Pollutants from South Asia can penetrate into Tibet and impact the atmospheric environment, glaciers and snow cover.
Fig. 1 Aerosol sampling conducted at 6500 m by Mt Everest in the summer of 2003 clearly showed industry-induced sulfate can be transported over the Himalaya by monsoon and monitored by the sampling and analysis. a) The daily route of the air masses showed the transport of the aerosol arriving at the site; b) the monthly mean of aerosol optical depth (AOD) surrounding the sampling site; c) the consistence between sulfate concentration of the samples and mean AOD of the route that the air masses travelling through. (Ming et al., 2007; JGR)
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Fig. 2 Snow samples from the Himalaya, Nyainqentanglha, and Geladiandong showed the possible pathways of mercury transported from South Asia. (Loewen et al., 2007; EST)
Fig. 3 Dissolved organic and inorganic matter in the snow of mid- Himalayan glacier also indicate numbers of pollutants possibly penetrating into the hinterland of Tibet. (Xu et al., 2013; EST)
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Fig. 4 We chose Nam Co lake and surrounding glaciers in Nyainqentanglha mountain as the monitoring sites to investigate the black carbon and organic carbon and to estimate their impacts on the environment, e.g., air quarlity, seasonal snow cover, and glaciers. (Ming et al., 2010; JES)
Fig. 5 Filter sampling during 2006 to 2009 showed there was an increasing trend of carbonaceous-aerosol concentrations in the Nam Co, which was connected to the surrounding AOD value. The monitoring work captured a heavy-pollution event marked in red square occured in March 2009. (Ming et al., 2013_JES; Zhao et al., 2013_ESPR)
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Fig. 6 Before and after the pollution event, the AOD has a distinct variation over the region 25-40N and 70-95E. From the signal in Fig. 5, we confirm the intrusion of pollutants from South Asia (Zhao et al., 2013; ESPR).
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Fig. 7 We used ASD FS3 measure the reflectance of winter snow cover in Nam Co, and collected snow samples and measured the snow density, grain size, and other parameters (Ming et al., 2013; JES).
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Fig. 8 Simulation suggested black carbon and dust can be accounting for 30% reduction in snow albedo (Ming et al., 2013; JES)
Fig. 9 The profile of a snow pit in the Zhadang glacier (ZDG) nearby showed black carbon enriched in the dust layer and had significant impact on the reduction of surface albedo (Ming et al., 2009; AR).
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Citation:
Ming, J., Zhang, D.*, Kang, S., Tian, W. (2007). Aerosol and fresh snow chemistry in the East Rongbuk Glacier on the northern slope of Mt. Qomolangma (Everest). J. Geophys. Res., 112, D15307, doi:10.1029/2007JD008618.
Loewen, M., et al. (2007). Atmospheric Transport of Mercury to the Tibetan Plateau. Environ. Sci. Technol 41(22): 7632-7638.
Ming, J.*, Xiao, C., Cachier, H., Qin, D., Qin, X., Li, Z., Pu, J. (2009). Black carbon in the snow of glaciers in west China and its potential effects on albedos. Atmos. Res., 92(1), 114-123.
Ming, J.*, C. Xiao, J. Sun, S. Kang, P. Bonasoni (2010). Carbonaceous particles in the atmosphere and precipitation of the Nam Co region, central Tibet. J. Environ. Sci.-CHINA, 22(11), 1748-1756.
Zhao, S., J. Ming*, J. Sun, and C. Xiao (2013), Observation of carbonaceous aerosols during 2006–2009 in Nyainqêntanglha Mountains and the implications for glaciers, Environ Sci Pollut Res, 1-12, doi:10.1007/s11356-013-1548-6.
Ming, J. *, Wang, P., Zhao, S., Chen, P. (2013). Disturbance of light-absorbing aerosols on the albedo in a winter snowpack of Central Tibet. J. Environ. Sci.-CHINA, 25(8), 1601-1607.
Xu, J., et al. (2013). Dissolved Organic Matter and Inorganic Ions in a Central Himalayan Glacier—Insights into Chemical Composition and Atmospheric Sources. Environmental Science & Technology 47(12): 6181-6188.
Ming, J., Zhang, D.*, Kang, S., Tian, W. (2007). Aerosol and fresh snow chemistry in the East Rongbuk Glacier on the northern slope of Mt. Qomolangma (Everest). J. Geophys. Res., 112, D15307, doi:10.1029/2007JD008618.
Loewen, M., et al. (2007). Atmospheric Transport of Mercury to the Tibetan Plateau. Environ. Sci. Technol 41(22): 7632-7638.
Ming, J.*, Xiao, C., Cachier, H., Qin, D., Qin, X., Li, Z., Pu, J. (2009). Black carbon in the snow of glaciers in west China and its potential effects on albedos. Atmos. Res., 92(1), 114-123.
Ming, J.*, C. Xiao, J. Sun, S. Kang, P. Bonasoni (2010). Carbonaceous particles in the atmosphere and precipitation of the Nam Co region, central Tibet. J. Environ. Sci.-CHINA, 22(11), 1748-1756.
Zhao, S., J. Ming*, J. Sun, and C. Xiao (2013), Observation of carbonaceous aerosols during 2006–2009 in Nyainqêntanglha Mountains and the implications for glaciers, Environ Sci Pollut Res, 1-12, doi:10.1007/s11356-013-1548-6.
Ming, J. *, Wang, P., Zhao, S., Chen, P. (2013). Disturbance of light-absorbing aerosols on the albedo in a winter snowpack of Central Tibet. J. Environ. Sci.-CHINA, 25(8), 1601-1607.
Xu, J., et al. (2013). Dissolved Organic Matter and Inorganic Ions in a Central Himalayan Glacier—Insights into Chemical Composition and Atmospheric Sources. Environmental Science & Technology 47(12): 6181-6188.