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Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

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Peer-reviewed publication

Climate change impact on high-altitude geomorphological systems

Some of the most important consequences of global climate change are the rising mean annual or seasonal temperature and the rising or diminishing precipitation at the regional level. An analysis of midterm meteodata shows that the average annual air temperature in Western Mongolia has increased by 2.08 °C from 1940 to 2017. The impact of these changes is observed in the high-mountain basins of Mongolian Altai. Thus, the sum area of deglaciated areas of Sutai and Tsambagarav glaciers has increased by 37.5 sq. km since the time of the Little Ice Age maximum. Field data and geothermal observations during the last 25 yr indicate an increase in permafrost temperatures, and the average active-layer thickness has increased by 24% in comparison to the early 1990s.