Could reduced reflectivity hasten the recession of glaciers and ice-fields?

Question

Loss of arctic ice is being attributed to global warming. Could atmospheric dust and soot settling on the ordinarily white snows and ice be contributing to the melt?

Answer 1

This is one of the key reasons for the new laws affecting all diesel and fuel oil systems worldwide. The new fuels are being reworked to begin with to lower and then eliminate particulate matter from the exhaust stream of these engines. Further steps are being taken to shift as many of these engines over to LNG as possible to even further reduce these particulate emissions and So2 emissions. But then again the alarmists know nothing of these issues because their education is to narrow confined and limited to comprehend them.

Answer 2

Theoretically, yes, but...

...no such dust and soot (in significant amounts) has been detected.

So whereas this theory has been put forward in the past - and researchers keep their eyes open for this - it has not been observed and therefore is not thought to be 'contributing to the melt'.

More relevant to the issue of reduced reflectivity is the self-reinforcing issue: As glaciers and ice-fields decrease in area, the amount of sunlight reflected (both planet-wide and locally) is reduced that then increases the rate of melting leading to even less reflection leading to more melting...

Answer 3

Yes , such a process is a positive feedback .

Answer 4

google: Salter and Latham Theroy