Glacier and snow melt in semi-arid regions are critically important for human and environmental systems. Water variability in these regions can exacerbate pressure on an already limited resource. Annual to intra-annual variability may be climatic (for example: climate change or El Niño Southern Oscillation) or due to changes in water demand. Despite its importance, the semi-arid cryosphere is not well understood due to limited data records and limited access.

Within this session, we invite submissions focused on semi-arid and arid regions that include, but are not limited to:

• Approaches to quantifying and modeling melt water generation from the cryosphere
• Understanding the sources stores and pathways of hydrological processes
• Monitoring glaciers and snowpack variability
• Advances in monitoring and modeling the cryosphere in logistically or topographically challenging environments
• The impacts of climate change and variability on the semi-arid cryosphere