Co-Principal Investigators: Laura Pan (NCAR), Paul Newman (NASA)
Co-Investigators: Elliot Atlas (Univ. Miami), William Randel (NCAR), Brian Toon (CU), Troy Thornberry (NOAA)
Location: Western Pacific (Flight Operations from S. Korea)
Dates: July 15 – August 31, 2022


Project Goals, Objectives & Hypotheses
Primary Goal: To investigate the impacts of Asian gas and aerosol emissions on global chemistry and climate via the linkage of Asian Summer Monsoon (ASM) convection and associated large-scale dynamics.
Scientific Objectives: Obtain a comprehensive suite of dynamical, chemical and microphysical measurements in the region of ASM anticyclone to address:
- the transport pathways (vertical range, intensity, and time-scale) of the ASM uplifted air from inside of the anticyclone to the global upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS)
- the chemical content of air processed in the ASM for UTLS ozone chemistry, and short-lived climate forcers
- the information on aerosol size, mass and chemical composition for determining the radiative impact
- the water vapor distribution associated with the monsoon dynamical structure
Hypotheses:
- The western Pacific region is a major path of ASM UTLS outflow
- The ASM outflow has a distinct chemical signature of trace gases that reflects the combination of surface sources, convective pumping and subsequent photochemical processing.
- Air masses associated with the ASM anticyclone will have enhanced aerosol loadings with increased organic carbon and sulfate concentrations
- The ASM anticyclone provides a pathway for air with higher moisture to enter stratosphere, bypassing the cold tropical tropopause