Mission: to understand and represent the role of the cryosphere in Earth’s climate sytem and to assess and quantify the impacts that climate variability and change have on components of the cryosphere and its overall stability, and the consequences of these impacts for the climate system

The Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) was established by WCRP in March 2000 to stimulate, support, and coordinate research into the processes by which the cryosphere interacts with the rest of the climate system. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) became a co-sponsor of the project in 2004, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) in 2008.

To achieve it’s mission, CliC develops and coordinates national and international activities related to cryosphere and climate. This includes initiating and organizing conferences, workshops, scientific experiments, and model intercomparison studies. CliC promotes collaboration with other groups involved in climate research.

CliC encompasses four themes, covering the following areas of climate and cryosphere science: (1) The Terrestrial Cryosphere and Hydrometeorology of Cold Regions; (2) Ice Masses and Sea Level; (3) The Marine Cryosphere and Climate; and (4) Global Prediction of the Cryosphere.

Examples of CliC accomplishments:
> CliC prepared an IGOS Theme on Cryosphere (IGOS-Cryo) in partnership with SCAR and published a report reflecting broad consensus on the planned development of cryospheric observations for years to come. In May 2007, the 15th WMO Congress approved Canada’s proposal to create a Global Cryospheric Watch, which was based on the IGOC-Cryo recommendations.
> CliC generated strong input from the climate research community to the scientific programme of IPY 2007-2008. This included a concept of polar satellite snapshot aimed at obtaining unprecedented coverage of both polar regions.
> CliC was one of the key scientific programmes that drew the attention of the world’s scientific community to the cryosphere. For the first time, a chapter on Snow, Ice and Frozen Ground was prepared in the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (2007). Contribution of melted water to recent sea-level change is now known with considerably increased accuracy.
> Through the 2nd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (held November 2005, Copenhagen, Denmark) CliC engaged the Arctic climate and weather modelling communities in developing a 10-year plan to improve projections of Arctic change.