Articles | Volume 9, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1685-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1685-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
21 Aug 2015
Research article |
| 21 Aug 2015
Black carbon in snow in the upper Himalayan Khumbu Valley, Nepal: observations and modeling of the impact on snow albedo, melting, and radiative forcing
H.-W. Jacobi
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement, CNRS, Grenoble, France
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
S. Lim
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement, CNRS, Grenoble, France
M. Ménégoz
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement, CNRS, Grenoble, France
now at: Institut Català de Ciències del Clima - IC3, Barcelona, Spain
Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble, IRD, 38000 Grenoble, France
Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement, CNRS, Grenoble, France
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement, CNRS, Grenoble, France
P. Bonasoni
CNR-ISAC-Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Bologna, Italy
P. Stocchi
CNR-ISAC-Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Bologna, Italy
A. Marinoni
CNR-ISAC-Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Bologna, Italy
EV-K2-CNR Committee, Bergamo, Italy
Y. Arnaud
Laboratoire d'étude des Transferts en Hydrologie et Environnement, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
Laboratoire d'étude des Transferts en Hydrologie et Environnement, IRD, Grenoble, France
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48 citations as recorded by crossref.
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- Headwater Flow Geochemistry of Mount Everest (Upper Dudh Koshi River, Nepal) P. Chevallier et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00351
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- Seasonal Transport and Dry Deposition of Black Carbon Aerosol in the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau Q. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41810-017-0016-y
- Modulation of snow reflectance and snowmelt from Central Asian glaciers by anthropogenic black carbon J. Schmale et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep40501
- Investigating changes in Himalayan glacier in warming environment: a case study of Kolahoi glacier M. Rafiq & A. Mishra https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6282-1
- Impact of Vehicle Soot Agglomerates on Snow Albedo S. González-Correa et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13050801
- Simulations of black carbon (BC) aerosol impact over Hindu Kush Himalayan sites: validation, sources, and implications on glacier runoff S. Santra et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2441-2019
- A bibliometric and visualization analysis of the aerosol research on the Himalayan glaciers P. Pippal et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29710-3
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- Black carbon pollutants in pristine Himalayan ecosystem: a pilot study along Gangotri Glacier Valley P. Negi & C. Pandey https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09482-4
- Impact of absorbing aerosol deposition on snow albedo reduction over the southern Tibetan plateau based on satellite observations W. Lee et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-016-1860-4
- Measurements of light-absorbing impurities in snow over four glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau H. Niu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.105002
- Impact of anomalous forest fire on aerosol radiative forcing and snow cover over Himalayan region K. Bali et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2016.11.061
- Black carbon-induced snow albedo reduction over the Tibetan Plateau: uncertainties from snow grain shape and aerosol–snow mixing state based on an updated SNICAR model C. He et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11507-2018
- A case study using 2019 pre-monsoon snow and stream chemistry in the Khumbu region, Nepal H. Clifford et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148006
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- Black carbon effects and seasonal isotope records in the Godwin-Austen snowpack and K2 high-altitude camps N. González-Santacruz et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2024.111
- The spectral and chemical measurement of pollutants on snow near South Pole, Antarctica K. Casey et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD026418
- Biofuel Burning Influences Refractory Black Carbon Concentrations in Seasonal Snow at Lower Elevations of the Dudh Koshi River Basin of Nepal A. Khan et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00371
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- Modeling of aerosol induced snow albedo feedbacks over the Himalayas and its implications on regional climate K. Usha et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-020-05222-5
- Light-absorbing impurities accelerating glacial melting in southeastern Tibetan Plateau H. Niu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113541
- Influence of warm and moist air intrusions on black carbon deposition and snowmelt in the central Arctic H. Angot et al. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2025.00124
- Strategies, Policies, and Recommendations for Reducing Air Pollution in the Indian Himalayan Region R. Gupta et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18062684
- Black carbon and mineral dust on two glaciers on the central Tibetan Plateau: sources and implications X. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.100
- Multi-layer distribution of Black Carbon and inorganic ions in the snowpacks of western Himalayas and snow albedo forcing R. Thakur et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118564
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- Regional Impact of Snow‐Darkening on Snow Pack and the Atmosphere During a Severe Saharan Dust Deposition Event in Eurasia A. Rohde et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF007016
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- Glaciohydrology of the Himalaya-Karakoram M. Azam et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abf3668
- Impact of supraglacial deposits of tephra from Grímsvötn volcano, Iceland, on glacier ablation R. MÖLLER et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.82
- Optical determination of black carbon mass concentrations in snow samples: A new analytical method F. Cereceda-Balic et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133934
- Deposition of light-absorbing particles in glacier snow of the Sunderdhunga Valley, the southern forefront of the central Himalayas J. Svensson et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2931-2021
- Observed high-altitude warming and snow cover retreat over Tibet and the Himalayas enhanced by black carbon aerosols Y. Xu et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1303-2016
- A Systematic Approach to Comprehend the Role of Atmospheric Black Carbon in Different Environmental Segments K. Venkatraman et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41810-021-00100-x
- Impact of light-absorbing particles on snow albedo darkening and associated radiative forcing over high-mountain Asia: high-resolution WRF-Chem modeling and new satellite observations C. Sarangi et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-7105-2019
- One-Year Real-Time Measurement of Black Carbon in the Rural Area of Qingdao, Northeastern China: Seasonal Variations, Meteorological Effects, and the COVID-19 Case Analysis S. Cui et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12030394
48 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Black carbon and mineral dust in snow cover on the Tibetan Plateau Y. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-413-2018
- Determination of black carbon and nanoparticles along glaciers in the Spitsbergen (Svalbard) region exploiting a mobile platform A. Spolaor et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.09.042
- Delayed warming hiatus over the Tibetan Plateau W. An et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016EA000179
- Melting of the Chhota Shigri Glacier, Western Himalaya, Insensitive to Anthropogenic Emission Residues: Insights From Geochemical Evidence S. Nizam et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL092801
- Headwater Flow Geochemistry of Mount Everest (Upper Dudh Koshi River, Nepal) P. Chevallier et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00351
- Foreseeing snowmelt responses of the Tibetan Plateau to biomass-burning black carbon from South Asia J. Wu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.109031
- Anhydrosugars as tracers in the Earth system L. Suciu et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-019-00622-0
- Chemical properties, sources and size-resolved hygroscopicity of submicron black-carbon-containing aerosols in urban Shanghai S. Cui et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8073-2022
- Deposition of ionic species and black carbon to the Arctic snowpack: combining snow pit observations with modeling H. Jacobi et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-10361-2019
- Seasonal Transport and Dry Deposition of Black Carbon Aerosol in the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau Q. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41810-017-0016-y
- Modulation of snow reflectance and snowmelt from Central Asian glaciers by anthropogenic black carbon J. Schmale et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep40501
- Investigating changes in Himalayan glacier in warming environment: a case study of Kolahoi glacier M. Rafiq & A. Mishra https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6282-1
- Impact of Vehicle Soot Agglomerates on Snow Albedo S. González-Correa et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13050801
- Simulations of black carbon (BC) aerosol impact over Hindu Kush Himalayan sites: validation, sources, and implications on glacier runoff S. Santra et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2441-2019
- A bibliometric and visualization analysis of the aerosol research on the Himalayan glaciers P. Pippal et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29710-3
- Albedo reduction for snow surfaces contaminated with soot aerosols: Comparison of experimental results and models M. Lapuerta et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2022.2091975
- Changes in Snow Surface Albedo and Radiative Forcing in the Chilean Central Andes Measured by In Situ and Remote Sensing Data L. Figueroa-Villanueva et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15183198
- Black carbon pollutants in pristine Himalayan ecosystem: a pilot study along Gangotri Glacier Valley P. Negi & C. Pandey https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09482-4
- Impact of absorbing aerosol deposition on snow albedo reduction over the southern Tibetan plateau based on satellite observations W. Lee et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-016-1860-4
- Measurements of light-absorbing impurities in snow over four glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau H. Niu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.105002
- Impact of anomalous forest fire on aerosol radiative forcing and snow cover over Himalayan region K. Bali et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2016.11.061
- Black carbon-induced snow albedo reduction over the Tibetan Plateau: uncertainties from snow grain shape and aerosol–snow mixing state based on an updated SNICAR model C. He et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11507-2018
- A case study using 2019 pre-monsoon snow and stream chemistry in the Khumbu region, Nepal H. Clifford et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148006
- A 2-year intercomparison of three methods for measuring black carbon concentration at a high-altitude research station in Europe S. Tinorua et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3897-2024
- Reduction of snow albedo from vehicle emissions at Portillo, Chile F. Cereceda-Balic et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2017.11.008
- A multilayer physically based snowpack model simulating direct and indirect radiative impacts of light-absorbing impurities in snow F. Tuzet et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2633-2017
- 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 J. Ström et al. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00118
- Black carbon effects and seasonal isotope records in the Godwin-Austen snowpack and K2 high-altitude camps N. González-Santacruz et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2024.111
- The spectral and chemical measurement of pollutants on snow near South Pole, Antarctica K. Casey et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD026418
- Biofuel Burning Influences Refractory Black Carbon Concentrations in Seasonal Snow at Lower Elevations of the Dudh Koshi River Basin of Nepal A. Khan et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00371
- Characteristics and Variability of Carbonaceous Aerosols over a Semi Urban Location in Garhwal Himalayas K. Sandeep et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13143-019-00158-1
- Modeling of aerosol induced snow albedo feedbacks over the Himalayas and its implications on regional climate K. Usha et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-020-05222-5
- Light-absorbing impurities accelerating glacial melting in southeastern Tibetan Plateau H. Niu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113541
- Influence of warm and moist air intrusions on black carbon deposition and snowmelt in the central Arctic H. Angot et al. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2025.00124
- Strategies, Policies, and Recommendations for Reducing Air Pollution in the Indian Himalayan Region R. Gupta et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18062684
- Black carbon and mineral dust on two glaciers on the central Tibetan Plateau: sources and implications X. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.100
- Multi-layer distribution of Black Carbon and inorganic ions in the snowpacks of western Himalayas and snow albedo forcing R. Thakur et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118564
- Assessment of dominating aerosol properties and their long-term trend in the Pan-Third Pole region: A study with 10-year multi-sensor measurements T. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117738
- Regional Impact of Snow‐Darkening on Snow Pack and the Atmosphere During a Severe Saharan Dust Deposition Event in Eurasia A. Rohde et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF007016
- Role and Mechanisms of Black Carbon Affecting Water Vapor Transport to Tibet M. Luo et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12020231
- Glaciohydrology of the Himalaya-Karakoram M. Azam et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abf3668
- Impact of supraglacial deposits of tephra from Grímsvötn volcano, Iceland, on glacier ablation R. MÖLLER et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.82
- Optical determination of black carbon mass concentrations in snow samples: A new analytical method F. Cereceda-Balic et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133934
- Deposition of light-absorbing particles in glacier snow of the Sunderdhunga Valley, the southern forefront of the central Himalayas J. Svensson et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2931-2021
- Observed high-altitude warming and snow cover retreat over Tibet and the Himalayas enhanced by black carbon aerosols Y. Xu et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1303-2016
- A Systematic Approach to Comprehend the Role of Atmospheric Black Carbon in Different Environmental Segments K. Venkatraman et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41810-021-00100-x
- Impact of light-absorbing particles on snow albedo darkening and associated radiative forcing over high-mountain Asia: high-resolution WRF-Chem modeling and new satellite observations C. Sarangi et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-7105-2019
- One-Year Real-Time Measurement of Black Carbon in the Rural Area of Qingdao, Northeastern China: Seasonal Variations, Meteorological Effects, and the COVID-19 Case Analysis S. Cui et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12030394
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 14 Nov 2026
Short summary
We detected up to 70 ppb of black carbon (BC) in surface snow in the upper Khumbu Valley, Nepal. With an upgraded snowpack model, including radiative transfer inside the snow, we studied the impact of BC on snow albedo, melting and radiative forcing for the sensitive high altitude regions of the Himalayas. We found that due to BC, the melting of the snow can be shifted by several days up to several weeks depending on meteorological conditions. The impact of BC is larger in dirty snow.
We detected up to 70 ppb of black carbon (BC) in surface snow in the upper Khumbu Valley, Nepal....
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