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Please note that this session was withdrawn and is no longer available in the respective programme. This withdrawal might have been the result of a merge with another session.

HS2.3

Sub-Arctic Hydrology: Hydrological Processes, Modelling and Change in the Northern Hemisphere
Convener: H. Dahlke  | Co-Conveners: H. Laudon , K. Bishop 

There is a growing awareness on how changes in the global climate will affect the behavior of the hydrological system. These impacts are likely to have significant consequences in the boreal and sub-Arctic region of the Northern Hemisphere, where hydrological state is strongly influenced by how temperature controls the timing of snow and ice melt and the duration of soil frost.

Understanding climate change in this particularly vulnerable region of the world is crucial to managing the associated consequences of a changing hydrological environment, including the repercussions for biogeochemical cycling (e.g. exports of C, N, P and metals). Being able to predict variations in the regional patterns of precipitation, storage (both subterranean and as snow/ice packs) and both timing and quantity of release of water into the river channels is of significant importance to land managers, local authorities, industry and researchers alike. We solicit contributions that study boreal and sub-arctic hydrological systems and the impacts of changes to them through e.g., field observations, environmental and water resources monitoring and its challenges, water-land-atmosphere modelling, and hydrological processes as well as tracer studies at different space-time aggregation scales that contribute to the advancement of hydrological understanding in this environment. We especially emphasize inter-catchment comparison studies and hydrology-energy balance-interaction studies that will improve our understanding of the sensitivity, resilience and functioning of sub-arctic catchments to climate change and human impacts.