Monsoon raises pollution to new heights
Posted on 25 March 2010
Researchers in the Department of Chemistry at York were part of a team that used a satellite to provide important data revealing the growing impact of the Asian monsoon on pollution of the stratosphere.New research published in the latest issue of Science Express shows that the monsoon is drawing hydrogen cyanide (HCN), a pollutant caused by biomass burning, into the stratosphere far more quickly than previously thought.
The Asian monsoon is like a huge funnel which sucks up pollution into the stratosphere
Professor Peter Bernath
The research has been carried out by an international team which also included the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, the Department of Physics in the University of Toronto and the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh.
Professor Peter Bernath, who headed the research at York, said the Asian monsoon circulation provided a pathway for pollution to reach the stratosphere.
“The Asian monsoon is like a huge funnel which sucks up pollution into the stratosphere in a very short time. This research shows in a dramatic way that the monsoon pumps HCN into the stratosphere within a few weeks rather than the several months that we associate with the general pattern of air circulation in the tropics.”
The researchers believe that climate change could affect the strength and variability of the Asian monsoon circulation resulting in an even more pronounced impact on the chemical composition and climate of the stratosphere.
The data was gathered by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite mission which Professor Bernath helped to establish seven years ago.
The original objective of ACE was to monitor the ozone layer, but its function has evolved, and it is now used to monitor air quality and atmospheric pollution.
Professor Bernath said: “It was originally intended to have a life of two years but it is now in its sixth year and is still providing us with a wealth of important data.”Notes to editors:
- Asian monsoon transport of pollution to the stratosphere by William J Randel, Mijeong Patrk, Louisa Emmons, Doug Kinnison, Peter Bernath, Kaley A Walker, Chris Boone and Hugh Pumphrey is published in the latest issue of Science Express on 25 March 2010.
- More information on the University of York’s Department of Chemistry at http://www.york.ac.uk/chemistry/.
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