Cryosphere

Cryosphere - the big unknown?


Cartographer: Hugo Ahlenius, UNEP/GRID-Arendal

Snow and the various forms of ice - the cryosphere - play different roles within the climate system.

"Glaciers and ice caps, as well as river and lake ice, with their smaller areas and volumes, react relatively quickly to climate effects, influencing ecosystems and human activities on a local scale and acts as good indicators of climate change."

As mentioned earlier this week on this SU and exemplified by the BBC news from Antarctic research, we do not know by far enough about the Cryosphere - or snow and ice cover - on this planet. In respect of that the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) created a new international association last year called International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS). IARC will focus and coordinate our efforts in this field of science.