National Geographic Kids - UK (2022-03)

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Tarbagatay Mts.
BorshchovochnyMountainsy
Beijing
Tokyo
Change in snow cover
2000-2021
More
Unchanged
Less
SCALE VARIES IN THIS PERSPECTIVE.
OCT
First snow day
Tarbagata
Brooks Range U.
Sk

• 8
  -3
  +1
  A
  B
  C
  Snowfall varies by region and is influenced by factors such as
  latitude, elevation, humidity, and proximity to oceans or lakes. Rising
  air temperatures boost humidity levels, and winter precipitation
  increasingly falls as rain instead of snow. Low-elevation and coastal
  areas are especially at risk of reduced snowfall.
  WARMING
  GLOBE,
  WANING
  WINTER
  SNOWFALL IS DECREASING IN MOUNTAIN RANGES
  AROUND THE WORLD, DRASTICALLY IN SOME REGIONS.
  VITAL TO ECOSYSTEMS AND ECONOMIES, SNOW AND
  ICE LEVELS AFFECT TOURISM, HYDROPOWER
  PRODUCTION, AND WATER SUPPLIES IN MANY PARTS OF
  THE WORLD. SCIENTISTS ARE TRACKING THE CHANGES,
  AND INNOVATORS ARE SEARCHING FOR SOLUTIONS.
  BY MATTHEW W. CHWASTYK, MANUEL CANALES,
  AND ALEXANDER STEGMAIER
  In many mountain ranges the first snow is
  arriving later in the year and the last snow
  earlier. The ranges at right have shown some
  of the largest changes in the last snow day
  over the past 21 years.
  COUNTING THE SNOW DAYS
  Snow-cover data from satellites are helping scientists record

2000. Nearly 80 percent of the world’s mountain ranges are
      decline in snow-covered area and fewer days of snow on the

TRACKING A CHANGIN

Day lost Day gained

Increasing air
temperature

Coastal

proximity

Rising

humlevelsidity

ERIC KNIGHT; MNASA/JPL; NOAA; NATIONAL SNOWATTHEW TWOMBLY. SOURCES: CLAUDIA NOTARNICOLA, EURAC RESEARCH; AND ICE DATA CENTER