In the current study, cryoconite samples were collected from six glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau to analyze n-alkanes and n-alkenes. The findings revealed that the concentrations of n-alkanes and n-alkenes varied from 40.1 to 496.1 mu g g(-1) and from 4.6 to 13.8 mu g g(-1), respectively. The carbon preference index of the long-chain n-alkanes ranged from 3.3 to 8.4, and the average chain length ranged from 28.7 to 29.3. Moreover, the delta C-13 of the n-alkanes in cryoconites were within the range of C-3 plants, demonstrating that the n-alkanes in cryoconites were only derived from vascular plants. However, the delta D-mean were more negative than that of C-3 plants, which could be caused by dry and humid conditions of glaciers. Unlike n-alkanes, n-alkenes ranged from C-17:1 to C-30:1 and showed a weak even-over-odd carbon number preference in the Dongkemadi, Yuzhufeng, Laohugou and Tianshan glacier, but a weak odd carbon preference in the Qiyi glacier. The n-alkenes in the YL Snow Mountains showed an obvious odd-over-even carbon number predominance from C-17:1 to C-22:1 with C-max at C-19:1, and the even-over-odd carbon number preference from C-23:1 to C-30:1 with C-max at C-28:1. This demonstrated that the n-alkenes of cryoconites may be mainly derived from in situ production in glaciers.