Air Pollution in China Causing More Powerful Storms in US
- 10 years ago
According to a team of American scientists, storms over the Pacific Ocean and the United States might be more intense because of the high levels of air pollution being put into the atmosphere from China. Using advanced computer models, the researchers found that the large amount of air pollution in Asia, made up of airborne particles called aerosols in the atmosphere, are circulated by global weather patterns.
According to a team of American scientists, storms over the Pacific Ocean might be more intense because of the high levels of air pollution being put into the atmosphere from Asia, notably China, possibly leading to unstable weather patterns in the US.
Using advanced computer models, the researchers found that the large amount of air pollution in Asia, made up of airborne particles called aerosols in the atmosphere, are circulated by global weather patterns.
Data from the computer models shows increased precipitation and stronger Pacific storm tracks caused by manmade aerosols from Asia.
Ellie Highwood, a climate physicist at the University of Reading is quoted as saying: “Mid-latitude storms develop off Asia and they track across the Pacific, coming in to the west coast of the US. The particles in this model are affecting how strong those storms are, how dense the clouds are, and how much rainfall comes out of those storms.”
China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection says that 71 out of the 74 cities in China that are monitored by the government for air pollution levels failed to meet air quality standards, but there is a legislative revision under development to put regulations on industrial air pollution, and make environmental safety a higher priority.
While not yet completed, it will be the first changes in environmental protection policy that China has passed since 1989.
According to a team of American scientists, storms over the Pacific Ocean might be more intense because of the high levels of air pollution being put into the atmosphere from Asia, notably China, possibly leading to unstable weather patterns in the US.
Using advanced computer models, the researchers found that the large amount of air pollution in Asia, made up of airborne particles called aerosols in the atmosphere, are circulated by global weather patterns.
Data from the computer models shows increased precipitation and stronger Pacific storm tracks caused by manmade aerosols from Asia.
Ellie Highwood, a climate physicist at the University of Reading is quoted as saying: “Mid-latitude storms develop off Asia and they track across the Pacific, coming in to the west coast of the US. The particles in this model are affecting how strong those storms are, how dense the clouds are, and how much rainfall comes out of those storms.”
China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection says that 71 out of the 74 cities in China that are monitored by the government for air pollution levels failed to meet air quality standards, but there is a legislative revision under development to put regulations on industrial air pollution, and make environmental safety a higher priority.
While not yet completed, it will be the first changes in environmental protection policy that China has passed since 1989.