Scientists studied 30 Sierra Nevada ponds that can swing 20°C in a day. Shrinking snowpack may make them smaller, warmer and more nutrient-rich
Sierra Nevada pond during low- and high-snowfall years, showing how snow levels change the landscape. ( Picture: Christine C. Bonadonna) High in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, small ponds may look peaceful and unchanged. Surrounded by rocky peaks and open skies, they appear calm during summer. But beneath the surface, these shallow water bodies are constantly…