ACE-Asia, a 40-day experiment in the western Pacific, is set to go. NOAA is a major supporter of the experiment, which will look at how aerosols, or particles in the air, affect earth's climate. Scientists will collect samples off the coasts of Japan and Korea, one of the largest sources of aerosols on earth.

Asian cities are large producers of material that gets caught up in major dust storms, lifting huge amounts of aerosols high into the atmosphere. They can then travel vast distances across the Pacific Ocean, sometimes even reaching our West Coast. Yet while the aerosols may warm certain atmospheric layers, change expected precipitation patterns, and cool the surface, their size and composition is still a question, making it impossible to accurately predict their effects on climate.

David L. Evans, NOAA Assistant Administrator for NOAA Research, says scientists will try to identify the chemical and physical properties of the particles and their influence on climate. Particles will include those emitted by human activities and industrial sources and wind-blown dust.

A new airborne inlet, developed for this experiment, will increase the accuracy of measurements by collecting large particles, such as mineral dust and sea salt. The amount, composition, origin, and history of aerosols will be measured. The experiments will improve the ability of computer models to predict the influences of aerosols on the earth's radiation balance . They will help us understand how future changes in aerosol concentration and composition may influence changes in our climate system as a whole.

Joel Levy is program manager for aerosol climate research at NOAA's Office of Global Programs.

NOAA's research vessel Ronald H. Brown will be actively engaged in the experiment. Along with NOAA, the National Science Foundation, NASA and other federal agencies, a team of international scientists from eight other nations support ACE-Asia. These include Australia, the People's Republic of China, Chinese Taipei, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

Visit the ACE-Asia web site at http://saga.pmel.noaa.gov/aceasia/.