Grasslands used for thousands of years by Mongolian nomads is being threatened by a melting of the permafrost due to global warming.
The layer of permanently frozen soil in parts of Mongolia has thinned by 3 to 6 feet (1-3 metres) during the past seven years due to global warming, according to a study by Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Studies at Keio University.
Researchers warn the permafrost will be entirely melted in 20 years if warming continues at its current pace.
The annual average temperature across Mongolia rose by 3.3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.8 degrees Celsius) during the period from 1940 to 2004 and by 4.15 degrees Fahrenheit (2.3 degrees Celsius) in the capital of Ulan Bator during the same time.
Authorities warn that the trend will dry out grasslands that nomads depend upon for their livelihoods.
"The pace of decline in permanently frozen soil is far exceeding our anticipation, and this could impose heavy damage on roads or buildings in the future," the researchers wrote.
Photo: Dmitry Pichugin Digg This 