Editorial: Atmosphere—Cryosphere Interaction in the Arctic, at High Latitudes and Mountains With Focus on Transport, Deposition, and Effects of Dust, Black Carbon, and Other Aerosols

Abstract

Editorial on the Research Topic Atmosphere-Cryosphere Interaction in the Arctic, at High Latitudes and Mountains With Focus on Transport, Deposition, and Effects of Dust, Black Carbon, and Other Aerosols Atmosphere and cryosphere are closely linked and therefore need to be investigated as an interdisciplinary subject. Most of the cryospheric areas have undergone severe changes in recent decades, while such areas have been more fragile and less adaptable to global climate change (Boy et al., 2019). Atmospheric air pollutants, in particular black carbon (BC) and dust, are deposited on clean snow, land ice or sea ice surfaces, and decrease their albedo. Due to albedo-feedback, snow and ice are melting faster and seasonal snow cover earlier. Impacts of ice loss include reduction in the Earth's albedo and, as a positive feedback, this leads to further warming (Flanner et al., 2007), as for example in the Arctic region. Albedo is wavelength dependent and typically very high for clean snow, and decreases as a function of snow age, snow grain size, and impurity content (e.g., Warren and Wiscombe, 1980; Aoki et al., 2000; Gardner and Sharp, 2010). It is estimated that Arctic snow albedo is reduced primarily due to BC, but other impurities can also contribute to absorption, such as organic or brown carbon (Doherty et al., 2010). Surface albedo feedback has been found as the second main contributor to Arctic amplification (Pithan and Mauritsen, 2014), and BC deposition to snow and ice can strongly contribute to the darkening via black-carbon-on-snow forcing (Bond et al., 2013). The role of BC in snow and ice has been widely investigated, and detailed scientific assessments have been presented in Bond et al. (2013), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2013), and AMAP (2015). Seemingly small amounts of BC in snow, of the order of 10-100 parts per billion by mass (ppb), have shown to decrease its albedo by 1-5% (Hadley and Kirchstetter, 2012). A reduction in snow-surface density due to light absorbing impurities has been documented (Meinander et al., 2014; Skiles and Painter, 2017), and BC has also been suggested as disturbing the water holding capacity of snow (Meinander et al., 2014). Dust has been identified as reducing snow albedo in many parts of the world, for example the Chilean Andes,

Transport of Mineral Dust Into the Arctic in Two Reanalysis Datasets of Atmospheric Composition

“…It also affects the radiation budget indirectly by altering cloud properties: dust can act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and it is an important icenucleating particle (INP) type in the Arctic, with high relevance for mixed-phase cloud formation (Prenni et al, 2009;Morrison et al, 2012;Costa et al, 2017;Schepanski, 2018;Tobo et al, 2019;Si et al, 2019;Sanchez-Marroquin et al, 2020). Once deposited on snow or ice, dust reduces the surface albedo, thereby contributing to the melting of ice and snow during the sunlit part of the year (Bond et al, 2013;Kylling et al, 2018;Dagsson-Waldhauserova and Meinander, 2019;Gunnarsson et al, 2021). Furthermore, dust influences the carbon cycle as it fertilizes oceans and enhances biological productivity (e.g.…”

Saharan dust and giant quartz particle transport towards Iceland

“…Furthermore, a high amount of bioavailable iron in suspended dust can have a major effect on high-latitude oceanic biogeochemical cycles and productivity 21 , 30 – 34 , and hence on the carbon cycle. Dark, basaltic dust particles from Iceland significantly decrease the albedo of snow- and ice-covered regions 24 , 35 – 38 . As a fundamental nutrient source for algae in ice, dust can enhance ice melting 39 – 41 .…”

Potential Source Contribution Function Analysis of High Latitude Dust Sources over the Arctic: Preliminary Results and Prospects

“…The Arctic is known to be warming faster than the rest of the world in response to changes in greenhouse gases, aerosols, and other climate drivers, a process called Arctic amplification [1]. It has been suggested that mineral dust contributes to Arctic amplification [2][3][4]. In particular light-absorbing particulate deposited on snow can reduce surface albedo and enhance the melting of snow and ice.…”