understand how the physical properties of the snow near the surface evolve over time. This is significant because the snow at the surface undergoes continuous changes, including melting, metamorphisms, and wind transport on short time scales (hours to seasons) as well as on long-term changes due to climate change (years). These changes have a direct impact on the surface energy budget. They can lead to atmospheric warming or cooling depending on the conditions, and through a complex interplay within the climate system, these effects can influence in turn the snowpack itself. Even a small initial disturbance in the snow can be amplified and result in significant climatic impacts far beyond the polar regions. This is why snow is important in the broader climate system, and what motivates further discoveries in this field.
In my research, I employ remote sensing techniques, encompassing all the electromagnetic ranges (microwave, optical and thermal). I have developed several radiative transfer models to enhance the utilization of satellite observations and to refine the surface radiative budget estimation. With Laurent Arnaud, we design innovative instruments to measure the physical properties of the snow. Several 'snow' stations have been deployed across East Antarctica to monitor snow surface evolution.
News
- Short video rresentating of the Trishna satellite mission
- In a recent study, we found that surface melt in Antarctica does not change on average despite large regional disparities
- The Greenland ice sheet melt status is accessible in near-real-time
- An achievement: a new definition of the microwave grain size, published in AGU Advance, doi:10.1029/2021AV000630
- Jul 2021 - Jul 2022: Visiting scientist at GEUS in the Glaciology and Climate departement, Denmark.
- Nov 2020: Interested by the ongoing melt season in Antarctica ? Daily update of the melt in Antarctica are now computed in routine.
- Sep 2020: AQT Publication (in French) about the "missing link", or the +30 yr quest to link snow microstructure to microwave scattering.
Ongoing and past projects
- ESA St3TART: Reference measurements for the validation of the Sentinel 3 altimeter
- ANR ALPAGA, 2021 -2025, Alpine Microalgae
- ANR MiMESis-3D, 2020 - 2024 : Metamorphism and Properties of Snow from 3D Images : Microscale Experimentation and Simulation for a better Understanding of Involved Mechanisms
ANR EAIIST, 2017 - 2020 (J. Savarino): East Antarctic International Ice Sheet Traverse- ESA LIAM, 2020 - 2021
- ESA 4D Antarctica, 2019 - 2022
- ESA S3 SNOW, 2017 - 2018
ANR ASUMA, 2015 - 2018 (V. Favier): Amélioration de la précision de l'estimation de bilan de masse de surface en Antarctique.- Acceleration of Permafrost Thaw By Snow-Vegetation Interactions, BNP Paribas Fundation, 2015 - 2017 (F. Dominé)
- ESA Microsnow, 2015 - 2016
- ESA CRYOSMOS, 2015 - 2016
- CNES projects: SMOS, Antar-TS and GreenEdge
- ANR MONISNOW 2011-2016 (G. Picard): Monitoring Snow in a changing climate
- PNTS 2010-2012 (G. Picard): Detection of snowfall events using microwave observations
- LEFE/QUASPPER 2010-2012 (S. Morin): Quantitative assessment and modeling of snow physical properties
PICS 2008-2011 (G. Picard) : Programme International de Collaboration Scientifique with CARTEL, University of Sherbrooke, Canada- LEFE/CHARMANT 2008-2011 (G. Krinner): Regional change of the surface mass balance in Antarctica
- ANR/VANISH 2007-2011 (M. Fily): Vulnerability of the Antarctic ice sheet and its atmosphere
- PNTS 2006-2008 (G. Picard): Coupling between a snow evolution model and a microwave emission model in Antarctica
Students and post-doc
Post-doc:- P. Zeiger (2023-)
- F. Larue (2018-2020)
- M. Lamare (2017-2019)
- O. Passalacqua (2018)
- M. Leduc-Leballeur (2012-2017)
- M. Poizat (2021-)
- S. Arioli (supervised with S. Gascoin, 2021-)
- A. Robledano (supervised with M. Dumont, 2020-)
- C. Vargel (supervised A. Royer (U. Sherbrooke) and G. Picard, 2017-2021)
- F. Tuzet (supervised with M. Dumont, 2016-2020)
- F. Adodo (supervised wtih F. Rémy (LEGOS), 2015-2018)
- M. Belke (supervised with F. Dominé (Takuvik, Québec) and G. Picard, 2015-2019)
- G. Vérin (supervised withM. Babin (Takuvik, Québec), 2014-2018)
- H. Fréville (supervised with E. Brun (CNRM-GAME), 2012-2015)
- Q. Libois (2011-2014)
- F. Dupont (supervised with M. Fily (LGGE) & A. Royer (U. Sherbrooke, Quebec), 2010-2013)
- N. Champollion (supervised with M. Fily (LGGE), 2009-2012)
- L. Brucker (supervised with M. Fily (LGGE), 2006-2009)
- M. Poizat (2020)
- S. Arioli (2019)
- A. Robledano (2019): Spatial variations of snow surface temperature in mountainous areas: modelling and validation with remote sensing
- I. Ollivier (2018): Radiative balance over a rough snow surface - observations and modelling at meter and mountain range scales
- R. Caneill (2017): Analysis of Elevation Maps Measured by Laser Scannering at Dome C, Antarctica. Investigation of Snow Accumulation Processes
- A. Lemoine (2017): Modeling microwave observations from snow properties in Antarctica
- N. Champollion (2009): Measuring snow specific surface area
- B. Montpetit (2008): Toward a finer resolution snow melt product (French)
- I. Gravaud (2008): Detection of precipitation events by passive microwave remote sensing in Antarctica(French)
- F. Cyr (2007): Modeled and observed snow melt (French)