Climate Changes and Their Elevational Patterns in the Mountains of the World

Quantifying rates of climate change in mountain regions is considerable interest, not least because mountains are viewed as “hotspots” where can anticipate or amplify what occurring elsewhere. Accelerating has extensive environmental impacts, including depletion snow/ice reserves, critical for the world's water supply. Whilst concept elevation-dependent warming (EDW), whereby stratified by elevation, widely accepted, no consistent EDW profile at global scale been identified. Past assessments have also neglected changes precipitation. In this comprehensive analysis, both situ station temperature and precipitation data from regions, gridded sets (observations, reanalyses, model hindcasts) employed to examine elevation dependency since 1900. observations paired studies (using adjacent stations) show a tendency toward enhanced higher elevations. However, when all mountain/lowland pooled into two groups, systematic difference high versus low group found. Precipitation based on inconsistent with contrast between lowland trends. Gridded (CRU, GISTEMP, GPCC, ERA5, CMIP5) increased elevations some but there universal amplification mountains. Increases weaker than worldwide, meaning reduced elevation-dependency precipitation, especially midlatitudes. Agreement weak stronger