Principal Investigator Chien Wang
Human activities have increased tropospheric aerosol abundance through emissions of particulate matter (primary production) or precursors leading to the formation of aerosols (secondary production). The climate effect of these anthropogenic aerosols remains one of the most uncertain factors in current predictions of future climate. We use interactive aerosol-climate models and various observational data to study this effect. Our research effort is specifically aimed towards achieving a better understanding of the climate response to anthropogenic absorbing aerosols (mainly black carbon aerosols). Using our model and observational data, we have found that absorbing aerosols can significantly affect the distribution and strength of tropical precipitation systems, including the Pacific ITCZ and the Indian monsoon.