INSTAAR

@instaar

Institute of Arctic & Alpine Research - Earth & environmental science at CU Boulder. Research & education on the past, present, & future of Earth systems in service of a just & thriving world

575 Folgt1.082 Follower474 Posts

YouTube Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir instaar.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

INSTAAR@instaar· Jun 5

See upcoming seminars and guided walk signup on the Mountain Research Station website: www.colorado.edu/mrs/

A stunningly colorful sunset over the Indian Peaks, with a subalpine meadow in the foreground (W. Bowman)

INSTAAR@instaar· Jun 4

Nancy Emery kicked off the Mountain Research Station summer seminar series last night with a talk on the Niwot Ridge LTER and plant community ecology. Join us at the station every Wednesday from now through August 26. Or sign up for a guided walk on mycology, natural history, orchids and more!

INSTAAR@instaar· May 5

Full trip report: buff.ly/De9eTfg

INSTAAR@instaar· May 1

👏🏽 Congrats to graduating PhD Genevieve Clow (INSTAAR+ATOC). She is featured as a CU Boulder ‘outstanding graduate’ for her impactful research and service. See more at www.colorado.edu/today/discov...

Genevieve Clow standing next to a CTD rosette for measuring ocean conductivity (salinity), temperature, and pressure (depth) as well as for collecting numerous water samples. 2025 IO9N GO-SHIP cruise in the Bay of Bengal aboard the R/V Thomas G. Thompson. Photo by Roxanne Mina.

INSTAAR@instaar· Apr 27

New graphic from artist Eric Parrish and the Dynamic Water Critical Zone Group on the importance of Earth's Critical Zone and how it provides the water, soil, and habitats that sustain life on earth. Learn about the group & their research criticalzone.org/dynamic_water

Multi-panel cartoon by Eric Parrish about Earth's Critical Zone and how it provides the water, soil, and habitats that sustain life on earth. 1. It is where the Earth transforms (geomorphology + soil science). Weathering, erosion, and soil formation shape the land we live one. 2. The water will move and change (hydrology + climate). Water enters, moves through, and leaves the critical zone, shaped by snow, rain, and climate. 3. Chemistry connects and interacts (Geochemistry + biogeochemistry). Water, rock, and life interact to shape nutrient cycles and water quality. 4. Together these systems shape our world. From soil microbes to leafy treetops, life connects everything in the critical zone. 5. Sharing what we learn (Education + outreach). Critical zone scientists are passionate about sharing discoveries with communities, students, and educators, to better understand the critical zone.

INSTAAR@instaar· Apr 24

Hear science journalist Peter Brannen @peterbrannen.bsky.social discuss his book 'The story of CO2 is the story of everything: How carbon dioxide made our world' 🗓️ Tuesday April 28th 11am Mountain 📍 CU Boulder East Campus, SEEC S228 and Zoom calendar.colorado.edu/event/peter-...

Photo of Peter Brannen next to the cover of his book 'The story of CO2 is the story of everything.'

INSTAAR@instaar· Apr 14

If you're in Boulder on Wed Apr 15, Paul Bierman (U Vermont) will share from his book When the Ice Is Gone (a New Yorker Best Book). The next day, he'll give a talk: Greenland - Landscapes Under Ice Wed 12pm book reading SEEC C215 Thurs 12pm science talk SEEC N224 More on Paul www.paulbierman.net

Cover for the book When the Ice is Gone by Paul Bierman

INSTAAR@instaar· Apr 8

Thanks to all who turned out for our screening of Life Unearthed last night! Be sure to check out our website for a full slate of #INSTAAR75 events in 2026. And, don't miss Life Unearthed with Ariel Waldman on PBS. The third episode comes out a week from today! buff.ly/Tf35Wrh

INSTAAR@instaar· Apr 6

👏🏽 Congrats to Holly Barnard! She will receive the AGU Hydrology Days Award 🏆 at Colorado State this week. She will also give the meeting's keynote address: "From foliage to fractures: Exploring the critical zone from multiple perspectives" Wed April 8 at 1pm www.engr.colostate.edu/ce/events/hy...

INSTAAR@instaar· Mar 27

Join us for a screening of Ariel Waldman's upcoming PBS docuseries "Life Unearthed". After the film, she will chat w/ INSTAARs M. Gooseff & D. McKnight for a Q&A. Pre-screening snacks & activities too. Tue April 7th 6pm. Dairy Arts Center, Boulder FREE tickets! calendar.colorado.edu/event/life-u...

Advertisement for an Antarctic documentary screening and Q&A event showing an early screening of Life Unearthed with Ariel Waldman at the Boulder Dairy Arts Center on Tuesday April 7th at 6-8:30pm. Tickets are required, but free. This is an INSTAAR 75th anniversary event. Background image is Waldman in Antarctica kneeling on gravel with a camera and very long lens pointed an inch above a gravel bed.

INSTAAR@instaar· Mar 18

INSTAAR fellow Suzanne Anderson spoke up for science in Washington DC last week! Along with NCAR scientist Christine Shields, she met with staff from three Colorado congressmen's teams to call for strong federal funding for Earth science in fiscal year 2027. buff.ly/HSlX7H0

INSTAAR@instaar· Mar 10

Nyika Campbell used her INSTAAR Professional Development Award for a Wilderness First Responder recertification course & first aid training for her lab's undergrad technician. She also created a detailed spreadsheet of first aid kit items (incl links) to help other INSTAAR labs. Go Nyika! 🙌🏽

A person's hand holds a Wilderness Medicine field guide from the National Outdoor Leadership School

A table with notebook, first aid guide, and water bottle overlooks an instructor and attendees of a Wilderness First Responder recertification course

Undergraduate lab technician Easton Klein is swaddled in an arm splint and head bandages as part of training during a Wilderness first aid course.

INSTAAR@instaar· Mar 6

🚰 Ongoing research led by Riley Mulhern is testing which household water filters best remove PFAS from contaminated wells — helping high-risk communities reduce exposure to these persistent forever chemicals wqa.org/news/study-t... Learn about Riley and his research www.colorado.edu/instaar/rile...

Person fills a glass of water at a kitchen sink (Photo by SHTTEFAN on Unsplash)

INSTAAR@instaar· Feb 15

MARILYN WALKER - "One woman's experience on the value of collaboration & synthesis in science & engineering" Monday February 16th, 12pm MT SEEC S228 & Zoom A special INSTAAR 75th anniversary seminar in the 'Women of INSTAAR' series. All are welcome! calendar.colorado.edu/event/marily...

INSTAAR@instaar· Feb 10

2026 UNDERGRAD SUMMER FIELD COURSES at CU Boulder's Mountain Research Station @colorado.edu 📓 Natural history 🦅 Birds 🌱 Flora 🦌 Animals 🚣‍♀️ Lakes+streams 🌲 Forests+fire Each ecology focused, ~2 wks, 3 transferable credits, 15 students, lodging&food included w tuition www.colorado.edu/mrs/2026/01/...

Nine people, many holding butterfly nets, stand shoulder to shoulder in a grassy summer meadow surrounded by conifer trees. Accompanying text says CU Boulder Mountain Research Station summer field courses

Flyer for the Summer 2026 field courses at the CU Mountain Research Station. Images and illustrations of mountains, students in the field, birds, tundra, forests, and moose. Field courses span a range of topics and emphasize learning through experiential work in a natural setting. Students from ANY institution can register. Natural history of the southern rockies, Field ornithology, Flora of the mountains, Feeding ecology of animals, Lake and stream ecology, Forest and fire ecology

INSTAAR@instaar· Feb 9

🙏🏽 Thanks to the many attendees of Diane McKnight's talk on her research journey to the Antarctic Dry Valleys. Kudos to the grad student poster presenters too. What a great way to start celebrating INSTAAR's 75th anniversary in 2026! See more #INSTAAR75 events at www.colorado.edu/instaar/abou...

With a large seated audience in the foreground, Michael Gooseff stands at a lectern on a stage. Behind him is a picture of Diane McKnight on a big screen. Gooseff is introducing McKnight before her INSTAAR 75th anniversary talk on her 27 field seasons of research in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Photo: Marisa Seitz

With a large seated audience in the foreground, Diane McKnight stands at a lectern on a stage. She is giving a special evening talk on her research journey to Antarctica's Dry Valleys as part of INSTAAR's 75th anniversary celebration. The slide behind her is titled "Life is small in this ecosystem". Photo: Marisa Seitz

Diane McKnight giving a special evening talk on her research journey to Antarctica's Dry Valleys as part of INSTAAR's 75th anniversary celebration. The slide behind her shows photos of her talking to then Senator Al Gore in 1988 while in Antarctica. Text on the slide says "Explaining the importance of dissolved organic matter and algal growth to Senator Gore in 1988". Photo: Irina Overeem.

Grad student Sydney Carr discusses her poster on climate change signals in snow water resources with a small group of people. Behind them are additional students, posters, and people crowding a hallway. The posters were part of an INSTAAR 75th anniversary celebration event.Photo: Marisa Seitz

INSTAAR@instaar· Feb 5

❄️ INSTAAR's Mountain Hydrology Group has begun reporting approx every 2 weeks on estimated snow-water equivalent (SWE) at 500m resolution. Reports are released within a week of satellite image acquisition Western US www.colorado.edu/instaar/rese... Sierra Nevada www.colorado.edu/instaar/rese...

2026-02-01 Estimated SWE and % of Average SWE across the Western U.S. SWE amounts across the entire Western region of the United States (left) and percent of long-term average (2001-2025) by five regions (right).

INSTAAR@instaar· Feb 5

TONIGHT! #INSTAAR75 75th anniv. seminar + grad student poster showcase 🏔️ Life at the bottom of the world: A research journey to the Antarctic Dry Valleys Diane McKnight Thur Feb 5th 5-7pm MT CU Boulder East Campus & Zoom FREE event but must register at calendar.colorado.edu/event/diane-...

Advertisement for Diane's McKnight's presentation on Feb 5th, 2026. In the photo, Diane McKnight stands on sediment accumulated on the Cotton Glacier in the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica, 2011 (Chris Jaros).

INSTAAR@instaar· Jan 30

SATURDAY MORNING WINTER PROGRAMS Mountain Research Station @colorado.edu 🦅 Feb 14 Winter birding ❄️ Mar 14 SNOTEL tour 🐇 Apr 04 Mammals Open to the public. ~45 minutes from Boulder. Each program runs from 10am to noonish and only has space for 20. Reserve your spot now www.colorado.edu/mrs/

Crippled krumholz trees partly buried by snow drifts near treeline on a windy day (William Bowman). CU Boulder & INSTAAR's Mountain Research Station

Sarah Padula works on a chickadee nesting box while wearing snowshoes. CU Boulder & INSTAAR's Mountain Research Station

A group of people gather around a small meteorological station in a coniferous forest with snow underfoot. CU Boulder & INSTAAR's Mountain Research Station

Pika on a boulder (William Bowman). CU Boulder & INSTAAR's Mountain Research Station

INSTAAR@instaar· Jan 29

Two conferences. One community. 53rd Int'l Arctic Workshop + NE Glaciology Mtg March 18-21, 2026 at the Univ. at Buffalo Abstracts due February 20 The conferences will run in parallel, with sessions in adjoining halls and shared meals. More info: arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/geological-a...

Geologists conduct field research on glacial deposits in Greenland, taking notes beside a large boulder with a red helicopter and Arctic mountains in the background. Photo: Jason Briner.

INSTAAR@instaar· Jan 27

🌊 20th Annual Hydrologic Sciences Student Symposium: Water Quality vs Water Quantity • CU Boulder E Campus (SEEC S228) & online • Apr 2-3, 2026 • Abstracts due Mar 16 Abstracts encouraged from @colorado.edu grad & undergrad students, researchers, faculty, & others. www.colorado.edu/program/hydr...

Graphic for the 20th Annual Hydrologic Sciences Student Symposium at CU Boulder April 2-3, 2026

INSTAAR@instaar· Jan 21

🏔️ Life at the bottom of the world: A research journey to the Antarctic Dry Valleys Diane McKnight Thurs Feb 5th 5-7pm MST CU Boulder East Campus (AERO 114) & Zoom All are welcome to this FREE INSTAAR 75th anniversary seminar but please register in advance calendar.colorado.edu/event/diane-...

INSTAAR@instaar· Dec 19

🔥 INSTAARites in Boulder are hunkered down today for “extremely critical” fire weather conditions. Fortunately, no ignitions so far. Wish us luck! 🌬️ Peak wind gust 104 mph (NCAR Mesa Lab) 🌡️ Air temp ~65F 🌵 Humidity only ~9% #COWX

Graph of average wind speed and peak gust for the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab above Boulder Colorado on 2025-12-19. See https://archive.eol.ucar.edu/cgi-bin/weather.cgi?site=ml&period=5-minute&units=english

INSTAAR@instaar· Dec 17

🧑🏽🔬 This week, 100s of @colorado.edu scientists -incl many INSTAARs- are participating in the #AGU25 Earth & space science conference. INSTAARs are helping w the CU exhibit booth too. Thanks y'all! See schedule of remaining talks & posters of CU participants www.colorado.edu/news/formedi...

Exhibit booth for CU Boulder at the AGU2025 annual meeting in New Orleans (Photo: CU Boulder).

INSTAAR@instaar· Dec 15

🌎 Are you an early career researcher keen on Earth surface processes? Want to learn about numerical modeling & software development? Apply by 24 January for the *free* CSDMS ESPIn immersive training experience Aug 3-7, 2026 in Boulder Colorado ⬇️ csdms.colorado.edu/wiki/ESPIn2026

A group of attendees work together at the 2024 CSDMS Earth Surface Processes Summer Institute (ESPIn)

a groups of attendees huddle together at the 2024 CSDMS Earth Surface Processes Summer Institute (ESPIn)

The 2024 cohort for the CSDMS Earth Surface Processes Summer Institute (ESPIn) poses for a group photo in the SEEC building's west courtyard.

INSTAAR@instaar· Dec 8

📢 3 INSTAAR talks today 8 Dec, 12-1 pm SEEC S228 & Zoom 🌿 Semi-arid rangeland conservation Hunter Geist-Sanchez ⛰️ Rock glacier evolution Juliana Ruef 🦠 Upwelling community collapse Harry Allbrook See full titles & abstracts: calendar.colorado.edu/event/instaa...

INSTAAR@instaar· Nov 18

👋🏾 ¡Hola a todos! 👋🏾 Join the Spanish Language Lunch table this Thursday, Nov 20th at 12pm in the SEEC Café. We'll have lots of fun while practicing our vocabulary & listening skills. All welcome. Host: Leanne Lestak calendar.colorado.edu/event/spanis...

Humorous advertisement for the Spanish Language Lunch Table in the SEEC Cafe at CU Boulder. The heads of the two co-hosts are crudely photoshopped onto to silly cartoon bodies. The table meets the last Thursday of each month, 12pm.

INSTAAR@instaar· Nov 14

🌊 "A research to operations success story: Helping to build NOAA's new hydrologic modeling framework" Join us for Scott Peckham's Monday noon talk at INSTAAR: • Free event • Nov 17th 12pm • SEEC rm S228 & on Zoom More info: calendar.colorado.edu/event/instaa...

INSTAAR@instaar· Nov 11

☕ Hey grad students, stop by SEEC to connect with fellow students over coffee! Thurs Nov 13th. 8:30-10am, C120 CD South Free coffee and pastries will be provided while supplies last. Hosted by the CU Boulder Graduate School. RSVP at the link: calendar.colorado.edu/event/east-c...

Photo of a cup of coffee with overlying text: East Campus Coffee for Grad Students, Nov 13 2025 at 8:30 - 10 am. SEEC C120 CD Auditorium, South Atrium.

INSTAAR@instaar· Nov 10

🏆 Congrats to postdoc Etienne Rouby for winning a Best Young Researcher Award from the International Society for Ecological Modelling. He was chosen for a novel 2024 modelling study that he led. See more at www.isemworld.org/2025/06/13/t...