Over the past decades, the cryosphere has been experiencing rapid and drastic changes. Much attention is thereby focused on the quantification of such changes, and on understanding the related processes at a fundamental level. Often, however, the changes have also direct impacts on human activities and infrastructure. Cryospheric sciences can play a fundamental role when addressing these impacts.
This session welcomes applied case studies, in which knowledge from the fields of glaciology, snow or permafrost sciences, is used to address practical issues resulting from a changing cryosphere. Submissions may include but not be limited to future projections of glacier runoff evolution for water management purposes or hydropower use; assessments of hazards and design of protection measures against snow and ice avalanches, glacier lake outbursts, or destabilizing permafrost slopes; active management of cryospheric resources, such as snow farming within ski resorts or local protection measures against glacier melt; design and engineering of transport, housing, touristic, or industrial infrastructure in environments affected by permafrost; operational protocols for the assessment of the ice’s bearing capacity of frozen lakes and rivers for both professional and recreational use; etc.
We envision an interdisciplinary session emphasizing the applied use of cryospheric sciences in a wide range of settings.