TheuniquegeographicallocationandhighaltitudeoftheTibetanPlateaucangreatlyinfluenceregionalweatherandclimate.Inparticular,theAsiansummermonsoon(ASM)anticyclonecirculationsystemovertheTibetanPlateauisrecognizedtobeasignificanttransportpathwayforwatervaporandpollutantstoenterthestratosphere.Toimproveunderstandingofthesephysicalprocesses,amulti-locationjointatmosphericexperimentwasperformedovertheTibetanPlateaufromlateJulytoAugustin2018,fundedbythefiveyear(2018–2022)STEAM(stratosphereandtroposphereexchangeexperimentduringASM)project,duringwhichmultipleplatforms/instruments—includinglong-durationstratosphericballoons,dropsondes,unmannedaerialvehicles,specialsoundingsystems,andground-basedandsatellite-borneinstruments—willbedeployed.Thesecomplementarymethodsofdataacquisitionareexpectedtoprovidecomprehensiveatmosphericparameters(aerosol,ozone,watervapor,CO2,CH4,CO,temperature,pressure,turbulence,radiation,lightningandwind);therichnessofthisapproachisexpectedtoadvanceourcomprehensionofkeymechanismsassociatedwiththermal,dynamical,radiative,andchemicaltransportsovertheTibetanPlateauduringASMactivity.
