{
  "id": 19770641,
  "title": "Cryosphere at tipping point: Climate crisis: Snow and ice push us beyond a safe boundary",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/kryosphare-am-kipppunkt-klimakrise-bei-schnee-und-eis-raus-aus-dem",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-13T06:25:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/forschung-innovation/kryosphaere-am-kipppunkt-klimakrise-bei-schnee-und-eis-raus-aus-dem-sicheren-bereich/100269610.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Recent research led by Johan Rockström of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research warns that the frozen parts of the Earth, known as the Cryosphere, have crossed a critical threshold, threatening human life and ecosystems. The frozen foundation of our planet, including ice sheets, mountain glaciers, sea ice, snow cover, and permafrost, is no longer within safe limits due to climate change. These frozen foundations have already left the secure zone, putting human livelihoods and ecological systems at risk.\n\nRockström explains that risks associated with the Cryosphere are already evident, with recent examples such as floods in Nepal. The study uses four key variables: land ice mass, sea ice extent, snow cover, and permafrost temperature. These variables were compared to reference values determined from climate data spanning nearly 12,000 years. The team then assessed the system's ability to remain within these boundaries and the likelihood of surpassing them in the future.\n\nThe study finds that the Land ice limit, which could help prevent irreversible ice loss, sea level rise, climate instability, and water scarcity, has been exceeded. The current land ice mass stands at 27.63 billion tons, exceeding the safe threshold of 27.48 billion tons by more than 0.64 billion tons. This means that further ice loss of more than 0.64 billion tons is inevitable, and the safe operating space will become unavailable in the future.\n\nOther variables like sea ice extent, snow cover, permafrost extent, and permafrost temperature have also surpassed their respective safe limits. The global average snow-covered area should be 38.8 million square kilometers, but it currently stands at 35.9 million square kilometers. The permafrost temperature is already above the safe threshold of -6.6 degrees Celsius, with the mean annual ground temperature of permafrost soils measured at 13.7 million square kilometers.",
  "summary": "Glaciers, sea ice, and permafrost are not yet recorded separately in the planetary boundaries. A study shows how far the frozen parts of the Earth have already moved away from the safe zone.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}