In their recent paper entitled "Asian summer monsoon anomalies induced by aerosol direct forcing - the role of the Tibetan Plateau”, the authors, William Lau (NASA/GSFC), Maeng- Ki Kim (Kongju National University, Korea), and Kyu-Myong Kim (SSAI and the Climate and Radiation Branch), proposed “Elevated Heat Pump” as a plausible mechanism for the aerosol impact on the Asian summer monsoon involving interaction with physical processes over the Tibetan Plateau. According to the General Circulation Model experiment with seasonally varying aerosol forcing, the rising warm air heated by absorbing aerosol (dust and black carbon) over the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the southern slope of Tibet draws in warm and moist air from the Indian Ocean, leading to forced ascent, and enhanced convection over northern India in May-June, and subsequently to increased summer monsoon rainfall over continental India in June-July. This effect demonstrates the importance of the Tibetan Plateau in facilitating the impact of aerosols impacting the water cycle variability of the Asian monsoon.

Reference: Lau, K.-M., M.-K. Kim, and K.-M. Kim, 2006: Asian summer monsoon anomalies induced by aerosol direct forcing: the role of the Tibetan Plateau. Climate Dynamics, doi:10.1007/s00382-006-0114-z.