A new report has identified black carbon as a significant contributor to Himalayan glacier melt.
About Black carbon:
Black carbon is a dark sooty materialemitted during both natural and anthropogenic activities.
It results from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels and biomass.
It is a component of PM 2.5.
It is a short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) due to its atmospheric lifetime of only a few days to weeks, yet it has a substantial impact on global warming.
After CO₂, black carbon is the second most significant contributor to global warming. Unlike CO₂, it is a particle, not a greenhouse gas.
Sources: Primary sources include coal-fired power plants, cookstoves, diesel engines, and the burning of biomass fuels such as wood, other fossil fuels, forest fires, crop-residue burning, and brick kilns.
It does not remain confined to its source region.
Impact of Black Carbon:
Human Health: It has a significant adverse effect on human health and leads to premature mortality.
Regional atmospheric heating: It remains in the atmosphere for only days to weeks, but during that period it strongly absorbs sunlight and can produce substantial atmospheric heating.
Responsible for glacial melt: Black carbon particles deposited on snow and ice darken the surface, reduce its albedo, and cause it to absorb more solar radiation. This can accelerate snow and ice melt.
Environment: It affects climate, agriculture, and ecosystems.
It can alter rainfall patterns, regional atmospheric circulation, and cloud formation, accelerate glacier melting, influence freshwater supplies for millions, and contribute to rising sea levels.
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