Contribution of biomass burning to black carbon deposition on Andean glaciers: consequences for radiative forcing

Abstract

Andean glaciers have melted rapidly since the 1960s. While some melting is likely due to anthropogenic climate change driven by increasing greenhouse gases, deposition of light-absorbing particles such as black carbon (BC) may also play a role. We hypothesize that BC from fires in the Amazon Basin and elsewhere may be deposited on Andean glaciers, reducing the surface albedo and inducing further melting. Here we investigate the role of BC deposition on albedo changes in the Andes for 2014-2019 by combining atmospheric chemistry modeling with observations of BC in snow or ice at four mountain sites in Peru (Quelccaya, Huascarán, Yanapaccha, and Shallap) and at one site in Bolivia (Illimani). We find that annual mean ice BC concentrations simulated by the chemical transport model GEOS-Chem for 2014-2019 are roughly consistent with those observed at the site with the longest record, Huascarán, with overestimates of 15-40%. Smoke from fires account for 20-70% of total wet and dry deposition fluxes, depending on the site. The rest of BC deposited comes from fossil fuel combustion. Using a snow albedo model, we find that the annual mean radiative forcing from the deposition of smoke BC alone on snow ranges from +0.1 to +3.2 W m-2 under clear-sky conditions, with corresponding average albedo reductions of 0.04% to 1.1%. These ranges are dependent on site and snow grain size. This result implies a potentially significant climate impact of biomass burning in the Amazon on radiative forcing in the Andes.

Climate Models Indicate Compensating Effects between Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gases and Aerosols on the 2022 Central Andes Spring Drought

“…Aerosol optical depth (AOD) of the Central Andes has a strong seasonality with a peak season between August and October (Pérez-Ramírez et al 2017). While GHG-driven surface warming plays a role in melting the glaciers over the Andes, increases in deposition of anthropogenic aerosols, such as black carbon from biomass burning and atmospheric particulates from local mining activities, affect the regional climate (Csavina et al 2012;Cereceda-Balic et al 2022;Bonilla et al 2023). The role of these anthropogenic aerosols in spring droughts over the Central Andes still remains unknown.…”