SOUTH AMERICA — The fires burning in the Amazon rainforests are accelerating the melting of Andean glaciers, according to a study Nature published on November 28.<br /><br />Brazilian scientists at the Rio de Janeiro State University report that smoke from the fires are carrying black carbon as far as the Zongo Glacier in Bolivia.<br /><br />The study focused on the Zongo Glacier between 2007 and 2010, when more fires occurred in the rainforests than normally seen.<br /><br />The researchers said satellite LiDAR imagery confirm black carbon particles are carried to and deposited on the Zongo, or at an altitude between three and five kilometers.<br /><br />Lead researcher Dr. de Magalhães Neto talking to the BBC said that the black carbon then darkens glacial ice and snow.<br /><br />The research team said that tropical glaciers supply water to millions of people in South America.<br /><br />According to the paper, snow and ice infused with black carbon is less able to deflect sunlight, resulting in a significantly higher rate of melting.<br /><br />Dr. Magalhães Neto tells the BBC that forest fires in Bolivia, Peru and Brazil may have vast social implications for the continent, as glacier loss could lead to a water crisis.
