Although there is general agreement on the evidence of global warming, there is still much debate on the magnitude and the regional pattern of the response of glaciers and permafrost to climate change. As more and more data are compiled on glaciers and permafrost sites around the world (see GLIMS, www.glims.org, as an example), the scientific community now has a better opportunity to study links between climate and glaciers and permafrost. This session aims at bringing together a broad range of contributions dealing with glaciers and permafrost as indicators of current climate change from different climate regimes from around the world. An important focus of this session is natural hazards associated with these changes. The session is co-organized by the joint IACS/IPA Working Group on Glacier and Permafrost Hazards in Mountains (GAPHAZ).

Theoretical contributions on the modelling of glacier mass balance in different climates are just as welcome as regional studies on recently observed changes of individual glaciers and permafrost sites. Presentations that address the global aspects of climate-glacier interactions based on glacier mass balance records or permafrost evolution are particularly encouraged. Also, contributions addressing glacier and permafrost monitoring methods and strategies are suited for this session.

Furthermore, we encourage contributions on detection, monitoring, modelling and management of hazards related to glaciers and permafrost, including glacier lakes, ice and rock avalanches, glacier surges, peri-glacial debris flows and slope instabilities, adverse effects of rock glaciers, glacier-volcano interactions, etc.