Nepal, Sept. 18 -- The accelerated melting of Himalayan glaciers is mainly caused by global warming due to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. But a new study has confirmed that air pollution deposits also melt the icecap by making it darker.

The two phenomena work in different ways. While the buildup of greenhouses gases due to fossil fuel burning traps solar radiation and raises global surface temperatures, soot particles make snow and ice absorb more sunlight and cause additional melting.

Record high temperatures led to the ice-rock avalanche on the north face of Langtang Lirung on 26 August that unleashed the catastrophic flood downstream.

The Air Quality and Climate Bulletin of the World Meteorological Organization ...