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The air up there
High altitude air quality monitoring shows global reach of air pollution
by Allen Best
Page 6 of 6
"Any assessment of the anthropogenic (human-caused) influence on climate requires quantifying the contributions of man-made particles to both the direct and indirect effect," explains Bertram. Like McKendry, his work has been funded by the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Science.
That's why the Whistler Mountain-top lab matters. It can deliver long-term measurements in what atmospheric scientists called the free troposphere. Planes can do the same thing, but they deliver only snapshots.
"By furthering our understanding of these different particles and their interactions with clouds, their representation in air quality and climate models can be refined and improved," explains Environment Canada.
It's unlikely that any of the work done atop Whistler Mountain will amount to break-throughs that will be reported in the 9 o'clock news. These new understandings represent progress of small steps. But, as anybody who has climbed a mountain can attest, it is the accretion of small steps that eventually leads to broader views. That's the fundamental importance of the research at Whistler this summer. It's a view that includes China and a lot of other places.
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