In news

A new study details how dust coming from the deserts in the West, Central and East Asia plays an important role in the Indian Summer Monsoon

How?

• The researchers explain how the Indian Summer Monsoon has a reverse effect and can increase the winds in West Asia to produce yet more dust.
• Dust swarms from the desert when lifted by strong winds can absorb solar radiation and become hot.
• This can cause heating of the atmosphere, change the air pressure, wind circulation patterns, influence moisture transport and increase precipitation and rainfall.
• A strong monsoon can also transport air to West Asia and again pick up a lot of dust.
• The hot air over the Iranian Plateau can heat the atmosphere over the plateau, strengthen the circulation over the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and increase dust emission from the Middle East.

Aerosol

• The dust aerosols from deserts in West China such as the Taklamakan desert and the Gobi Desert can be transported eastward to eastern China and can influence the East Asia summer monsoon.
• In the southwest United States, there are some small deserts that influence the North African monsoon.
• “Some studies have found that the anthropogenic aerosols emitted from the Indian subcontinent can decrease summer monsoon precipitation, while others found that absorbing aerosols such as dust can strengthen the monsoon circulation.

Source: The Hindu