Pollutants , on the rise in Asia due to the region's economic growth, are transported to the stratosphere during the monsoon season and circulate around the planet for years, according to a study published in the journal Science .
Based on satellite observations and computer models, researchers at the American Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in the United States have concluded that due to monsoons, the circulation of the summer wind rapidly carries air from the surface of the Earth from the lower region of the atmosphere (troposphere) upwards. These upward movements cause particles of carbon, sulfur oxide and nitrogen and other pollutants to reach the stratosphere , at an altitude of between 32 and 40 kilometers above the earth's surface. Once there, these pollutants circulate around the Earth for several years before falling down again and disintegrating.
According to the study, the impact of Asian pollution on the stratosphere could increase considerably in the coming decades due to the growth of industrial activity in China, India and other developing economies in the region. Furthermore, climate change could affect monsoons in Asia without it being known yet whether this would strengthen or weaken the updrafts that carry pollutants to the stratosphere.
