Climate Overshoot Could Leave Long-Term Ice Damage, Report Finds

How high temperatures rise and how long they stay elevated. The second paragraph identifies both the height and duration of warming.

Clue: The report was produced by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative in coordination with the UN Environment Programme. It examines an “overshoot” scenario: warming passes a threshold before falling again. The effects depend on how high temperatures rise and how long they remain elevated.

Rising seas and pressure on mountain communities’ water supplies. The third paragraph names rising seas and pressure on water supplies.

Clue: According to the authors, some losses from glaciers and ice sheets could be effectively irreversible over human timescales. The consequences include rising seas and pressure on water supplies for communities that depend on mountain ice.

Some ice may recover partly over decades or centuries, but not every loss will reverse.. The final paragraph allows partial recovery for some ice while stating that not every loss would be reversed.

Clue: The report also says deep emissions cuts could limit further damage. Lower temperatures could allow some sea ice and glaciers to recover partly over decades or centuries, but not every loss would be reversed.