Arctic and subarctic landscapes are particularly sensitive and susceptible to climate change effects, where changes in surface and subsurface water systems may strongly interact with changes in active layer thickness and the thermal state of the ground in permafrost landscapes. Understanding links between permafrost degradation and the release and transport of carbon, methane and nutrients is also crucial for the evaluation of key climate feedback mechanisms and climate change impacts. In particular, active layer processes, lake and river influence zones, and ground water units are critical zones of such interaction. These systems experience a highly complex forcing by climate resulting in water and heat redistributions involving water phase change, heat conduction and convection for both saturated and non-saturated soil conditions.
However, model predictions are hampered by an incomplete understanding of the hydrological processes occurring during permafrost degradation that will control transport processes of water, heat and constituents. This session, therefore, aims to bring together research that reports on recent developments in the understanding of permafrost, hydrological, hydrogeological and transport processes, their interactions and changes under the influence of climate change. Studies investigating quantification of processes through modelling are especially welcome, as well as developments in using and applying available field data to model implementation and design.