Cryosphere

The cryosphere refers to the components of the Earth system where water exists in solid form, including glaciers, ice sheets, sea ice, snow cover, permafrost and frozen ground. It spans polar regions, high mountains and seasonally cold areas. The cryosphere influences climate by reflecting solar radiation, regulating energy exchange and storing freshwater, and it plays a central role in sea level change and global hydrological processes.

Satellite Image: Southern Finland and the Gulf of Finland
Image of the day: Ice retreat begins in the Gulf of FinlandNews

Image of the day: Ice retreat begins in the Gulf of Finland

Spring thaw in southern Finland marks a transition in the annual ice season, as coastal waters and inland lakes shift from winter cover to a…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskMarch 29, 2026 Full article
Satellite Image: Oslo, Norway (left) and Iceland
Image of the day: Snow-covered Oslo and Iceland’s volcanic landscapeNews

Image of the day: Snow-covered Oslo and Iceland’s volcanic landscape

Northern Europe’s landscapes frame a new step in Europe’s space and connectivity strategy, as Norway and Iceland join the European Union’s secure satellite communications programmes.…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskMarch 26, 2026 Full article
Satellite Image: Tasman Glacier, New Zealand
Image of the day: Tasman Glacier on World Day for GlaciersNews

Image of the day: Tasman Glacier on World Day for Glaciers

Around 70% of Earth’s freshwater is stored in the cryosphere, which covers roughly 10% of the planet’s land surface. On 21 March, World Day for…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskMarch 21, 2026 Full article
Image: Northwestern Pamir Mountains, central Tajikistan
Global project to map mountain water resources and climate risksClimate

Global project to map mountain water resources and climate risks

$9.5 million project led by ISTA combines fieldwork, advanced modeling, AI and community engagement Summary: A new international research effort will assess how climate change…
SourceSourceMarch 20, 2026 Full article
Image: Antarctic sea ice
Ocean warming behind Antarctica’s sea ice declineClimate

Ocean warming behind Antarctica’s sea ice decline

Sea ice around Antarctica expanded for several decades until a dramatic decline in 2015. The reasons behind this are revealed by research from the University…
SourceSourceMarch 18, 2026 Full article
Satellite Image: Vinson Massif, Antarctica
Image of the day: Vinson Massif, AntarcticaNews

Image of the day: Vinson Massif, Antarctica

Rising from the frozen expanse of West Antarctica, Vinson Massif stands within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains as the continent’s highest mountain block.…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskFebruary 28, 2026 Full article
Image: Emperor penguins on Antarctic sea ice
Satellite images reveal new threat to emperor penguins in AntarcticaClimate

Satellite images reveal new threat to emperor penguins in Antarctica

Scientists studying satellite images of Antarctica have stumbled upon a discovery that sheds new light on emperor penguins – and reveals a troubling threat to…
SourceSourceFebruary 26, 2026 Full article
Image: Neumayer Station III, Antarctica
Antarctic cloud formation probed in first inland aerosol flights in 20 yearsScience

Antarctic cloud formation probed in first inland aerosol flights in 20 years

The SANAT flight campaign investigated the origin and transport of aerosols in the Antarctic atmosphere that cause the formation of clouds – for the first…
SourceSourceFebruary 23, 2026 Full article
Satelite Image: Svalbard, Norway
Image of the day: Arctic winter without sea ice near SvalbardNews

Image of the day: Arctic winter without sea ice near Svalbard

In midwinter, the seas around Svalbard are usually covered by expanding Arctic sea ice, forming a continuous barrier between the archipelago and the central Arctic…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskJanuary 20, 2026 Full article
Image: Prudhoe Dome, Greenland
Ancient warming erased part of Greenland Ice Sheet, evidence showsClimate

Ancient warming erased part of Greenland Ice Sheet, evidence shows

Core samples pulled from beneath ice sheet suggests region is highly sensitive to the temperatures of our current interglacial period Summary: Greenland’s Prudhoe Dome ice…
SourceSourceJanuary 6, 2026 Full article
Satellite Image: Southeastern Greenland
Image of the day: Greenland’s mountains shape glaciers and climateNews

Image of the day: Greenland’s mountains shape glaciers and climate

Southeastern Greenland is marked by rugged coastal mountains that rise sharply from the ice sheet, shaping both local climate and glacial dynamics. Steep slopes and…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskJanuary 5, 2026 Full article
Satellite Image: The arctic wetlands of the Teshekpuk Lake, Alaska, USA
Image of the day: Arctic wetlands surrounding Teshekpuk Lake on Alaska’s North SlopeNews

Image of the day: Arctic wetlands surrounding Teshekpuk Lake on Alaska’s North Slope

The wetlands around Teshekpuk Lake, on Alaska’s North Slope, form one of the most biologically rich Arctic landscapes in North America. Shaped by permafrost, shallow…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 29, 2025 Full article
Satellite Image: Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, Iceland. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery
Image of the day: Breiðamerkurjökull glacier retreat traced over decadesNews

Image of the day: Breiðamerkurjökull glacier retreat traced over decades

Breiðamerkurjökull, an outlet glacier of the Vatnajökull ice cap in south-eastern Iceland, has been steadily withdrawing from the lowlands for more than a century. Its…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 28, 2025 Full article
Image: Arctic area
Image of the day: Arctic sea ice far below December averageNews

Image of the day: Arctic sea ice far below December average

Arctic sea ice extent has entered December at levels rarely seen for this time of year, continuing a pattern that developed through late autumn. Satellite…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 22, 2025 Full article
Satellite Images: Glaciers of the Hoher Dachstein Massif (30 August 2015 - left; 1 September 2025 - right)
Image of the day: A decade of glacier loss on the Hoher Dachstein massifNews

Image of the day: A decade of glacier loss on the Hoher Dachstein massif

International Mountain Day offers a moment to reflect on the role that mountain regions play in sustaining life far beyond their summits. The retreating glaciers…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 11, 2025 Full article
Satellite Image: Graham Land, Antarctica
Image of the day: Graham Land’s complex glacial terrainNews

Image of the day: Graham Land’s complex glacial terrain

Graham Land, the northern section of the Antarctic Peninsula, forms one of the fastest-warming parts of the continent. Its steep mountain chain and the outlet…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 8, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: December 5, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: December 5, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press roundup (December 5, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In brief:…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 5, 2025 Full article
Image: white and brown concrete building near snow covered mountain during daytime
Mountains face faster climate change, with risks for billionsClimate

Mountains face faster climate change, with risks for billions

A major global review has revealed how climate change has impacted mountain regions over the last 40 years Summary: Climate change in mountain regions is…
SourceSourceNovember 26, 2025 Full article
Image: Antarctica coast
As ice thins, Antarctic mountains reveal a hidden iron supply to the oceanClimate

As ice thins, Antarctic mountains reveal a hidden iron supply to the ocean

Research led by polar scientists from Northumbria University has revealed new hope in natural environmental systems found in East Antarctica which could help mitigate the…
SourceSourceNovember 24, 2025 Full article
Satellite Image: Sikuijivitteq, Eastern Greenland
Image of the day: Winter shadows along eastern GreenlandNews

Image of the day: Winter shadows along eastern Greenland

Eastern Greenland enters a period of rapid seasonal transition each November, as the approach of winter brings weaker sunlight and falling temperatures across the high…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 23, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: November 9, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: November 9, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press roundup (November 9, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In brief:…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 9, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: November 7, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: November 7, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press roundup (November 7, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In brief:…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 7, 2025 Full article
Image: Copernicus Sentinel-1D, French Guiana
Image of the day: Copernicus Sentinel-1D joins Europe’s radar fleetNews

Image of the day: Copernicus Sentinel-1D joins Europe’s radar fleet

Copernicus Sentinel-1D was launched into orbit on 4 November 2025 at 22:02 CET (21:02 UTC) aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from the European Spaceport in…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 5, 2025 Full article
Image: Hektoria Glacier rubble
Antarctic glacier retreats 8 km in two months, fastest in modern historyClimate

Antarctic glacier retreats 8 km in two months, fastest in modern history

Researchers trace Hektoria Glacier’s rapid collapse to its unstable ice plain, revealing how bedrock shape can trigger sudden Antarctic ice loss Summary: Hektoria Glacier on…
SourceSourceNovember 5, 2025 Full article