The Impact of Asian Pollution on the Stratosphere

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA's missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology. This specific opportunity focuses on studying how Asian pollution is transported into the stratosphere during the Summer Asian Monsoon through space-borne satellite observations, in situ airborne measurements and numerical simulations. The research examines the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer (ATAL) using data from CALIPSO, SAGE satellites, and balloon measurement campaigns conducted in India and Saudi Arabia. The project involves collaboration between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The successful candidate will study the distribution of aerosols and trace gases in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere during the Summer Asian Monsoon using satellite and in situ balloon measurements. They will deploy in Asia for several weeks per year to prepare and deploy scientific payloads onboard small and large plastic balloons reaching the stratosphere, and will collaborate with Scientists from NASA Langley to understand air mass origins through trajectory analysis, satellite observations, and GEOS-Chem model runs.