Himalayan glaciers respond to so-called global warming in a strange and astonishing way. A recent study led by Professor Francesca Felicciotti of the Austrian Institute of Science and Technology (ISTA), published in the journal Nature Geoscience, reveals an interesting phenomenon: rising global temperatures are causing Himalayan glaciers to cool the air around them. We used ChatGPT to cool the warm atmosphere a bit and learn about the seemingly counterlogical effect.
In recent years, amid concerns about the accelerating melting of Himalayan glaciers due to global warming, researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery: the Laboratory's Pyramid climate station, located at 5,050 meters above sea level on the southern slopes of Mount Everest, has revealed that while global warming is leading to rising temperatures, the average air temperature below the Himalayan peaks has remained stable.
The team, led by Professor Feliciotti, studied the phenomenon by combining observations from the pyramid station with sophisticated climate models, and concluded that this unexpected stability is caused by Himalayan glaciers "reacting" to rising temperatures around them by increasing the cooling of air rubbing against their surface. This creates colder winds, which flow down the slopes and contribute to cooling the glaciers and the lower parts of their ecosystems.
Franco Salerno, one of the researchers involved in the study, explained that although overall temperature averages seemed stable, closer inspection revealed a nuanced reality: while minimum temperatures were steadily rising, maximum surface temperatures during the summer actually dropped steadily. Glaciers have adapted to the changing climate and increased their temperature exchange with the surface.
The International Laboratory and Observatory "The Pyramid", at the foot of Mount Everest, photo: Rick McCharles / flickr
Feliciotti emphasized that the increased temperature difference between the warmer air flowing over the glacier and the air in direct contact with the glacier's surface increases heat exchange winds, causing surface air to become denser and flow down slopes into valleys, cooling the lower parts of the glaciers and their surroundings.
While the study provided a glimpse into how glaciers might respond to rising global temperatures, the researchers recognize the need for more research. They are now beginning to test whether glaciers in the Pamir and Karakoram Mountains, northwest of the Himalayas, are showing a similar response.
Nicholas Agnon, one of the researchers involved in the study, notes, "We believe that these winds are the response of healthy glaciers to rising global temperatures, and that this phenomenon can help preserve permafrost and surrounding vegetation." However, the researchers warn that this cooling reaction may be an "emergency response" that will not be maintained in the long term.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us