A Unique Geography -- and Soot and Dust -- Conspire Against Himalayan Glaciers

This article begins to discuss how no other place could possibly produce such a powerful atmospheric heat pump as the Himalayas. This is in reference to the rapid retreat of the glaciers in recent years. These mountains hold 10,000 glaciers that are melting more rapidly than in recent years. To the north of the Himalayas lies the Tibetan Plateau, to the west is deserts, and to the south is a bowl-like basin. The ice breaks off and and travels down the mountain through creviced valleys. The ice begins to thaw and add to lakes streams and rivers in the spring when the monsoon carries moist air from the Indeans Ocean. A little south of the Himalayas lies the Indo-Gangetic plain which is one of the most fertile and highly populated cities. As a result of this, there is much air pollution with a steady supply of industrial soot mixed with ash and other particles. To the west, the Thar Desert consists of arid dusty land. During the spring, dust and sand are picked up and pulled into the atmosphere. All of the pllutants join together to create a large, brown cloud that can be seen from space. This creates a blockade for solar radiation that actually causes the land surface to cool, although it absorbs it also. This heats up the air around the Himalayan foothills and actually forces moisture and hot air up the mountains. This is what the beginning of the article was referring to when making reference to a "heat pump." This endless cycle is detrimental to the people and geography of the Himalayas. The people depending on the bodies of water in that area suffer as a result.



http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/terrain-heat-pump.html