Optice

OPTICE is a multidisciplinary project aimed at analyzing and monitoring the cryosphere in the Alps and polar regions. Field activities have been carried out for several years on the Italian side of the Alps and on the Svalbard Islands. Here, snow cover stratigraphy is performed, mineral dust contained in the snow is sampled, and ice cores are extracted. The samples are then analyzed in the EuroCold Lab system at the University of Milan-Bicocca. Through the Single Particle Extinction and Scattering (SPES) method, developed by Prof. Marco Potenza at the optics laboratory of the University of Milan, the optical characterization of natural and anthropogenic particles contained in snow and ice takes place. Understanding these components is fundamental for avalanche forecasting, climate change studies, and snow cover and water availability estimates. Furthermore, the project aims to raise public awareness and that of mountain-goers, so that a greater understanding of the value and fragility of the cryosphere develops, before the ice and snow in the Alps become just a memory.

OPTICE was founded thanks to Claudio Artoni, a snow scientist, avalanche instructor, and PTGA polar guide; Marco Potenza, a full professor of optics and director of the CIMAINA scientific center; Barbara Delmonte, a professor of glaciology and climate change; and Valter Maggi, a full professor of physical geography and president of the Italian Glaciological Committee Foundation. Together, they believe that a multidisciplinary approach is essential to unlock the secrets held within snow and ice.