The word ‘cryosphere’ derives from the Greek word for cold - ‘kryos’. The collective term cryosphere refers to the portion of the Earth’s surface where water exists in solid forms and low temperatures as snow, river and lake ice, sea ice, glaciers, ice shelves, ice sheets, and frozen ground.  

The cryosphere covers a huge area of the Earth’s surface and it plays a fundamental role in regulating the Earth’s climate systems. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets contain 99% of the Earth’s freshwater and their melting contributes to sea level rise. A reduction in snow and ice can have economic impacts for people, for example it can have an impact on tourism or can cause the loss of transport routes.  

Covering a large part of the Earth and sensitive to temperature change, the cryosphere provides scientists with key indications of the health of our planet. As well as considering the role of the cryosphere the course will look at the various applications of EO data and how the data has instrumental value for society.

By combining in-situ measurements with satellite data, scientists can track climate variability and how it changes over time.

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What you will learn:

·        The role the cryosphere plays in our climate

·        The challenges of monitoring the cryosphere and importance of Earth observation

·        The practical applications Earth observation data

·        The implications of a changing climate on our planet

·        How to understand the complex dynamic systems of the cryosphere and how they influence the climate

·        How we observe and measure the cryosphere using satellite and in-situ data

·        Data processing methods from CryoSat and other satellite missions

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Featured Educator:

• Professor Andrew Shepherd

(This video was filmed remotely during COVID-19 lockdown conditions)