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Welcome

The fact that ice floats is one of its most amazing and important properties. There are very few other materials on Earth, and none as abundant as water, that expand as they solidify so that the solid form becomes less dense than the liquid form.

The goal of cryospheric research at the Geophysical Institute is to understand the properties and processes which occur within snow, ice, and permafrost, their role in the shaping of the landscape, and their influence on climate and impact on the biosphere Studies include field investigations throughout the arctic, antarctic, and and mountainous regions of our planet, with increasing participation in the exploration of Mars and Jovian satellites.