Date

Call for Abstracts
American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2004 Fall Meeting
Session C 11 - "Changes in Frozen Ground: Environmental and Climatic
Impacts"

The AGU Submission Form is available online at:
http://submissions4.agu.org/submission/entrance.asp

Abstract Submission Deadlines:
Thursday, 9 September 2004 (Submissions via the web)
Wednesday, 1 September 2004 (Submissions via the mail)


Session Description:
Approximately 60% of Earth's terrestrial surface experiences seasonal
freezing and thawing, and permafrost regions constitute about 24% of the
Northern Hemisphere land area. More than a decade of research indicates
that significant changes in frozen ground conditions are occurring.
Changes in seasonally frozen ground and permafrost conditions can have
large impacts on the land surface energy and moisture balance and hence
weather and climate. Surface and subsurface hydrology, carbon exchange
between the atmosphere and the land surface, plant growth and
agriculture, ecosystem diversity and productivity, and human
infrastructure can all be influenced by these changes.

This session focuses on (1) how seasonally frozen ground and permafrost
are affected by climate change; (2) how changes in seasonally frozen
ground and permafrost may affect natural and human systems; and (3) the
implications of changes in frozen ground for human, environmental, and
climate systems. Studies of the impacts of changes in seasonally frozen
ground and permafrost on the weather and climate system, the
hydrological cycle, the terrestrial carbon cycle, and human
infrastructure are appropriate topics for this session. Freezing/thawing
process studies, detection of changes in seasonally frozen ground and
permafrost, development and validation of numerical models/algorithms,
and new data products are also encouraged.

Conveners:
Tingjun Zhang
National Snow and Ice Data Center
University of Colorado at Boulder
449 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0449 USA
E-mail: tzhang [at] nsidc.org

Frederick E. Nelson
Department of Geography
University of Delaware
216 Pearson Hall
Newark, DE 19716-2541 USA
E-mail: fnelson [at] udel.edu

Roger G. Barry
National Snow and Ice Data Center
University of Colorado at Boulder
449 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0449 USA
E-mail: rbarry [at] nsidc.org

Oliver W. Frauenfeld
National Snow and Ice Data Center
University of Colorado at Boulder
449 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0449 USA
E-mail: oliverf [at] kryos.colorado.edu

Sponsor:
Cryosphere

CoSponsor:
Atmospheric Sciences
Biogeosciences
Hydrology
Planetary Sciences
Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology
Global Climate Change

The AGU Submission Form is available online at:
http://submissions4.agu.org/submission/entrance.asp