Harald Sodemann at the ISOSCAN stand at VilVite

Forskningsdagene is an annual outreach event where research and the public get in touch about science. This year, University of Bergen arranged for the first time the ‘Researcher’s night’ at VilVite on 25 September. Aiming for young adults, mostly students, the evening arrangement featured a podium discussing about AI and other current societal topics, a show with fancy experiments and explosions, and stands from different research and innovation activities around Bergen.

The ISOSCAN project contributed with a stand, showcasing our overall approach and outreach materials, including the recently released ISOSCAN movie. This is part of ‘giving back’ to the citizen scientists who collected snow for the project last winter. There were quite a few engaged and curious young adults at the stand, some of them even noticed the sample kits that were distributed among others in Realfagbygget.

As a takeaway from participating in the Researcher’s night, it became obvious that it is easy to get into a conversation with the public about a topic as remote as streamflow prediction improvements due to stable isotopes in snow though the materials and stories developed within the ISOSCAN project.

Text and photo: Harald Sodemann / UiB

Eirik Mikal Samuelsen (Norwegian Meteorological Institute) presenting on “Predictions in a field of uncertainty: Making sense of weather forecasts.”

On 21 September, ISOSCAN and UiT – The Arctic University of Norway invited the public to the event “Forecasting Together: Understanding the Movements of Water” at Amtmandens Eftf. in Tromsø. Held in English and Norwegian as part of Forskningsdagene, the event shared results from citizen science campaigns in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Tromsø played a central role in engaging local residents and tourists participating in winter activities.

Costijn Zwart from the University of Bergen introduced the science behind ISOSCAN. He explained how stable water isotopes can be used as tracers in hydrological modelling and how contributions from citizen scientists have improved our ability to model and forecast water systems.

The event also explored how citizen participation, hydrological modelling, and forecasting can be better connected to people’s everyday needs and decisions. Eirik Mikal Samuelsen from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute shared insights into forecast uncertainty and effective communication. He also discussed his experience of presenting weather forecasts informally through his popular Facebook weather blog in the Tromsø area.

Finally, participants took part in interactive activities to help co-design approaches to weather and water forecasting and examine how forecasts influence behaviour and decision-making.

Text and photo: Kristof Tomej / University of Southern Denmark

Join us in Tromsø: Together on forecasting the movements of water

How do we know where water comes from, where it is today, and where it might be tomorrow?

On 21 September, UiT The Arctic University of Norway and the ISOSCAN research project invite you to an evening seminar in Tromsø about water, hydrological models, and forecasting.

We will follow the journey from a snow sample collected in the landscape to scientific observations, models, and forecasts. Together with ISOSCAN researchers and people working with weather and hydrological forecasting in practice, we will explore how hydrological forecasts are produced, communicated, and used – and what makes us trust or question them.

During the winters of 2025 and 2026, hundreds of citizens, tourists, and outdoor enthusiasts across Norway, Sweden, and Finland collected snow samples with ISOSCAN. At the seminar, we will share some of what we have learned and show how these contributions form part of a larger effort to understand how water moves through the landscape and improve forecasts of future water conditions. Continue reading →