iLEAPS co-sponsored AGU Session

The densely populated Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), south of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH), is subjected to persistently high loadings of aerosols and key air pollutants, which lead to poor air quality and impact the regional atmospheric chemistry, climate, public health and agriculture. Dense smog associated with crop burning, urban/industrial emissions and residential heating/cooking, during the dry autumn-winter period, often results in alarming degradation of air quality. Whereas extensive dust emissions in spring-summer months, combined with carbonaceous aerosols, can potentially affect summer monsoon processes, leading to enhanced vertical pollution transport over Asia. Emissions originating from the IGP can also be transported across other parts of south Asia including surrounding oceanic regions, and even the relatively pristine HKH. We invite presentations discussing various observational, modeling and impact studies over south Asia; with topics ranging from aerosols and trace gases characterization including aerosol-radiation and chemistry-climate interactions, and public health and agricultural impacts.