Glaciers in the Himalayas are melting rapidly, but a new report has found that a surprising phenomenon in the world's highest mountain range could help slow the effects of global climate change. crisis.
Nature Geoscience writes about this.
Climate warming creates a larger temperature gap between the ambient air above the Himalayan glaciers and the colder air in direct contact with the surface of the ice masses, explained Francesca Pelliciotti, professor of glaciology at the Austrian Institute of Science and Technology and lead author of the study.
“This results in increased turbulent heat exchange at the glacier surface and greater cooling of surface air masses,” she said in a press release.
As cool, dry surface air As it gets cooler and denser, it descends. Air masses flow down the slopes into the valleys, causing a cooling effect on the lower parts of the glaciers and neighboring ecosystems.
As ice and snow from the mountain range flow into 12 rivers that provide fresh water to nearly 2 billion people in 16 countries, It will be important to find out whether Himalayan glaciers can maintain this self-perpetuating cooling effect as the region faces a likely rise in temperatures.