Glaciers, often described as nature’s formidable ice giants, are essential components of the Earth's cryosphere, with profound influence on the global water cycle, energy production, and landscape stability. These massive bodies of ice, formed over centuries from accumulated snow, are not just frozen relics of the past; they are dynamic systems that play a critical role in cold region environments. As the climate changes, understanding...

Glaciers are not only contributors to the sea level rise but also important players in the circulation of pollutants. Over a billion people apply glacial waters for domestic purposes; hence, both the quality and quantity of this water should be monitored. In this chapter, we concentrate on the archipelago Svalbard in the Arctic, a typical target area for xenobiotics from long range atmospheric transport (LRAT), holding an important share...

Abstract The chemism of the glaciers is strongly determined by long-distance transport of chemical substances, and their wet and dry deposition on the glacier surface. This paper concerns spatial distribution of metals, ions, and dissolved organic carbon, as well as the differentiation of physicochemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity) determined in ice surface samples collected from four Arctic glaciers during the summer...

The Svalbard archipelago, located at the Arctic sea-ice edge between 74 and 81∘ N, is ∼60 % covered by glaciers. The region experiences rapid variations in atmospheric flow during the snow season (from late September to May) and can be affected by air advected from both lower and higher latitudes, which likely impact the chemical composition of snowfall. While long-term changes in Svalbard snow chemistry have been documented in...