Concept paper on Asian Brown Clouds

The most visible impact of air pollution is the haze, a brownish layer of pollutants and particles from biomass burning and industrial emissions, that pervades most regions in Asia. A recent international study, the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX), has revealed that this haze is transported far beyond the source region, particularly during the dry season. The discovery of the so-called Asian haze by INDOEX scientists, a 3 kilometers thick brownish layer, hovering over most of the tropical Indian Ocean, South, Southeast and East Asia is a clear evidence of the magnitude of the problem.