Scientists report in the journal Hydrometeorology that as a result of climate change, there has been a significant loss of snow cover in the northern hemisphere. They came to such conclusions based on an analysis of data from the years 1967-2021.
Snow cover plays an important role both in the global heat balance and in the local temperature distribution. The high albedo of snow, that is, the ability to reflect sunlight, as well as the insulating properties of the snow cover, lower the temperature at the surface, and thus slow down the progression of changes in the Earth’s climate.
Recent research, using mathematical models and statistical methods, has shown a steady decline in snow cover in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere over the past half century. An article on this topic was published in June in the Journal of Hydrometeorology.
In the Arctic, snow is disappearing faster than we thought. Kind of expected this, said Robert Lund, a professor in the Jack Baskin Department of Engineering in Santa Cruz, California, and one of the study’s authors. “The snow is also disappearing from the continent’s southern borders,” he added.
Consequences of climate change in EuropeMałgorzata Latos, Adam Ziemienowicz / PAP
The search lasted four years
An international team analyzed data from satellites from 1967 to 2021. In a four-year study, scientists showed that the presence of snow in the Arctic and southern latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere is generally declining.
On the other hand, some regions, such as eastern Canada, are seeing an increase in snow cover. This may be due to the high temperatures in these regions. Although the values on the thermometers are higher, they are still less than zero, which means that more water is being retained in the atmosphere, which then falls as snow.
Climate change and its consequences in the worldAdam Ziemienowicz, Maciej Zielinski/PAP
Main image source: stock struggle
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