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Transport Mechanisms, Potential Sources, and Radiative Impacts of Black Carbon Aerosols on the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau Glaciers

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Air Pollution and Its Complications

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Abstract

Black carbon (BC) is a light-absorbing particle in the atmosphere, which can heat the atmosphere by absorbing solar radiation and changing the surface snow albedo after deposition. Fossil fuel and biomass burning are contributed significantly to BC loading. This chapter presents the characteristics, potential source regions, and transport mechanisms of BC aerosols and their radiative impacts on cryospheric change on the Himalayas-Tibetan Plateau (HTP) (also named the Third Pole) region. We reviewed the several past studies from the region on BC mass concentration in the ambient air as well as in the glaciers (surface snow and ice) and snow cover over the fragile Third Pole region. Further, a comparison of the concentrations of BC in the surface snow and ice, potential source regions, and radiative impacts is reviewed. The preliminary results overview from the research network Atmospheric Pollution and Cryospheric Change (APCC) on BC transport to the HTP is discussed. BC particles emitted from South Asia, their transport, and deposition have a significant impact on the HTP glaciers and snow cover. The maximum and minimum mass concentration of BC was reported in dry pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, respectively. BC deposition on glaciers could potentially reduce the surface albedo and accelerate surface snow/ice melting. Glaciers located in HTP being an essential source of fresh water for the millions of populations in the Asian region and the retreat of these glaciers will have far-reaching consequences.

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Acknowledgments

This study is supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pan-Third Pole Environment Study for a Green Silk Road (Pan-TPE) (XDA20040501), and the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science (SKLCS-ZZ-2018). Lekhendra Tripathee is supported by the Chinese Academy of Science for international Young staff under the PIFI (2020FYC0001) program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou, China

    Lekhendra Tripathee, Shichang Kang, Pengfei Chen & Mukesh Rai

  2. Himalayan Environment Research Institute, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Lekhendra Tripathee

  3. Reading Academy, Nan**g University of Information Science & Technology, Nan**g, Jiangsu, China

    Chaman Gul

  4. CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Bei**g, China

    Shichang Kang & Jie Huang

  5. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bei**g, China

    Shichang Kang & Mukesh Rai

  6. Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bei**g, China

    Jie Huang

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  1. Lekhendra Tripathee
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  2. Chaman Gul
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  3. Shichang Kang
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  4. Pengfei Chen
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  5. Jie Huang
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  6. Mukesh Rai
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Oceanography Division, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India

    Shani Tiwari

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, Hindu College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Pallavi Saxena

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Tripathee, L., Gul, C., Kang, S., Chen, P., Huang, J., Rai, M. (2021). Transport Mechanisms, Potential Sources, and Radiative Impacts of Black Carbon Aerosols on the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau Glaciers. In: Tiwari, S., Saxena, P. (eds) Air Pollution and Its Complications. Springer Atmospheric Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70509-1_2

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