Home >> Science & Nature >> Nature

The Effects of Global Warming on Mountains

The effects of global warming can be seen in environments all over the world, from oceans to rain forests. Mountains are no exception, with changes visible in places such as the Alps and in Peru. As of the early 21st century, the gradually rising temperatures in mountainous areas are having serious consequences for the flora and fauna of these environments, as well as for people living nearby.

Permafrost
- Permafrost helps maintain mountainous areas, stabilizing buildings that have been constructed there and keeping areas relatively free from landslide activity. Global warming melts away large areas of permafrost, which increases the risk of landslides occurring and buildings becoming unstable. People using structures built in melting permafrost must prepare these buildings against this problem, for example, by anchoring structures; this costs money. Overall, mountainous areas become more dangerous places to be in as a result of global warming.
Glaciers
- Global warming melts glaciers, causing this type of terrain to retreat. This is occurring all over the world; for example, the Swiss Glaciers are disappearing. Environmentalists predict that by 2030, as much as 70 percent of this area might have melted, as reported in the essay "Climate Change -- Impacts on the Tourism Industry in Mountain Area" by Rolf Bürki et al. This is a loss of stunning scenery and a blow for the tourism industry, but it can have consequences too for others who depend on these glaciers. For instance, the populations of cities such as Lima, Peru, get their water from glaciers. The water created as glaciers melt also pushes sea water levels up, which in turn affects areas such as river estuaries and leads to severe flooding.
Climbing Plants
- As global warming hits mountainous areas, the flora of these places must stay within the temperature zones each species can thrive in. The result is that many mountainous plant species move up into areas of higher elevations, where the temperature is cooler and more suited to the plant. Some plants are better at adapting to these changing temperatures, and this leads to collapsing ecosystems.
Taller Mountains
- As glaciers melt, their loss leads to a slight flux in the Earth's crust. The resulting reshaping of the crust affects mountains, propelling them, in a very gradual fashion, further upward. This can be seen in areas such as the European Alps, which have been growing for centuries but especially since the 20th century, according to the Live Science website.

Nature