While the Asian monsoon brings rain that is vital for the agricultural economy of the vast region, it is also known to suck up into the upper atmosphere chemical pollutants that accelerate climate change.
Scientists are eagerly awaiting the results of a US-led international project that seeks to confirm earlier findings that pollutants generated by human activity get transported upwards by the monsoon system and impact atmospheric chemistry and, in turn, change climate.
Atmospheric chemistry is the study of the components of planetary atmospheres, which includes the troposphere – the layer of the atmosphere closest to the Earth – the stratosphere and other upper atmosphere layers.
Laura Pan is a principal investigator on the project and a scientist at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research, which is leading the Asian Summer Monsoon Chemical and Climate Impact Project (ACCLIP) along with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
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