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Complexity in hydro-seismicity of the Koyna-Warna region, India
No full textKoyna-Warna region in western India is known to be the largest case of the reservoir-triggered seismicity in the world with M6.3 earthquake in 1967. This region continues to be seismically active even after 45Â years with occurrences of earthquakes up to M5.0. The porous crustal rocks of Koyna-Warna region respond to changes in the prevailing stress/strain regime. This crustal section is highly fractured and is being fed by rivers and reservoirs. It is also subjected to fluctuating plate boundary forces and significant gravity-induced stresses due to crustal inhomogeneities. These changes induce variations in the water level in bore wells before, during and after an earthquake, and their study can help in understanding the earthquake genesis in the region. The ongoing seismicity thus requires understanding of coupled hydrological and tectonic processes in the region. Water table fluctuations are a reflection of the ongoing hydro-tectonics of the region. The fractal dimension of water levels in the bore wells of the region can be used as measure of the nonlinear characteristics of porous rock, revealing the underlying complexity. In this paper, we present values of correlation dimensions of the water level data in the bore wells using the nonlinear time series methodology. The spatiotemporal changes in the fractal dimensions have also been determined. The results show that hydro-seismically the region behaves as a low-dimensional nonlinear dynamical system
The influence of mesoscale eddies on a commercial fishery in the coastal waters of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
No full textMesoscale eddies enhance the productivity in a stratified coastal environment by upwelling. The seas around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been found to have frequent mesoscale eddy activity. Commercial fishing grounds coincide with upwelling areas associated with cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies and also with areas between two adjacent eddies. There are different eddy zones supporting different types of fishing gears and fish. The current study aims at identifying the different zones of mesoscale eddies in the Andaman Sea and compares the productivity and fishing activity in each of them. Data collected from 454 commercial fishing trips in the Andaman Sea along with maps of sea level anomaly and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) global level 3 mapped thermal infrared (IR) daytime sea surface temperature (SST) from the Aqua and Terra satellites were used for the study. Known upwelling areas such as the periphery of anticyclonic and the core of cyclonic eddies showed higher catches in longlines, ring seines among the fishing gears, and among all the fish species groups. Downwelling areas such as the periphery of cyclonic and the core of anticyclonic eddies showed lower catches with ring seines and the fish species groups. Areas in between adjacent eddies were explored in this study and the fish captures in such areas were found to be different with types of fishing and the target fish group. The study shows results that link eddy activity with the performance of a fishery
Role of surface and boundary layer processes in the temporal evolution of Monsoon Low Level Jet (MLLJ) observed from high resolution Doppler wind lidar measurements
No full textMonsoon Low Level Jet (MLLJ) is one of the important components of Indian summer monsoon. Using high-resolution measurements of boundary layer wind profiles from a Doppler wind lidar at Mahbubnagar (16.73°N, 77.98°E and 445. m above mean sea level), India, the temporal evolution of the MLLJ has been investigated. Both jet core height and jet speed show clear diurnal variation during the monsoon season. Jet core starts descending down in the evening hours and remains at a height between 600. m and 900. m (above surface level) during nighttime. Soon after local sunrise, jet core starts ascending and reaches heights above 1800. m by afternoon hours. Jet core speed starts strengthening in the nighttime and attains maximum intensity in the early morning hours and then the core speeds decrease around the time when the jet core is at its maximum height. Simultaneous diurnal variations of surface temperature, sensible heat flux, latent heat flux and Richardson number show that daytime heating and turbulence in surface layers enhance mixing in the daytime boundary layer which helps in lifting of the jet core. Shear produced turbulence and momentum fluxes also play a significant role in the diurnal variation of MLLJ. Factors influencing the evolution of the convective boundary layer and factors responsible for formation of nocturnal boundary layer are closely associated with the diurnal variation of MLLJ occurring over the low-latitude south Indian peninsular region during monsoon season. The results emphasize the importance of continuous and high spatial-temporal resolution wind profile measurements in the monsoon boundary layer from a Doppler wind lidar
Reductions in India's crop yield due to ozone
No full textThis bottom-up modeling study, supported by emission inventories and crop production, simulates ozone on local to regional scales. It quantifies, for the first time, potential impact of ozone on district-wise cotton, soybeans, rice, and wheat crops in India for the first decade of the 21st century. Wheat is the most impacted crop with losses of 3.5±0.8 million tons (Mt), followed by rice at 2.1±0.8 Mt, with the losses concentrated in central and north India. On the national scale, this loss is about 9.2 of the cereals required every year (61.2 Mt) under the provision of the recently implemented National Food Security Bill (in 2013) by the Government of India. The nationally aggregated yield loss is sufficient to feed about 94 million people living below poverty line in India. Key Points Ozone-induced crop damage is sufficient to fed 94 million people in India Variability in NOx inventories introduces up to 36 uncertainty in crop loss NOx should be the primary target for reducing pollution impacts on food security
Asymmetry in space-time characteristics of Indian summer monsoon intraseasonal oscillations during extreme years: Role of seasonal mean state
No full textA diagnostic study of the space-time characteristics of the summer monsoon intraseasonal oscillations (MISO) during strong monsoon (SM) and weak monsoon (WM) years is carried out to gain insight on the role of the seasonal mean states on the MISOs using long observational and reanalysis datasets. Prominent asymmetry is noted in the duration and magnitude of active-break spells associated with MISO during SM and WM years. Such difference is also reflected in the northward propagation of MISOs over the Indian subcontinent that show fast (slow) propagation during active phase of WM (SM), while the situation is just opposite during breaks. We hypothesize that considerable differences in the seasonal mean states during these extreme monsoon years may be responsible for these asymmetries. In support of this hypothesis, it is found that during WM (SM) years, the seasonal mean zonal winds associated with the convective region have anomalous barotropic (baroclinic) vertical structure, while a baroclinic (barotropic) structure dominates over region of suppressed convection. Evolution of meridional-vertical structure of the MISO anomalies during SM and WM also highlights the role of barotropic zonal wind anomalies in the northward propagation. From the barotropic zonal momentum budget analysis, it is demonstrated that meridional and vertical advection of the seasonal mean zonal wind anomaly may be largely responsible for such asymmetry in intensity, life span and propagation characteristics of the MISOs during SM and WM years
Assessment of water quality using multivariate statistical techniques in the coastal region of Visakhapatnam, India
No full textThe present study was intended to develop a Water Quality Index (WQI) for the coastal water of Visakhapatnam, India from multiple measured water quality parameters using different multivariate statistical techniques. Cluster analysis was used to classify the data set into three major groups based on similar water quality characteristics. Discriminant analysis was used to generate a discriminant function for developing a WQI. Discriminant analysis gave the best result for analyzing the seasonal variation of water quality. It helped in data reduction and found the most discriminant parameters responsible for seasonal variation of water quality. Coastal water was classified into good, average, and poor quality considering WQI and the nutrient load. The predictive capacity of WQI was proved with random samples taken from coastal areas. High concentration of ammonia in surface water during winter was attributed to nitrogen fixation by the phytoplankton bloom which resulted due to East India Coastal Current. This study brings out the fact that water quality in the coastal region not only depends on the discharge from different pollution sources but also on the presence of different current patterns. It also illustrates the usefulness of WQI for analyzing the complex nutrient data for assessing the coastal water and identifying different pollution sources, considering reasons for seasonal variation of water quality. © 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
Microphysics of clouds and rain over the Western Ghat
No full textIn an attempt to unravel the interactions between cloud microphysics and dynamics that make shallow clouds precipitate heavily in this region, some unique observations of rain and cloud microphysical parameters are presented here from two stations, Pune and Mahabaleshwar, one each on the lee and windward sides, respectively, of the Western Ghat (WG) mountains in peninsular India. To elucidate rain microphysics, we used the raindrop size distribution (DSD) by fitting three parameter Gamma functions to the observed raindrop spectra. Over Pune, during stratiform rain with bright band (BB) at 0°C isotherm; concave upward DSD shapes are observed below the BB which becomes concave downward at lower altitudes. It is due to breakup process of large raindrops which increases drop concentration at midsizes suggesting coalescence, collision, and breakup processes. Both slope and intercept parameters of Gamma DSD decrease during no BB condition as altitudes decrease, signifying collision and coalescence processes. Over Mahabaleshwar, bimodal and monomodal DSD are observed during light and heavy rainfall, respectively. With shallow storm heights, small raindrops mainly contribute to both types of rainfall. The DSDs are parameterized, and their radar reflectivity factor-rainfall intensity relationships are evaluated suggesting the dominance of collision-coalescence processes. Aircraft measurements of orographic clouds over the WG suggest interaction of cloud mass with the ambient updraft speed. The orographically forced updrafts foster rapid condensational growth of cloud droplets triggering coalescence process within few hundred meters of cloud depth. Hence, these clouds are dynamically forced to produce precipitation over the WG. Key Points CCB(CC) rain process in presence(absence) of bright band Shallow convective clouds with low R dominates over the WG Clouds grow by forced condensation process over the WG
Temporal variation of "solar dimming" induced by composite and carbonaceous aerosols: Observations from mineral-rich eastern Indian region
No full textComposite and carbonaceous aerosol radiative forcing (RF) over Ranchi (23.5°N, 85.3°E) in eastern India at monthly and seasonal scales during February 2011 to January 2012 is derived from mean optical properties obtained from Sun-sky radiometer and a radiative transfer model. Ranchi is located on the Chotanagpur plateau at 650 m above mean sea level; the region is unique with dense open active mines, a source of mineral aerosols with opposing optical properties such as coal and limestone. Diurnal mean composite aerosol RF at the surface, in the spectral band 0.3–3.0 µm increases from winter (December, January, February) to premonsoon (March, April, May) with maximum (−65 Wm−2) aerosol RF in March that is associated with highest black carbon (BC) aerosol optical depth (AOD), 0.05. Minimum surface aerosol RF occurs in July with minimum values of AOD and AODBC. Aerosol RF at top of the atmosphere is maximum (−17 Wm−2) in April, and is positive (+1.2 Wm−2) in March. On an average, carbonaceous aerosols (BC) contribute ~8.8% to total AOD and about 60% to total atmospheric absorption. A rapid increase of BC is seen in the postmonsoon with 1.0 µg m−3 in September to 3.0 µg m−3 in October. Aerosol-induced solar dimming is about 9.4% (premonsoon), 7.0% (monsoon), 10.6% (postmonsoon), and 10.2% (winter) of the surface radiation. Seasonal mean aerosol heating rate is observed to be maximum in premonsoon (~1.15°K/d−1), followed by postmonsoon, while winter and monsoon experience minimum (~0.45°K/d−1) heating, assuming typical aerosol profiles of the mode
A verification of spatio-temporal monsoon rainfall variability across Indian region using NWP model output
No full textEvaluation of weather forecasting systems and assessment of existing verification procedures are essential to achieve desirable seamless rainfall prediction. Prediction of wet and dry spells is quite useful in agriculture and hydrology but very few attempts have been made so far to resolve the issue using numerical model output. Performance of five state-of-the-art global atmospheric general circulation models and their ensemble mean has been examined in predicting the parameters of wet and dry spells (WSs/DSs) during monsoon period of 2008-2011 over seven subzones of the Indian region. The number of WSs across the region is found to be underestimated, while total duration and rainfall amount of WSs (DSs) overestimated (underestimated). Start of the first WS is late and ends of the last WS early in the model forecast. More uncertainty is noticed in the prediction of DS rainfall and its duration than that of the WS. The percentage area of India under wet conditions (rainfall amount over each grid is more than its daily mean monsoon rainfall) and rainwater over the wet area is overestimated by about 59 and 32 , respectively, in all models
Decadal changes in the relationship between the Indian and Australian summer monsoons
No full textIn this study, we investigate a long-term modulation in the relationship between Indian summer monsoon rainfall with the subsequent Australian summer monsoon rainfall. The two monsoon rainfall time series are significantly correlated at 0.3 at the 99 confidence level. However, the relationship weakens during the 1932-1966 period, with the inter-monsoon correlation for the period falling below statistical significance. We find that this modulation is consistent with a breakdown of the typical El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influence on sea surface temperature in the northern region of Australia, during this period. In addition, a change in the relative influences of ENSO and Indian Ocean Basin-wide Warming sea surface temperature anomalies on the Australian summer monsoon rainfall is also apparent across different time periods