It wasn't long after the first Earth observing satellites blasted into space that scientists began using data they gathered to study the poles. With the majority of polar territory sequestered by bitter temperatures and remote, forbidding terrain, experts took immediate advantage of this new orbiting omnipresence. But satellite observations are challenging to understand if you're not well versed in the language. The science of the cryosphere presents a steep learning curve to non-experts, too, and despite its growing relevance over the past few decades, it's not a subject that easily entices general audiences. The science is hard; so too is the translation of that science into ordinary language that captivates and educates. But like the research itself, it matters that non-scientists gain a broader understanding about how the world works. With activities surrounding the International Polar Year serving as a launching pad, media professionals, scientists, and administrators at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center decided to focus their forces at the ends of the Earth. Early into the process the filmmakers realized the story concerned more than just the poles. The cryosphere includes places on Earth where temperatures do not generally rise above water's freezing point, and to properly describe the nature and characteristics of global ice, it was imperative to take a more complete view of the world's overall frozen inventory.
—Michael Starobin