Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), part of the U.S. Department of Energy, climate change is transforming snowfall in the rains in the mountains of the northern hemisphere. These liquid water waves bring with them a range of hazards, including flooding, landslides and soil erosion, as published in the journal ‘Nature’.
“A quarter of the world’s population lives in or in mountainous regions” Mohammed Ombadi, lead author of the study, says–. They will be directly impacted by this risk.” Scientists already expect climate change to increase the volume of falling water during extreme events (typically lasting from a few hours to a day), but this study is the first time researchers have analyzed whether these extreme precipitations are in the form of rain or snow.
The researchers found that in mountainous areas, the rate of water falling as snow decreased and fell as rain, making the mountains particularly vulnerable to the dangers of excessive precipitation. They even put in a number: Researchers expect an average of 15% more rain in higher regions for every degree Celsius increase in global temperature.
“This increase in precipitation is not just something that will happen between today and the end of the 21st century: we’re already seeing it. The same pace was evident in the data from 1950 to 2019. Mountain peaks are already increasing, and it’s 15 percent,” Ombadi said. It will continue to change.”
yes ok all the mountain ranges in the northern hemisphere turn from snow to rain, The Pacific Ridges of North America (Cacades, Sierra Nevada, and coastal ranges from Canada to southern California), the Himalayas, and high-latitude regions are most affected by extreme precipitation events. Researchers are still working to understand why these areas are more at risk than other mountain ranges such as the Rockies or the Alps.
“We believe the North American Pacific ridges are more susceptible to the risk of excessive precipitation. Ombadi explains that the majority of snowfall in this region is more than in other mountain ranges, as it usually occurs at temperatures just below zero degrees Celsius. The slightest change in air temperature will turn these snowfalls into precipitation, unlike other mountain ranges where snowfalls can occur at very low temperatures below zero degrees Celsius.”
ombady she hopes her climatologist colleagues will incorporate the difference between snowfall and precipitation to improve global climate models, and civil engineers and planners are using data to better prepare for heavy rain events.
“We must take these consequences into account when designing and building the infrastructures of these mountainous regions.So that they can withstand the negative consequences of increased heavy rainfall,” says Ombadi. Meanwhile, countries continue to strive to achieve the targets set by the Paris Agreement that will reduce global warming to 2 degrees Celsius below pre-industrial levels.
“Our findings revealed a linear relationship between the level of warming and the increase in excessive precipitation: For example, Warming 1 degree causes 15% more precipitation, and warming of 3 degrees causes 45% more precipitation.“, emphasizes Ombadi.
“Many technologies are on the way that can help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. To me, this study shows the need to invest in these clean solutions and also start preparing for the consequences of warming now”.
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