"Human emissions of greenhouse gases are driving rapid warming all over the globe — particularly in the Arctic, where temperatures are rising at about twice the global rate. But there's another form of carbon in the atmosphere that may also be playing a role.
Black carbon particles, or soot, are collecting in the pristine Arctic, darkening the surface of the snow and ice and causing it to absorb more heat. Scientists believe that black carbon may be causing the region to warm and melt even faster than it otherwise would as the climate continues to change.
Researchers, aided by models of the atmosphere, have suggested that black carbon pollution may come from a variety of sources — some from industry-related fossil fuel burning, some from wood burning by humans and some from wildfires."
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