cryosfääri

The cryosphere refers to all the frozen water on Earth. This includes ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, lake and river ice, snow, and permafrost. These frozen parts of the Earth play a crucial role in regulating global climate and sea levels.

Ice sheets, such as those in Greenland and Antarctica, store vast amounts of frozen water. Glaciers are large, slow-moving masses of ice that form from compacted snow. Sea ice is frozen ocean water, which differs from icebergs that are chunks of freshwater ice broken off from glaciers or ice sheets. Snow cover on land and ice on lakes and rivers are more temporary components of the cryosphere, varying with seasons and climate. Permafrost is ground that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years.

The cryosphere significantly influences Earth's albedo, the reflectivity of its surface. Bright white ice and snow reflect a large portion of incoming solar radiation back into space, which helps to cool the planet. Conversely, as the cryosphere melts, darker surfaces like ocean water or land are exposed, absorbing more heat and leading to further warming. Changes in the cryosphere are a key indicator of climate change, with melting ice contributing to rising sea levels and potentially altering ocean circulation patterns.