This session targets research in which the atmospheric sciences meet glaciology. Glaciers and ice sheets interact with the atmosphere through the exchange of mass and energy, i.e. the surface mass and surface energy balance, but many processes on a range of scales act on these surface balances. Coupled atmosphere-ocean modes and large-scale weather patterns, meso-scale circulations over mountains, and local-scale energy and mass exchanges in the surface boundary layer all can control glacier mass balance to various degrees, and can be interconnected as well. Moreover, the glacier surface is not passive under the atmospheric forcing but may either amplify or mitigate the effect of changes in the atmospheric component of climate through feedbacks from e.g., surface albedo or the influence of glacier processes such as refreezing on surface boundary conditions.

We invite model- and observational-based studies on any aspects of linkages between atmospheric processes and glacier mass balance on local, regional and global scales. In particular, we encourage studies that address the benefit of this approach for the process-based attribution of observed cryospheric changes.

Finally, we would like to encourage the discussion of the presented research, leading to new ideas, projects and collaborations. Therefore, we regard the poster session as important as the oral session, because the poster session is the ideal environment for such informal discussions.A