Journal Article FZJ-2023-04484

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Air pollution reductions caused by the COVID-19 lockdown open up a way to preserve the Himalayan glaciers

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2023
EGU Katlenburg-Lindau

Atmospheric chemistry and physics 23(18), 10439 - 10449 () [10.5194/acp-23-10439-2023]

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Abstract: The rapid melting of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) during recent decades poses an alarming threat to water security for larger parts of Asia. If this melting persists, the entirety of the Himalayan glaciers are estimated to disappear by end of the 21st century. Here, we assess the influence of the spring 2020 COVID-19 lockdown on the HKH, demonstrating the potential benefits of a strict emission reduction roadmap. Chemistry–climate model simulations, supported by satellite and ground measurements, show that lower levels of gas and aerosol pollution during lockdown led to changes in meteorology and to a reduction in black carbon in snow (2 %–14 %) and thus a reduction in snowmelt (10 %–40 %). This caused increases in snow cover (6 %–12 %) and mass (2 %–20 %) and a decrease in runoff (5 %–55 %) over the HKH and Tibetan Plateau, ultimately leading to an enhanced snow-equivalent water (2 %–55 %). We emphasize the necessity for immediate anthropogenic pollution reductions to address the hydro-climatic threat to billions of people in southern Asia.

Classification:

Contributing Institute(s):
  1. Stratosphäre (IEK-7)
Research Program(s):
  1. 2112 - Climate Feedbacks (POF4-211) (POF4-211)

Appears in the scientific report 2023
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Medline ; Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 4.0 ; DOAJ ; OpenAccess ; Article Processing Charges ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences ; DOAJ Seal ; Essential Science Indicators ; Fees ; IF >= 5 ; JCR ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection
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Open Access

 Datensatz erzeugt am 2023-11-13, letzte Änderung am 2024-07-12


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