criósfera

The cryosphere refers to the parts of Earth's surface where water is in solid form. This includes snow, glaciers, ice sheets, sea ice, lake ice, and river ice. It also encompasses permafrost, which is ground that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years. The cryosphere plays a crucial role in regulating Earth's climate. Its high albedo, or reflectivity, means that ice and snow surfaces reflect a significant amount of solar radiation back into space, helping to keep the planet cooler.

Changes in the cryosphere are sensitive indicators of climate change. Global warming leads to melting of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice, which contributes to rising sea levels. The thawing of permafrost can release greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide, further accelerating warming. These changes have profound impacts on ecosystems, human societies, and global climate patterns. Monitoring the cryosphere is therefore vital for understanding and predicting future climate scenarios. Scientific disciplines like glaciology, snow science, and permafrost science focus on studying these frozen components of the Earth system.