Exploring Scale Interactions and Feedback Mechanisms in Glacier-Atmosphere Dynamics in Mountain Regions: Insights from High-Resolution Simulations

Mountain glaciers are important components of the global climate system, playing a crucial role in regional hydrology, energy balance and atmospheric dynamics. These systems are highly sensitive to climate change, and small-scale processes such as localised thermodynamic adjustments can trigger rapid feedback mechanisms that significantly alter large-scale atmospheric conditions. Observing and directly interpreting these adjustments is challenging due to non-linear and often opaque cause-effect relationships mediated by intermediate steps. This complexity limits the predictability of meteorological and cryospheric phenomena in mountainous regions. Addressing these challenges requires a holistic analysis that does not rely on assumptions of linearity or simple correlations.
To overcome these obstacles, we use high-resolution numerical atmospheric simulations to study the interactions between glacier microclimates and the free atmosphere, as well as the feedbacks that occur across scales. Using transfer entropy, we uncover the causal relationships driving these feedbacks, identify directional influences between mass and energy fluxes, and analyse how localised processes propagate across micro-, meso- and synoptic scales. For example, our analysis shows how changing glacier geometries affect microclimates and regional energy balances, which in turn drive mesoscale atmospheric circulation patterns.
This presentation highlights key insights from these simulations, in particular the role of glacier-atmosphere interactions in shaping elevation-dependent warming and energy flux dynamics. By advancing computational techniques to better analyse scale coupling in complex terrains, this work addresses unresolved questions in climate research. Ultimately, it provides a way to improve the predictability of cryospheric and atmospheric phenomena in high mountain regions.