1st Glacier Declared Dead from Climate Change

Syllabus: GS3/Environment and Conservation

Context

• Satellite images taken more than three decades apart show the disappearance of Iceland’s Okjökull.
  • It was the first glacier to be officially declared dead as a result of human-caused climate change in 2014.

About

• Okjökull was a dome-shaped glacier situated around the summit crater on Ok, a 1,200 meters shield volcano located 71 kilometers northwest of Reykjavík, Iceland. 

• In 2023, Iceland also created the world’s first iceberg graveyard, where ice-like headstones were constructed for the 15 major glaciers listed on the Global Glacier Casualty List, all of which are either dead or critically endangered.
  • This list includes the Anderson Glacier in Washington state, which, in 2015, became the first U.S. glacier to be declared dead.

Earth’s Cryosphere

• Cryosphere: The term “cryosphere” originates to the Greek word ‘kryos’ for frost or ice cold.
  • It includes the components of the Earth System at and below the land and ocean surface that are frozen.
  • They include snow cover, glaciers, ice sheets, ice shelves, icebergs, sea ice, lake ice, river ice, permafrost, and seasonally frozen ground, and solid precipitation.
• An ice sheet is defined as a mass of glacial land that extends more than 50,000 square kilometers across a land. 
  • There are only two ice sheets on Earth today, the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets. 
  • Ice on both is more than 2 kilometers thick. 
  • Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets contain more than 70% of the freshwater ice on Earth.

• Related Facts: 
  • 70% of Earth’s fresh water exists as snow or ice.
  • Around 10% of Earth’s land area is covered by glaciers or ice sheets.

Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) – The HKH mountains extend around 3,500 km over eight countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Myanmar, and Pakistan.  1. These mountains are also called the “water towers of Asia” because they are the origins of 10 crucial river systems on the continent — Amu Darya, Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween, Mekong, Yangtse, Yellow river, and Tarim.  2. These river basins provide water to almost one-fourth of the world’s population and are a significant freshwater source for 240 million people in the HKH region. – Melting of Hindukush: The Hindu Kush Himalayan cryosphere is warming at twice the global average rate, according to the International Cryosphere Initiative.  1. The region is most vulnerable to glacial disasters like outburst floods.

Roles and Significance of Cryosphere

• Climate Regulation: Reflects sunlight (albedo effect) and helps regulate Earth’s temperature.
• Sea Level Control: Stores freshwater; melting contributes to rising sea levels.
• Global Water Cycle: A source of freshwater when glaciers and snow melt.
• Habitat: Provides ecosystems for specialized species.
• Indicator of Climate Change: Sensitive to temperature changes, it serves as a marker for global warming.

Threats to the Cryosphere and its Global Impact

• Global Warming: Higher global temperatures are causing widespread melting of glaciers, ice caps, and sea ice. 
• Rising Sea Levels: Melting ice contributes to higher ocean levels, threatening coastal areas.
• Loss of Habitats: Species dependent on ice-covered regions face habitat loss.
  • It also affects important fish stocks, marine mammals and bird populations.
• Permafrost Thawing: Permafrost is a layer of frozen soil, composed of soil, gravel, and sand bound together by ice.
  • Permafrost contains a lot of carbon dioxide and methane that has been stored over thousands of years.
  • Current rapid thawing releases carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere.
• Changing Snow Patterns: Altered snowfall and melting patterns disrupt ecosystems and water availability.

Global Initiatives to Conserve Cryosphere

• Paris Agreement (2015): A global treaty with the goal of limiting global temperature rise to well below 2°C, ideally to 1.5°C, to reduce the impact on the cryosphere and other ecosystems. It encourages countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI): Established in 2009 as a result of the COP-15, it is a network of senior policy experts and researchers that works with governments and organizations.
  • It creates and implements initiatives designed to preserve the Earth’s cryosphere.
• IPCC Reports and Climate Action: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) regularly releases reports that emphasize the need for action to mitigate the impacts of climate change on the cryosphere. 
• The National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) by India.
  • It intends to evolve suitable management and policy measures for sustaining and safeguarding the Himalayan ecosystem.
• CryoNet (WMO): The World Meteorological Organization’s Cryosphere Observing Network (CryoNet) aims to monitor and track changes in the cryosphere. 
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The United Nations’ SDGs, particularly Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Goal 15 (Life on Land), include objectives to reduce the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, including the cryosphere.
• The Arctic Council: It is a forum for Arctic countries to collaborate on environmental protection, sustainable development, and climate change mitigation in the Arctic region.
• Global Ice Monitoring Initiatives: Programs like the Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) and the European Space Agency’s CryoSat mission provide essential data for monitoring ice mass loss and other cryospheric changes globally.

Conclusion

• All living beings depend directly or indirectly on the cryosphere.
• Conserving the cryosphere is essential for maintaining the balance of Earth’s climate, ecosystems, and freshwater resources.

Source: LS