Big changes in the world’s cold regions

Tweet

Melting ice, snow and permafrost figure in our Geo Quiz this time. You’ve heard about the earth’s atmosphere and probably its biosphere. However, we’re looking for a different sphere. This one is the collective name of all of the coldest parts of the planet.

Antarctica, of course, is generally the coldest continent but the scientific term we’re looking for includes all of the frozen parts of the Earth. That includes the Arctic ice cap and Greenland’s ice sheet, along with all the planet’s snow, glaciers, and even icebergs.

So, what’s the scientific name for all of our planet’s frozen parts?

---

Geo Answer:

It is in fact the cryosphere. A new report out this week documents how fast the Arctic and Greenland are changing as the planet warms up. That could mean much higher sea levels than previously anticipated. Lisa Mullins talks with Walt Meier, one of the study’s authors.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download MP3

Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program