Glaciers and ice caps are major contributors to sea-level rise and have large impacts on runoff from glacierized basins. Major mass losses of glaciers and ice caps have been reported around the globe for the recent decades. This is a general session on glaciers outside the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, emphasizing their past, present and future responses to climate change. Although much progress in understanding the link between glaciers and climate and the impacts of their wastage on various systems has recently been achieved, many substantial unknowns remain. It is necessary to acquire more direct observations, both applying novel measurement technologies and releasing unpublished data from previous years, as well as combining in situ observations with new remote sensing products and modelling. In order to improve our understanding of the processes behind the observed glacier changes, the application of models of different complexity in combination with new data sets is crucial. We welcome contributions on all aspects of glacier changes – current, past and future – based on field observations, remote sensing and modelling. Studies on the physical processes controlling all components of glacier mass balance are especially encouraged, as well as assessments of the impact of retreating glaciers and ice caps on sea-level rise, runoff and other downstream systems.

Understanding the likely mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet in coming decades is critical to sea-level rise forecasting and the needed societal adaptions. Model predictions suggest that the melting of the ice sheet could contribute several metres to global mean sea-level rise over the next few centuries under medium to high emissions scenarios, regardless of local increases in snow accumulation.

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is often viewed as the most vulnerable ice sheet in the coming century; however, the vast majority of Earth’s glacier ice (around 52 metres sea-level equivalent) is within the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS), and parts of it are susceptible to many of the same instabilities, some of them already underway.

To project future ice sheet losses and estimate impacts we need to integrate knowledge of past ice sheet changes with recent observations. In turn, this better understanding leads to improved modelling and projections of future changes. Recent estimates based on satellite measurements and in situ observations show the WAIS losing elevation and mass, particularly along the Amundsen Sea coast; the EAIS is instead estimated to be broadly in balance with some marine-based catchments losing mass, and others gaining mass due to increased snow accumulation. Of concern, however, is that parts of both ice sheets are thought to have undergone far greater retreats during past warm periods such as the Mid-Pliocene, Marine Isotope Stage 11 and potentially as recently as the Last Interglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 5e), and may be heading for similar but more rapid ice loss under the ongoing anthropogenic forcing.

We welcome modelling and observational studies from both onshore and offshore realms, in present and recent past time frames, that explore and constrain the processes affecting change of the icesheets, Southern Ocean and ecosystems.

Climate change has a significant impact on the amount, spatial and temporal distribution of the cryosphere (snow, glaciers, permafrost) and the associated water resources in different regions of the world. Several studies show that the response of the cryosphere to climate change is not simply an effect of temperature change, but depends on several factors, such as geographic location (climate zone), latitude and regional atmospheric influences (e.g. interaction with synoptic-scale atmospheric currents). However, the observation capacities and process understanding of these interactions are quite different for the individual regions. For example, despite its great importance in mountain regions, a comprehensive inventory of snow in mountains on a global scale based on robust data is still lacking. Overcoming this research gap is one of the main motivations for the joint committee "Status of Snow Cover in Mountain Regions", a joint endeavor of IACS, WMO and MRI.
The aim of the conference is to bring together the knowledge and experience of researchers from different regions of the world (e.g. mountains, Arctic) who are working on similar topics relating to climate-induced changes in the cryosphere. An expected outcome of the conference is therefore to take stock and present the current state of knowledge and identify research gaps that can guide future work. Given the overall importance of the cryosphere for ecology, economy and human life in general, researchers from different and also interdisciplinary fields are invited to contribute and these are encouraged for all regions of the world and using a variety of data sources and analytical methods (including modelling attempts, in situ observations, satellite products or reanalysis data).

Gas hydrates are ice-like crystalline compounds that form from water and gas molecules at elevated pressure and low temperatures. Therefore, gas hydrates occur at all passive and active continental margins as well as in permafrost regions or under ice sheets. Given global warming and the associated thawing of permafrost and ice sheets, the fate of the underlying gas hydrates and the methane bound within them is still unclear. In this session, we invite scientists from all fields to exchange ideas on regional and local physico-chemical conditions under which gas hydrates dissociate, the decomposition behavior of gas hydrates and release of the gases contained, the transformation of these gases in (bio)chemical processes, the interaction and migration of gases in sediments, the geo-mechanical changes in sediments caused by hydrate decomposition, and possible geoengineering measures to delay the release of climate-active gases from hydrate deposits into the atmosphere. We particularly welcome contributions that advance our knowledge of the fate of gas hydrates in permafrost environments.
All contributions to field observations, as well as experimental and numerical simulations on all space and time scales are welcome.

Feedbacks within the Earth’s system involving the global carbon cycle, ice-sheet dynamics and oceanic circulation played a significant role in shaping the timing and amplitude of Quaternary deglaciations and their preceding glacial periods, as well as abrupt millennial-scale variability within the Last Glacial Cycle. For example, the deep ocean likely played a key role in modulating changes in atmospheric CO2; and ice sheet evolution exerts a strong control on atmosphere and ocean circulation. However, the precise combination of mechanisms and feedbacks responsible for glacial-interglacial and millennial-scale climate transitions remains unresolved. This session invites contributions from studies that provide an improved understanding of the processes and feedbacks occurring during glacial periods and deglaciations during the past 2.6 Ma. This includes new palaeo records, data syntheses and numerical simulations examining climate, the global carbon cycle, continental ice-sheets, ocean circulation, and sea-level.

This session is intended to attract a broad range of ice-sheet and glacier modelling contributions, welcoming applied and theoretical contributions. Theoretical topics that are encouraged are higher-order mechanical models, data inversion and assimilation, representation of other earth sub-systems in ice-sheet models, and the incorporation of basal processes and novel constitutive relationships in these models.
Applications of newer modelling themes to ice-sheets and glaciers past and present are particularly encouraged, in particular those considering ice streams, rapid change, grounding line motion and ice-sheet model intercomparisons.

Ice sheets play an active role in the climate system by amplifying, pacing, and potentially driving global climate change over a wide range of time scales. The impact of interactions between ice sheets and climate include changes in atmospheric and ocean temperatures and circulation, global biogeochemical cycles, the global hydrological cycle, vegetation, sea level, and land-surface albedo, which in turn cause additional feedbacks in the climate system. This session will present data and modelling results that examine ice sheet interactions with other components of the climate system over several time scales. Among other topics, issues to be addressed in this session include ice sheet-climate interactions from glacial-interglacial to millennial and centennial time scales, the role of ice sheets in Cenozoic global cooling and the mid-Pleistocene transition, reconstructions of past ice sheets and sea level, the current and future evolution of the ice sheets, and the role of ice sheets in abrupt climate change.

Ice shelves and tidewater glaciers are sensitive elements of the climate system. Sandwiched between atmosphere and ocean, they are vulnerable to changes in either. The recent disintegration of ice shelves such as Larsen B and Wilkins on the Antarctic Peninsula, current thinning of the ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica, and the recent accelerations of many of Greenland's tidewater glaciers provide evidence of the rapidity with which those systems can respond. Changes in marine-terminating outlets appear to be intimately linked with acceleration and thinning of the ice sheets inland of the grounding line, with immediate consequences for global sea level. Studies of the dynamics and structure of the ice sheets' marine termini and their interactions with atmosphere and ocean are the key to improving our understanding of their response to climate forcing and of their buttressing role for ice streams. The main themes of this session are the dynamics of ice shelves and tidewater glaciers and their interaction with the ocean, atmosphere and the inland ice, including grounding line dynamics. The session includes studies on related processes such as calving, ice fracture, rifting and mass balance, as well as theoretical descriptions of mechanical and thermodynamic processes. We seek contributions both from numerical modelling of ice shelves and tidewater glaciers, including their oceanic and atmospheric environments, and from observational studies of those systems, including glaciological and oceanographic field measurements, as well as remote sensing and laboratory studies.

Dynamic subglacial, supraglacial and englacial water networks play a key role in the flow and stability of glaciers and ice sheets. The accumulation of meltwater on the surface of ice shelves has been hypothesized as a potential mechanism controlling ice-shelf stability, with ice-shelf collapse triggering substantial increases in discharge of grounded ice. Observations and modelling also suggest that complex hydrological networks occur at the base of glaciers and ice sheets and these systems play a prominent role in controlling the flow of grounded ice. This session tackles the urgent need to better understand the fundamental processes involved in glacial hydrology that need to be addressed in order to accurately predict future ice-sheet evolution and mass loss, and ultimately the contribution to sea-level rise.

We seek contributions from both the modelling and observational communities relating to any area of ice-sheet, ice-shelf, or glacier hydrology. This includes but is not limited to: surface hydrology, melt lake and river formation; meltwater processes within the ice and firn; basal hydrology; subglacial lakes; impacts of meltwater on ice-sheet stability and flow; incorporation of any of these processes into large-scale climate and ice-sheet models.

The interaction between the ocean and the cryosphere in the Southern Ocean has become a major focus in climate research. Antarctic climate change has captured public attention, which has spawned a number of research questions, such as: Is Antarctic sea ice becoming more vulnerable in a changing climate? Where and when will ocean-driven melting of ice shelves yield a tipping point in the Antarctic climate? What drives the observed reduction in Antarctic Bottom Water production? How does the Antarctic Slope Current interact with the continental shelf? What role do ice-related processes play in nutrient upwelling on the continental shelf and in triggering carbon export to deep waters?

Recent advances in observational technology, data coverage, and modeling provide scientists with a better understanding of the mechanisms involving ice-ocean interactions in the far South. Processes on the Antarctic continental shelf have been identified as missing links between the cryosphere, the global atmosphere and the deep open ocean that need to be captured in large-scale and global model simulations.
This session calls for studies on physical and biogeochemical oceanography linked to ice shelves and sea ice. This includes work on all scales, from local to basin-scale to circumpolar; as well as paleo, present-day and future applications. Studies based on in-situ observations, remote sensing and regional to global models are welcome. We particularly invite cross-disciplinary topics involving glaciology, sea ice physics and biological oceanography.

Water stored in the snow pack and in glaciers represents an important component of the hydrological budget in many regions of the world, as well as a sustainment to life during dry seasons. Predicted impacts of climate change in catchments covered by snow or glaciers (including a shift from snow to rain, earlier snowmelt, and a decrease in peak snow accumulation) will reflect both on water resources availability and water uses at multiple scales, with potential implications for energy and food production.

The generation of runoff in catchments that are impacted by snow or ice, profoundly differs from rainfed catchments. And yet, our knowledge of snow/ice accumulation and melt patterns and their impact on runoff is highly uncertain, because of both limited availability and inherently large spatial variability of hydrological and weather data in such areas. This translates into limited process understanding, especially in a warming climate.

This session aims at bringing together those scientists that define themselves to some extent as cold region hydrologists, as large as this field can be. Contributions addressing the following topics are welcome:
- Experimental research on snow-melt & ice-melt runoff processes and potential implementation in hydrological models;
- Development of novel strategies for snowmelt runoff modelling in various (or changing) climatic and land-cover conditions;
- Evaluation of remote-sensing or in-situ snow products and application for snowmelt runoff calibration, data assimilation, streamflow forecasting or snow and ice physical properties quantification;
- Observational and modelling studies that shed new light on hydrological processes in glacier-covered catchments, e.g. impacts of glacier retreat on water resources and water storage dynamics or the application of techniques for tracing water flow paths;
- Studies on cryosphere-influenced mountain hydrology, such as landforms at high elevations and their relationship with streamflow, water balance of snow/ice-dominated mountain regions;
- Studies addressing the impact of climate change on the water cycle of snow and ice affected catchments.

Significant reductions in Arctic sea ice extent, concentration and thickness have been consistently witnessed during the last decades. In contrast, Antarctic sea ice extent was remarkably stable until 2016/2017. Over recent years we have seen a series of record lows in Antarctic sea ice extent, composed of varying trends in different sectors. 2023 has been particularly stark due to the lack of recovery of the sea ice cover, raising concerns for the future of Antarctic sea ice. Climate projections suggest a reduction of the sea ice cover in both poles, with the Arctic becoming seasonally ice free in the latter half of this century.
The scientific community is investing considerable effort in organising our current knowledge of the physical and biogeochemical properties of sea ice, exploring poorly understood sea ice processes, and forecasting future changes of the sea ice cover, such as in CMIP6.
In this session, we invite contributions regarding all aspects of sea ice science and sea ice-climate interactions in both the Arctic and Southern Ocean, including snow and sea ice thermodynamics and dynamics, sea ice-atmosphere and sea ice-ocean interactions, sea ice biological and chemical processes, sea ice observational and field studies and models. A focus on emerging processes and implications is particularly welcome.

In recent years, sea ice has displayed behaviour unseen before in the observational record, both in the Arctic and the Antarctic. This fast-changing sea-ice cover calls for adapting and improving our modelling approaches and mathematical techniques to simulate its behaviour and its interaction with the atmosphere and the ocean, both in terms of dynamics and thermodynamics.

Sea ice is governed by a variety of small-scale processes that affect its large-scale evolution. Modelling this nonlinear coupled multidimensional system remains a major challenge, because (1) we still lack the understanding of the physics governing sea-ice dynamics and thermodynamics, (2) observations to conduct model evaluation are scarce and (3) the numerical approximation and the simulation become more difficult and computationally expensive at higher resolution.

Recently, several new modeling approaches have been developed and refined to address these issues. These include but are not limited to new rheologies, discrete element models, advanced subgrid parameterizations, the representation of wave-ice interactions, sophisticated data assimilation schemes, often with the integration of machine learning techniques. Moreover, novel in-situ observations and the growing availability and quality of sea-ice remote-sensing data bring new opportunities for improving sea-ice models.

This session aims to bring together researchers working on the development of sea-ice models, from small to large scales and for a wide range of applications such as idealised experiments, operational predictions, or climate simulations, to discuss current advances and challenges ahead.

The persistent rapid decline of the Arctic sea ice in the last decades is a dramatic indicator of climate change. The Arctic sea ice cover is now thinner, weaker and drifts faster. Extreme air temperatures over land and ocean are more common, contributing to accelerated ice sheet melting and summer sea ice loss in the Kara and Laptev Seas. On land, the permafrost is dramatically thawing, glaciers are disappearing, and forest fires are raging. The ocean is also changing: the volume of freshwater stored in the Arctic has increased as have the inputs of coastal runoff from Siberia and Greenland and the exchanges with the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. As the global surface temperature rises, the Arctic Ocean is speculated to become seasonally ice-free by the mid 21st century, which prompts us to revisit our perceptions of the Arctic system as a whole. What could the Arctic Ocean look like in the future? How are the present changes in the Arctic going to affect and be affected by the lower latitudes? What aspects of the changing Arctic should observational, remote sensing and modelling programmes address in priority?
In this session, we invite contributions from a variety of studies on the recent past, present and future Arctic. We encourage submissions examining interactions between ocean, atmosphere and sea ice; on emerging mechanisms and feedbacks in the Arctic; and on how the Arctic influences the global ocean. Submissions taking a cross-disciplinary, system approach and focussing on emerging cryospheric, oceanic and biogeochemical processes and their linkages with land are particularly welcome.
We aim to promote discussions on future plans for Arctic Ocean modelling and measurement strategies, including on constraining models with observations, and encourage submissions on CMIP , as well as on recent observational programs, such as the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC), which cosponsors this session.

While observed volume, concentration and extent of Arctic sea ice have decreased dramatically over the last decades, climate model simulations of the recent past feature a slower sea-ice decline than observed. These same models are then used to project future sea ice changes, raising the question if even the most optimistic future emission scenarios will be enough to preserve the summer sea ice in the future.

Although the sea-ice decrease is the most pronounced in late summer, understanding coupled key processes of ocean/sea-ice/atmosphere-system during the so-called shoulder seasons, the onsets of the melt in spring and freeze up in autumn, is important since the timing of these set the boundaries for the length of the melt season and therefore strongly influence the total melt in any given year.

While the autumn freeze onset has received some attention, substantially less is known about the spring melt onset, partly because of a lack of observations to characterize and understand the processes controlling or leading up to it, on different scales. An improved understanding of this season is important, to inform model development crucial for simulations and assessments of future changes in the Arctic climate system.

This session focuses on the late winter and early spring in the Arctic and especially the onset of the summer sea-ice melt. We invite presentations broadly on ocean, sea-ice and atmospheric processes over a large spectrum of scales governing or being strongly affected by this transition, from long-term observations and reanalysis, process and climate modeling and especially from observations from new field campaigns covering this time period, such as MOSAiC and ARTofMELT.

Permafrost is widely distributed in high-latitude and high-altitude regions, and it is expected that these regions will experience warming that is twice the global average. Due to high temperatures, permafrost degradation is expected. Permafrost degradation influences the hydrological, ecological, and biochemical processes. Moreover, understanding links between permafrost degradation and release of carbon is crucial for the evaluation of key climate feedback mechanisms. Permafrost-related research is a relatively new and upcoming field in comparison to other research fields of the cryosphere. We invite modeling and observation-based studies on permafrost and its interactions with climate, surface water, biogeochemical and human components.

Contributions may include but are not limited to, the following topics:
- Experiments and modeling studies on geochemical tracers (metals, nutrients, major ions, stable isotopes) in permafrost environments across all temporal and spatial scales.
- Numerical, machine learning, and spatial modeling studies to understand permafrost dynamics across spatial and temporal scales.
- Assessment of climate change impacts on permafrost and permafrost-related processes.
- Innovative methods to characterize permafrost through ground-based measurements and remote sensing.
- Integrated model and observation-based studies.
- Permafrost engineering topics that deal with assessing the permafrost-infrastructure interactions.
- Impact of permafrost degradation on human lifestyle.

This session is a merger of three sessions from Cryospheric Sciences (CR) and Biogeosciences (BG).

The original sessions were:
- Disturbance processes in permafrost regions
- Permafrost dynamics, interactions, and feedbacks: past, present, and future
- High latitude biogeochemistry: Addressing challenges in GHG, from in situ to remote sensing

This merged session collects abstracts focussing on permafrost regions and other high latitude landscapes which have experienced the highest levels of warming in the world. Permafrost shapes Arctic ecosystems and interacts with the global climate system in manifold ways. It affects the cycling of water, energy, and carbon in high latitudes and impacts climate patterns at local to global scales. Furthermore, anthropogenic activities such as the construction of roads, mining, oil and gas extraction, and agricultural expansion are increasing in these regions. Permafrost regions are highly sensitive to disturbance due to their dependence on a thermal threshold for stability and as a result they are impacted by a wide range of disturbances including wildfire, infrastructure development, the arrival of invasive species, and ongoing atmospheric warming. This can result in a myriad of geomorphological processes including thermokarst formation, mass-movement initiation, coastal erosion, and lake drainage events; all of which impact a wide range of ecosystem processes, as well as the built environment. The interplay of atmospheric warming and anthropogenic activities have likely increased the frequency and magnitude of these disturbances and altered their spatiotemporal occurrence.

This session is a forum for scientists involved in the state-of-the-art research on permafrost dynamics, disturbance processes and impacts in permafrost environments, and the mechanisms and changes in greenhouse gas cycles in these highly dynamic regions.

This session covers observations and modelling of permafrost dynamics, interactions, and feedbacks with the hydrological cycle, seasonal snow cover, biogeochemical and biogeophysical processes, and landscape processes (e.g. thermokarst, wildfires) across spatial scales.

Climate change significantly affects high mountain regions by strongly altering the cryosphere. It influences landscapes, water resources, slope stability, ecosystem balances, and human/touristic activities, all closely interconnected and interdependent.

Permafrost degradation remains often hidden but has the potential (1) to destabilize mountain slopes, leading to large-scale landslides or rock-ice avalanches, (2) to mobilize large amounts of loose materials, generating sudden and destructive debris flows, and (3) to cause ground subsidence, with adverse effects on infrastructure. These consequences and other mixed cascading effects show mountain permafrost systems' sensitivity and the importance of closely monitoring and understanding them.

This session welcomes all contributions from mountain permafrost research in all periglacial environments: from high Arctic climates through any continental regions (e.g. Alpine, Andean, Tibetan) to arid unglaciated areas of Antarctica. We welcome a broad spectrum of ice-rich and ice-poor landforms, including rock glaciers, talus slopes, plateaus, ice-cored moraines, steep rock slopes,and thermokarst.

We particularly encourage contributions that enhance understanding of thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical processes at slope and regional scale. The combination of multiple methods and newly-developed approaches is of particular interest, as well as long-term studies or characterisation of new permafrost sites with state-of-the-art methods. Field and laboratory geophysical measurements (e.g., ERT, SRT, DAS, EM, IP, GPR, TLS), in-situ measurements (e.g., temperatures, discharge, kinematics, GPS), remote sensing surveys (e.g., optical, thermal, InSAR, UAV), modeling of past-present-future processes, early warning systems, and data analysis improvements thanks to machine learning and artificial intelligence tools can be submitted.

We aim to increase the understanding of mountain permafrost bodies’ response to climate evolutions. This session aims to create a new meeting and exchange opportunity within the mountain permafrost community and its fellows to foster common research developments and improve processes understanding.

ECS are encouraged to submit their work to this session. The presentation will be preferentially in presence (PICO).

In glaciated regions, a wide range of surface processes occur over different temporal and spatial scales, including glacial erosion, glacial outburst floods, fluvial erosion, sediment transport and deposition, rockfall, and slope failure. Over short timescales, many glaciated regions are evolving rapidly under the ongoing climate change, posing threats to mountain biodiversity, ecosystem stability, and human settlements. Over timescales of millennia or longer, these processes dramatically alter the landscape. Therefore, quantifying the rates of surface processes and understanding their interactions with climate and glaciation is a crucial challenge in Earth science.
Rock glaciers, in particular, are characteristic landforms associated with periglacial landscapes and play a fundamental role in the feedback between climate and erosion processes in glaciated mountain ranges. Their location, characteristics, and evolution are controlled by a combination of environmental (e.g. internal structure, topography, debris loading) and climatic (e.g. thermal and hydrological regimes) factors. Despite the growing interest and an increasing number of studies, our understanding of the physical processes controlling the dynamics of rock glaciers, and particularly the role of water, remains incomplete. Furthermore, the impact of climate-induced permafrost degradation on the present and future evolution of these landforms is largely unknown.
This session invites contributions that employ observational, analytical, or modelling approaches to address the interactions between climate, glaciations, rock glaciers, and proglacial processes across a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. We welcome contributions that focus on 1) understanding the production, transport, and deposition of sediments by ice and water in glacial and periglacial environments, 2) quantifying the amplitudes and rates of glacial modification to Earth’s surface, 3) understanding the dynamics and distribution of rock glaciers and their relevance to geohazards, geoheritage, water resources, and climate impact studies, and 4) exploring the feedbacks between proglacial processes, glaciations, and natural/anthropogenic climate forcings.

Present-day glacial and periglacial processes in cold regions, i.e. arctic and alpine environments, provide modern analogues to processes and climatic changes that took place during the Pleistocene, including gradual retreat or collapse of ice sheets and mountain glaciers, and thawing and shrinking of low-land permafrost. Current geomorphological and glaciological changes in mid-latitude mountain ranges could also serve as a proxy for future changes in high-latitude regions within a context of climate change. Examples are speed-up or disintegration of creeping permafrost features or the relictification of rock glaciers.

For our session we invite contributions that either:
1. investigate present-day glacial and/or periglacial landforms, sediments and processes to describe the current state, to reconstruct past environmental conditions and to predict future scenarios in cold regions; or
2. have a Quaternary focus and aim at enhancing our understanding of past glacial, periglacial and paraglacial processes, also through the application of dating techniques.

Case studies that use a multi-disciplinary approach (e.g. field, laboratory and modelling techniques) and/or that highlight the interaction between the glacial, periglacial and paraglacial cryospheric components in cold regions are particularly welcome.

Mountain and ice sheet glaciations provide an invaluable record for past and present climate change. However, varying geomorphological process-systems, specific glaciological conditions and topography can make regional, intra-hemispheric and global correlations challenging. This problem is further enhanced by ongoing specialisation within the scientific community. Despite such challenges glacier and ice sheet reconstructions remains a crucial paleo-environmental proxy.

The primary aim of this session is to evaluate the potential of mountain and ice sheet glaciation records and stimulate further research in this important field. Contributions on all relevant aspects are welcomed, for example: (a) glacial landforms and reconstruction of past glaciers and ice sheets, (b) dating techniques and geochronology compilations, (c) ice dynamics and paleoclimatic interpretations, or (d) impacts of ecosystems and human evolution/society. We would particularly like to invite contributions addressing regional and hemispheric connections, issues, and advances. The temporal scale of the session will encompass Early Pleistocene glaciations through to the Last Glacial Maximum, and Holocene/modern glaciers. In the past, this session has attracted contributions from a wide range of locations and a diversity in methodological approaches. It has become a platform for on-going collaborative research on mountain glaciations where people are given the opportunity to exchange ideas and expertise.

ECR keynote talks:

Block 1, Mountain glacier reconstruction
Lukas Rettig - A glacier-based reconstruction of the Last Glacial Maximum climate in the southern European Alps.

Block 2, Ice sheet reconstruction
Gwyneth Rivers - Using sediment facies & ground penetrating radar profiles to investigate the internal architecture and genesis of De Geer moraines.

Earth’s cryosphere demonstrates itself in many shapes and forms, but we use similar geophysical and in-situ methods to study its wide spectrum: from ice-sheets and glaciers, to firn and snow, sea ice, permafrost, and en-glacial and subglacial environments.

In this session, we welcome contributions related to all methods in cryospheric measurements, including: advances in radioglaciology, active and passive seismology, geoelectrics, acoustic sounding, fibre-optic sensing, GNSS reflectometry, signal attenuation, and time delay techniques, cosmic ray neutron sensing, ROV and drone applications, and electromagnetic methods. Contributions can include field applications, new approaches in geophysical or in-situ survey techniques, or theoretical advances in data analysis processing or inversion. Case studies from all parts of the cryosphere, including snow and firn, alpine glaciers, ice sheets, glacial and periglacial environments, alpine and arctic permafrost as well as rock glaciers, or sea ice, are highly welcome.

This session will give you an opportunity to step out of your research focus of a single cryosphere type and to share experiences in the application, processing, analysis, and interpretation of different geophysical and in-situ techniques in these highly complex environments. This session has been running for over a decade and always produces lively and informative discussion. We have a successful history of PICO and other short-style presentations - submit here if you want a guaranteed short oral!

This session has come about through the merger of two Cryospheric Sciences sessions – one focusing on Little Ice Age (LIA) glacier advances and the other on glacier monitoring from in situ and remotely sensed observations. The aim of this joint session is to present the current state of science in both areas of research and to improve our understanding of the processes of glacier change, using detailed observations of the distribution of glaciers and the changes they have undergone since the LIA. This interval of worldwide, but asynchronous, glacier advances (ca. 1300–1900 CE) is of major significance because it offers a unique snapshot of the “natural”, pre-industrial state of the cryosphere, before the global glacier decline resulting from human-caused climate change. The studies presented in this session employ diverse methods and data sources, such as geochronology and remote sensing, and utilise field observations, satellite, instrumental, historical, pictorial, and other records. A specific focus of the presented research is on (i) strengths and limitations of different types of data for regional to global-scale assessments, (ii) uncertainty assessments, (iii) achieving better temporal resolution and spatial coverage, and (iv) improved process understanding by combining datasets across scales.

Observing the cryosphere is vital for understanding its impacts in past, current, and future climates. Over the last decade, advances in remote- and close-sensing technologies have facilitated observations of the cryosphere at increasingly high temporal and spatial scales. Remote sensing, now in the ‘Big Data’ era, is characterised by the availability of petabytes of satellite data, facilitating observations of the cryosphere in near real-time spanning several decades and entire ice-sheets. Meanwhile, close sensing technologies offer measurements at extremely high spatial (millimetre to metre scale) and temporal (minutes to days) resolutions, allowing the monitoring and observation of finer details of processes such as iceberg calving, snow and ice albedo, rock glacier dynamics and glacial lake drainage and outburst events.

Recent developments in data processing techniques, such as cloud-optimised geoprocessing platforms (e.g. Google Earth Engine, Microsoft Planetary Computer, and community JupyterHubs) support a rapid advance of monitoring the cryosphere. The increasing use of large-scale data pipelines and machine/deep learning methods allow for large-scale monitoring of entire ice sheets, periglacial landscapes, changing sea ice extents/concentrations, and glaciated regions. Simultaneously, close-range sensors (e.g. radar, LiDAR, photogrammetry, and UAV’s) compliment these big data approaches by providing crucial data at more localised scales, particularly in those environments characterised by complex topography, which are commonplace across the cryosphere. This session looks to bring together the remote- and close-sensing communities, to better understand the recent advances in technology and its applications, and discuss opportunities and challenges.

We strongly welcome case studies from all parts of the cryosphere, including glaciers (both land-based or calving), ice sheets, snow and firn, glacial and periglacial environments, and sea ice.