Integrated Assessment of the Influences of Emission Sources, Meteorology and Atmospheric Chemistry on Aerosol Loadings over South Asia: Implications for Regional Climate

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Abstract

This research will use an integrated modeling approach to understand the relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic aerosol sources as well as the different source sectors in the South Asia region, to the observed aerosol loadings in the remote Indian Ocean. The PIs will examine the influences of meteorology, long-range transport, and atmospheric chemistry on these loadings. The main scientific objectives are to: (1) characterize the regional distribution of aerosol and gaseous species over the Indian subcontinent, (2) understand the relative roles of assumed emission factors and emissions estimates of carbonaceous aerosols on observed chemical budgets by comparing model simulations with available measurements, and, (3) investigate the impact of changing emission scenarios (e.g., alternative fuel strategies) on the loadings of gas-phase pollutants, scattering and absorbing aerosol, and consequently the radiation budget. Broader Impacts: The research will illuminate the role of aerosols in perturbing climate variables most vital to the Asian regional economic and environmental welfare. It will help train future scientists through the use of graduate students at each participating institution: the University of North Carolina, Argonne National Laboratory, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. It will also build capacity in a developing country to use advanced modeling methods to address the adverse impacts of anthropogenic activities on the environment.