• Researchers think the byproduct of autos, aircraft and wood
burning may be helping the ice cap absorb more heat. WASHINGTON
— An international research team is in the land of snow and ice,
in search of soot. Though the Arctic is often pictured as a vast
white wasteland, scientists believe a thin layer of soot —
mostly invisible — is causing it to absorb more heat. They want
to find out if that's the main reason for the recent rapid
warming of the Arctic, which could have a long-term impact on
the world's climate. Soot, or black carbon, is produced by auto
and truck engines, aircraft emissions, burning forests and the
use of wood- or coal-burning stoves. "The Arctic serves as the
air conditioner of the planet," explained Patricia Quinn of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, one of the
research participants. Heat from other parts of the Earth moves
to the Arctic in the circulating air and ocean water, and at
least some of that warmth can radiate into space. At the same
time, some of the incom