Himalayas as a global hot spot of springtime stratospheric intrusions:Insight from isotopic signatures in sulfate aerosols

Downward transport of stratospheric air into the troposphere(identified as stratospheric intrusions)could potentially modify the radiation budget and chemical of the Earth's surface atmosphere.As the highest and largest plateau on earth,the Tibetan Plateau including the Himalayas couples to global climate,and has attracted widespread attention due to rapid warming and cryospheric shrinking.Previous studies recognized strong stratospheric intrusions in the Himalayas but are poorly understood due to limited direct evidences and the complexity of the meteorological dynamics of the third pole.Cosmogenic^(35)S is a radioactive isotope predominately produced in the lower stratosphere and has been demonstrated as a sensitive chemical tracer to detect stratospherically sourced air mass in the planetary boundary layer.Here,we report 6-month(April–September 2018)observation of^(35)S in atmospheric sulfate aerosols(^(35)SO_(4)^(2-))collected from a remote site in the Himalayas to reveal the stratospheric intrusion phenomenon as well as its potential impacts in this region.Throughout the sampling campaign,the^(35)SO_(4)^(2-)concentrations show an average of 1,070±980 atoms/m^(3).In springtime,the average is 1,620±730 atoms/m^(3),significantly higher than the global existing data measured so far.The significant enrichments of^(35)SO_(4)^(2-)measured in this study verified the hypothesis that the Himalayas is a global hot spot of stratospheric intrusions,especially during the springtime as a consequence of its unique geology and atmospheric couplings.In combined with the ancillary evidences,e.g.,oxygen-17 anomaly in sulfate and modeling results,we found that the stratospheric intrusions have a profound impact on the surface ozone concentrations over the study region,and potentially have the ability to constrain how the mechanisms of sulfate oxidation are affected by a change in plateau atmospheric properties and conditions.This study provides new observational constraints on stratospheric intrusions in the Himalayas,which would further provide additional information for a deeper understanding on the environment and climatic changes over the Tibetan Plateau.

Influence of transboundary air pollution on air quality in southwestern China

Air pollution is a grand challenge of our time due to its multitude of adverse impacts on environment and society,with the scale of impacts more severe in developing countries,including China.Thus,China has initiated and implemented strict air pollution control measures over last several years to reduce impacts of air pollution.Monitoring data from Jan 2015 to Dec 2019 on six criteria air pollutants(SO_(2),NO_(2),CO,O_(3),PM_(2.5),and PM_(10))at eight sites in southwestern China were investigated to understand the situation and analyze the impacts of transboundary air pollutants in this region.In terms of seasonal variation,the maximum concentrations of air pollutants at these sites were observed in winter or spring season depending on individual site.For diurnal variation,surface ozone peaked in the afternoon while the other pollutants had a bimodal pattern with peaks in the morning and late afternoon.There was limited transport of domestic emissions of air pollutants in China to these sites.Local emissions enhanced the concentrations of air pollutants during some pollution events.Mostly,the transboundary transport of air pollution from South Asia and Southeast Asia was associated with high concentrations of most air pollutants observed in southwestern China.Since air pollutants can be transported to southwestern China over long distances from the source regions,it is necessary to conduct more research to properly attribute and quantify transboundary transport of air pollutants,which will provide more solid scientific guidance for air pollution management in southwestern China.

Impacts of Indian summer monsoon and stratospheric intrusion on air pollutants in the inland Tibetan Plateau

Air pollutants can be transported to the pristine regions such as the Tibetan Plateau,by monsoon and stratospheric intrusion.The Tibetan Plateau region has limited local anthropogenic emissions,while this region is influenced strongly by transport of heavy emissions mainly from South Asia.We conducted a comprehensive study on various air pollutants (PM_(2.5),total gaseous mercury,and surface ozone) at Nam Co Station in the inland Tibetan Plateau.Monthly mean PM_(2.5)concentration at Nam Co peaked in April before monsoon season,and decreased during the whole monsoon season (June–September).Monthly mean total gaseous mercury concentrations at Nam Co peaked in July and were in high levels during monsoon season.The Indian summer monsoon acted as a facilitator for transporting gaseous pollutants (total gaseous mercury) but a suppressor for particulate pollutants (PM_(2.5)) during the monsoon season.Different from both PM_(2.5)and total gaseous mercury variabilities,surface ozone concentrations at Nam Co are primarily attributed to stratospheric intrusion of ozone and peaked in May.The effects of the Indian summer monsoon and stratospheric intrusion on air pollutants in the inland Tibetan Plateau are complex and require further studies.

New progress and problems of Quaternary moraine dating in the Tibetan Plateau

Since the 20th century, numerous Quaternary moraine dating methods have emerged, including lichenometric, moraine 14C, quartz sand thermoluminescence （TL）, electron spin resonance （ESR）, optically stimulated luminescence （OSL） and 10Be, 26A1, 36C1, 3H, 21Ne nuclide dating methods. These dating methods are widely applied to determine moraine ages and have provided a large dataset. Unfortunately each method has its defects. In this paper, we will review these various dating methods and provide some comments.

Modifications in aerosol physical, optical and radiative properties during heavy aerosol events over Dushanbe, Central Asia

The location of Central Asia,almost at the center of the global dust belt region,makes it susceptible for dust events.The studies on atmospheric impact of dust over the region are very limited despite the large area occupied by the region and its proximity to the mountain regions (Tianshan,Hindu Kush-KarakoramHimalayas,and Tibetan Plateau).In this study,we analyse and explain the modification in aerosols’physical,optical and radiative properties during various levels of aerosol loading observed over Central Asia utilizing the data collected during 2010–2018 at the AERONET station in Dushanbe,Tajikistan.Aerosol episodes were classified as strong anthropogenic,strong dust and extreme dust.The mean aerosol optical depth (AOD) during these three types of events was observed a factor of ~3,3.5 and 6.6,respectively,higher than the mean AOD for the period 2010–2018.The corresponding mean fine-mode fraction was 0.94,0.20 and 0.16,respectively,clearly indicating the dominance of fine-mode anthropogenic aerosol during the first type of events,whereas coarse-mode dust aerosol dominated during the other two types of events.This was corroborated by the relationships among various aerosol parameters (AOD vs.AE,and EAE vs.AAE,SSA and RRI).The mean aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) at the top of the atmosphere (ARF_(TOA)),the bottom of the atmosphere (ARF_(BOA)),and in the atmosphere (ARFATM) were -35±7,-73±16,and38±17 Wm^(-2)during strong anthropogenic events,-48±12,-85±24,and 37±15 Wm^(-2)during strong dust event,and -68±19,-117±38,and 49±21 Wm-2during extreme dust events.Increase in aerosol loading enhanced the aerosol-induced atmospheric heating rate to 0.5–1.6 K day^(-1)(strong anthropogenic events),0.4–1.9 K day^(-1)(strong dust events) and 0.8–2.7 K day^(-1)(extreme dust events).The source regions of air masses to Dushanbe during the onset of such events are also identified.Our study contributes to the understanding of dust and anthropogenic aerosols,in particular the extreme events and their disproportionally high radiative impacts over Central Asia.

Carbonaceous aerosol transport from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the Himalayas:Carbon isotope evidence and light absorption characteristics

The Indo-Gangetic Plain(IGP)is a major regional and global emitter of atmospheric pollutants,which adversely affect surrounding areas such as the Himalayas.We present a comprehensive dataset on carbonaceous aerosol(CA)composition,radiocarbon(D14C)-based source apportionment,and light absorption of total suspended particle(TSP)samples collected over a 3-year period from high-altitude Jomsom in the central Himalayas.The 3-year mean TSP,organic carbon(OC),and elemental carbon(EC)concentrations were 92.0±28.6,9.74±6.31,and 2.02±1.35 lg m^(3),respectively,with the highest concentrations observed during the pre-monsoon season,followed by the post-monsoon,winter,and monsoon seasons.The △^(14)C analysis revealed that the contribution of fossil fuel combustion(ffossil)to EC was 47.9%±11.5%,which is consistent with observations in urban and remote regions in South Asia and attests that EC likely arrives in Jomsom from upwind IGP sources via long-range transport.In addition,the lowest f_(fossil)(38.7%±13.3%)was observed in winter,indicating large contributions in this season from local biomass burning.The mass absorption cross-section of EC(MACEC:8.27±1.76 m^(2)/g)and watersoluble organic carbon(MACWSOC:0.98±0.45 m^(2)/g)were slightly higher and lower than those reported in urban regions,respectively,indicating that CA undergo an aging process.Organic aerosol coating during transport and variation of biomass burning probably led to the seasonal variation in MAC of two components.Overall,WSOC contributed considerably to the light absorption(11.1%±4.23%)of EC.The findings suggest that to protect glaciers of the Himalayas from pollution-related melting,it is essential to mitigate emissions from the IGP.