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Fig. 3.6
Shortwave aerosol
radiative forcing (SWARF)
at TOA, with the radiative
forcing effi ciency shown
as a second-order polynomial
with respect to AOD
3.5
Discussion
While the issue of fog invariably receives heightened media attention in South Asia
every winter season, it seems to be quickly forgotten once the fog dissipates. The
amount of scientifi c literature that have quantitatively addressed the links between
persistent fog, pollution, and regional meteorology also appears to be limited.
Similarly, operational forecasting of fog are lacking along the IGP, which can poten-
tially aid in reducing or minimizing the severe impacts on public well-being/safety.
Since the large population base is in question, what might really be needed is an
end-to-end framework comprising implementation of operational systems for early
warning or forecasting of the various stages of fog, and the effective dissemination
of associated alerts at the local level.
Whether the increasing air pollution and fog over the IGP are linked, remains to be
fully understood and investigated. However, in the event increasing pollution, aero-
sols emerge as the major factor with certainty; curbing the pollution levels may lead
to the reduction of the intensity of fog. In other words, although the origins of fog
formation point to natural processes, reducing anthropogenic emissions could at the
very least help in mitigating the smog looming over the entire IGP during winter
season. We already have a prominent example to learn from the positive effects of
clearing the air after the Great London Smog in 1952, where severe smog is now a
thing of the past.
1
In general, the science of fog formation and the inclusive geophysical variables
are well-understood, but the lack of understanding lies in fi nding some of the
intriguing linkages such as:
-
Whether increasing aerosols/pollution is responsible for more fog in recent decades?
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