Billows of black carbon rising from forest fires in the Northern Hemisphere can swaddle the snow on Greenland’s ice sheet and hasten the frozen country’s melt.
Similar to asphalt radiating the sun’s heat, the dark particles of carbon can raise the surface temperature of snow, which relies on reflective powers to stay cold.
Log in
Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions.