Black carbon (BC) also known as soot, is small particles that are emitted into the atmosphere naturally, for example by wildfires as well as unnaturally, by humans burning diesel fuel. BC is particularly harmful to the environment in two ways, by turning white surfaces black (like Arctic ice and snow) and by warming the air in the atmosphere. For this experiment, we looked at how BC causes ice melt in the Arctic when it lands on ice and turns it a darker colour. BC is suggested to have caused more than 30% of warming in the Arctic.

When black carbon particles land on ice and snow, they make them much darker than the pure white we think of when we think of the Arctic . The darker surfaces reduce the Albedo, or reflectivity of the area.

Have you ever stepped outside on a hot day in a black T-Shirt and felt hotter than if you were in a white one? That is due to albedo. Albedo, translated into "whiteness" in Latin, is a term used to measure reflectivity. This is usually used on Earth to explain how surfaces reflect sunlight in order to cool down the planet, two of the most extensive surfaces that do this are snow and ice. White surfaces reflect light much more than darker surfaces. Therefore, when black carbon lands on snow and ice, less sunlight is reflected back into space. This causes the snow and ice to absorb more heat and melt much faster than they would if they were lighter in colour, meaning less reflection of sunlight is happening, causing even more melting and rising sea levels.