GS Paper 1
Syllabus: Geography
Source: The Hindu
Context: A recent study has found that Black carbon aerosols have indirectly affected the mass gain of the Tibetan Plateau glaciers by changing long-range water vapour transport from the South Asian monsoon region.
- The South Asia region adjacent to the Tibetan Plateau has among the highest levels of black carbon emission in the world.
About Black Carbon:
- Black carbon is a short-lived climate pollutant with a lifetime of only days to weeks after release in the atmosphere.
- Black carbon is formed by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, wood, and other fuels
Impact of Black Carbon on Cryosphere
- Rapid melting of Glaciers
- Asian Brown Cloud (ABC): A man-made cloud of carbon emissions, dust, and other pollutants causes less sunlight, less rain, and an inverse warming effect, which causes glacier melting to accelerate.
- Glacier retreat: Gangotri glacier retreated 850 meters between 1996 and 1999; as a result of black carbon deposits due to stubble burning and forest fires
- Increasing Glacial lakes
- Changes in Snow Albedo
- Livelihood impact
- Respiratory and cardiovascular health impacts on humans
Short-term and Long term impacts
Way Forward:
- Policies in place to reduce black carbon emissions – Enhancing fuel-efficiency standards, phasing out diesel vehicles, promoting electric cars etc.
- Aggressively curbing black carbon emissions
- New economically and technically feasible policies can help to contain glacier melt.
- Regional cooperation to protect these resources will pay important dividends for the health and well-being of the people in the region.
Insta Links:
Prelims Link: UPSC 2021
What is blue carbon?
(a) Carbon captured by oceans and coastal ecosystems.
(b) Carbon sequestered in forest biomass and agricultural soils.
(c) Carbon contained in petroleum and natural gas.
(d) Carbon present in the atmosphere
Answer: (a)
Mains Link:
Q. What is Black Carbon? Explain the impact of recently witnessed black carbon spikes in the Himalayan glaciers.
