Call for Abstracts
American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2005 Fall Meeting
Session C 04: Permafrost and Seasonally Frozen Ground in a Changing
Climate
5-9 December 2005
San Francisco, California
Abstract Submission Deadline: Thursday, 8 September 2005
Further information can be found at:
http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm05/?pageRequest=search&show=detail&sessid…
For further information on the AGU 2005 Fall Meeting, please go to:
http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm05/
In the upcoming AGU Fall Meeting from 5-9 December 2005 in San Francisco
there will be a session on:
C 04: Permafrost and Seasonally Frozen Ground in a Changing Climate
Session Description:
Permafrost regions constitute about 24% of the Northern Hemisphere land
area and approximately 60% of Earth's terrestrial surface experiences
seasonal freezing and thawing. More than a decade of research indicates
that significant changes in frozen ground conditions are occurring.
Changes in permafrost and seasonally frozen ground 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 permafrost and seasonally frozen ground are affected
by climate change; (2) how changes in permafrost and seasonally frozen
ground may affect natural and human systems; and (3) understanding and
parameterization of processes and mechanisms relevant for the
interaction of climate and permafrost or frozen ground. 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.
As co-conveners of this session we cordially invite you to participate
and look forward to seeing you and your presentations in San Francisco.
Kind regards,
Stephan Gruber (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
Fritz Nelson (University of Delaware, USA)
Tingjun Zhang (National Snow and Ice Data Center, USA)