Date

Call for Abstracts
American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2004 Fall Meeting
Session C 08 - Arctic Freshwater Cycle: Cross-disciplinary Approaches to
Study Change

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)


DESCRIPTION
The water cycle is an inseparable element of the climate, biology, and
biogeochemistry of the arctic region. The sensitivity of arctic
freshwater to environmental change has been demonstrated through dozens
of disciplinary studies focused on individual elements of the water
cycle such as precipitation, evaporation, ocean circulation, or runoff.
We know much less about water-related teleconnections to regional and
global climate. The limited number of cross-disciplinary synthesis
studies contributes to our inability to formulate a clear and
quantitative picture of the integrated arctic system. In the face of
global environmental change, the arctic science community has made
predictions of system-wide impacts, but with little confidence. These
key, unresolved issues can be cast as a set of scientific questions:
What are the major features of the pan-arctic water balance and how do
they vary over time and space? How will the arctic freshwater cycle
respond to natural variability and global change? What are the direct
impacts of arctic freshwater changes on nutrient biogeochemistry and
ecosystem structure and function? What are the freshwater cycle
feedbacks within the terrestrial and marine systems in the face of
natural variability and global change? How will these feedbacks
influence human systems? Presentations should address one or more of
these questions, and programs or projects with a cross-disciplinary
focus are especially encouraged to participate in this session.

Sponsor: Cryosphere
CoSponsor: Hydrology and Ocean Sciences

Conveners:
Larry Hinzman
E-mail: ffldh [at] uaf.edu

Michael Steele
E-mail: mas [at] apl.washington.edu

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