Конференция IGU

1. Session title:

Evolution of Earth Cryosphere in changing climatic conditions and under a human-induced disturbances

2. Type of session (IGU Commission/Joint Session/Thematic Session):

Thematic Session

3. Session organizers and chairpersons*:

3.1. Name:

Victor  Popovnin

Organization:

Cryolithology & Glaciology Dept.

Address:

Lomonosov Moscow State University

Email:

begemotina@hotmail.com, irinastrelets@gmail.com

3.2. Name (second organizer):

Dmitry Streletskiy

Organization:

George Washington University, Dept. of Geography

Address:

1922 F St. NW, Washington DC, 20052

Email:

strelets@gwu.edu

*The session chairperson(s) is/are responsible for evaluating abstracts and dividing the presentations into oral and poster forms during the period 15 Jan. – 15 Feb. 2015.

4. Please provide the names and affiliations of 3-6 speakers who are expected to attend the conference and give oral presentations:

1. Prof. Dr. Hans-Wolfgang Hubberten (Alfred Wegener Institute, Potsdam, Germany)

2. Dr. Chris R. Stokes (Department of Geography Durham University Science Site)

3. Dmitry Streletskiy (George Washington University, Washington DC, USA)

4. Vladimir Romanovsky (University of Alaska, Fairbanks, USA)

5. Dmitry Drozdov (Earth Cryosphere Institute, Tyumen’, Russia)

6. Thomas Opel (Alfred Wegener Institute, Bremerhaven, Germany)

7. KONYA Keiko (Research Institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology)

8. Dr. Ludwig Braun (KommissionfürErdmessung und Glaziologie BayerischeAkademie der Wissenschaften)

5. A short description of the session topic, aim, content, etc. (max. one standard page):

The Earth Cryosphere is a dynamic system sensitive to the environmental change. Monitoring of cryosphere components is essential in understanding climatic and environmental variability and trends. The complexity of cryosphere is attributed to variable reaction of its components (glaciers, permafrost, snow) on changing climatic conditions. Cryosphere changes are not uniform and have significant regional differences requiring detailed investigations in various physiographic conditions. The main goal of contemporary studies of Earth Cryosphere is assessment of cryospheric changes and impacts of these changes on nature and society in global and regional scales. Such studies are particularly important for Russia, where more than half of terrestrial surface is occupied by permafrost. Permafrost regions are rich in mineral resources, have developed industrial and economic activities and are characterized by presence of large population centers. Warming climatic conditions observed in majority of the Arctic decreasing stability of cryosphere components and lead to intensification of hazardous glacial and cryogenic processes. Economic and land use activities possess additional pressure on cryospheric systems.

The session is inviting presentations on peleoreconstructions; monitoring of various cryospheric components; modeling of interactions between cryosphere and other components of natural and technogenic environment; forecast of cryospheric components to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies.