Ashutosh Laxman Taral

I am a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Oulu and the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finland, working under the Digital Waters (DIWA) PhD Flagship Programme. My research focuses on snow process modeling, with a strong interest in cryospheric sciences, particularly snow dynamics, glacier processes, and their hydrological implications in the context of climate change. I combine physically-based modeling, remote sensing, and data analytics to understand and predict snow-related processes in cold regions.

Currently, I am using the SnowModel framework to investigate seasonal, long-term, and projected changes in snow cover area, snow depth, snow water equivalent (SWE), snow density, and snowmelt timing across Finland. My work integrates high-resolution meteorological forcing and national snow observations to assess snow variability across diverse Finnish landscapes.

Previously, during my MTech at IIT Ropar, India, under the guidance of Dr. Reet Kamal Tiwari, I assessed snowmelt and glacier melt contributions in the Upper Beas River Basin (Western Himalayas) using the SPHY hydrological model. This study revealed significant trends in snow and glacier melt contributions, validated using observed discharge data.

My broader research interests include climate change impacts on cryospheric systems, coupled hydrological-cryospheric modeling, remote sensing in hydrology, and sustainable water resource management in snow-fed basins.

I am always open to connecting, learning from others, and collaborating with fellow researchers in the fields of cryospheric science, hydrology, and climate research.