Retreat of glaciers since 1850 doing so due to transient local weather conditions, which have brought more precipitation and cloudier, cooler summers since 2002. Tropical glaciers are located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, in the region that lies 23° 26′ 22″ north or south of the equator. Strictly, a tropical glacier is located within the astronomical tropics; the area where the annual temperature variation is less than the daily variation, and is within the oscillation area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Tropical glaciers are the most uncommon of all glaciers for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the regions are the
Capricorn and Bunker Group Cay stability is profoundly affected by cyclonic disturbance. The coral cays belong to two distinct types: The sand cays are all located to the lee of their reef flat, whereas the shingle cays, with the exception of Lady Musgrave, are located on the windward side. They vary in size, covering from one to 12 percent of the reef top surface area and there does not appear to be any correlation between island size, reef size, or stage of reef development. The Capricorn and Bunker Group contains 73–75 percent of all seabird biomass in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.