Cryosphere in the Earth System

Question 1

Snow cover

Answer 1

5% global precipitation = snow

50-90% Arctic

Question 2

Polar amplification of warming

Answer 2

cryosphere is where most change is happening - warming

more melting = less albedo

Question 3

Pan Arctic snow melt onset

Answer 3

first time snowpack = wet
MW sensitive to moisture
Need good temporal resolution

Question 4

Snow cover responsible for…..

Answer 4

largest annual and inter annual variations in:
albedo
Thermal insulation
Water Storage

Question 5

Ice sheets & glaciers

Answer 5

formed by accumulation and densification of snow
77% of Earth’s freshwater
-Contribute %&raquo_space;» than Greenland + Arctic to sea level change

Question 6

Ice shelf

Answer 6

Floating extension of ice sheet

-Not constrained by topography

Question 7

Ice Cap

Answer 7

glacier contained by topography

-round shaped flows various directions

Question 8

Valley glacier example

Answer 8

d’Argentiere, France

Question 9

Icebergs

Answer 9

most Antarctic ice loss through iceberg

-disintegration governed by water temp, seas state, incoming radiation

Question 10

Sea ice

Answer 10

< -1.8 C
formation includes brine rejection
-Habitat for organism
-Valubale indicator of climate change

Question 11

Thermohaline circulation

Answer 11

drives ocean circulation

Question 12

Freshwater ice

Answer 12

High altitudes
Rivers reduced or stopped
Flood if blocked

Question 13

Permafrost

Answer 13

Ground frozen throughout the year
Temp varies with depth
-Controlled by geothermal heat flux + surface temp variations

Permafrost & Active layer

• active - 1-2m
• permafrost - 10’s m - 1km