Polar region on a changing planet: learning from the past, exploring the future

Sessione S 15. Polar region on a changing planet: learning from the past, exploring the future The polar areas are complex, interlinked systems whose environmental changes driven by climate variations have a fundamental impact on the rest of the planet. Ice melting associated to increasing atmospheric and ocean surface temperatures, is responsible for progressive sea level rise threatening coastal urbanization and infrastructures, and alteration of the atmosphere-ocean coupling system responsible for precipitation patterns around the world. The information about past climate changes are especially guarded in the glacial and geological records of the polar areas, very sensitive also to small temperature changes which can lead to large environmental feedback. This session welcomes contributions reporting the state-of-the-art in polar sciences, including geology, oceanography, glacial geology and geomorphology, glaciology and related modelling exploring the future climatic trend of polar region.