Dust from Receding Glaciers May Have Major Atmospheric Impacts
New research is helping scientists understand how Arctic dust created by receding glaciers affects local air quality and global climate.
The dry riverbed of the Ä’äy Chù, or Slims River, becomes airborne dust when blown by Arctic winds, affecting local air quality and, potentially, global climate. Credit: Lance Goodwin
By Emily Harwitz 16 December 2020
In spring 2016 in the remote northern reaches of Yukon, Canada, a glacier melted so quickly that its meltwater cut a new path through the ice and changed the course of the Ä’äy Chù, or Slims River. When the old riverbed dried out, the basin’s fine-grained dirt (created by glaciers grinding against bedrock) became airborne dust, with major impacts on local air quality and, according to a new study, perhaps effects on global climate.