Research Projects

Aerosol has emerged as a major contributor to global climate change. Black Carbon (BC) aerosols is possibly second factor after CO2 as the main driver of change. BC and other light absorbing aerosols have a strong ability to capture sunlight and transfer its energy from the atmosphere to various surface features. Moreover, when aerosols are deposited on snow and ice, it reduces the albedo and affects the snow and ice layers at a certain depth by the radiative energy it has, and thus accelerates melting more than normal. In the recent decades, the Himalayan region has experienced a warming trend due to the additional absorption of solar radiation by the molecules, formed from biomass burning and fossil fuel consumption, generally known as Aerosol Brown Clouds. This may also influence the albedo of snow and glaciers due to the deposition of light-absorbing aerosols on them and influence the pattern and availability of seasonal snow and glacier melt. Earlier studies have demonstrated the influences of the springtime northern Indian biomass burning over the central Himalayas. The present study delivers the influence of aerosols on the snow albedo, in the accumulation area of glaciers in Sikkim Himalaya. The main aim of the project is to strengthen scientific understanding and assessment of aerosol loading in different size fraction and including black and brown carbon, its deposition on the snow surface, and their impact on the cryosphere over Sikkim Himalaya. The real time particle size, number, and mass distribution in different micron and submicron sizes will be studied using an Environmental dust monitor. It gives continuous real time measurement of different PM values (0.253 to 35.15 microns) and number distribution. The fine and coarse particulate matters (seven different size ranges) will also be collected on quartz fiber-filter using Anderson Cascade Impactor simultaneously for their chemical characterization. The atmospheric black and brown carbon associated with PM2.5 will be assessed using an Aethalometer in the glacier region in the Sikkim Himalaya. The snow and ice samples will be collected at different altitudes in Sikkim Himalaya in different seasons for depositional characteristics. Quantification of reduction in the snow/ice albedo due to deposition of aerosols will be assessed by remote sensing techniques. The estimated albedo will be induced in the energy balance model and will be forced by ART theory to evaluate the melt conditions in different conditions. The evaluated melt will be correlated with mass balance of the glaciers to analyze the evaluation of glaciers with respect to changes in climate. Thus, the aim of the proposed work will be accomplished by assessing the role of aerosols in the melting of snow and glaciers, energy balance estimates for mass balance calculation and thus by assessing the impact of all these on the discharge and melt contributions towards the sustainability of the livelihood located downstream.