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.
Mars has a dynamic cryosphere with polar ice caps that grow and shrink seasonally, and subsurface permafrost that might harbor ancient life! Europa and Enceladus have cryospheres that are actually shells of ice floating on liquid oceans - making them prime targets in the search for extraterrestrial life.
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