Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

Seasonally snow-covered mountains are critical water sources to more than one-third of the globe. Sharp climatological and ecological gradients due to elevation, aspect, subsurface geology, and rapid hydrological redistribution result in highly heterogeneous environments. This physical complexity, combined with typically low population and difficult access, have slowed process-based understanding of coupled hydrological and biogeochemical processes. A notable example can be found in water resource predictions from mountain catchments that typically use rainfall-runoff models relying on parametrizations based on fast runoff process to predict streamflow. This simplification remains even though hydrochemical and tracer research has demonstrated for decades that montane ecosystems do not function as “Teflon basins” hydrologically. Streamflow instead is composed of a wide range of water ages, even during peak snowmelt. Mark Williams was at the forefront of quantifying the complexity of mountain hydrology and documenting its importance to water supply, water quality, and ecosystem structure. The urgency of including realistic physical representations of mountain hydrology is only increasing as mountain catchments face rapid climate change, legacies of mining, vegetation change, and growing populations.

This special issue invites contributions that address this challenge. We welcome diverse contributions that focus on mountain hydrology and biogeochemistry. Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Snow hydrology including snowfall, melt, redistribution, metamorphosis, sublimation in response to a changing climate
• Streamflow generation including physical modeling, hydrochemical tracers, and impacts on societal water supply
• Plot, catchment, and watershed biogeochemical cycling in mountain environments in both terrestrial and aquatic environments
• Acid mine drainage including impacts, remediation, and partnerships with stakeholders
• Case studies, comparisons, or syntheses including studies from montane regions of North America, South America, Asia, and Europe

Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research is a peer-reviewed full open access interdisciplinary journal dedicated to cold regions physical and environmental research. AAAR accepts original research articles, review articles, short communications, and data notes.

Instructions for AuthorsSubmit an Article