Climate research in the stratosphere – High altitude research aircraft investigates particle layer above Asia

DLR German Aerospace Center
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Climate research in the stratosphere – High altitude research aircraft investigates particle layer above Asia


It is one of the big unknowns in climate research. The aerosol cloud that sits above the Asian summer monsoon consists of small droplets and dust particles that reach an altitude of up to 17 kilometres and have an effect on the climate. With the participation of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and under the leadership of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), an international team of scientists is currently investigating the atmosphere above Nepal with a high altitude research aircraft. The Russian M55 Geophysica research aircraft took off for its first measurement flight in the Asian stratosphere on 27 July 2017. "We plan to carry out a detailed investigation of the composition of the air masses in the Asian monsoon region at an altitude range of 12 to 20 kilometres," says DLR atmospheric researcher Hans Schlager. "Of particular interest to us here are the sources of the aerosol layer that has previously only been observed by satellites."


Full article with images: http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10081/151_read-23520/year-all/#/gallery/27751

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