Optical Properties of Fine Mode Aerosols over High-Altitude Himalayan Glacier Regions

  • Sushant Ranjan Verma
  • , Shamsh Pervez
  • , Judith C. Chow
  • , John G. Watson
  • , Syed Muzaffarali Andrabi
  • , Papiya Mandal
  • , Noor Afshan Khan
  • , Suresh Tiwari
  • , Umesh Chandra Dumka
  • , Rajan K. Chakrabarty
  • , Madhuri Verma
  • , Yasmeen Fatima Pervez
  • , Archi Mishra
  • , Aishwaryashri Tamrakar
  • , Hulivahana Nagaraju Sowmya
  • , Manas Kanti Deb
  • , Kallol K. Ghosh
  • , Vikas Kumar Jain
  • , Indrapal Karbhal
  • , Kamlesh Shrivas
  • Manmohan Lal Satnami

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

During the summer and winter periods of 2019-2020, we conducted sampling of fine mode ambient aerosols in the western Himalayan glacial region (WHR; Thajiwas glacier, 2799 m asl), central Himalayan glacial region (CHR; Gomukh glacier, 3415 m asl), and eastern Himalayan glacial region (EHR; Zemu glacier, 2700 m asl). We evaluated the aerosol optical properties, which included the mass absorption coefficient, mass absorption efficiency, mass scattering efficiency, absorption angstrom exponent, single scattering albedo, as well as their simple radiative forcing efficiencies. We observed the highest absorption in the near ultraviolet-visible wavelength range (200-400 nm), with CHR showing the highest absorption compared to the other two sites, WHR and EHR, respectively. Across the wavelength range of 200-1100 nm, the overall contribution of black carbon to light attenuation was greater than that of brown carbon. However, brown carbon dominated the absorption in the near UV-visible wavelengths, providing evidence of its non-trivial presence over the Himalayan region. Additionally, we observed a positive radiative forcing (W/g), which leads to net warming at these sites. The findings of this ground-based study contribute to our understanding of the light-absorbing nature of carbonaceous aerosols and their impact on the Himalayan glacier regions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1536-1544
Number of pages9
JournalACS Earth and Space Chemistry
Volume7
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 17 2023

Keywords

  • Himalayan glacier
  • brown and black carbon
  • carbonaceous matters
  • light-absorbing aerosols
  • radiative forcing

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