Effects of Climate Change on Mountain Hydrology - Recent Trends and Challenges

Dear Colleagues,

The hydrology of mountain areas is terribly affected today in the face of transient climate change. Increasingly more erratic patterns of precipitation, and temperatures therein result into more rapid and more intense dynamics, falling out upon hydrology, water resources, soil erosion, and flood dynamics. Ice bodies are also largely affected, with ice cover shrinking and seasonal snowpack changing, thus reducing water storage. Permafrost dynamics may also be affected. Hydropower production may also depend on the hydrological cycle in the mountain areas, and climate change may hamper energy supply.

Accordingly, on the one hand, mountains and cold environments are undergoing radical changes, affecting landscapes, ecosystems, and the environment, while on the other hand, ever increasing water-related risk is posed to local populations and users.

As such, scientists are called to investigate a changing mountain hydrology under transient climate change, by monitoring and modeling snow/ice dynamics, and hydrological cycles. The Special Issue thus welcomes contributions covering present and prospective mountain hydrology under present and future climate, including but not limited to:

• Monitoring techniques for snowpack, and snow dynamics, ice bodies. This includes conventional and innovative methods, such as instruments, devices, methods, for local measurements, and remote sensing of snow cover, ice cover, ice flow, permafrost dynamics, etc.;
• Monitoring techniques for stream flow measurement in mountain areas, soil erosion, and sediment transport;
• Assessment of recent trends in mountain hydrology worldwide;
• Modeling tools for depicting mountan hydrology under present and prospective climate, including water resources availability, flood dynamics, soil erosion, sediment transport, and effects on hydropower production;
• Scenarios of modified mountain hydrology in response to modified climate hereforth;
• Models and methods to assess countermeasures for changing mountain hydrology.

Dr. Daniele Bocchiola
Guest Editor

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