The atmosphere and cryosphere are closely linked and should be studied as an interdisciplinary subject. Most cryospheric regions have undergone significant changes in recent decades, as these areas are particularly fragile and less adaptable to global climate change. This AS-CR session invites both modeling- and observation-based studies on all aspects of the interactions between atmospheric processes and snow and ice, at local, regional, and global scales. Special emphasis is placed on the Arctic and Antarctic regions, high latitudes and altitudes, mountainous areas, sea ice, and permafrost regions.
In particular, we encourage studies that investigate the role of aerosols—such as black carbon, organic carbon, dust, volcanic ash, microplastics, pollen, sea salt, diatoms, bioaerosols, bacteria, and others—and their effects on the cryosphere, including snow/ice melt and albedo changes. The session also focuses on dust transport, aeolian deposition, and volcanic dust, with consideration of their health, environmental, and climate impacts in high-latitude, high-altitude, and cold polar regions. We welcome contributions from biological and ecological sciences, including studies on dust-organism interactions, cryoconites, bio-albedo, eco-physiological processes, biogeochemical cycles, and genomic analyses. Related topics include light-absorbing impurities, cold deserts, dust storms, long-range transport, glacier darkening, polar ecology, and more. Improved scientific understanding of atmosphere–cryosphere interactions is essential and should be better integrated into global climate prediction scenarios.