Post-depositional enrichment of black soot in snow-pack and accelerated melting of Tibetan glaciers

The post-depositional enrichment of black soot in snow-pack was investigated by measuring the redistribution of black soot along monthly snow-pits on a Tien Shan glacier. The one-year experiment revealed that black soot was greatly enriched, defined as the ratio of concentration to original snow concentration, in the unmelted snow-pack by at least an order of magnitude. Greatest soot enrichment was observed in the surface snow and the lower firn-pack within the melt season percolation zone. Black carbon (BC) concentrations as high as 400 ng g−1 in the summer surface snow indicate that soot can significantly contribute to glacier melt. BC concentrations reaching 3000 ng g−1 in the bottom portion of the firn pit are especially concerning given the expected equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) rise associated with future climatic warming, which would expose the dirty underlying firn and ice. Since most of the accumulation area on Tibetan glaciers is within the percolation zone where snow densification is characterized by melting and refreezing, the enrichment of black soot in the snow-pack is of foremost importance. Results suggest the effect of black soot on glacier melting may currently be underestimated.

• Publication year

  2012

• Venue

  Environmental Research Letters

• Publication date

  2012-03-01

• Fields of study

  Geology, Physics, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/7/1/014022
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Understanding Greenland ice sheet hydrology using an integrated multi-scale approach

  2013cited by this paper
• The Influence of Dust on Quantitative Measurements of Black Carbon in Ice and Snow when Using a Thermal Optical Method

  2012cited by this paper
• Monohydrocalcite: a promising remediation material for hazardous anions

  2011cited by this paper
• DUST AND BLACK CARBON IN SEASONAL SNOW ACROSS NORTHERN CHINA

  2011cited by this paper
• Recent increase in black carbon concentrations from a Mt. Everest ice core spanning 1860–2000 AD

  2011cited by this paper
• Sensitivity studies on the impacts of Tibetan Plateau snowpack pollution on the Asian hydrological cycle and monsoon climate

  2010cited by this paper
• Climate Change Will Affect the Asian Water Towers

  2010influential reference
• Aerosol mass and black carbon concentrations, a two year record at NCO-P (5079 m, Southern Himalayas)

  2010cited by this paper
• Black Carbon (BC) in the snow of glaciers in west China and its potential effects on albedos

  2009cited by this paper
• Black soot and the survival of Tibetan glaciers

  2009cited by this paper
• A shallow ice core re-drilled on the Dunde Ice Cap, western China: recent changes in the Asian high mountains

  2009cited by this paper
• Mass loss on Himalayan glacier endangers water resources

  2008cited by this paper
• The impact of traffic emissions on atmospheric ozone and OH: results from QUANTIFY

  2008cited by this paper
• Black carbon record based on a shallow Himalayan ice core and its climatic implications

  2007cited by this paper
• Warming trends in Asia amplified by brown cloud solar absorption

  2007cited by this paper
• Historical emissions of black and organic carbon aerosol from energy‐related combustion, 1850–2000

  2007cited by this paper
• 20th-Century Industrial Black Carbon Emissions Altered Arctic Climate Forcing

  2007cited by this paper
• An Asian emission inventory of anthropogenic emission sources for the period 1980-2020

  2007cited by this paper
• Present-day climate forcing and response from black carbon in snow

  2006cited by this paper
• Elemental and organic carbon measurements with a two-step heating-gas chromatography system in snow samples from the Tibetan Plateau

  2006influential reference
• Snowpack radiative heating: Influence on Tibetan Plateau climate

  2005cited by this paper
• Recent glacial retreat in High Asia in China and its impact on water resource in Northwest China

  2004influential reference
• Soot climate forcing via snow and ice albedos.

  2004cited by this paper
• Equivalence of elemental carbon by thermal/optical reflectance and transmittance with different temperature protocols.

  2004cited by this paper
• Recent glacial retreat in High Asia in China and its impact on water resource in Northwest China

  2004influential reference
• Large historical changes of fossil‐fuel black carbon aerosols

  2003influential reference
• Historical record of carbonaceous particle concentrations from a European high-alpine glacier (Colle Gnifetti, Switzerland)

  1999influential reference
• Albedo of dirty snow during conditions of melt

  1996cited by this paper
• Dirty snow after nuclear war

  1985cited by this paper
• A Model for the Spectral Albedo of Snow. II: Snow Containing Atmospheric Aerosols

  1980cited by this paper

• Global Quantification of Black Carbon in Seasonal Snow: A Physically and Observationally Constrained Machine-Learning Framework.

  2026cites this paper
• Concentration and size distribution of black carbon over the ablation area of Potanin glacier: enrichment ability of surface weathering granular ice of water-insoluble particles with snow/ice melting

  2026cites this paper
• Black carbon and mineral dust in snow and ice pose risks on the Asian Water Tower

  2025cites this paper
• Black carbon effects and seasonal isotope records in the Godwin-Austen snowpack and K2 high-altitude camps

  2025cites this paper
• A Comprehensive Evaluation of Black Carbon in Snow and Its Radiative Forcing in CMIP5 and CMIP6 Models Based on Global Field Observations

  2024cites this paper
• Brown Carbon From Biomass Burning Reinforces the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau Warming

  2024cites this paper
• UV light absorption at 370 nm by mineral dust, organic carbon, and elemental carbon in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau

  2024cites this paper
• Exploring the Spatiotemporal Variation in Light-Absorbing Aerosols and Its Relationship with Meteorology over the Hindukush-Himalaya-Karakoram Region

  2023cites this paper
• Selection processes of Arctic seasonal glacier snowpack bacterial communities

  2023cites this paper
• Investigation of water-soluble organic constituents and their spatio-temporal heterogeneity over the Tibetan Plateau.

  2022cites this paper
• Atmospheric pollution and solar ultraviolet radiation in Asia

  2022cites this paper
• Glacier wastage and its vulnerability in the Qilian Mountains

  2022cites this paper
• Concentrations, sources, fluxes, and absorption properties of carbonaceous matter in a central Tibetan Plateau river basin.

  2022cites this paper
• Snow albedo and its sensitivity to changes in deposited light-absorbing particles estimated from ambient temperature and snow depth observations at a high-altitude site in the Himalaya

  2022cites this paper
• Urban air quality in Xinjiang and snow chemistry of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 during COVID-19’s restrictions

  2022cites this paper
• Snow albedo reductions induced by the internal/external mixing of black carbon and mineral dust, and different snow grain shapes across northern China.

  2022cites this paper
• Molecular compositions, optical properties, and implications of dissolved brown carbon in snow/ice on the Tibetan Plateau glaciers.

  2022cites this paper
• Black carbon and organic carbon dataset over the Third Pole

  2022cites this paper
• Black Carbon and Secondary Brown Carbon, the Dominant Light Absorption and Direct Radiative Forcing Contributors of the Atmospheric Aerosols Over the Tibetan Plateau

  2021cites this paper
• Measurement of Light absorbing particles in surface snow of central and western Himalayan glaciers: spatial variability, radiative impacts, and potential source regions

  2021cites this paper
• Light-Absorbing Impurities on Urumqi Glacier No.1 in Eastern Tien Shan: Concentrations and Implications for Radiative Forcing Estimates During the Ablation Period

  2021cites this paper
• Multi-layer distribution of Black Carbon and inorganic ions in the snowpacks of western Himalayas and snow albedo forcing

  2021cites this paper
• Microplastics in a Remote Lake Basin of the Tibetan Plateau: Impacts of Atmospheric Transport and Glacial Melting.

  2021cites this paper
• APCC Data Report I: Black carbon and organic carbon dataset from atmosphere, glaciers, snow cover, precipitation, and lake sediment cores over the Third Pole

  2021cites this paper
• Shift in seasonal snowpack melt-out date due to light-absorbing particles at a high-altitude site in Central Himalaya

  2021cites this paper
• Elemental and water-insoluble organic carbon in Svalbard snow: a synthesis of observations during 2007–2018

  2021cites this paper
• Carbonaceous matter in the atmosphere and glaciers of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau: An investigative review.

  2021cites this paper
• Geochemical Behavior of Levoglucosan in Tibetan Plateau Glacier Snow and Ice

  2021cites this paper
• Spatio–Temporal Variations of Levoglucosan on Tibetan Glaciers

  2020cites this paper
• Measurements and modeling of snow albedo at Alerce Glacier, Argentina: effects of volcanic ash, snow grain size, and cloudiness

  2020cites this paper
• Continuously observed light absorbing impurities in snow cover over the southern Altai Mts. in China: Concentrations, impacts and potential sources.

  2020cites this paper
• Spatiotemporal variability of elemental and organic carbon in Svalbard snow during 2007–2018

  2020cites this paper
• Carbonaceous matter in glacier at the headwaters of the Yangtze River: Concentration, sources and fractionation during the melting process.

  2020cites this paper
• An Overview of Snow Albedo Sensitivity to Black Carbon Contamination and Snow Grain Properties Based on Experimental Datasets Across the Northern Hemisphere

  2020cites this paper
• One-Year Measurements of Equivalent Black Carbon, Optical Properties, and Sources in the Urumqi River Valley, Tien Shan, China

  2020influential citation
• Measurements of light-absorbing impurities in snow over four glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau

  2020cites this paper
• Modeling of aerosol induced snow albedo feedbacks over the Himalayas and its implications on regional climate

  2020cites this paper
• Chemical components and distributions in glaciers of the Third Pole

  2020cites this paper
• Relative contribution of mineral dust versus black carbon to Third Pole glacier melting

  2020cites this paper
• Development of an improved two-sphere integration technique for quantifying black carbon concentrations in the atmosphere and seasonal snow

  2020cites this paper
• Spatio-temporal variations of absorbing aerosols and their relationship with meteorology over four high altitude sites in glaciated region of Pakistan

  2019cites this paper
• Black carbon in surface soil of the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau and its contribution to total black carbon deposition at glacial region

  2019influential citation
• Fate and transport of perfluoroalkyl substances from snowpacks into a lake in the High Arctic of Canada.

  2019cites this paper
• Light-absorbing impurities accelerating glacial melting in southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

  2019cites this paper
• Quantifying the light absorption and source attribution of insoluble light-absorbing particles on Tibetan Plateau glaciers between 2013 and 2015

  2019cites this paper
• Twentieth Century Black Carbon and Dust Deposition on South Cascade Glacier, Washington State, USA, as Reconstructed From a 158‐m‐Long Ice Core

  2019cites this paper
• Dissolved organic carbon in snow cover of the Chinese Altai Mountains, Central Asia: Concentrations, sources and light-absorption properties.

  2019cites this paper
• Projected glacier meltwater and river run‐off changes in the Upper Reach of the Shule River Basin, north‐eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau

  2019cites this paper
• Black carbon in a glacier and snow cover on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau: Concentrations, radiative forcing and potential source from local topsoil.

  2019cites this paper
• Quantifying the contributions of various emission sources to black carbon and assessment of control strategies in western China

  2019cites this paper
• Mixing State and Fractal Dimension of Soot Particles at a Remote Site in the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

  2019cites this paper
• A Coupled Glacier‐Hydrology Model and Its Application in Eastern Pamir

  2018cites this paper
• Impact of climate change on the distribution range and niche dynamics of Himalayan birch, a typical treeline species in Himalayas

  2018cites this paper
• An 800-year high-resolution black carbon ice core record from Lomonosovfonna , Svalbard

  2018cites this paper
• The impact of biomass burning on total suspended particulate matter in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau

  2018cites this paper
• Light-absorbing impurities in a southern Tibetan Plateau glacier: Variations and potential impact on snow albedo and radiative forcing

  2018cites this paper
• Assessing Satellite‐Derived Radiative Forcing From Snow Impurities Through Inverse Hydrologic Modeling

  2018cites this paper
• Organic carbon fluxes of a glacier surface: A case study of Foxfonna, a small Arctic glacier

  2018cites this paper
• Light absorption properties of brown carbon over the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

  2018cites this paper
• An 800-year high-resolution black carbon ice core record from Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard

  2018cites this paper
• Modeling Impacts of Light Absorbing Particles on Glacial Melt and Albedo: Construction, Quantified Impacts, and Simulations from the Cordillera Blanca, Peru

  2018cites this paper
• Major fraction of black carbon is flushed from the melting New Hampshire snowpack nearly as quickly as soluble impurities

  2017cites this paper
• Distribution of light-absorbing impurities in snow of glacier on Mt. Yulong, southeastern Tibetan Plateau

  2017cites this paper
• In-situ measurements of light-absorbing impurities in snow of glacier on Mt. Yulong and implications for radiative forcing estimates.

  2017cites this paper
• Sources, evolution and impacts of EC and OC in snow on sea ice: a measurement study in Barrow, Alaska.

  2017cites this paper
• CLIMATIC EFFECT OF LIGHT-ABSORBING IMPURITIES ON SNOW: EXPERIMENTAL AND FIELD OBSERVATIONS

  2017cites this paper
• Light-absorbing impurities accelerate glacier melt in the Central Tibetan Plateau.

  2017cites this paper
• Spectral dependence of aerosol light absorption at an urban and a remote site over the Tibetan Plateau.

  2017cites this paper
• Modulation of snow reflectance and snowmelt from Central Asian glaciers by anthropogenic black carbon

  2017cites this paper
• Interactive comment on “Properties of black carbon and other insoluble light-absorbing particles in seasonal snow of northwest China” by Wei Pu et al

  2017cites this paper
• Interactive comment on “Properties of black carbon and other insoluble light-absorbing particles in seasonal snow of northwest China” by Wei Pu et al

  2017cites this paper
• Modeling the Origin of Anthropogenic Black Carbon and Its Climatic Effect Over the Tibetan Plateau and Surrounding Regions

  2017cites this paper
• Characteristics of black carbon in snow from Laohugou No. 12 glacier on the northern Tibetan Plateau.

  2017cites this paper
• An overview of mineral dust modeling over East Asia

  2017cites this paper
• Observations and model simulations of snow albedo reduction in seasonal snow due to insoluble light-absorbing particles during 2014 Chinese survey

  2017cites this paper
• Research progress of light-absorbing impurities in glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings

  2017cites this paper
• Light‐absorbing impurities enhance glacier albedo reduction in the southeastern Tibetan plateau

  2017cites this paper
• Impacts of black carbon and mineral dust on radiative forcing and glacier melting during summer in the Qilian Mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau

  2016influential citation
• Modelling hydrologic impacts of light absorbing aerosol deposition on snow at the catchment scale

  2016cites this paper
• Properties of black carbon and other insoluble light-absorbing particles in seasonal snow of northwestern China

  2016influential citation
• Sources of black carbon to the Himalayan–Tibetan Plateau glaciers

  2016cites this paper
• Grey Tienshan Urumqi Glacier No.1 and light-absorbing impurities

  2016influential citation
• Tibetan Plateau Geladaindong black carbon ice core record (1843–1982): Recent increases due to higher emissions and lower snow accumulation

  2016cites this paper
• Investigation of mineral aerosols radiative effects over High Mountain Asia in 1990–2009 using a regional climate model

  2016cites this paper
• Causes of variability in light absorption by particles in snow at sites in Idaho and Utah

  2016cites this paper
• An overview of black carbon deposition and its radiative forcing over the Arctic

  2016cites this paper
• Effects of sources, transport, and postdepositional processes on levoglucosan records in southeastern Tibetan glaciers

  2016influential citation
• Soot-doped natural snow and its albedo - Results from field experiments

  2016cites this paper
• Black Carbon Aerosols at Mt. Muztagh Ata, a High-Altitude Location in the Western Tibetan Plateau

  2016cites this paper
• The impact of black carbon aerosol induced snow darkening on the radiation balance in ECHAM6: Quantifying the contribution of wildfires for present and future conditions

  2016cites this paper
• Climate effect of black carbon aerosol in a Tibetan Plateau glacier

  2015influential citation
• Black carbon aerosol in winter northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China: the effects from South Asia pollution

  2015cites this paper
• Impact of snow darkening via dust, black carbon, and organic carbon on boreal spring climate in the Earth system

  2015cites this paper
• Black carbon aerosol in winter northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China: the source, mixing state and optical property

  2015cites this paper
• Response of River Runoff to Black Carbon in Snow and Ice in Washington State Response of River Runoff to Black Carbon in Snow and Ice in Washington State 1

  2015influential citation
• Interannual variations of light‐absorbing particles in snow on Arctic sea ice

  2015cites this paper
• Black carbon concentrations in snow at Tronsen Meadow in Central Washington from 2012 to 2013: Temporal and spatial variations and the role of local forest fire activity

  2015cites this paper
• Accelerated glacier melt on Snow Dome, Mount Olympus, Washington, USA, due to deposition of black carbon and mineral dust from wildfire

  2015cites this paper
• Cosmogenic 35S measurements in the Tibetan Plateau to quantify glacier snowmelt

  2014cites this paper
• A sensitivity study on modeling black carbon in snow and its radiative forcing over the Arctic and Northern China

  2014cites this paper