Air pollution in Asia: Having global effect on weather, climate

Extreme air pollution in Asia is having an effect on weather and climate patterns around the world, researchers at Texas A&M University report. In a study conducted with researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., the researchers found air pollution over Asia -- much of it coming from China -- is impacting global air circulations. The scientists analyzed climate models and data collected about aerosols and meteorology over the past 30 years "The models clearly show that pollution originating from Asia has an impact on the upper atmosphere and it appears to make such storms or cyclones even stronger," Texas A&M atmospheric sciences Professor Renyi Zhang said. China's booming economy in three decades has led to the building of an enormous industrial infrastructure produce huge amounts of air pollutants, the researchers said, and once emitted into the atmosphere the pollutant particles affect cloud formations and weather systems worldwide. "This pollution affects cloud formations, precipitation, storm intensity and other factors and eventually impacts climate," Zhang said. "Most likely, pollution from Asia can have important consequences on the weather pattern here over North America." "We need to do some future research on exactly how these aerosols are transported globally and impact climate"