Researchers Detected Large Amount of Ammonia In Earth's Troposphere

This is the first time researchers have found the existence of Ammonia(NH3) in the upper region of Troposphere. The troposphere is the lowest and the habitable atmospheric layer of Earth. This region ranges from 4 to12 Miles(7 to 20 Kms) above the sea level, and it contains 80 percent of Earth's atmosphere and weather information.

An international research team from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology(KIT), Germany started their Experiment in 2002. They collected satellite data from June 2002 to April 2012 & analyzed with 3 months of gap.

Lead author of KIT Dr. Michael Höpfner said in a statement,"Observations show that ammonia is not washed out completely when air ascends in monsoon circulation.Hence, it enters the upper troposphere from the boundary layer close to the ground, where the gas occurs at relatively high concentrations."

Ammonia(nh3) is a byproduct, produced by Chemical fertilizers in livestock farming. This chemical compound is formed by the bonding of Nitrogen(N) & Hydrogen(H). The highest concentration of Ammonia was found over the atmosphere of India & China, due to the rapid growth of population and economic hike.

According to the report by Science Alert, Concentration above North Indi and the Southeast China is the highest. Contamination rate of these atmospheres is up to 33 PPTV. PPTV is the unit of concentration, in this case, 33 PPTV means 33 ammonia molecules per trillion air molecules.

Researchers reported that most of the Ammonia found in the upper troposphere which is 6.2 miles above the sea level. Asian summer monsoon system is directly confined with the detection of region and period of Ammonia.

Particles of ammonia attach to each other and forms aerosols. Aerosols are smallest particles which help to form clouds. Although Ammonia Doesn't entirely wash out with rains.However, it has some advantages, ammonium aerosols are from the anthropogenic origin which helps to cool down atmosphere from global warming, but scientists are still afraid because heavy contamination of Ammonia is poisonous to plants and animals.