Image: Tianshan Mountains, bordering China
Rising annual temperatures and dwindling yearly precipitation across the mid-latitudes of Central Asia have extended its desert climate 60 miles northward since the 1980s. Once a semi-arid climate zone, with at least some summer precipitation, it has transitioned to a drier and hotter climate with little rainfall during the growing season. The average annual temperature of the once-temperate areas rose roughly 9 degrees Fahrenheit when comparing the 20-year stretch of 1960-1980 to the 30-year period of 1990-2020. The region’s high-altitude areas have generally seen precipitation increase, a significant proportion in the form of rain rather than snow, likely driving depletion of glaciers that previously dominated the mountainous landscapes. The risk of flash flooding will grow and eventually the glaciers and snowpack are likely to disappear. Summer precipitation won’t be enough to keep up the water level in the lakes and soil to sustain agricultural production in the growing season.
Story Source: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/07/220720121048.htm