Brief communication: Light-absorbing impurities can reduce the density of melting snow
Climatic effects of black carbon (BC) deposition on snow have been proposed to result from reduced snow albedo and increased melt due to light-absorbing particles. In this study, we hypothesize that BC may decrease the liquid-water retention capacity of melting snow, and present our first data, wher...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2014-05-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/991/2014/tc-8-991-2014.pdf |
| Summary: | Climatic effects of black carbon (BC) deposition on snow have been proposed
to result from reduced snow albedo and increased melt due to light-absorbing
particles. In this study, we hypothesize that BC may decrease the liquid-water retention capacity of melting snow, and present our first data, where
both the snow density and elemental carbon content were measured. In our
experiments, artificially added light-absorbing impurities decreased the
density of seasonally melting natural snow. No relationship was found in
case of natural non-melting snow. We also suggest three possible processes
that might lead to lower snow density. |
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| ISSN: | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |