Which of the following statements regarding ice-cap climate is/are correct? 1. In the Koeppen climate classification, the ice-cap climate is signified by the letters EF. 2. It is the Earth's most severe climate, where the mean monthly temperature is never above 0 degree Celsius. 3. This climate is found in the Pir Panjal and the Great Himalayas. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

In the Köppen climate classification, the ice-cap climate is designated by the letters EF [2]. It is characterized as the Earth's most severe climate, where the mean monthly temperature never exceeds 0°C (32°F) [1]. This perpetual frost prevents the melting of snow, leading to the formation of permanent ice sheets [3]. Geographically, this climate is primarily confined to the interior of Greenland and Antarctica [3]. While high-altitude mountain peaks can exhibit similar conditions, the Pir Panjal and Great Himalayas are generally classified under the 'H' (Highland) or 'E' (Polar Tundra/ET) categories in the Köppen system rather than the permanent EF ice-cap designation, which requires every month to be below freezing [2]. Therefore, statements 1 and 2 are correct, while statement 3 is incorrect in the context of standard regional classification.

Sources

1. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: World Climate and Climate Change > Ice Cap Climate (EF) > p. 94
2. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 30: Climatic Regions > Major Climatic Types According to Koppen > p. 421
3. [3] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 25: The Arctic or Polar Climate > Distribution > p. 233