Week 8 - Cryosphere

Question 1

How much water does the cryosphere contain?

Answer 1

Of all water on Earth, 3% is freshwater.

Of that 3% on the surface, 69% is in the cryosphere.

Question 2

Importance of cryosphere

Answer 2

1. Feedbacks on climate system (e.g. albedo, release of CH4/ CO2)
2. Changes in ocean and atmospheric circulation
3. Changes in ecosystems that depend on snow and ice

Question 3

Why should we care about the cryosphere?

Answer 3

Sea level rise

Warming and unstable climate in the tropics due to Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)

Food security - Glaciers in Tibet Plateau is critical for agriculture water supply in SEA

Question 4

Cryosphere

Answer 4

Portions of the Earth surface where water is in solid form (includes snow cover, sea ice, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, seasonally frozen ground and perennially frozen ground (permafrost))

Question 5

Area and volume of cryosphere components

Answer 5

By volume, 87% of ice in Antarctica, 10% in Greenland, 2.5% in ice shelves and 0.5% in others (e.g. sea ice, snow)

By area, snow and ice are largest in extent (due to global land area)

Expands in winters (>50% of Earth’s land surface is part of the cryosphere at some time during the year)

If all ice melted, sea level would go up by 65m.

Question 6

Sea level rise