In:
The Cryosphere, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 12, No. 12 ( 2018-12-13), p. 3877-3890
Abstract:
Abstract. Aerosols affect the Earth's temperature and climate by altering the
radiative properties of the atmosphere. Changes in the composition,
morphological structure, and mixing state of aerosol components will cause
significant changes in radiative forcing in the atmosphere. This work
focused on the physicochemical properties of light-absorbing particles
(LAPs) and their variability through deposition process from the atmosphere
to the glacier–snowpack interface based on large-range observations in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, and laboratory transmission electron microscope
(TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) measurements. The
results showed that LAP particle structures changed markedly in the
snowpack compared to those in the atmosphere due to black carbon
(BC) and organic matter (OM) particle aging and salt-coating condition changes.
Considerably more aged BC and OM particles were observed in the glacier and
snowpack surfaces than in the atmosphere, as the concentration of aged BC
and OM varied in all locations by 4 %–16 % and 12 %–25 % in the
atmosphere, whereas they varied by 25 %–36 % and
36 %–48 % in the glacier–snowpack surface. Similarly, the
salt-coated particle ratio of LAPs in the snowpack is lower than in the
atmosphere. Albedo change contribution in the Miaoergou, Yuzhufeng, and Qiyi
glaciers is evaluated using the SNICAR model for glacier surface-distributed
impurities. Due to the salt-coating state change, the snow albedo decreased
by 16.7 %–33.9 % compared to that in the atmosphere. Such a great change
may cause more strongly enhanced radiative heating than previously thought,
suggesting that the warming effect from particle structure and mixing change
in glacier–snowpack LAPs may have markedly affected the climate on a global
scale in terms of direct forcing in the cryosphere.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1994-0424
DOI:
10.5194/tc-12-3877-2018
DOI:
10.5194/tc-12-3877-2018-supplement
Language:
English
Publisher:
Copernicus GmbH
Publication Date:
2018
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2393169-3
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