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HIGH-MOUNTAIN ASIA

A darker cryosphere in a warming world

Dust and black carbon deposition in high-mountain Asia darkens snow and ice, increases sunlight absorption and causes melt — a reinforcing feedback. Now research shows the increasing importance of dust over black carbon at higher altitude, and the sensitivity of aerosol transport and delivery to Arctic sea-ice melt.

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Fig. 1: Mineral dust and snow algae darken high-mountain snow.

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Correspondence to Biagio Di Mauro.

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Di Mauro, B. A darker cryosphere in a warming world. Nat. Clim. Chang. 10, 979–980 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-00911-9

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