"Black Carbon Driving Himalayan Melt"

"The fact that glaciers in the Himalayan mountains are thinning is not disputed. However, few researchers have attempted to rigorously examine and quantify the causes. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientist Surabi Menon set out to isolate the impacts of the most commonly blamed culprit-greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide-from other particles in the air that may be causing the melting. Menon and her collaborators found that airborne black carbon aerosols, or soot, from India is a major contributor to the decline in snow and ice cover on the glaciers."

SPX had the story February 8, 2010.

See Also:

"Arctic Melt Season Growing Longer" (SPX)

"Is Antarctica Melting?" (SPX/JPL)

"Tibet Temperatures Hit Record High In 2009" (Reuters)