noun
cryosphere
Technical term in meteorology and geology for the frozen water parts of the Earth's surface, including snow, ice, glaciers, and permafrost.
雪氷圏の変化は地球温暖化の重要な指標です。
Changes in the cryosphere are an important indicator of global warming.
Compound of 雪 (snow), 氷 (ice), and 圏 (sphere, zone). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is a modern scientific coinage.