Light-Absorbing Particles in Snow and Ice: A Brief Journey Across Latitudes

Abstract

Worldwide, snowSnowand iceIce can be polluted with impurities also referred as Light-Absorbing Particles (LAPs). InLight-Absorbing Particles (LAPs) this chapter, we review the different processes occurring at middle latitudes, tropical areas, and polar regions. We show that snowSnow and ice albedoAlbedoreduction due to LAPsLight-Absorbing Particles (LAPs) deposition or resurfacing is a global phenomenon with regional characteristics. Later in the chapter, we provide a classification of LAPs based on their optical features. We divided LAPsLight-Absorbing Particles (LAPs) in non-carbonaceous (mineral dustDust) and carbonaceous (biogenic particlesBiogenic particlesand cryoconiteCryoconite), and we created a set of radiative transferRadiative transfer simulations for each category. Lastly, we described different observation approaches for studying LAPsLight-Absorbing Particles (LAPs) impact on snowSnowand iceIce. We divided these methods in proximal (field spectroscopyField spectroscopy) and remote (aerial surveys and satelliteSatellite data) sensing. We expect that the study of LAPsLight-Absorbing Particles (LAPs)in snowSnowand iceIce will grow in the future, and more data and models will be developed in order to describe the hydrological and climatic effect of LAPsLight-Absorbing Particles (LAPs) in the cryosphere.