Measuring and Modeling Snow, Ice, and Avalanches in the Climate Change Era.

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, snowfall and snow cover formation and dynamics are terribly affected, in the face of transient climate change. Increasingly more erratic patterns of precipitation and temperatures and extreme events therein result into rapider and intenser snow dynamics, impacting on hydrology, soil erosion and stability, and avalanche release. Ice surfaces and glacier are also largely affected, and worldwide, ice bodies are downwasting and ice cover shrinking. Transient intense deglaciation also leads to faster dynamics of ice bodies, including ice avalanches, surges, and GLOF formation, with potentially destructive outcomes. Accordingly, on one hand the mountains and cold environments are undergoing radical changes, affecting the landscapes, ecosystems, and the environment, while on the other hand, an ever-increasing risk is posed to local populations and users.

As such, scientists are called to investigate the changing cryospheric dynamics under transient climate change by using an array of methods, proposing modeling tools for snow, ice, and avalanches dynamics and methods to assess and cope with the associated risks. This Special Issue thus welcomes contribution covering present and prospective dynamics of the cryosphere under present and future climate, including, but not limited to:

• Monitoring techniques for snowpack and snow dynamics, ice bodies, and avalanches. This includes conventional and innovative methods, such as instruments, devices, methods for local measurements, and remote sensing of snow cover, ice cover, ice flow, GLOFs, etc.
• Modeling tools for depicting the dynamics of the cryosphere under present and prospective climate. This includes modeling of snowpack, avalanche dynamics (gliding, wet/dry avalanches), ice flow, etc.
• Models and methods to assess cryospheric risks and to provide countermeasures. This includes hazard/risk mapping of avalanches, GLOFs, design of possible countermeasures, etc.
• Experimental and modeling studies convering modified cold environments in response to the modified cryosphere. This includes morphology of deglaciated areas, soil erosion from avalanches and ice flows, snow–soil interaction, perma-frost, etc.
• Scenarios of modified cryospheric processes in response to modified climate in the era of climate change.

Dr. Daniele Bocchiola
Prof. Guglielmina Diolaiuti
Prof. Michele Freppaz
Guest Editor

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