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The Himalayas are a unique place that is very important for life on Earth.
After the two polar circles they are the largest reservoir of glacial snow
And that is why they are sometimes called „the third pole“, which is not as far from the truth as it might seem. For that reason, any natural changes in this area must be monitored particularly carefully.
Air pollution unfortunately does not spare this area either, which we are used to perceiving as practically untouched. The seriousness of the situation increases every year and, according to a new study by Chinese scientists carried out at the Qomolangma research station, is becoming critical. The research consisted of an analysis of airborne particles over the mountain range that stretches across several countries: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Bhutan and Nepal.
This time observers noticed the alarming presence of carbonaceous tar particles, which accounted for up to 28% of all particles measured in the air. It has been known for some time that black carbon is present here, traveling by air from China and India to the Tibetan Plateau.
Now scientists have found that brown carbon is also moving in the same way
While black carbon is produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and also occurs in soot, brown carbon combines with oxygen and other elements such as nitrogen, sulfur and potassium. It is released mainly during the burning of biomass and forms tarry clouds that can reach sizes of several hundred nanometers. It is precisely the presence of these small particles in the air that causes glacial snow to not reflect sunlight adequately, and as a result its surface layer is disrupted.
As a result, the ice mass that is so important to humanity melts much faster.
