AsiaPollutionChangingWorld'sWeatherPollutioninAsiaisalteringglobalweatherpatternsbycreatinglargercloudsandmoreintensestorms,anewstudysays.Thefindingsarethefirstdefinitivelinkbetweenhumanactivitiesandsignificantshiftsinstormpatternsthatinfluenceweatherworldwide,theresearcherswrite.Theaffectedweathersystem,knownasthePacificstormtrack,spinsofftropicalcyclones(气旋)andtyphoons,theauthorspointout.Evenmoresignificantly,thestormsaffectglobalairandheatcirculationandmaybelinkedtowarminginthepolarregions."TheintensifiedPacificstormtracklikelyhasprofoundimplicationsonclimate,"saidleadresearcherRenyiZhang,anatmosphericscientistatTexasA&MUniversity.TheresearchispresentedinonlineeditionofthejournalProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciences.FossilFueledPreviousresearchhasfoundthatsmokefromwildfiresintheAmazonrainforestdelaystheonsetofstormsintheregion.Whenthestormsdoarrive,they'refiercer.Andurbanpollutionhasbeenblamedforintensifiedelectricityandlightninginstormsovercities.SoZhangandhiscolleaguesturnedaneyetoAsia,whererapidindustrializationandpopulationgrowthoverthepasttwodecadeshavespurredhugeincreasesinpollutionfromtheburningoffossilfuels.Theteamstudiedtheregion'saveragecloudinessduringthepast20years,focusingondeepconvective(对流的)clouds,whichstartclosetoEarthandcantoweraboutsixmiles(tenkilometers)orhigher.Suchcloudsareassociatedwithintensestormactivity,suchastheeye-wallsofcyclones.Theresearchersfoundthatthecloudsincreasedinfrequencyby20to50percentoverthattimeframe,correspondingtoanobservedincreaseinsoot,sulfurdioxide,andotheraerosolsfromcoalandoilburning."ProfoundImplications"AccordingtoZhang,moreintensestormscanaffectatmospherictemperaturesonaregionalscale.Buttheactivitylikelyalsoimpactsthegeneralcirculationofairandheatworldwide.Infact,theresultsarehighlyrelevanttorecentfindingsbytheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChangethatshowthehighestlevelsofglobalwarmingareoccurringoverthepolarregions,theresearchteamwrites.Thestrongerstormscouldbepushingheatandaerosolsoutintotheatmosphereandnorthward,thescientistspointout,whichcouldbecontributingtoshrinkingicecapsintheArcticandmaycausesealevelstorise.ZhanqingLiisanatmosphericandoceanicscientistattheUniversityofMaryland,CollegePark.Becauseofthemagnitudeoftheinfluenceofthepollution-climateinteractionanditsapparentlyfar-reachingconsequences,thenewstudy"isoftremendousimplicationforclimatestudies,"hesaid.用心爱心专心125号编辑1"Whiletheunderpinningcauseforthelinkageisnotacompletelynewdiscovery,noonewouldhaveexpectedthattheAsianpollutioncouldinfluencesuchamightysystemsodramaticallyoversuchashortperiodandlongdistance,"hewroteinareviewofthepaper.Lisaysthepapermaybeassignificantasa2005studyofhurricanesledbyPeterJ.WebsteroftheGeorgiaInstituteofTechnology.Thatresearchsuggestedthatwarmingoceanshavebeendrivinganincreaseinseverehurricanes.Between1970and2004,theaveragetropicalseasurfacetemperaturerosebyalmost1°F(0.6°C),coincidingwithanincreaseinthenumberofCategoryFourandFivestorms.Zhang,meanwhile,hopeshislatestpaperwillpavethewayforfutureresearch."Thisisthefirstworktoestablishtheconnectionbetweenalarge-scaleweathersystemandhumanpollution,"hesaid."Morestudiesareneededtoinvestigatetheinteractionbetweenaerosols,clouds,andclimate."TASKS:1.HowdoesthepollutioninAsiaeffecttheglobalweather?2.What’stheeffectsoftheAsiapollution?用心爱心专心125号编辑2