The portion of a planet's surface where water exists in solid form, including ice caps, glaciers, frozen ground, and snow cover. The cryosphere plays a crucial role in planetary climate and surface processes.
From Greek 'kryos' meaning 'cold' or 'ice' and 'sphaira' meaning 'sphere,' coined in the late 20th century as Earth system science developed. The term has expanded to describe icy regions on other planets and moons.
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