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Research stay at McGill University (M. Ungermann)

September 4 - November 14, 2014 Montreal, Canada

In August we ArcTrainees assembled in Montreal to prepare for the field course in northern Labrador and embark on this journey. After our return two weeks later the 2nd Annual Meetingstarted, but after three weeks time everyone who did not normally live in Montreal left again tovarious places on earth - everyone except for me. I took the option presenting itself and stayed for 10 more weeks in this beautiful city to continue my research in Canada. For this I joined my co-supervisor Bruno Tremblay and his working group in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the McGill University. Sea ice is the most prominent topic in the group with many projects centred around its different aspects. And since I already knew some of the other PhDstudents, who are part of the Canadian side of ArcTrain, I settled in very quickly.

For me it was a very interesting experience to work on my project in a different environment. Unfortunately my work did not allow me to start a new project there to make the most of the addedexpertise. Nevertheless the discussions with Bruno and the other member of the group were very helpful for the tasks I brought with me from Germany. There I learned to focus much stronger onthe physical interpretation of the errors I encounter regularly in my models, giving me new means and ways to approach and analyse this kind of problems. Also it was very interesting to experienceworking in science in a different country: Since the funding system in place in Canada and also theway PhD positions are set up are different than in Germany, with the local PhD students Idiscovered many small shifts in the everyday problems but also the strategies to keep motivated. But with all those small differences, the big picture stayed the same: in the end the most importantquestions was also where to get good coffee (there is none on campus, bring it!) and cheap-yet nourishing lunch (“le Clafouti” has by far the best sandwiches)!!

And finally there was living in Montreal for 10 weeks! To have the research stay in such a great city of course further improved the experience. Not only does it take only some hours by car to gohiking, whale watching or enjoying the indian summer in Vermont, this city is also filled withincredibly friendly and open-minded people! From the ArcTrain events beforehand I knew the other ArcTrainees in Montreal already very well, and together with the new colleagues and friends I met, they were the most important in shaping this stay into the great experience it was! So all in all Ireally thank ArcTrain for funding my flights and stay, facilitating the organisational work to makesuch a trip and especially for putting me in contact with all those great people!!

Mischa Ungermann