Global cryospheric disaster at high risk areas: Impacts and trend

Abstract

The cryosphere is the part of the earth’s surface where the temperature is always below freezing. Since the 1970s, the frequency of rapid cryospheric change events has been increasing along with the significant rise of global temperature. This has or will lead to a series of cryospheric disasters with extreme damage. Disaster-formation mechanism, disaster-receptors, and environmental reactions to different types of disasters in the cryosphere have different spatial distribution patterns. The cryosphere can be divided into three major categories: Continental cryosphere, marine cryosphere, and aerial cryosphere. These depend mainly on its geographical distribution, dynamics, and thermodynamic conditions. Based on the results of past research, the present study systematically expounds the formation mechanism classification, spatial and temporal scales, and spatial differentiation of cryospheric disasters and reveals the comprehensive impact of global cryospheric disasters at high-risk areas and their trend. The results show the following. (1) Continental cryospheric disasters (e.g., avalanches, glacial lake outburst floods, freezing and thawing disasters, and glacier/snow flood/debris flow) are concentrated mainly in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Siberia, Peruvian Andes, and northern North America and have already caused considerable risk to personal safety and damage to infrastructure. (2) Marine cryospheric disasters (sea ice disasters, coastal freeze-thaw erosion, and rises in sea level) occur mainly along coastal areas of the Arctic and the low-lying areas and island countries of the world. These disasters mainly affect navigation safety and ports, coastal/offshore facilities, and homeland security. (3) Aerial cryospheric disasters, especially snowstorms and rain and snow freezing disasters take place in the northeastern United States, Europe, East Asia, and China, mainly affecting transportation, aviation, and agriculture. Although the frequency of the cryospheric disaster is low, the scope and impact are very large. Cryospheric change, risk of cryospheric disaster, and the management thereof are closely related. It is urgently necessary to strengthen the understanding and assessment of the cryosphere change and its impact on the socio-economic system and integrated risk analysis. Specifically, we must adjust economic and social activities in areas at high risk of global cryospheric disasters and develop strategies for prevention and mitigation of cryospheric disasters and so reduce risk and improve resilience and sustainability.