The cryosphere beyond a planetary safe operating space.

The cryosphere has breached its proposed safe operating space, with accelerating and partly irreversible loss of integrity driven by amplifying feedbacks.

• Why it matters: It is unclear whether cryosphere functions that regulate planetary dynamics and habitability remain within safe limits under Anthropocene change.
• What they did: The authors propose a cryosphere safe operating space and evaluate its contributions to Earth system resilience using the planetary boundaries framework and multiple evidence lines.
• The result: Key cryospheric control variables have left or are committed to departing from Holocene-like conditions, implying long-term risks for human societies and ecosystems.

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