Glacier‐Atmosphere Interactions and Feedbacks in High‐Mountain Regions ‐ A Review
Abstract Mountain glaciers are among the natural systems most vulnerable to climate change. However, their interactions with the atmosphere are complex and not fully understood. These interactions can trigger rapid adjustments and climate feedbacks that either amplify or attenuate atmospheric signals, influencing both glacier response and large‐scale atmospheric circulation. Observing this functional coupling in nature is challenging because the key processes occur over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. However, recent advances in observational techniques and modeling have provided new insights into these interactions. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on glacier‐atmosphere interactions in high‐mountain regions at different scales, and highlight recent advances in observational and numerical modeling. We also highlight important knowledge gaps and outline future research directions to improve the prediction of glacier change in a warming world.
Authors
- Manuel Saigger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8946-8756)
- Ivana Stiperski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2154-6603)
- Emily Collier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7314-3000)
- Brigitta Goger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9572-6733)
- Annelies Voordendag (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0251-5991)
- Lindsey Nicholson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0430-7950)
- Tobias Sauter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2232-8096)
- Dylan Reynolds (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5677-6092)
- Rainer Prinz
- R. Mott
- B. W. Brock
- T. E. Shaw
- A. Georgi
- A. R. Groos
- M. Haugeneder
- J. E. Sicart
- K. F. Haualand
- A. Mandal
Institutions
- Institut polytechnique de Grenoble (FR)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (AT)
- Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (NO)
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE)
- Universität Innsbruck (AT)
- Northumbria University (GB)
- Vestlandsforsking (NO)
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR)
- Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement (FR)
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR)
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH)
- Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (IN)
- Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Reviews of Geophysics
- Published
- 2026-01-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1029/2024rg000869
- Primary Topic
- Cryospheric studies and observations
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft