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Bluesy glacier (Credit: Velio Coviello, distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

CR Cryospheric Sciences Division on Cryospheric Sciences

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European Geosciences Union

Division on Cryospheric Sciences
cr.egu.eu

Division on Cryospheric Sciences

President: Carleen Tijm-Reijmer (Emailcr@egu.eu)
Deputy President: Daniel Farinotti (Email)
ECS Representative: Lu Zhou (Emailecs-cr@egu.eu)

The cryosphere are those parts of the Earth and other planetary bodies that are subject to prolonged periods of temperatures below the freezing point of water. These include glaciers, frozen ground, sea ice, snow and ice. One of the main aims of the EGU Division on Cryospheric Sciences (CR) is to facilitate the exchange of information within the science community. It does so by organising series of sessions at the annual EGU General Assembly, and through the publishing of the open-access journal The Cryosphere. The division awards the Julia and Johannes Weertman medal for outstanding contributions to the science of the cryosphere.

Latest posts from the CR blog

Navigating the polar frontier: exploring the effects of sea-ice decline on shipping and sea routes in the Arctic

Sea ice is a critical part of the unique Arctic ecosystem, but climate change is becoming a serious threat. Warming in the Arctic has already resulted in the loss of over 4 million km² of sea ice. But is it all bad? Retreat of Arctic sea ice is allowing more ships to navigate the Arctic Ocean, along shorter, faster and cheaper sea routes, providing emission reductions of 24%. But will the growth of shipping sign the death warrant for Arctic …


Cryosphere Caps: PhD hats and the researchers that wear them

This miniseries features the tradition of ‘PhD hat’ making in German research institutes and universities. For those of you unfamiliar with this idea (as I once was), this is one of the final milestones a graduate student has before they are officially a “Dr.”. Upon the successful defense of a thesis, the peers of the PhD student craft a graduation hat from a mishmash of scrap cardboard and memorabilia. Hours of work go into these beloved pieces, and you can …


Field notes from the Chhota Shigri Glacier: A journey of science and survival in the Himalaya

I’m Himanshu Kaushik, a PhD student working under the guidance of Dr. Mohd Farooq Azam at the Indian Institute of Technology Indore (India). Seven years ago, I took my first steps onto the Chhota Shigri Glacier (CSG) in the Indian (Western) Himalaya, and it felt like stepping into another world. Surrounded by the towering peaks, it seemed otherworldly and humbling. After that first expedition, I have visited this glacier about 16 times, each trip uncovering new insights and deepening my …


Uncovering Antarctica’s hidden subglacial lake network with satellite altimetry

Measuring ice surface elevation changes with satellite laser altimeters flying hundreds of kilometres above Earth tells us where the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are thinning or thickening and how much they contribute to sea level rise. Beyond that though, it can also reveal hidden activity of subglacial lakes filling and draining beneath the ice and meltwater rivers flowing out towards the coast! Read further to find out how this method has been used to detect previously unknown subglacial lakes …

Recent awardees

Shin Sugiyama

Shin Sugiyama

  • 2025
  • Julia and Johannes Weertman Medal

The 2025 Julia and Johannes Weertman Medal is awarded to Shin Sugiyama for outstanding work in the field of glacier dynamics and ice-water interactions, including seminal contributions to our understanding of lake-calving glaciers and ice-dammed lake outbursts.


Brice Noël

Brice Noël

  • 2025
  • Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Early Career Scientists

The 2025 Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Early Career Scientists is awarded to Brice Noël for outstanding research in the field of the surface mass budget of ice caps and ice sheets, based on regional climate modelling.


Gwenn E. Flowers

Gwenn E. Flowers

  • 2024
  • Julia and Johannes Weertman Medal

The 2024 Julia and Johannes Weertman Medal is awarded to Gwenn E. Flowers for outstanding research in the field of the theoretical and observational hydrology of glaciers, ice caps and continental ice masses.


Katrina Lutz

Katrina Lutz

  • 2024
  • Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award

The 2024 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Katrina Lutz Evaluation of supraglacial lake depth estimation techniques using Sentinel-2, ICESat-2, TanDEM-X, and in situ data, along with an analysis of rapid drainage events over Northeast Greenland


Laura Gabriel

Laura Gabriel

  • 2024
  • Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award

The 2024 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Laura Gabriel Exploring englacial hydrology with surface nuclear magnetic resonance


Nora Krebs

Nora Krebs

  • 2024
  • Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award

The 2024 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Nora Krebs Testing four Sentinel (1 and 2) and MODIS Fractional Snow Cover products for the evaluation of five Alpine Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensing sites


Laura A. Stevens

Laura A. Stevens

  • 2024
  • Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Early Career Scientists

The 2024 Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Early Career Scientists is awarded to Laura A. Stevens for outstanding research into the links between glacial hydrology and ice dynamics, and for their service to the cryosphere community.

Current issue of the EGU newsletter

In our February issue we take a look beneath the surface to how we understand whats going on beneath our feet, monitoring how ice deposits behave deep underground, and learn about the roles geodesists can play in our geoscientific landscape!

EGU's Simon Clark helps you get to the next level with your personal growth in 2025, and EGU says a big thank you to the over 11,900 volunteers that supported us in 2024. Now is also your chance to get involved in the Science for Policy interface in Europe by applying to join EGU's new Climate Hazard and Risk Task Force by 31 March.

The EGU25 Photo Competition is open until 31 March, submit your image to win free registration to EGU26 and don't forget to vote for the new Biogeosciences (BG) Division President by 24 March. All this and much more in this month's Loupe!