Hemispheric Insolation Forcing of the Indian Ocean and Asian Monsoon: Local versus Remote Impacts*

2006 ◽  
Vol 19 (23) ◽  
pp. 6195-6208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaodong Liu ◽  
Zhengyu Liu ◽  
John E. Kutzbach ◽  
Steven C. Clemens ◽  
Warren L. Prell
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
Asian Monsoon ◽  
Tropical Indian Ocean ◽  
Precipitable Water ◽  
The South ◽  
Summer Insolation ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
Insolation Forcing

Abstract Insolation forcing related to the earth’s orbital parameters is known to play an important role in regulating variations of the South Asian monsoon on geological time scales. The influence of insolation forcing on the Indian Ocean and Asian monsoon is studied in this paper by isolating the Northern and Southern Hemispheric insolation changes in several numerical experiments with a coupled ocean–atmosphere model. The focus is on the response of South Asian summer rainfall (monsoon strength) with emphasis on impacts of the local versus remote forcing and possible mechanisms. The model results show that both Northern Hemisphere (NH) and Southern Hemisphere (SH) summer insolation changes affect the Indian Ocean and Asian monsoon as a local forcing (in the same hemisphere), but only the SH changes result in remote (in the other hemisphere) forcing. The NH insolation change has a local and immediate impact on NH summer monsoons from North Africa to South and East Asia, while the SH insolation change has a remote and seasonal-scale delayed effect on the South Asian summer monsoon rainfall. When the SH insolation is increased from December to April, the sea surface temperature (SST) in the southern tropical Indian Ocean remains high from January to July. The increased SST produces more atmospheric precipitable water over the southern tropical Indian Ocean by promoting evaporation from the ocean. The enhanced precipitable water over the southern Indian Ocean is transported northward to the South Asian monsoon region by the lower-tropospheric mean cross-equatorial flows with the onset of the Asian monsoon increasing precipitable water over South Asia, eventually leading to the increase of Indian summer monsoon precipitation. Thus, these model experiments, while idealized and not fully representing actual orbitally forced insolation changes, confirm the broadscale response of northern monsoons to NH summer insolation increases and also illustrate how SH summer insolation increases can have a delayed influence on the Indian summer monsoon.

scholarly journals Evolution of two troughs in the tropical Indian Ocean and their characteristic features

MAUSAM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 395-398
Author(s):  
M.S. SINGH ◽  
B. Lakshmanaswamy
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Tropical Indian Ocean ◽  
The Other ◽  
The South ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
Characteristic Features

Evolution and characteristic features of double trough systems in the tropical Indian Ocean have been studied with the help of Climatological Atlas (Part I andIl) ~f the Tropical Indian Oc.ean (Hastenrath and Lamb 1979). It is confirmed that there are two troughs (Northern Hemisphere EquatorIal Trough and Southern Hemisphere Equatorial Trough) in this region (including south Asian landmass) all the year round, one in northern hemisphere and the other in southern. Both are migratory in nature and, perhaps, thermal in origin.  In the convergent zones of the two troughs, there is extensive cloudiness. The migration of these trough systems during their respective summer seasons appear to be related to the extensive heating of the south Asian/ African land masses surrounding the Indian Ocean in north and west.  

scholarly journals The South Asian monsoon—pollution pump and purifier

Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 361 (6399) ◽  
pp. 270-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Lelieveld ◽  
E. Bourtsoukidis ◽  
C. Brühl ◽  
H. Fischer ◽  
H. Fuchs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Asian Monsoon ◽  
Oxidation Mechanism ◽  
Winter Monsoon ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
The Indian Ocean

Air pollution is growing fastest in monsoon-affected South Asia. During the dry winter monsoon, the fumes disperse toward the Indian Ocean, creating a vast pollution haze, but their fate during the wet summer monsoon has been unclear. We performed atmospheric chemistry measurements by aircraft in the Oxidation Mechanism Observations campaign, sampling the summer monsoon outflow in the upper troposphere between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. The measurements, supported by model calculations, show that the monsoon sustains a remarkably efficient cleansing mechanism by which contaminants are rapidly oxidized and deposited to Earth’s surface. However, some pollutants are lofted above the monsoon clouds and chemically processed in a reactive reservoir before being redistributed globally, including to the stratosphere.

scholarly journals Secular and orbital-scale variability of equatorial Indian Ocean summer monsoon winds during the late Miocene

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara T. Bolton ◽  
Emmeline Gray ◽  
Wolfgang Kuhnt ◽  
Ann E. Holbourn ◽  
Julia Lübbers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
Late Miocene ◽  
Asian Monsoon ◽  
Equatorial Indian Ocean ◽  
South Asian Monsoon ◽  
The South ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Monsoon Winds

Abstract. In the modern northern Indian Ocean, biological productivity is intimately linked to near-surface oceanographic dynamics forced by the South Asian, or Indian, monsoon. In the late Pleistocene, this strong seasonal signal is transferred to the sedimentary record as strong variance in the precession band (19–23 kyr) because precession dominates low-latitude insolation variations and drives seasonal contrast in oceanographic conditions. In addition, internal climate system feedbacks (e.g. ice-sheet albedo, carbon cycle, topography) play a key role in monsoon variability. Little is known about orbital-scale variability of the monsoon in the pre-Pleistocene, when atmospheric CO2 levels and global temperatures were higher. In addition, many questions remain open regarding the timing of the initiation and intensification of the South Asian monsoon during the Miocene, an interval of significant global climate change that culminated in bipolar glaciation. Here, we present new high-resolution (< 1 kyr) records of export productivity and sediment accumulation from International Ocean Discovery Program Site U1443 in the southernmost Bay of Bengal spanning the late Miocene and earliest Pliocene (9 to 5 million years ago). Underpinned by a new orbitally-tuned benthic isotope stratigraphy, we use X-Ray Fluorescence-derived biogenic barium variations to discern productivity trends and rhythms. Our data show strong eccentricity-modulated precession-band productivity variations throughout the late Miocene, interpreted to reflect insolation forcing of summer monsoon wind strength in the equatorial Indian Ocean. On long timescales, our data support the interpretation that South Asian monsoon winds were already established by 9 Ma, with no apparent intensification over the late Miocene.

scholarly journals Relative Roles of Land–Sea Distribution and Orography in Asian Monsoon Intensity

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (9) ◽  
pp. 2714-2729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongfeng Xu ◽  
Congbin Fu ◽  
Yongfu Qian
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Asian Monsoon ◽  
Asian Summer Monsoon ◽  
Monsoon Circulation ◽  
Eurasian Continent ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
Asian Summer

Abstract The relative impacts of various land–sea distributions (LSDs) and mountains on Asian monsoon extent and intensity are assessed using a series of AGCM simulations. The air–sea coupling effects are not considered in this study. All simulations were integrated with zonal mean SST, globally uniform vegetation, soil color, and, except several simulations, soil texture. The results show that the LSD plays a more fundamental role than orography in determining the extent of Asian and African monsoons. The tropical zonal LSD and Asian mountains both play a crucial role for establishing summer monsoon convection over the South Asian region. The monsoon circulation index (MCI1) defined by the difference of zonal wind between 850 and 200 hPa is used to measure the intensity of the South Asian summer monsoon. The large-scale meridional land–sea thermal contrast between the Eurasian continent and the Indian Ocean only induces a 1.8 m s−1 increase of MCI1. The presence of the Indian subcontinent and Indochina peninsula (Asian mountains), however, induces a 6.6 (7.4) m s−1 increase of MCI1 associated with the release of latent heat of condensation. Clearly, the tropical subcontinental-scale zonal LSD and the Asian mountains almost equally contribute to the increase of MCI1 and play a more important role than the large-scale meridional LSD between the Eurasian continent and the Indian Ocean. Possible mechanisms of how the tropical subcontinental-scale zonal LSD and Asian mountains impact the Asian summer monsoon circulation and precipitation are also discussed.

scholarly journals Importance of seasonally resolved oceanic emissions for bromoform delivery from the tropical Indian Ocean and west Pacific to the stratosphere

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 11973-11990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alina Fiehn ◽  
Birgit Quack ◽  
Irene Stemmler ◽  
Franziska Ziska ◽  
Kirstin Krüger
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
Tropical Indian Ocean ◽  
Boreal Summer ◽  
Boreal Winter ◽  
The West ◽  
West Pacific ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
Oceanic Emissions

Abstract. Oceanic very short-lived substances (VSLSs), such as bromoform (CHBr3), contribute to stratospheric halogen loading and, thus, to ozone depletion. However, the amount, timing, and region of bromine delivery to the stratosphere through one of the main entrance gates, the Indian summer monsoon circulation, are still uncertain. In this study, we created two bromoform emission inventories with monthly resolution for the tropical Indian Ocean and west Pacific based on new in situ bromoform measurements and novel ocean biogeochemistry modeling. The mass transport and atmospheric mixing ratios of bromoform were modeled for the year 2014 with the particle dispersion model FLEXPART driven by ERA-Interim reanalysis. We compare results between two emission scenarios: (1) monthly averaged and (2) annually averaged emissions. Both simulations reproduce the atmospheric distribution of bromoform from ship- and aircraft-based observations in the boundary layer and upper troposphere above the Indian Ocean reasonably well. Using monthly resolved emissions, the main oceanic source regions for the stratosphere include the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal in boreal summer and the tropical west Pacific Ocean in boreal winter. The main stratospheric injection in boreal summer occurs over the southern tip of India associated with the high local oceanic sources and strong convection of the summer monsoon. In boreal winter more bromoform is entrained over the west Pacific than over the Indian Ocean. The annually averaged stratospheric injection of bromoform is in the same range whether using monthly averaged or annually averaged emissions in our Lagrangian calculations. However, monthly averaged emissions result in the highest mixing ratios within the Asian monsoon anticyclone in boreal summer and above the central Indian Ocean in boreal winter, while annually averaged emissions display a maximum above the west Indian Ocean in boreal spring. In the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone bromoform atmospheric mixing ratios vary by up to 50 % between using monthly averaged and annually averaged oceanic emissions. Our results underline that the seasonal and regional stratospheric bromine injection from the tropical Indian Ocean and west Pacific critically depend on the seasonality and spatial distribution of the VSLS emissions.

scholarly journals Lower tropospheric ozone over India and its linkage to the South Asian monsoon

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Lu ◽  
Lin Zhang ◽  
Xiong Liu ◽  
Meng Gao ◽  
Yuanhong Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Asian ◽  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
Tropospheric Ozone ◽  
Asian Monsoon ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
South Asian Monsoon ◽  
Summer Monsoon Season ◽  
The South

Abstract. Lower tropospheric (surface to 600 hPa) ozone over India poses serious risks to local human and crops, and potentially affects global ozone distribution through frequent deep convection in tropical regions. Our current understanding of processes controlling seasonal to long-term variations in lower tropospheric ozone over this region is rather limited due to spatially and temporally sparse observations. Here we present an integrated process analysis of the seasonal cycle, interannual variability, and long-term trends of lower tropospheric ozone over India and its linkage to the South Asian Monsoon using the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite observations for years 2006–2014 interpreted with a global chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) simulation for 1990–2010. OMI observed lower tropospheric ozone over India averaged for 2006–2010 show the highest concentrations (54.1 ppbv) in the pre-summer monsoon season (May) and the lowest concentrations (40.5 ppbv) in the summer monsoon season (August). Process analyses in GEOS-Chem show that hot and dry meteorological conditions and active biomass burning together contribute to 5.8 Tg more ozone produced in the lower troposphere of India in May than January. The onset of the summer monsoon brings ozone-unfavorable meteorological conditions and strong upward transport, all lead to large decreases in the lower tropospheric ozone burden. Interannually, we find that both OMI and GEOS-Chem indicate strong interannual positive correlations (r = 0.55–0.58) between ozone and surface temperature in pre-summer monsoon seasons, with larger correlations found in high NOx emission regions reflecting NOx-limited production conditions. Summer monsoon seasonal mean ozone levels are strongly controlled by monsoon strengths. Lower ozone concentrations are found in stronger monsoon seasons mainly due to less ozone net chemical production. Furthermore, model simulations over 1990–2010 estimate a mean annual trend of 0.19 ± 0.07 (p-value 

scholarly journals Satellite and Argo Observed Surface Salinity Variations in the Tropical Indian Ocean and Their Association with the Indian Ocean Dipole Mode

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 695-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Du ◽  
Yuhong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Indian Ocean Dipole ◽  
Coastal Upwelling ◽  
Tropical Indian Ocean ◽  
Sea Surface Salinity ◽  
The South ◽  
Surface Salinity ◽  
Indian Ocean Dipole Mode ◽  
The Indian Ocean

Abstract This study investigates sea surface salinity (SSS) variations in the tropical Indian Ocean (IO) using the Aquarius/Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas-D (SAC-D) and the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite data and the Argo observations during July 2010–July 2014. Compared to the Argo observations, the satellite datasets generally provide SSS maps with higher space–time resolution, particularly in the regions where Argo floats are sparse. Both Aquarius and SMOS well captured the SSS variations associated with the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) mode. Significant SSS changes occurred in the central equatorial IO, along the Java–Sumatra coast, and south of the equatorial IO, due to ocean circulation variations. During the negative IOD events in 2010, 2013, and 2014, westerly wind anomalies strengthened along the equator, weakening coastal upwelling off Java and Sumatra and decreasing SSS. South of the equatorial IO, an anomalous cyclonic gyre changed the tropical circulation, which favored the eastward high-salinity tongue along the equator and the westward low-saline tongue in the south. An upwelling Rossby wave favored the increase of SSS farther to the south. During the positive IOD events in 2011 and 2012, the above-mentioned processes reversed, although the decrease of SSS was weaker in magnitude.

scholarly journals Opposite responses of the Indian Ocean to the thermal forcing of the Tibetan Plateau before and after the onset of the South Asian monsoon

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-56
Author(s):  
Yu Zhao ◽  
Anmin Duan ◽  
Guoxiong Wu
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Asian Monsoon ◽  
Monsoon Onset ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Thermal Forcing ◽  
The North ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Indian Ocean

AbstractThe atmospheric circulation changes dramatically over a few days before and after the onset of the South Asian monsoon in spring. It is accompanied by the annual maximum surface heating over the Tibetan Plateau. We conducted two sets of experiments with a coupled general circulation model to compare the response of atmospheric circulation and wind-driven circulation in the Indian Ocean to the thermal forcing of the Tibetan Plateau before and after the monsoon onset. The results show that the Tibetan Plateau's thermal forcing modulates the sea surface temperature (SST) of the Indian Ocean and the meridional circulation in the upper ocean with opposite effects during these two stages. The thermal forcing of the Tibetan Plateau always induces a southwesterly response over the northern Indian Ocean and weakens the northeasterly background circulation before the monsoon onset. Subsequently, wind-evaporation feedback results in a warming SST response. Meanwhile, the oceanic meridional circulation shows offshore upwellings in the north and southward transport in the upper layer crossing the equator, sinking near 15°S. After the monsoon onset, the thermal forcing of the Tibetan Plateau accelerates the background southwesterly and introduces a cooling response to the Indian Ocean SST. The response of oceanic meridional overturning circulation is limited to the north of the equator due to the location and structural evolution of the climatological local Hadley circulation. With an acceleration of the local Walker circulation, the underlying zonal currents also show corresponding changes, including a westerly drift along the equator, downwelling near Indonesia, offshore upwelling near Somalia, and a westward undercurrent.

scholarly journals Three types of positive Indian Ocean dipoles and their relationships with the South Asian summer monsoon

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-67
Author(s):  
Jilan Jiang ◽  
Yimin Liu ◽  
Jiangyu Mao ◽  
Jianping Li ◽  
Shuwen Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
Asian Summer Monsoon ◽  
South Asian Summer Monsoon ◽  
The South ◽  
Mature Phase ◽  
Asian Summer ◽  
Type C ◽  
Southeasterly Wind

AbstractThe relationship between the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) and the South Asian summer monsoon (SASM), which remains a subject of controversy, was investigated using data analyses and numerical experiments. We categorized IOD events according to their sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) pattern: Type-W and Type-E are associated with stronger SSTA amplitudes in the western and eastern poles of the IOD, respectively, while Type-C has comparable SSTA amplitudes in both poles during boreal autumn. Type-W is associated with a weak SASM from May to summer, which contributes to substantial warming of the western pole in autumn; the east–west SST gradient linked to the warming of the western pole causes weak southeasterly wind anomalies off Sumatra and feeble and cold SSTAs in the eastern pole during the mature phase. Type-E is associated with a strong SASM and feeble warming of the western pole; interaction between the strong SASM and cold SSTAs in the eastern pole in summer results in strong southeasterly wind anomalies off Sumatra and substantial cooling of the eastern pole during the mature phase. For Type-C, warming of the western pole and cooling of the eastern pole develop synchronously without apparent SASM anomalies, and reach comparable intensities during the mature phase. Observations and numerical simulation results both indicate the role of disparate SASM anomalies in modulating SSTA patterns during the development of positive IODs. Warming of the tropical Indian Ocean becomes established in the winter and spring following Type-W and Type-C IODs, but not following Type-E events.

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