Eastern Himalayas show highest black carbon levels; snow loss tied to biomass burning
New Delhi: Snow surface temperatures in the Himalayan region have risen by more than 4°C over the last two decades due to increasing levels of
black carbon emissions
, a new study by Delhi-based research consultancy Climate Trends has found. The analysis, based on 23 years of NASA satellite data (2000–2023), reports accelerated melting in areas with higher black carbon deposits, particularly in the Eastern and Central Himalayas.
According to the study titled Impact of Black Carbon on Himalayan Glaciers: A 23-Year Trends Analysis, the average snow surface temperature rose from -11.27°C (2000–2009) to -7.13°C (2020–2023). The study found that regions with higher black carbon concentrations showed greater snow melt and reduced snow depth.
The research attributes the presence of black carbon to emissions from biomass combustion, fossil fuel use, and open burning in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. 'Glacier melt is accelerating, threatening freshwater resources to nearly two billion people downstream,' said Dr Palak Baliyan, lead author of the study.
Black carbon reduces the reflectivity (albedo) of snow, causing it to absorb more solar radiation and melt faster. Although concentrations plateaued somewhat between 2019 and 2023, the long-term warming trend is clear. 'Black carbon acts like a heat lamp on snow,' the report stated.
Speaking at the India Heat Summit 2025, Dr Farooq Azam, Senior Cryosphere Specialist, ICIMOD, cited 2022 as the worst year for glacier mass balance, with Himalayan glaciers such as Chhota Shigri in Himachal Pradesh losing up to two metres of ice. 'Since 2022, glacial mass loss is four times higher than normal. With more temperature, glaciers shrink and more heavy metals melt into river water,' he said.
Dr Azam also said that black carbon from the Indo-Gangetic Plain is carried by winds and deposited on glaciers. 'This darkens the snow surface, reducing albedo, and accelerates heat absorption,' he added. Some studies estimate that the additional radiation absorbed due to darkened snow is equivalent to 14–15 volts per square kilometre.
The study found a strong positive correlation between black carbon and snow surface temperature and a negative correlation with snow depth, even when controlling for temperature, indicating a direct impact of black carbon on snowpack.
'Reducing black carbon, especially from cookstoves, crop burning, and transport, can offer quick wins for climate and water security,' said Aarti Khosla, Director, Climate Trends. The report advocates targeted policy interventions in the Indo-Gangetic region to mitigate black carbon emissions.
Dr Azam added that signs of climatic impact are evident in increased avalanches, shifting agricultural zones, and glacier loss, including the near disappearance of Yala Glacier in Nepal. 'In 2022 alone, glaciers experienced up to four times the normal mass loss, equivalent to 2 metres of ice from Chhota Shigri Glacier,' he said.
The report concludes that cutting black carbon emissions can yield short-term regional cooling and help slow glacial retreat.
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