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Prelims : Current events of national and international importance 

Why in News?

A recent study by the think-tank Climate Trends stated that Levels of black carbon-ultra-fine particles of carbon in the Himalayas have been rising. 


	
The study analysed satellite-based measurements of black carbon and changes in snow temperature between 2000 and 2023.
	
Findings - Eastern Himalaya records warmest snow surfaces, followed by the central and western Himalayas.
	
This is contributing to warmer snow, increasing the risk of unseasonal flooding by glacier-fed rivers.
	
Sources – Biomass combustion, fossil fuel use, Fertiliser, Vehicle exhaust, and open burning, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic plain, which acts as a hotspot for emissions. 
	
Effects - Light-absorbing particles like black carbon reduces the snow’s ability to reflect sunlight, accelerating surface heating.
	
Aerosols particulate matter emissions from a variety of sources, from fertiliser to vehicle exhaust, clog the atmosphere, deflecting sunlight away from the carbon and mask the heating effect of greenhouse gases.
	
Continued temperature rise in snow-covered areas can shorten snow season duration and advance melting onset, impacting hydrological systems and water security for millions downstream. 
	
Thus, temperature increases, in conjunction with black carbon presence, are significantly altering the snow thermal regime in the Himalayas.
	
Black carbon is different in that it absorbs sunlight and, if it settles on the surface, can thus heat the ground. 



Black carbon is considered as a catalyst to global warming, even though it is relatively short-lived in the atmosphere, unlike carbon dioxide, the most pervasive greenhouse gas.


Reference 

The Hindu | Black carbon’ heating Himalayan snow

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