Mountains, Lowlands, and Coasts: The Physiography of Cold Landscapes

Large parts of the terrestrial area of planet Earth belong to the cryosphere. The distribution is mainly governed by temperature, precipitation, and wind. Hence, snow and ice are predominant in high latitudes, but are restricted to high altitudes in mid-latitudes and low latitudes. Here, we first give an overview of the physiography of high mountains, cold lowlands, and cold coasts, and then focus on glaciers and permafrost, and their interaction, as the most important and widespread components of the terrestrial cryosphere.