Hot dust and moisture collide to fuel Asian summer rainy season

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Dust and smoke from fires over northwestern IndiaPakistan may contribute to a change in rainfall patterns over the region. Credit: NASA
Dust and smoke from fires over northwestern India/Pakistan may contribute to a change in rainfall patterns over the region. Credit: NASA

Who would think that something like dust in the air could trigger rain? According to a new NASA study, this is just what's happening over South Asia's Tibetan Plateau. Very small dust particles called aerosols blow in from desert regions and collect in the atmosphere over the plateau's slopes early in the region's monsoon season, helping trigger rainfall.


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