The First Tibetan Ice Core Charcoal Record Reveals Anthropogenic Fire Acceleration Since the 1970s

Abstract Although the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is highly sensitive to biomass burning emissions, direct evidence of its long‐term history remains limited. In this study, we reconstruct a history of biomass burning emissions in the western TP and surroundings for 1935–2012 CE, by using the first high‐resolution ice core charcoal record from the Chongce ice cap. The record shows a fourfold increase in biomass burning emissions after the 1970s, which originated primarily from the northwestern Indian Peninsula. Although pre‐1970s biomass burning was mostly modulated by climate‐vegetation interactions, its post‐1970s acceleration was decoupled from natural fuel and monsoon controls. This shift was primarily driven by anthropogenic activities, as evidenced by a concurrent rise in the charcoal‐to‐pollen ratio, which indicates regional agricultural intensification. In addition, biomass burning is identified as the dominant source of black carbon deposition in the ice core. This result suggests that anthropogenic fire, primarily from agricultural burning, increases the light‐absorbing aerosols on Tibetan glaciers, potentially accelerating ice melt in the region.