Context

• The global cryosphere shrank by about 87,000 square kilometers per year on average, between 1979 and 2016 as a result of climate change.

About

• The cryosphere is an all-encompassing term for those portions of Earth's surface where water is in solid form, including sea ice, lake ice, river ice, snow cover, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, and frozen ground (which includes permafrost).
• The cryosphere plays a significant role in the global climate and in climate model response to global changes.
• The term deglaciation describes the retreat of cryospheric features.
• The cryosphere holds almost three-quarters of Earth's fresh water, and in some mountainous regions, dwindling glaciers threaten drinking water supplies.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210701195242.htm

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