Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Editors' preface
- Keynote address to the 1977 Symposium SIR JAMES LIGHTHILL
- Part I The large-scale climatology of the tropical atmosphere
- Part II The summer monsoon over the Indian subcontinent and East Africa
- 12 The monsoon as reflected in the behaviour of the tropical high-pressure belt
- 13 On the onset of the Indian southwest monsoon and the monsoon general circulation
- 14 Medium-range forecasting of monsoon rains
- 15 Sea-surface temperature and the monsoon
- 16 The effect of elevation on monsoon rainfall distribution in the central Himalayas
- 17 Use of the equation of continuity of water vapour for computation of average precipitation over peninsular India during the summer monsoon
- 18 Determination of cloud cluster properties from MONSOON-77 data
- 19 Analysis of superpressure balloon trajectories and conventional observations over the Indian Ocean during different phases of the 1975 southwest monsoon
- 20 An experiment in monitoring cross-equatorial airflow at low level over Kenya and rainfall of western India during the northern summers
- 21 Structure of the Somali Jet deduced from aerial observations taken during June–July, 1977
- 22 Certain aspects of monsoonal precipitation dynamics over Lake Victoria
- 23 A numerical model of the monsoon trough
- 24 On the monsoonal midtropospheric cyclogenesis over western India
- 25 Downstream development of baroclinic waves in the uppertropospheric monsoon easterlies suggested by a simple model experiment
- 26 The stability of the monsoon zonal flow with a superposed stationary monsoon wave
- 27 Growth of monsoon disturbances over western India
- 28 Topographic Rossby waves in the summer monsoon
- Part III The physics and dynamics of the Indian Ocean during the summer monsoon
- Part IV Some important mathematical modelling techniques
- Part V Storm surges and flood forecasting
- Index
13 - On the onset of the Indian southwest monsoon and the monsoon general circulation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Editors' preface
- Keynote address to the 1977 Symposium SIR JAMES LIGHTHILL
- Part I The large-scale climatology of the tropical atmosphere
- Part II The summer monsoon over the Indian subcontinent and East Africa
- 12 The monsoon as reflected in the behaviour of the tropical high-pressure belt
- 13 On the onset of the Indian southwest monsoon and the monsoon general circulation
- 14 Medium-range forecasting of monsoon rains
- 15 Sea-surface temperature and the monsoon
- 16 The effect of elevation on monsoon rainfall distribution in the central Himalayas
- 17 Use of the equation of continuity of water vapour for computation of average precipitation over peninsular India during the summer monsoon
- 18 Determination of cloud cluster properties from MONSOON-77 data
- 19 Analysis of superpressure balloon trajectories and conventional observations over the Indian Ocean during different phases of the 1975 southwest monsoon
- 20 An experiment in monitoring cross-equatorial airflow at low level over Kenya and rainfall of western India during the northern summers
- 21 Structure of the Somali Jet deduced from aerial observations taken during June–July, 1977
- 22 Certain aspects of monsoonal precipitation dynamics over Lake Victoria
- 23 A numerical model of the monsoon trough
- 24 On the monsoonal midtropospheric cyclogenesis over western India
- 25 Downstream development of baroclinic waves in the uppertropospheric monsoon easterlies suggested by a simple model experiment
- 26 The stability of the monsoon zonal flow with a superposed stationary monsoon wave
- 27 Growth of monsoon disturbances over western India
- 28 Topographic Rossby waves in the summer monsoon
- Part III The physics and dynamics of the Indian Ocean during the summer monsoon
- Part IV Some important mathematical modelling techniques
- Part V Storm surges and flood forecasting
- Index
Summary
The problem of the onset of the southwest monsoon over India is critically reviewed and the need for a procedure to objectively determine the northern limit of the monsoon (NLM) during the period of its advance is brought out. A procedure suggested by Subbaramayya and Bhanukumar (1977) has been used including the satellite cloud pictures for demarcating the NLM during the 1977 period of the advance of the monsoon.
The nature of the three-dimensional circulation of the Asian summer monsoon constructed by the authors of this chapter is reappraised and the important branches of the circulation are pointed out. It is suggested that this model of the general circulation is to be further examined using extensive aerological data.
Introduction
The southwest monsoon season is the rainy season for the Indian sub-continent and this monsoon accounts for more than 80%; of the annual rainfall. The total rainfall in the period June to September amounts to about 3.8 × 1015 kg. Its value at the rate of 1 paisa a pot of water comes to 13 000 billion rupees, and therefore it is a very important recurring natural resource to the country. Similar amounts of rainfall are given by this monsoon to several countries in south and southeast Asia and therefore it is an important meteorological phenomenon of great economic significance. Meteorologically, it is equally important because the heat liberated by the monsoon rains in the free atmosphere over the Indian region is about 8.4 × 1021 J in the monsoon season.
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- Monsoon Dynamics , pp. 213 - 220Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1981
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