Climate response to anthropogenic and biomass burning aerosols on the South Asian monsoon

Investigating the climate response to the total effects of anthropogenic and biomass burning aerosols on the South Asian monsoon system is essential to understand and predict climate change not just in Asia but also globally. This study investigates the thermal, radiative, dynamical, and hydrological responses to the combination of direct, semi-direct and indirect effects of anthropogenic and biomass burning aerosols on the South Asian monsoon system using a state of the art coupled atmosphere-mixed layer ocean model (CESM1-SOM). We try to understand the contribution and role of anthropogenic aerosols emitted from within Asia compared to their global emissions in effecting the climate over the region and vice-versa. Our study also delineates the contribution of aerosols emitted from fossil fuel verses biomass burning sources towards altering the monsoon rainfall distribution over South Asia. Results show that the present day emissions of anthropogenic aerosols cool the atmosphere over land and northern Indian Ocean and eventually weaken the prevailing monsoon circulation. More results with greater detail will be presented.