Why Mexico City?
The researchers chose Mexico City for MIRAGE because it is the world’s third largest urban area, has some of the worst air quality in the world, and is situated in the tropics, as are most fast-growing megacities in developing nations. Current computer models for studying air pollution were developed mainly for cities in industrialized nations, Madronich says. They don’t transfer well to megacities in the developing world, where people are more likely to burn coal and wood and drive vehicles that emit more harmful chemicals. The field campaign will also gather information about aerosols, such as how long they endure in the atmosphere and how they affect clouds. These insights are useful to scientists who make computer models of global climate. “The lifetime of organic aerosols may be longer than climate modelers have thought, and this could have a huge effect on climate,” Madronich says.
