Several mountain glaciers now disappear at a frightening rate as in the Santa Rosa glacier of Peru. A warmer climate often leads to increased precipitation. Much of the increased precipitation comes as rain instead of snow, mostly in the winter and to a lesser extent during the autumn and the spring. The winter rains fall over existing snow, causing increased melting. As the ice and snow cover is reduced, the albedo of the area is reduced as well. Darker surfaces underneath are revealed, and since a dark surface can absorb more heat, the result is a self-reinforcing effect, which causes increased heating and subsequent melting.

Year: 2005

From collection: Vital Climate Graphics Latin America and the Caribbean

Cartographer: GRID-Arendal