00:00Snow cover in Greece's mountains, a vital source of water for communities, agriculture
00:05and natural ecosystems during the dry summer months, has declined by more than half over
00:10the past four decades.
00:11This is revealed by a new study by Constantis Alexopoulos and Ian Willis of the Scott Polar
00:16Research Institute at the University of Cambridge.
00:19An international team of university researchers use the combination of satellite imagery, climate
00:23data, terrain maps and artificial intelligence to analyze how rising temperatures in the
00:28Mediterranean have affected snow cover in Greek mountains.
00:32Using a tool called Snow Mapper, the researchers found that snow cover was decreased by 58%
00:37over the last 40 years, with the rate of decline accelerating since the beginning of the 21st
00:43century.
00:44Researchers use satellite images from NASA and ESA missions, but because clouds and shadows
00:48of an abstract clear observation, the team employed an artificial intelligence technique,
00:53machine learning, to fill in the main gaps.
00:55This led to the creation of a tool that provides daily snow cover maps at a 100m resolution for
01:0110 of Greece's highest mountain ranges, covering the period from 1984 to 2025.
01:06A result showed that Greece is losing its winter snow cover faster than most other mountain ranges,
01:11which could have serious consequences for communities, agriculture and the natural environment.
01:16The loss of snow cover from the world's mountains is another important indicator of how climate change
01:21continues to put pressure on the natural environment, particularly in countries like Greece.
01:25The research team also included scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, the National Observatory
01:30of Athens and the Hellenic Mountain Observatory.
01:34classedActnic
01:34history
01:34history
01:34history
01:34history
01:34history
01:34history
01:34history
Comments