A New Trend in Cryoseismology: A Proxy for Detecting the Polar Surface Environment

Abstract

“Cryoseismology” is a new branch of interdisciplinary science, which treats glacierrelated seismic events and their dynamics associated with the variable phenomenon of the Earth’s surface. Cryoseismology is considered to be one of the proxies for detecting environmental variations, particularly in the polar region, which contains the majority volume of the cryosphere of the planet. Various kinds of cryoseismic signals recently reported are reviewed by classifying them into several categories on the basis of their occurrence locations and focal dynamics. Temporal-spatial variations in cryoseismic activities and their wave propagation characteristics could demonstrate a new image of cryodynamics, which have not yet been known well before but have a significant impact on the global environment and human activities.