Connections between Pollution and the Asian Monsoon Circulation

Abstract:

The Asian Monsoon leads to rapid vertical transport of gases and aerosols into the upper troposphere. Some of the pollution might be transported above cloud levels, which will allow it to spread globally and possibly at some occasions reach into the stratosphere. In this study we will use the GISS climate model to investigate the interactions between pollution and convective transport as well as secondary aerosol formation. Pollution resulting from anthropogenic activity as well as from natural sources such as small and large volcanic eruptions, dust storms and forest fires will be quantified. This modeling study will be accompanied by satellite observations from space that monitor aerosol optical thickness (AOT), and absorption AOT (AAOT) in two and three dimensions. Our goal is a better process level understanding of the evolution of natural and anthropogenic aerosol plumes in conjunction with the Asian Monsoon. Hence, we aim to explain their large-scale expansion, which eventually determines their impacts on climate.