What is the cryosphere? 

What is the cryosphere? 

The cryosphere refers to all the frozen parts of the Earth. In SnowPI, we focus on the terrestrial cryosphere, which includes  

• Glaciers:  Bodies of ice formed from snow that has accumulated and compacted over many years and begun to flow under their own weight. 

• Ice sheets: Vast masses of glacial ice, such as those covering Greenland and Antarctica. 

• Permafrost:  Soil or underwater sediment that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years and can contain large amounts of stored carbon. 

• Other snow-covered land surfaces. 

These frozen environments are highly sensitive to climate change and play an important role in regulating ecosystems, water resources, sea level and the global climate system