The 10 coldest countries on Earth

The science behind the warming of cold places

Many of the world’s coldest parts are also the places warming the fastest. It all comes down to polar amplification – a process that sees melting snow and ice reduce the Earth’s reflectivity. Bright, frozen surfaces typically bounce sunlight back into the atmosphere; when they melt, darker ground and ocean, which would otherwise be hidden underneath, absorb that heat instead, accelerating warming in surrounding areas. This effect is especially…