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 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.

Cryosphere

• The cryosphere contains the frozen parts of the planet. It includes snow and ice on land, ice caps, glaciers, permafrost, and sea ice. This sphere helps maintain Earth's climate by reflecting incoming solar radiation back into space.

• 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

• It is a ground that stays frozen for two consecutive years.  These permanently frozen grounds are most common in regions with high mountains and in Earth's higher latitudes—near the North and South Poles.

• It consists of soil, gravel, and sand, usually bound together by ice. 

• When permafrost thaws, it releases CO2 and methane emissions, which will cause a spike in temperatures even if human emissions reach zero.