Glacier-atmosphere coupling

The surface mass and energy balance of mountain glaciers is typically simulated offline, however this approach precludes the representation of feedbacks and rapid adjustments from changing glacier surface conditions on the atmosphere. As the widespread retreat and thinning of mountain glaciers continues, deglaciation and changes in debris cover will exert an important but as-of-yet poorly quantified influence. A robust understanding of the key processes and importance of glacier-atmosphere exchanges is needed for accurate projections of transient glacier response to future climate change. We invite contributions on improved process understanding of glacier-atmosphere coupling in mountain environments from both modelling and observational approaches, including improvements in land surface models, the development of coupled models, multi-scale measurements and model evaluation strategies. We will bring together the perspectives of glaciologists, meteorologists and hydrologists to identify the needs of end-users and discuss the knowledge gaps and challenges in this research area.