Dissolved black carbon in the global cryosphere: Concentrations and chemical signatures

Black carbon (BC) is derived from the incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels and can enhance glacial recession when deposited on snow and ice surfaces. Here we explore the influence of environmental conditions and the proximity to anthropogenic sources on the concentration and composition of dissolved black carbon (DBC), as measured by benzenepolycaroxylic acid (BPCA) markers, across snow, lakes, and streams from the global cryosphere. Data are presented from Antarctica, the Arctic, and high alpine regions of the Himalayas, Rockies, Andes, and Alps. DBC concentrations spanned from 0.62 mu g/L to 170 mu g/L. The median and (2.5, 97.5) quantiles in the pristine samples were 1.8 mu g/L (0.62, 12), and nonpristine samples were 21 mu g/L (1.6, 170). DBC is susceptible to photodegradation when exposed to solar radiation. This process leads to a less condensed BPCA signature. In general, DBC across the data set was composed of less polycondensed DBC. However, DBC from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GRIS) had a highly condensed BPCA molecular signature. This could be due to recent deposition of BC from Canadian wildfires. Variation in DBC appears to be driven by a combination of photochemical processing and the source combustion conditions under which the DBC was formed. Overall, DBC was found to persist across the global cryosphere in both pristine and nonpristine snow and surface waters. The high concentration of DBC measured in supraglacial melt on the GRIS suggests that DBC can be mobilized across ice surfaces. This is significant because these processes may jointly exacerbate surface albedo reduction in the cryosphere. Plain Language Summary Here we present dissolved black carbon (DBC) results for snow and glacial melt systems in Antarctica, the Arctic, and high alpine regions of the Himalayas, Rockies, Andes, and Alps. Across the global cryosphere, DBC composition appears to be a result of photochemical processes occurring en route in the atmosphere or in situ on the snow or ice surface, as well as the combustion conditions under which the DBC was formed. We show that samples from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GRIS) have a distinct molecular chemical signature, consistent with deposition of BC from Canadian wildfires occurring the week before sampling. The concentration range observed in this global cryosphere study indicates significant amounts of DBC persist in both pristine and human-impacted snow and glacial meltwater. Our results are significant for understanding the controls on meltwater production from glaciers worldwide and the feedbacks between combustion sources, wildfires, and the global cryosphere. Wildfires are predicted to increase due to climate change, and albedo cannibalism is already influencing meltwater generation on the GRIS. Anticipated longer summer melt seasons as a result of climate change may result in longer durations between snowfalls, enhancing exposure of recalcitrant DBC on snow/ice surfaces, which could further exacerbate surface albedo reduction in the cryosphere.