Arctic snow not darkening due to soot, dust, study finds
Saturday, October 31, 2015 - 04:10
in Earth & Climate
For millennia, Greenland's ice sheet reflected sunlight back into space, but satellite measurements in recent years suggest the bright surface is darkening, causing solar heat to be absorbed and surface melting to accelerate. Some studies suggest this "dirty ice" or "dark snow" is caused by fallout from fossil fuel pollution and forest fires.