Cryospheric changes and their impacts are receiving wide attention from international scientific and social communities. Here, we summarize the present hotspots of international cryospheric sciences and hence conclude four major aspects of it. They are respectively ① mechanism of cryospheric changes, ② interaction of cryospheric and other spheres of climate/earth system, ③ impacts of cryospheric changes, and ④ adaptation methods and strategy to these changes. Among the four areas, mechanism study is the basis for cryospherc sciences, interaction between different spheres is the currently developing aspect of the field, impacts of cryospheric changes are increasingly studied and yet still have large gaps, while adaptation study is still an iniative nowadays. For the above four aspects, there are key issues for each of them. For instance, dynamic responses and spatial/temporal differences are the key challenges in the mechanism studies. Rational and precise description on physical/chemical/geochemical processes of cryosphere is one of critical issues on improving the climate models. Scoping the spatial/temporal scales, as well as defining the influence degree is the key gaps in studying the cryospheric impacts. Methods and related index system for vulnerability assessment is the key issue in the study of the adaptation strategy of cryospheric impacts. Cryospheric sciences are developing towards, in the near future, the coupling of cryoshperic components into climate system in global scale, detecting the impacts of cryospheric changes using multiple and integrated methodology, and innovated approaches in adaptation.