# Light-absorbing impurities in glacial environments over western Himalaya from reanalysis data and in situ observations

## TL;DR

This study examines how light-absorbing impurities affect glaciers in the western Himalaya using data and models to understand their impact on melting and water quality.

## Contribution

The study provides a comprehensive dataset on aerosol and snow-ice chemistry variability in the western Himalaya.

## Key findings

- Aerosol variability was analyzed over four decades using MERRA-2 data across five mountain ranges.
- Physicochemical data from three glaciers revealed insights into light-absorbing impurities.
- HYSPLIT model simulations identified air mass sources influencing impurity deposition.

## Abstract

In context with the scientific evidence of aerosol deposition induced snow and glacier melt, this paper provides baseline information about the spatiotemporal variability of aerosols and snow-ice chemistry filling the data and knowledge gap over the western Himalaya, India based on recently published paper [1]. A systematic approach was employed that entailed analysis of aerosol variability over four decades using MERRA-2 (Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications) data over five major mountain ranges in the western Himalaya. Further, data about nine physicochemical parameters was generated over three selected glaciers in the study area. HYSPLIT (HYbrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory) model simulated air mass sources at weekly intervals. This dataset is valuable for future investigations aimed at understanding and characterizing the impacts of light-absorbing impurities on radiative forcing, albedo changes, snow-melt, glacier recession and water quality in the western Himalaya.