Climatic sensitivity of the non-glaciated mountains cryosphere (Tatra Mts., Poland and Slovakia)

This paper concerns the response of the conditioned by orography cryosphere of the non-glaciated mountains of mid-latitude to the climate impulses. It presents the relationships among the air temperature, precipitation, snow cover, lake ice cover, firn-ice patches (glacierets) and permafrost in the Tatras. The data from the warmest multi-year in the history of the local meteorological measurements and statistical models (multiple regression) have been used. The results indicate that all the components of the contemporary cryosphere are very sensitive to the changes in the air temperature in winter or snow precipitation/accumulation. Due to the diverse orographic conditions, interannual variability of seasonal and perennial, surface and subsurface ice deposits in the mountain areas may not be synchronous. However, the long-term trends of this variability reflect the changes in the global climate system.