Comprehensive Approach to Cryospheric Processes and Hazards in Himalaya-Karakoram

Snow and Glaciers in the Himalaya-Karakoram region have become significantly vulnerable due to climate change, leading to a rapid retreat over recent decades and heightened exposure to natural disasters. This sensitivity has resulted in increased water and sediment flows in rivers during the ablation season, which is crucial for various downstream activities, including agriculture, hydroelectric power generation, and urban water management. Existing studies highlight critical gaps in our comprehensive understanding of these systems, hindered by the sparse nature of regional field observations and the complex challenges of collecting and processing relevant data over extended periods.

This Research Topic aims to foster an interdisciplinary approach to studying these phenomena, incorporating advanced methodologies and technologies such as numerical modeling, machine learning, and data fusion. By integrating diverse data types—from hydrological to seismological—research can illuminate the interconnected dynamics of this sensitive regions, addressing pressing questions related to water management, sediment transport, and potential hazards.

To gather further insights into these intricate systems, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Meteorological observations in Himalaya-Karakoram (temperature, precipitation, radiation, wind velocity, etc)

• Glacier dynamics (mass balance, velocity, area changes, energy balance, snow cover, etc.)

• Snow dynamics (changes in seasonality, rain-on-snow, ephemeral snowpack, etc.)

• Glacier and snow hydrology and modeling (discharge, sediment transfer, bedload, stable isotopes, hydrochemistry, etc.)

• Cryospheric hazards (GLOFs, avalanches, debris flow, flash floods, rain-on-snow floods, etc.)

In-depth investigations across these areas will contribute to a holistic understanding of the cryosphere-related processes and threats in the Himalaya-Karakoram, ensuring sustainable management of the natural resources critical to the region.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Hydrology, Himalaya-Karakoram, GLOFs, Hydrological data, Seismological data, Water management, Sediment transport, Glacier dynamics, Snow dynamics, Cryospheric hazards

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.