Extreme weather events are quite common in the Himalayan region because of its extremely vulnerable and sensitive ecosystem. In the recent years, an increase in the frequency of these instances has been noted. Here, an effort has been made to comprehend the long-distance transport of dust and how it affects cryosphere of the Himalayas. For this investigation, the data from satellite, air mass trajectory model, and reanalysis products are analysed to understand the processes. The long term analysis detected significant dust storms between 2000 and 2022. Based on their intensities, these dust storms were divided into different categories. Extensive analysis was carried out on the genesis, the transport mechanisms of dust storms, and the atmospheric circulations that supported them. The source regions manifesting dust storms in accordance with the atmospheric circulations were tracked using reverse trajectories. The adverse impact of the dust transported from these dust storms on glaciated surfaces was confirmed.
The speaker will talk about his project work carried out at ARIES.