Black carbon: a general review of its sources, analytical methods, and environmental effects in snow and ice in the Tibetan Plateau.

Tibetan Plateau (TP) is known as the water tower of Asia, and glaciers are solid reservoirs that can regulate the amount of water. Black carbon (BC), as one of the important factors accelerating glacier melting, is causing evident environmental effects in snow and ice. However, a systematical summary of the potential sources, analytical methods, distributions, and environmental effects of BC in snow and ice on the TP's glaciers is scarce.

High prevalence of antibiotic-resistant and metal-tolerant cultivable bacteria in remote glacier environment.

Studies of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) have mainly originated from anthropic-influenced environments, with limited information from pristine environments. Remote cold environments are major reservoirs of ARB and have been determined in polar regions; however, their abundance in non-polar cold habitats is underexplored. This study evaluated antibiotics and metals resistance profiles, prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and metals tolerance genes (MTGs) in 38 ARB isolated from the glacier debris and meltwater from Baishui Glacier No 1, China.

Investigation of water-soluble organic constituents and their spatio-temporal heterogeneity over the Tibetan Plateau.

Investigating the migration and transformation of carbonaceous and nitrogenous matter in the cryosphere areas is crucial for understanding global biogeochemical cycle and earth's climate system. However, water-soluble organic constituents and their transformation in multiple water bodies are barely investigated. Water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and organic nitrogen (WSON), and particulate black carbon (PBC) in multiple types of water bodies in eastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) cryosphere for the first time have been systematically investigated.

Black carbon and dust in the Third Pole glaciers: Revaluated concentrations, mass absorption cross-sections and contributions to glacier ablation.

In snow and ice, light-absorbing particles (LAPs), such as black carbon (BC) and dust, accelerate the melting of Third Pole glaciers (TPGs). In this study, we revaluated LAP concentrations in the snow pits of TPGs (SP-TPGs), measured LAP mass absorption cross-sections (MACs), and simulated their effects on glacier darkening and melting based on the Spectral Albedo Model for Dirty Snow and a surface energy and mass balance model. The results indicated that because of their short distances to emission sources, the average BC concentrations measured in snow pits in the periphery of Third Pole were much higher than those measured in the inland Tibetan Plateau, and the average dust concentrations generally decreased from north to south.

Continuously observed light absorbing impurities in snow cover over the southern Altai Mts. in China: Concentrations, impacts and potential sources.

The deposition of light absorbing impurities (LAIs) (e.g., black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC), mineral dust (MD)) on snow is an important attribution to accelerate snowmelt across the northern Xinjiang, China.

Investigation of the spatio-temporal heterogeneity and optical property of water-soluble organic carbon in atmospheric aerosol and snow over the Yulong Snow Mountain, southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

Atmospheric aerosols are a branch of active research in recent decades. The deposition of light-absorbing substances on high-altitude glaciers causes substantial adverse impacts on the cryospheric environment, cryosphere-hydrology, and climate system. Although, the concentrations of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in snow/ice on glaciers of Tibetan Plateau (TP) have been reported, their transfer processes and optical properties in the context of summer precipitation-atmosphere-snow-river water continuum are seldom studied.

Light-absorbing impurities accelerating glacial melting in southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

Deposition of light-absorbing particles on glacier surfaces poses a series of adverse impacts on the cryospheric environment, climate and human health. Broad attention of the scientific community has been paid on insoluble light-absorbing impurities (ILAIs) in snow and ice on glaciers over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). However, systematic investigation of ILAIs in snowpack of glaciers on the TP is scarce.

Vertical distribution of the Asian tropopause aerosols detected by CALIPSO.

Characterizing the vertical distribution of aerosol optical properties is crucial to reduce the uncertainty in quantifying the radiative forcing and climate effects of aerosols. The analysis of four-year (2007-2010) Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) lidar measurements revealed the existence of tropospheric aerosol layers associated with the Asian summer monsoon. The measurements of five typical aerosol optical and microphysical parameters were used to explore the properties, spatial/vertical distributions, annual evolution of tropopause aerosols over the South Asia region.

Carbonaceous aerosol characteristics on the Third Pole: A primary study based on the Atmospheric Pollution and Cryospheric Change (APCC) network.

Carbonaceous aerosols (CAs) scatter and absorb incident solar radiation in the atmosphere, thereby influencing the regional climate and hydrological cycle, particularly in the Third Pole (TP). Here, we present the characteristics of CAs at 19 observation stations from the Atmospheric Pollution and Cryospheric Change network to obtain a deep understanding of pollutant status in the TP. The organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations decreased noticeably inwards from outside to inland of the TP, consistent with their emission load and also affected by transport process and meteorological condition.

Concentration, spatiotemporal distribution, and sources of mercury in Mt. Yulong, a remote site in southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

The unique geographic location of Mt. Yulong in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) makes it a favorable site for mercury (Hg) study. Various snow samples, such as surface snow, snow pit, and snowmelt water were collected from Mt.

Levels and spatial distributions of levoglucosan and dissolved organic carbon in snowpits over the Tibetan Plateau glaciers.

In this study, we collected 60 snowpit samples in nine glaciers from the northern to the southern Tibetan Plateau (TP), to study the levels and spatial distributions of levoglucosan and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The lowest concentration of levoglucosan was found in the Yuzhufeng (YZF) glacier with a mean value of 0.24±0.

Trace elements and rare earth elements in wet deposition of Lijiang, Mt. Yulong region, southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.

In order to investigate the compositions and wet deposition fluxes of trace elements and rare earth elements (REEs) in the precipitation of the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, 38 precipitation samples were collected from March to August in 2012 in an urban site of Lijiang city in the Mt. Yulong region. The concentrations of most trace elements and REEs were higher during the non-monsoon season than during the monsoon season, indicating that the lower concentrations of trace elements and REEs observed during monsoon had been influenced by the dilution effect of increased precipitation.

In-situ measurements of light-absorbing impurities in snow of glacier on Mt. Yulong and implications for radiative forcing estimates.

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) or the third polar cryosphere borders geographical hotspots for discharges of black carbon (BC). BC and dust play important roles in climate system and Earth's energy budget, particularly after they are deposited on snow and glacial surfaces. BC and dust are two kinds of main light-absorbing impurities (LAIs) in snow and glaciers.

Water-soluble elements in snow and ice on Mt. Yulong.

Melting of high-elevation glaciers can be accelerated by the deposition of light-absorbing aerosols (e.g., organic carbon, mineral dust), resulting in significant reductions of the surface albedo on glaciers.

[Spatial Distribution of Stable Isotope from the Lakes in Typical Temperate Glacier Region].

We focused mainly on the spatial variation and influencing factors of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes between water samples collected at the surface and different depths in the Lashi Lake in August, 2014. Hydrological supply characteristics of the lake in typical temperate glacier region were discussed. The results showed that the values of δ¹⁸O and δD in the Lashi Lake ranged from -12.

Analysis of herbaceous plant succession and dispersal mechanisms in deglaciated terrain on Mt. Yulong, China.

Ecological succession itself could be a theoretical reference for ecosystem restoration and reconstruction. Glacier forelands are ideal places for investigating plant succession because there are representative ecological succession records at long temporal scales. Based on field observations and experimental data on the foreland of Baishui number 1 Glacier on Mt.