On the Influence of Mineral Dust on Glacial Albedo at Nevado Huascarán (Cordillera Blanca, Peru)

Abstract In addition to warming and hydrological changes, glacier retreat is influenced by mineral dust and other light absorbing impurities. However, very little is known about the presence of mineral dust in the tropical Andes, making it difficult to model the radiative impact of dust on glacial surfaces. We present two 60‐year (1960–2019) ice core dust records from the col and summit of Earth's highest tropical mountain (Nevado Huascarán, Cordillera Blanca, Peru) and use the Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiative model (SNICAR) to investigate dust‐driven albedo changes over time. Our results show that, although dust concentrations have trended upward for several decades, mineral dust has only a marginal effect on the albedo of the high‐altitude glaciers at Huascarán. We estimate that by the end of the century, the reduction in surface albedo due to mineral dust will translate to an additional 15–70 mm w.e. of ablation on the col and 16–57 mm w.e. on the summit, or less than ∼5% of the average net accumulation rates of today.