Avalanche forecasting is essential for ensuring the safety of mountainous regions where avalanches pose a serious threat to human life and infrastructure. Traditional risk assessment methods, such as snow pit analysis, can be prohibitively labor-intensive and resource-demanding when applied across extensive areas. In this talk, we take a bird’s eye view of the subject, exploring the potential and limitations of satellite-based avalanche monitoring using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).

About the Speaker

Jakob Grahn is a researcher specializing in radar remote sensing, with a particular focus on Synthetic Aperture Radar applications. He earned his PhD from UiT The Arctic University of Norway, where his thesis examined multi-frequency radar remote sensing of sea ice. Prior to this, he completed a Master’s at Chalmers University of Technology and a BSc in Engineering Physics at Umeå University. With research experience at NORCE and NORUT, Jakob has played key roles in projects—from near-real-time avalanche hazard forecasting to developing deep learning techniques for polar low detection.