Viviána Jó

Dear All!

I am Viviána Jó, PhD student at the ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Physical Geography (Budapest, Hungary) and a participant of the PermaChile Network (Globe Foundation, Budapest, Hungary) since 2018. Since the beginning of my BSc studies, I have been working on glaciated areas and their change, so I was honoured to have the opportunity to work with one of the PermaIntern’s supervisor in October 2023. The internship took place in Santiago, Chile, at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

My research topic is the study of the velocity of glaciers, which respond quickly to changes in any environmental parameter (e.g. precipitation, temperature). I do this by using remote sensing and geoinformatic methods (satellite imagery and tracking methods) to identify ice displacement (direction and velocity) based on detectable objects on the surface of the ice (e.g. moraine, crevasses). The velocity also allows to reconstruct the ice thickness of a glacier, which can be used to estimate the ice loss in an area and thus the lifetime of a glacier. However, in addition to changes in surface ice, I am also very interested in changes in subsurface ice, which similarly affect the future state of water resources in certain areas on the Earth. The Andes play an important role in Chile's water resources. This is particularly true in the dry summer months in the central areas, when glaciers and permafrost melting provide the water needed for drinking and agriculture after the melting of the high mountain snow.

The internship gave me the opportunity to visit my study areas - which I had previously only been seen by satellite imagery - with a local expert and to explore the future possibilities of studying permafrost in addition to glaciers. I really enjoyed my time there, which allowed me to get to know the collagues and PhD students at the university, in addition to the fieldwork. I had the opportunity to give a presentation about my research at the university, followed by exciting and interesting discussions with local researchers. We visited two glaciarized areas during the internship: the Juncal Norte glacier, north of Santiago and the Marmolejo, San José and Espíritu Santo volcanoes, to the south of Santiago. During both field trips I had the opportunity to explore and document the area, to make a geomorphological map and to gain a deeper understanding of the local hydrological cycle in relation to glaciers and permafrost.

I can only recommend the PermaIntern internship to all students who want to deepen their knowledge, explore new areas and are open to international collaborations. I would like to thank Sebastián Ruiz-Pereira, one of PermaIntern's supervisor, for hosting me in Chile and giving up his free time to help me with my research in the field and at the university, and for trying to provide me with as much information as possible to inspire my future research.