Impact
Scientific & Technological
Short-Term
During the Project and Immediately After Completion
Medium-Term
2–3 Years Post-Project
Long-Term
Beyond 3 Years, Including Legacy Effects
- Renewed understanding of the impact of cryospheric processes on hydrology and biogeochemistry
- Improved understanding of snow vapor losses through sublimation.
- Improved understanding of potential thermogenic methane release by retreating glaciers in the Arctic
- Quantification of the relative influence of synoptic and local atmospheric drivers on changing snow properties
- Improved snow density, water equivalent, and frozen soil depth observation systems using Muography
- Improved estimations of snow and ice ablation due to surface albedo effects
- Enhanced physical realism of Earth System Model simulation of snow properties and effects of snow impurities
- Comparative analysis of model outputs, in-situ data, and satellite Earth Observation for machine learning development and compound event detection
- Improved understanding of biases in Earth System Models to support co-design with end-users
- SmartMet-server software development boosts transition from research to applied science
- More accurate prediction of snow and glacier melt timing and quantity for hydropower and agriculture planning
- Application-oriented machine learning models operationalised for climate service tools
- Strengthened pilot services through Arctic GEOSS, EuroGEO and Group on Earth Observation
- Enhanced planning tools at Harvesterseasons.com supporting logging schedules for pulp, biorefineries, and sawmills with sustainable forest use
- Launch of terrain trafficability services to support planning of nature-based activities, reindeer herding, and other traditional land-use practices
- Expansion of Hops.fmi.fi platform to guide sustainable hydropower operations and strategic infrastructure investments
- Development and deployment of Glacier Lake Outburst Flooding (GLOF) risk maps to identify vulnerable areas
- Drought alert systems for Indian agricultural regions based on cryospheric melt patterns
- Long-term scientific and operational benefits from the CryoSCOPE project legacy, including continued use of tools, data, and methods developed
- Long-term utility of open data services and cloud-native infrastructure (e.g., Zenodo, Git repositories, interoperable datasets), METIS - FMI's Research Data Repository, etc.
- Sustained integration of snow and cryosphere-related advances into Earth System Models, national/international forecasting systems and digital twin platforms like Destination Earth
- Strong foundation for future data integration and scientific innovation in cryosphere research
- Strengthening of European leadership in global cryospheric monitoring and modelling, and continued cross-disciplinary collaboration fostered by CryoSCOPE’s advancements in cryosphere monitoring and modeling technologies
Economic
Short-Term
During the Project and Immediately After Completion
Medium-Term
2–3 Years Post-Project
Long-Term
Beyond 3 Years, Including Legacy Effects
- Immediate improvements in terrain trafficability forecasting for winter harvesting via HarvesterSeasons service
- New terrain trafficability service launched for other sectors (e.g., reindeer herding, nature tourism, snowmobile safety)
- Support for safer and more efficient forestry logistics and worker safety planning
- Potential savings in winter forestry harvesting costs across the Nordics (~€140+ million/year)
- Optimised hydropower production based on improved forecasting of snowmelt and water reservoir dynamics
- Increased cost-effectiveness in tourism and transportation sectors through better winter condition forecasts
- Interest expansion of trafficability services into Alpine regions (e.g., Switzerland)
- Improved climate resilience and sustainability practices in forestry, hydropower, and agriculture through enhanced predictive tools and alerts, and tourism sectors via climate-adaptive planning
- Wide-scale implementation of trafficability and snow prediction services across Europe
- Strengthened infrastructure investment strategies informed by better snow and water forecasts
Societal
Short-Term
During the Project and Immediately After Completion
Medium-Term
2–3 Years Post-Project
Long-Term
Beyond 3 Years, Including Legacy Effects
- Raising public awareness of issues related to land cryosphere and climate change through media coverage of field campaigns (Svalbard, Lapland, Himalayas) and through a VR journey enabling immersive virtual field visits and snow sampling guided by local nature experts in Lapland
- Safer outdoor recreation and subsistence activities (skiing, hiking, reindeer herding) through precise snow/terrain information (~100 m resolution)
- Local stakeholder engagement in co-design and evaluation of safety thresholds for winter activities
- Establishment of open data infrastructure via Zenodo and cloud-native services to facilitate data use by stakeholders
- Increased preparedness for natural hazards such as GLOFs in the Alps, Himalayas, and Norway
- Improved safety for communities vulnerable to compound hazards (e.g., Chamoli, Kedarnath)
- Enhanced public awareness and education through field demonstrations and communication activities
- Contribution to early-warning systems and disaster risk reduction frameworks for climate-induced hazards
- Greater societal resilience to glacier-related hazards and climate change and variability impacts
- Improved water management for agriculture and settlements dependent on glacier-fed systems
- Contribution to sustainable development goals through enhanced disaster preparedness, safety, and climate adaptation
- Enduring educational and outreach impact via virtual reality content and publicly accessible field documentation
