ASSOCIATION SYMPOSIA [ IACS ]

C01 – Glacier Monitoring from In-Situ and Remotely Sensed Observations, including Aspects of the History of Cryospheric Sciences

Convener: Samuel Nussbaumer (Switzerland)

Co-Conveners: Michael Zemp (Switzerland), Bruce Raup (USA), Brian Menounos (Canada), Dania Achermann (Denmark), Ian Allison (Australia)

Description

Long-term glacier monitoring programmes are key to process understanding and model validation/calibration while comprehensive change assessments from remotely sensed observation allow to assess glacier reactions to climate change over entire mountain ranges. For this symposium, we invite contributions dealing with the observation of glaciers from tropical to polar regions including:

• the compilation of large-scale (multi-temporal) inventories of glacier area and related hypsometry,
• long-term in-situ measurements of glacier energy and mass balances,
• air and space borne sensing of glacier changes in length, area, volume, and mass,
• and related uncertainty assessments.

In a second slot, this session will be dedicated to 125 years of the Commission Internationale des Glaciers. On the anniversary of the International Glacier Commission, we invite contributions on, but not limited to, the following topics:

• General history of glaciology and cryospheric sciences including historical development of glaciological concepts and theories
• Achievements and impacts of historic glaciological expeditions and/or research programme
• Pioneering early glaciological work revisited today, including the use of this material for modern applications (e.g. for glacier reconstructions)
• Insights from the development of institutional histories: what can we learn for future research?

C02 – Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere - Into an Era of High-Repeat Rate Time Series

Convener: Liss M. Andreassen (Norway)

Co-Conveners: Andreas Kääb (Norway), Leigh A. Stearns (USA)

Invited speakers: Sarah Cooley (USA), Bas Altena (Norway)

Description

The number of aerial and satellite remote sensing platforms and sensors have grown significantly in recent years. New satellite sensors such as Sentinel and Planet as well as the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles open possibilities of using dense time series for exploring the cryosphere. In this symposium, topics include but are not limited to:

• Cryosphere studies that use time-series from single sensors or by integrations of sensors;
• Methodology that relies on cloud-based platforms (e.g. Google Earth Engine, Amazon Web Services);
• Classification schemes (for terminus position and outline mapping, iceberg detection, snow cover, sea ice extent) that rely on machine learning algorithms;
• Integrating remote sensing and field-based observations to combine spatial and temporal investigations.

C03 – Advances in Glacier and Ice Cap Modelling

Convener: Daniel Farinotti (Switzerland)

Co-Conveners: Mathieu Morlighem (USA), Harry Zekollari (Switzerland)

Description

Mountain glaciers and ice caps are important freshwater resources for many regions, contribute significantly to present-day sea level rise, and can be a significant source of hazard. Models are needed to project future glacier changes and associated impacts and also to help understanding past changes. This symposium focuses on all aspects of modelling mountain glaciers other than the ice sheets, including but not limited to, the following topics:

• Coupling of glacier mass balance models with ice flow models;
• Integration of physical processes, such as subglacial drainage or glacier calving, in existing models;
• Inverse modelling of subsurface characteristics;
• Inference of glacier ice thickness from surface measurements.

Studies on all spatial and temporal scales, including future projections are solicited with particular emphasis on a regional-scale studies and high-mountain environments.

C04 – Progress in Quantifying Ice-Sheet Surface Mass Balance: Past, Present and Future

Convener: Cécile Agosta (France)

Co-Conveners: Miren Vizcaino (Netherlands), Yetang Wang (China)

Description

We focus on the surface mass balance (SMB) of ice-sheets, including individual mass balance components, feedbacks and associated uncertainties, and advancing process understanding from models (regional and global) and/or observations (ground-based and remote). Topics include but are not limited to

• Quantification of ice-sheet SMB and its uncertainties for the recent past (1850-present) including melt, runoff, sublimation, refreezing, and snow accumulation.
• Advances in the understanding of key processes relevant for surface mass fluxes, including for example, surface and firn hydrology, drifting snow, and the effect of impurities on melt
• Quantification of feedbacks between ice sheet SMB and components of the climate system at decadal to centennial time scales, including mass balance – elevation feedbacks, linkages to sea surface conditions, and impacts of storm tracks and large-scale circulation patterns.
• Projections of ice sheet SMB for the next decades to the next century and associated uncertainties, from regional and global climate models.

C05 – Fast Glacier Flow: Processes, Observations and Modelling of Ice Streams, Tidewater Glaciers and Surging Glaciers

Convener: Christine S. Hvidberg (Denmark)

Co-Conveners: Ralf Greve (Japan), Christina Hulbe (New Zealand), Martin Truffer (USA)

Description

Fast flowing ice streams and glaciers are important in maintaining the overall mass balance of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, yet the conditions that facilitate and regulate their fast flow remain poorly understood. The mechanics that govern fast flow and surging appear to be very responsive to changing conditions in the subglacial environment and at the front with effects on the whole glacier system. This symposium welcomes contributions from studies of ice streams, tidewater glaciers and surging glaciers, including the subglacial hydrology, shear margin processes, grounding line dynamics, the buttressing role of ice shelves and floating tongues, calving, the influence of surface meltwater and lake drainage, and other ice deformation and mechanical studies related to fast flow. Process studies, observations and/or numerical modelling investigations are all welcome.

C06 – New Frontiers in Paleoclimate Reconstructions and Proxy Interpretations from Ice Cores

Convener: Barbara Stenni (Italy)

Co-Conveners: Anais Orsi (France), Nancy A. N. Bertler (New Zealand), T.J. Fudge (USA)

Description

This symposium welcomes contributions of state-of-the-art ice core science from both polar regions as well as mid and low latitude glaciers. We invite contributions on, but not limited to, the following topics:

• results from new drilling campaigns
• new analytical and drilling techniques
• advances in ice-core proxy interpretations
• paleoclimate reconstructions which may integrate other natural archives and / or develop array reconstructions
• climate model simulations, including isotope enabled models
• ice/bedrock investigations from ice core and fast access drilling projects
  
  

We encourage contributions on different temporal scales spanning the past decades to glacial-interglacial cycles.

C07 – The Hydrological Cycle at High Latitudes: Variability, Changes and Impacts on the Cryosphere

Convener: Amaelle Landais (France)

Co-Conveners: Irina Gorodetskaya (Portugal), Takashi Yamanouchi (Japan)

Description

The atmospheric water cycle is a key player in the ice sheet surface mass and energy balance. The rapid changes associated with the anthropogenic warming are expected to alter this balance, with changing in poleward moisture transport affecting the precipitation rate, cloud properties, albedo, and consequently mass and energy balance.

In this symposium, we welcome contributions both from modeling and from observational campaigns using a combination of remote sensing, ground/ship-based and satellite observations targeting various aspects of the hydrological cycle in the polar regions and improving their representation in climate models.

Topics can include but are not limited to:

• Atmospheric dynamics, including the role of atmospheric rivers in the total precipitation budget in the Arctic and Antarctic
• Water isotope measurements in the vapor, as a new constraint on moisture transport in models.
• New observation techniques to improve precipitation estimate and the surface mass balance
• Impacts on the surface energy balance, including clouds, albedo and melt
• Interaction with the ocean, from air-sea fluxes to the role of precipitation in the ocean salinity changes.

C08 – Tropical Glaciers: Mass Changes, Climate Forcing and Impacts

Convener: Jean Emmanuel Sicart (France)

Co-Conveners: Nicolas Cullen (New Zealand), Marcos Villacis (Ecuador), Fabien Maussion (Austria)

Description

The importance of tropical glaciers for ecosystems, agriculture, freshwater and energy production is widely recognized but detecting their response to changes in the climate system remains challenging. This symposium will focus on the latest efforts and techniques to assess these changes and responses, using observations, atmospheric and glaciological modelling and remote sensing, Topics may include but are not limited to:

• glacier energy and mass balance and their linkages to large-scale climate variability and change
• assessment of the changes in the area and hypsometry of tropical glaciers using historical archives and/or integrating field-based observations with remote sensing
• reconstruction of tropical climate from ice cores and other natural archives
•  the effects of mass changes on hazards and water resources and related natural and socio-economic systems in the recent past, present and future.
  
  

We welcome contributions on all spatial and temporal scales.

C09 – Debris Covered Glaciers

Convener: Francesca Pellicciotti (UK)

Co-Conveners: Duncan Quincey (UK), Patrick Wagnon (France)

Description

Debris-covered glaciers, mantled in a layer of continuous or discontinuous debris over all or part of their tongues, are common in many mountain ranges of the world.  Debris alters the surface energy and mass balance of glaciers and thus the way these glaciers react to climate. The past decade has seen a dramatic advance in our understanding of their surface processes, mass balance, hydrology, dynamics and long-term evolution. However, many open questions remain. Also modelling debris-covered glaciers remains challenging. This symposium aims to bring together new research results from a variety of different approaches, including numerical modelling, observations and remote sensing, to understand debris-covered glaciers, their processes and main controls. In particular, we invite contributions that include, but are not limited to: i) the formation, characteristics and movement of supraglacial debris; ii) studies of debris-covered glacier energy balance and mass balance, with special emphasis on surface processes such as the formation of supraglacial ponds and cliffs; iii) their hydrology, including englacial and subglacial characteristics; iv) debris-covered glaciers dynamics; v) remote-sensing observations and numerical modelling of debris-covered glaciers and prediction of their changes in response to climate; vi) long term evolution of debris-covered glaciers, reconstructions of former glaciers and their climatic interpretations; vii) the development of hazards associated with debris-covered glaciers such as glacier lake outburst floods or debris flows.

C10 – Challenges in Measuring and Modeling Snow Mechanics

Convener: Johan Gaume (Switzerland)

Co-Conveners: Maurine Montagnat (France), Adrian McCallum (Australia), Alec van Herwijnen (Switzerland), Henning Löwe (Switzerland)

Description

Measuring and modeling snow is particularly challenging due to its extremely porous, fragile and versatile nature. In particular, the impact of snow metamorphism, ice-grain growth and external loading on snow mechanical properties is still not fully understood. Recently, novel non-intrusive methods have been developed to characterize the mechanics of materials, such as microstructural models based on X-ray computed tomography data or seismic experimental methods. We invite contributions in modelling, experimental and instrumental developments that advance our understanding of snow and ice mechanics. Topics include, but are not limited to ice-grain growth, snow metamorphism, firn densification microstructure-based modelling, snow fabric and anisotropy, constitutive modelling, seismic and acoustic methods, snowpack stability, avalanches, penetrometer, and multiscale numerical methods.

C11 – Towards the Development of a World Snow Centre of Excellence?

Convener: Charles Fierz (Switzerland)

Co-Conveners: Ross Brown (Canada), Masahiro Hori (Japan)

Description

Characteristics of the snow cover like depth, water equivalent, extent, stratigraphy, etc. as well as depth of snowfall are routine measurements from a range of in situ and remotely sensed methods with widely varying time and spatial scales. These data are used in a broad range of applications including real-time weather and hydrological forecasting, evaluation of snow process models, ecological studies, and climate monitoring. There are a number of challenges using these data: (1) measurement procedures (best practices) are neither consistently applied nor harmonized; (2) data curation is rudimentary in particular with respect to in situ long term snow observations, and (3) the error characteristics of all kinds of snow cover products are often not specified. Tackling these problems requires a focused effort to mobilize the scientific community and operational services. There is currently significant interest in establishing a World Snow Centre of Excellence as an independent, internationally recognized leader both in snow science and operational snow monitoring to develop observing standards, to improve seasonal forecasting products, to validate new snow products, and to compare new generation snow-cover models. We thus invite contributions on, but not limited to the following topics to assist in the thinking of the need for, and the roles and activities of a World Snow Centre of Excellence:

• In situ snow cover monitoring networks and activities
• Global snow cover products and validation activities
• Evaluation of snow-cover models
• Analysis of snow cover variability and change

C12 – Observations and Modeling of Impacts to Snow and Glaciers Due to Deposition of Light-Absorbing Particles

Convener: S. McKenzie Skiles (USA)

Co-Conveners: Outi Meinander (Finland), Marie Dumont (France), Biagio Dimauro (Italy)

Description

Light absorbing particles, like deposited dust and black carbon aerosols, impact snow and ice in alpine and polar regions through snow surface darkening. The decline in surface reflectivity enhances albedo feedbacks of seasonal snow and glacier response to changes in air temperature, snow amount, and duration.

This symposium will focus on processes, observations and numerical modelling of the past, present, and future impacts of light absorbing particles (such as dust, black carbon, organic carbon, volcanic ash, biological constituents etc.) on snow and ice including but not limited to seasonal variability, long term trends, transport and deposition, albedo changes and radiative forcing, snowmelt rates and timing, and impacts on glacier mass balance and snow cover evolution.

C13 – Advances in the Application of Terrestrial Cosmogenic Nuclides on Glacial Landscapes

Convener: Alice Doughty (USA)

Co-Conveners: Henriette Linge (Norway)

Description

Cosmogenic dating has enabled us to quantify the detailed evolution of past glacier change in many locations.  The precision and accuracy of these and future data depend on the quality of the method.  This symposium addresses the advancement and application of in-situ terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides (TCN) on landforms in glacial environments for assessing past variations in glaciers and ice sheets. We encourage contributions that present the challenges of TCN on different temporal scales. We invite contributions on, but not limited to, the following topics:

• new methodological approaches on age and rate determination
• glacial erosion rates on long and short timescales
• advances in dating precision of depositional landforms
• inverse modelling of cosmogenic nuclide measurements
• palaeoclimate reconstructions based on glacier fluctuations

C14 – Cryospheric Processes and Related Socioeconomic Services

Convener: Cunde Xiao (China)

Co-Conveners: Wouter Buytaert (UK), Christian Huggel (Switzerland)

Description

Significant human populations live within or adjacent to polar and alpine regions. The cryosphere provides water resources that support irrigation, hydropower generation, and other economic benefits such as tourism. This symposium focuses on all aspects of ‘cryospheric services,’ defined as a variety of services or benefits that humanity gains from cryospheric systems. We seek submissions including but not limited to, the following topics:

• Services that are provisioned, regulated, or supported by the cryosphere.
• Cryospheric processes that influence the above services.
• Changes in the cryopsphere including tipping points or thresholds that may result in putting services at risk.
• Methods or assessments of the social and/or economic value of cryospheric services.

C15 - Glacier Monitoring from In-Situ and Remotely Sensed Observations, including Aspects of the History of Cryospheric Sciences

The symposium C15 has been merged with the symposium C01.