Climate change can move mountains, quite literally so. Researchers have found a strong relationship between climate change, and a mountain’s internal tectonic plate shifts, along with other topographic changes.
Researchers from University of Cincinnati in US have led to the conclusion that a mountain’s movement and topographical behavior also affects its local climate. This has more to do with redirection of wind patterns and precipitation.
Moreover, the repercussions from these variations can actually intensify erosion and tectonic seismic activity of a mountain range. Basically, climate change impacts soil erosion and in turn can cause a shift in the tectonics.
As per the research study, which involves several data sets, global climate change triggers a change in the way material behaves. Despite being much warmer millions of years ago, the Earth was still home to several high altitude glaciers. However, some 2.6 million years ago the Earth witnessed colder climatic conditions which led to rapid glaciation.
But today’s glaciers are wet-based and are eroding material around them aggressively as they move. As per Eva Enkelmann, who is leading the research team at University of Cincinnati, tectonic forces continue to move towards Alaska.
Interestingly, the formation of the Himalayas, European Alps, and mountain ranges in Taiwan can also be attributed to a similar shift millions of years ago.
(Featured Image Credit: pachamama.org)
