Earth’s cryosphere shrinks by 87,000 square km per year: study

The global cryosphere shrank by around 87,000 square kilometers per year on average during the 1979-2016 period as a result of global warming, showed the latest study by Lanzhou University. The study highlights the importance of assessing the cryosphere as a whole, and provides a way to quantitatively estimate its overall changes, said Zhang Tingjun, a professor with the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences of Lanzhou University. It also pioneers the world in making a comprehensive evaluation of the entire global cryosphere, according to Peng Xiaoqing, lead author of the study.

This story is for NewsDay subscribers.