Winds Roaring Down the Glaciers of the Himalayas are Providing Crucial Cooling Effect

Scientists have discovered an interesting event that is actually working to stymie the impacts of climate change in the Himalayas. Here is what experts are learning about this surprising phenomenon that is good news amidst the dire warnings of global warming.

Warm Temperatures Create Cooling Winds in the Himalayas

The Himalayas are distinguished as being the world's tallest mountain range. A report out earlier this summer not surprisingly demonstrated that glaciers in this mountain range in Asia were melting at a rate that was 65% faster in the 2010s when compared to the previous 10 years. This data suggested that the increase in temperatures around the planet are already affecting this delicate ecosystem.

However, a new report is showing how the winds generated by this warming trend can work to cool down the slopes. According to the report published in early December in the journal Nature Geoscience, the warmer temperatures across the high-altitude glaciers trigger a reaction that sends cold winds whipping down the slopes of the Himalayas.

The winds are generated as a result of the warmer climate creating a gap in the temperature readings between the air circulating above the Himalayan glaciers and the significantly colder air that is right at the surface of the ice. This heat exchange produces the winds that flow down the mountains and into the valleys, bringing down the temperatures at the lower elevations.