ENSO influences trans-Pacific ozone transport from vegetation fires in Southeast Asia
Thursday, July 16, 2020 - 09:50
in Earth & Climate
Long-range transboundary transport of air pollutants (e.g. ozone) is one of the important environmental concerns globally. Previous studies on trans-Pacific transport of air pollutants have been mainly focused on the influence of anthropogenic fossil fuel combustion sources in Asia, especially from China. This study reveals that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-modulated vegetation fires in Southeast Asia, rather than fossil fuel plumes from China, dominate the springtime trans-Pacific transport of ozone across the entire North Pacific Ocean.