Light-absorbing impurities on Keqikaer Glacier in western Tien Shan: concentrations and potential impact on albedo reduction

Light-absorbing impurities on glaciers are important factors that influence glacial surface albedo and accelerate glacier melt. In this study, the quantity of light-absorbing impurities on Keqikaer Glacier in western Tien Shan, Central Asia, was measured. We found that the average concentrations of black carbon was 2,180 ng/g, with a range from 250 ng/g to more than 10,000 ng/g. The average concentrations of organic carbon and mineral dust were 1,738 ng/g and 194 μg/g, respectively. Based on simulations performed with the Snow Ice Aerosol Radiative model simulations, black carbon and dust are responsible for approximately 64% and 9%, respectively, of the albedo reduction, and are associated with instantaneous radiative forcing of 323.18 W/m2(ranging from 142.16 to 619.25 W/m2) and 24.05 W/m2(ranging from 0.15 to69.77 W/m2), respectively. For different scenarios, the albedo and radiative forcing effect of black carbon is considerably greater than that of dust. The estimated radiative forcing at Keqikaer Glacier is higher than most similar values estimated by previous studies on the Tibetan Plateau, perhaps as a result of black carbon enrichment by melt scavenging. Light-absorbing impurities deposited on Keqikaer Glacier appear to mainly originate from central Asia, Siberia, western China(including the Taklimakan Desert) and parts of South Asia in summer, and from the Middle East and Central Asia in winter.A footprint analysis indicates that a large fraction(>60%) of the black carbon contributions on Keqikaer Glacier comes from anthropogenic sources. These results provide a scientific basis for regional mitigation efforts to reduce black carbon.

Dynamical Tropopause Variability and Potential Vorticity Streamers in the Northern Hemisphere——A Climatological Analysis

This study presents a 44-year climatology of potential vorticity （PV） streamers in the Northern Hemisphere based upon analyses of the ERA-40 reanalysis data set. A comparison to an existing 15-year climatology yields very good agreement in the locations of PV streamer frequency maxima, but some differences are found in the amplitude of frequencies. The climatology is assessed with the focus on links between PV streamer frequencies and the synoptic- and planetary-scale variability of the dynamical tropopause. A comprehensive overview is provided on where （zonally） and when （seasonally） short-term variability throughout the extra-tropical and sub-tropical tropopause is enhanced or reduced. Several key processes that influence this variability are discussed. Baroclinic processes, for example, determine the variability in the storm-track areas in winter, whereas the Asian summer monsoon significantly influences the variability over Asia. The paper also describes links between the frequency of PV streamers in the extra-tropical and subtropical tropopause and three major northern hemisphere teleconnection patterns. The observed changes in the PV streamer frequencies are closely related to concomitant variations of PV and its gradient within the tropopause region. During opposite phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation the location of the streamer frequency maxima shifts significantly in the Atlantic and European region in both the extra-tropics and subtropics. The influence of ENSO on the streamer frequencies is most pronounced in the subtropical Pacific.

Black Carbon Size in Snow of Chinese Altai Mountain in Central Asia

Black carbon(BC)in snow plays an important role to accelerate snow melting.However,current studies mostly focused on BC concentrations,few on their size distributions in snow which affected BC’s effect on albedo changes.Here we presented refractory BC(rBC)concentrations and size distributions in snow collected from Chinese Altai Mountains in Central Asia from November 2016 to April 2017.The results revealed that the average rBC concentrations were 5.77 and2.82 ng g-1for the surface snow and sub-surface snow,which were relatively higher in the melting season(April)than that in winter(November-January).The mass median volume-equivalent diameter of rBC size in surface snow was approximately at 120-150 nm,which was typically smaller than that in the atmosphere(about 200 nm for urban atmosphere).However,there existed no specific mass median volume-equivalent diameter of BC size for sub-surface snow in winter.While during the melting season,the median mass size of rBC in sub-surface snow was similar to that in surface snow.Backward trajectories indicated that anthropogenic sourced BC dominated rBC in snow(70%-85%).This study will promote our understanding on BC size distributions in snow,and highlight the possible impact of BC size on climate effect.