Geography

What is the Cryosphere?

What is the Cryosphere?

The cryosphere is made up of all of the frozen water on Earth. Snow, ice, sea ice, glaciers, ice shelves, icebergs, and permafrost are all part of the cryosphere. Changes in the cryosphere can play an important role in Earth’s climate and species’ survival. The cryosphere is an integral part of the global climate system with important linkages and feedbacks generated through its influence on surface energy and moisture fluxes, clouds, precipitation, hydrology, atmospheric and oceanic circulation.