Context:

• According to the State of the Cryosphere 2023 report, nearly all tropical glaciers, most mid-latitude glaciers, and polar regions will disappear even if the world manages to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius, above the preindustrial era.

Key Findings of the State of the Cryosphere 2023 Report

• Report is released by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, a network of policy experts and researchers working to preserve the Earth’s cryosphere
• The Himalayas: Expected to lose 50% of today’s ice if global average temperatures touch 2°C. 
• Antarctica: Sea ice hit an all-time low summer and winter record this year. Experts predicted that it would completely lose sea ice every summer at 2°C.
• Arctic Ocean: At 2°C, the Arctic Ocean will be free of sea ice almost every year and for periods of up to four months from July to October. 
  • Water temperatures in parts of the Arctic and North Atlantic were 4-6°C higher than normal.
• Impact on Permafrost: At the current temperature rise of 1.2°C, many glaciers of the northern Andes, East Africa, and Indonesia are disappearing rapidly.
  • Both 2°C and 1.5°C could lead to doom of permafrost as these temperatures are too high to stop the thawing of permafrost extensively. 
  • The world must limit global warming to 1.5°C to protect the cryosphere.

What is the Cryosphere?

• The cryosphere is the name given to Earth’s snow and ice regions and ranges from ice sheets, glaciers, snow, and permafrost to sea ice and the polar oceans. 
  • According to the report, a combination of melting polar ice sheets, vanishing glaciers, and thawing permafrost will have rapid, irreversible, and disastrous impacts worldwide.
• Permafrost is ground below the Earth’s surface that has been continuously frozen for at least two consecutive years and in most cases, for hundreds or thousands of years.
  • It consists of soil, gravel, and sand, usually bound together by ice. 
  • When permafrost thaws, it releases CO2 and methane emissions. This will cause a spike in temperatures even if human emissions reach zero. 

News Source: DTE