Widespread albedo decreasing and induced melting of Himalayan snow and ice in the early 21st century.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The widely distributed glaciers in the greater Himalayan region have generally experienced rapid shrinkage since the 1850s. As invaluable sources of water and because of their scarcity, these glaciers are extremely important. Beginning in the twenty-first century, new methods have been applied to measure the mass budget of these glaciers. Investigations have shown that the albedo is an important parameter that affects the melting of Himalayan glaciers. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:The surface albedo based on the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data over the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Himalaya (HKH) glaciers is surveyed in this study for the period 2000-2011. The general albedo trend shows that the glaciers have been darkening since 2000. The most rapid dec

SUBMITTER: Ming J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4454657 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature