The Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer: Spatio-Temporal Characteristics, Trends, and Climate Effects

Hongchao Liu and Junjie Ma ()
Additional contact information
Hongchao Liu: School of Geographic Science and Tourism, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China
Junjie Ma: School of Geographic Science and Tourism, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-14

Abstract: During the South Asian Summer Monsoon (SASM), intense large-scale uplift and strong deep convective activity over South Asia lead to the formation of a high aerosol concentration zone in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS), known as the Asian Troposphere Aerosol Layer (ATAL), which appears from June to August. ATAL not only influences the exchange processes of material and energy between the troposphere and stratosphere, but also affects the global climate by altering radiation, cloud formation, and precipitation processes. Therefore, examining the spatiotemporal distribution and climate impacts of ATAL is essential for understanding climate change and evaluating the feasibility of geoengineering. This study systematically reviews research progress on the three-dimensional spatiotemporal distribution, trends, sources, and climatic effects of ATAL. Findings reveal a prominent aerosol layer at the top of the Asian troposphere, and the SASM region potentially serving as a critical conduit for constituents of the boundary layer to reach the stratosphere. However, simulated ATAL components differ significantly across models, particularly in terms of vertical distribution patterns. The precise three-dimensional structure and long-term evolution of ATAL remain unclear, presenting challenges for assessing its climate impact. To advance the understanding of the roles of ATAL in climate change, three future research directions are proposed.

Keywords: Asian tropopause aerosol layer; air quality; pollution; climate effect; upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3381/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3381/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3381-:d:1632021

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().