Cold region 'tipping point' now inevitable
The decline of cold regions called periglacial zones is now inevitable due to climate change, researchers say.
Periglacial zones, where there is often a layer of frozen ground known as permafrost, make up about a quarter of Earth's land surface and are mostly found in the far north and south, and at high altitudes.
Scientists from the universities of Exeter and Helsinki and the Finnish Meteorological Institute examined natural processes caused by frost and snow which take place in these zones.
Their findings suggest that -- even with optimistic estimates of future carbon emissions -- areas covered by periglacial zones will reduce dramatically by 2050, and they will "almost disappear" by 2100.
NASA
