The Himalayan Ice is Melting Fast as the Dust Reaches a Very High Altitude
By Zeba Tarnnum
There is a lot of dust surrounding the Himalayas. As a result, the situation is going to be terrible. The Himalayan ice is melting fast due to the dust of Asia and Africa. The experts claim so in a new study. They mentioned in their research that the snow is melting fast as dust blows over the high mountains of the western Himalayas.
According to the Nature Climate Change, dust flying over the mountains can accelerate melting snow. This is because the dust absorbs sunlight and makes the surrounding area heated. As a result, the area’s temperature may rise, and the ice may begin to melt.
The matter of concern is, as the ice is melting rapidly, the natural ecology also gets affected. The freshwater coming down from the glacier flows on the banks of the river.
It comes from the natural process of melting snow. According to an estimate, about 700 million people in Southeast Asia depend on Himalayan ice for their freshwater needs.
But the problem is if the Himalayan ice begins to melt quickly, the water level in these rivers will increase. As a result, experts believe that it may harm the ecological environment that has been around for so long.
Major rivers in India and China, including the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Yangtze, and the Huang, originate from the Himalayas. And that is why snowfall in these areas can identify as dangerous. But why such fear?
Scientists say dust from Africa and Asia has reached very high levels; thus, it has had a profound effect on the snow melting process in the Himalayas.
