Global Warming’s Impact on Mountain Ranges

Context:

This analysis examines a UNESCO report on climate change’s effects on mountains, covering 33 million sq km and vital for 2 billion people downstream. Released on March 20, 2025, the report highlights rapid, often irreversible changes in mountain ecosystems due to warming, with implications for water, biodiversity, and hazards as of March 23, 2025.

Crisp Information in Points:

1. Mountain Coverage: Mountains span 33 million sq km globally, critical for freshwater from glaciers, supporting around 2 billion people downstream.
2. Temperature Rise: Since 1950, mountains have warmed 25-50% faster than the global average, accelerating glacier melt and ecosystem shifts.
3. Snowfall Shifts: Warmer climates push the rain-to-snow transition line upward, reducing snow cover depth and duration, with more precipitation as rain.
4. Early Snowmelt: Snowmelt now occurs earlier, shrinking snow-covered areas and disrupting water cycles vital for downstream communities.
5. Permafrost Thaw: High-altitude permafrost, frozen for centuries, is melting rapidly, holding 4.5% of global soil organic carbon—about 66 million tonnes.
6. Carbon Release: Thawing permafrost releases carbon into the atmosphere, worsening global warming in a feedback loop, as per UNESCO findings.
7. Slope Instability: Melting permafrost destabilizes slopes, increasing risks of landslides and erosion, threatening mountain settlements.
8. Glacier Retreat: Most mountain glaciers are receding faster, with potential loss of freshwater sources if warming exceeds 1.5°C, per UNESCO projections.
9. Biodiversity Threat: Climate zones shifting upslope endanger species adapted to specific altitudes, risking mass extinctions in fragile ecosystems.
10. Human Impact: Continued glacier melt could disrupt water security, agriculture, and hydropower for billions, amplifying climate-related challenges.

Key Terms:

• Global Warming: Rise in Earth’s average temperature due to human-induced greenhouse gases.
• Permafrost: Ground frozen for at least two years, storing significant carbon.
• Glacier Melt: Accelerated ice loss in mountains due to rising temperatures.
• Snow Cover: Area and duration of snow, reduced by warming-induced shifts.
• Organic Carbon: Carbon in permafrost, released as it thaws, fueling climate change.
• Landslides: Slope failures triggered by permafrost thaw and erosion.
• Biodiversity: Variety of species, threatened by shifting climate zones.

Link To The Original Article – https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-climate/global-warming-mountain-ranges-9900360/