Quantitative measurements on the paleo-weathering intensity of the loess-soil sequences and implication on paleomonsoon

The loess-soil sequences in northern China provide a near continuous record of Quaternary paleoclimate. The pedogenetic intensity of the sequences is closely linked with the variations of the East Asian summer monsoon. In this study, 2181 samples from the Changwu and Xifeng loess sections are analyzed and two high-resolution paleo-weathering timeseries of the last 1.2 Ma are generated, using the ratio of CBD extractable free Fe₂O₃ (FeD) versus the total iron (FeT). This new index is compared with micromorphological features, low-frequency magnetic susceptibility, frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility, and the Rb/Sr ratio^[5,6]. The results suggest that the FeD/FeT ratio is able to better reflect the degree of soil development. Since the chemical weathering of loess in the Loess Plateau region mainly depends upon the summer precipitation and temperature under modern climate condition, which are closely associated with strength of summer monsoon, and the chemical weathering intensity of loess primarily reflects the variations of the summer monsoon circulation.     

Distribution of Rb and Sr in the Luochuan loess- paleosol sequence of China during the last 800 ka

The concentrations of Rb and Sr, and magnetic susceptibility in loess and paleosol samples from the Luochum profile have been measured. The loess units deposited in different geological periods display a very similar pattern of Rb and Sr distribution while paleosol units exhibit a dramatic increase in the Rb/Sr ratio, ranging from 20% to 120% in increase amplitude. Owing to different geochemical behavior of the two elements, Rb appears to be immobile while Sr appears to be mobile in the processes of weathering and pedogenesis. So variations of the Rb/Sr ratio in the loess-paleosol sequences could reflect intensities of weathering and pedogenesis, thus recording the relative wind strength of the East Asian summer monsoon circulation. This could be supported by the high degree of cornlation between the Rb/Sr ratio and the magnetic susceptibility. A continuous record of the Rb/Sr ratio in the Luochuan profile over the last 800 ka bears a striking resemblance to the δ¹⁸ O curve of the deep sea sediments and is in accordance with the SPECMAP chronology. Such similarity between the terrestrial and the deep sea records suggests that variability in global ice volume is a primary dynamic factor controlling long-term changes of the East Asian summer monsoon intensity. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49725307).     

Spatial distribution of surface energy fluxes over the Loess Plateau in China and its relationship with climate and the environment

China's Loess Plateau is located at the edge of the Asian summer monsoon in a transition zone of climate and ecology. In the Loess Plateau, climate and environments change along with space, which has an obvious impact on the spatial distribution of surface energy fluxes. Because of scarce land-surface observation sites and short observation time in this area, previous studies have failed to fully understand the land-surface energy balance characteristics over the entire the Loess Plateau and their effect mechanisms. In this paper, we first test the simulation ability of the Community Land Model(CLM) model by comparing its simulated data with observed data. Based on the simulation data for the Loess Plateau over the past thirty years, we then analyze the spatial distribution of surface energy fluxes and compare the pattern differences between the area averages for the driest year and wettest year. Furthermore, we analyze the relationship between the spatial distribution of the components of the surface energy balance with longitude, latitude, altitude, precipitation and temperature. The main results are as follows: the spatial distribution of surface energy fluxes are significantly different, with the surface net radiation and sensible heat flux increasing from south to north and latent heat flux and soil heat flux decreasing from southeast to northwest. The sensible heat flux at the driest point is nearly twice as high as that at the wettest point, whereas the latent heat flux and soil heat flux at the driest point are half as much as that at the wettest point. The impact of variations of annual precipitation on the components of the surface energy balance is also obvious, and the maximum magnitude of the changes to the sensible heat flux and latent heat flux is nearly 30%. To a certain extent, geographical factors(including longitude, latitude, and altitude) and climate factors(including temperature and precipitation) affect the surface energy fluxes. However, the surface net radiation is more closely related to latitude and altitude, sensible heat flux is more closely related to the monsoon rainfall and latitude, and latent heat flux and soil heat flux are more closely related to the monsoon rainfall.     

Palaeomonsoon vicissitudes in eastern desert region of China since last interglacial period

Based on the geological records, the palaeomonsoon in eastern desert region of China is divided into three major evolution stages, i.e. summer monsoon prevailing stage of last interglacial period (130-70kaB.P.), winter monsoon prevailing stage of last glacial period (70-10 kaB. P.), and unstable summer monsoon prevailing stage of postglacial period (10 kaB. P. to present) and further divided into several substages. The conversion between summer monsoon and winter monsoon in the region is dominated by the sudden change process. The north limit of summer monsoon in the region retreated to the north limit of sandy loess zone of the Loess Plateau in the last glacial period from the Mazong Mts. -Ulan Bator of last interglacial period, then it entered Shandan-Yabrai region in the optimum period of the Holocene, and finally it retreated to the present extended line from north piedmont of the Yinshan Mts to Hulun Buir. This shows that the summer monsoon caused by East Asian monsoon circulation tends to be weakened fluctuationally. However, the factors affecting the monsoon vicissitudes are complex, so special attention should be paid to the study of the short-period climatic fluctuations of the Holocene.     

Modeling the East Asian climate during the last glacial maximum

Climatologists have been paying much attention to the global and regional climatic charac-teristics during the LGM. A lot of paleodata were obtained in East Asia during the LGM[1—5] and laid the firm foundation of reconstructing East Asian paleoclimate t…     

夏季风期间长江流域的水汽输送状态及其年际变化

本文利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,分析了长江流域夏季风期间的水汽收支和循环,着重研究了不同月份与水汽收支的年际变化显著相关的大尺度水汽输送和环流异常.流域范围的西南夏季风水汽输送以6、7月最为强烈,经向输送在5～8月造成流域水汽辐合,9月造成辐散;纬向输送在5～7月造成流域水汽辐散,8、9月造成辐合.研究表明,在不同月份,流域的南北边界处的水汽输送在流域水汽收支的年际变化中起着不同的作用.这种变化与大气环流的异常密切相关.在夏季风相对较弱月份（5、8、9月）,流域水汽收支的年际变化极大地受到流域南边界南风水汽输入通道的影响,对应于水汽收入偏丰年,该3个月500 hPa高空在青藏高原东部都存在显著异常低压区,而且,8、9月在中南半岛及其以东洋面存在显著异常反气旋环流,与8月西太副高的向西向南异常伸展,以及9月副高的西伸较弱和南北范围较宽有关,这些异常环流均造成南边界的大量异常水汽输入.而在夏季风十分强盛的6、7月,流域北边界南风水汽输出极大增加,成为流域水汽收入年际变化的关键敏感通道,对应于水汽收入偏丰年,6月500 hPa高空主要受中纬度以黄海和东海为中心的异常低压系统和气旋性异常环流影响,与该区域副高偏南、偏弱有关,而7月则主要受中高纬以外兴安岭为中心的异常高压和反气旋性异常环流影响,应该是由于该区域大陆高压的频繁生成造成的,它们均造成流域北边界水汽输出的异常减少.     

Strontium and neodymium isotopic compositions of detrital sediment of NS90-103 from South China Sea: Variations and their paleoclimate implication

Strontium, neodymium isotopic compositions and trace elements of the detrital sediments of Core NS90-103 from South China Sea were analyzed. The results show that the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the detritus during the last glacial range from 0.722 4 to 0.723 0. They are significantly higher than those during the Holocene and the maximum of the last interglacial, which range from 0.721 0 to 0.721 7. This indicates stronger continental weathering during the last glacial. On the other hand, the¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios of these detritus are higher during the last glacial too, similar to the variation of the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios. The trace element geochemistry of these detritus indicates that more authigenic sediments, such as ferromanganese, during the last glacial may partly contribute to the increase of¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios. Furthermore, much more detritus from continent of South China to the north of the South China Sea may probably contribute to¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios increase during the last glacial, which was the result of the enhancement of northeast monsoon.     

Quaternary clay mineralogy in the northern South China Sea (ODP Site 1146) —— Implications for oceanic current transport and East Asian monsoon evolution

The East Asian monsoon system is a thermodynamic atmospheric circulation induced by the different potential heating between the 揥estern Pacific Warm Pool?(WPWP) and the Asian continent. The circulation patterns dominate seasonal patterns of winds, preci…     

Quaternary clay mineralogy in the northern South China Sea (ODP Site 1146)

Measurement of clay mineralogy at ODP Site 1146 in the northern South China Sea (SCS) indicates that illite, chlorite, and kaolinite contents increased during glacials and smectite content increased during interglacials. The smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratio and the smectite abundance were determined as mineralogical indicators for the East Asian monsoon evolution. At a 10 ka timescale, prevailing southeasterly surface oceanic currents during interglacials transported more smectite from the south and east areas to the north, showing a strengthened summer monsoon circulation, whereas dominated counter-clockwise surface currents during glacials carried more illite and chlorite from Taiwan as well as from the Yangtze River via the Luzon Strait to the northern SCS, indicating a strongly intensified winter monsoon. Based on a 100 ka timescale, a linear correlation between the smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratio and the sedimentation rate reflects that the winter monsoon has prevailed in the northern SCS in the intervals 2000–1200 ka and 400–0 ka and the summer monsoon did the same in the interval 1200–400 ka. The evolution of the summer monsoon provides an almost linear response to the summer insolation of Northern Hemisphere, implying an astronomical forcing of the East Asian monsoon evolution.     

积雪在El Niño影响东亚夏季气候异常中的作用

本文利用1948-2010年Global Land Data Assimilation System（GLDAS）NOAH陆面模式资料、GPCC月平均降水资料和NCAR/NCEP全球月平均再分析资料,采用滤波、距平合成和线性相关等方法,分析了El Niño成熟位相冬季欧亚大陆积雪异常的分布特征,研究了关键区积雪融化对后期春、夏季土壤湿度、土壤温度以及大气环流与降水的影响,揭示了El Niño事件通过关键区积雪储存其强迫信号并影响东亚夏季气候异常的机制和过程.主要结论如下：El Niño成熟阶段冬季伊朗高原、巴尔喀什湖东北部和青藏高原南麓区域是雪深异常的三个关键区,这些区域的雪深、雪融和土壤湿度有明显的正相关;这三个关键区雪深异常通过春季融雪将冬季El Niño信号传递给春、夏季局地土壤湿度,通过减少感热通量和增加潜热通量对大气环流产生影响;春末夏初伊朗高原土壤湿度异常对东亚夏季气候异常的影响最大,其引起的降水异常与El Niño次年夏季降水异常分布基本一致,春夏季青藏高原南麓和巴尔喀什湖附近土壤湿度也都明显增加,均会对中国华北降水增加有显著正贡献.总之,在利用El Niño事件研究和预测东亚夏季气候异常时,还应考虑关键区雪深异常对El Niño信号的存储和调制作用.     

夏季亚洲季风区对流层-平流层不可逆质量交换特征分析

基于2005年NCEP/GFS分析资料和拉格朗日粒子扩散模式的“Domain Filling”技术,以气块穿越对流层顶后的滞留时间为标准,诊断分析了夏季亚洲季风区对流层-平流层质量交换,重点讨论了对平流层大气成分收支具有实际意义的不可逆双向质量交换过程,并利用前向（后向）轨迹追踪方法,分析了其4天的“源（汇）”特征.研究结果表明：(1)对流层-平流层质量交换(Troposphere-Stratosphere mass Exchange,STE)的计算对滞留时间阈值的选择具有较强敏感性,大多数的气块在1～2天内可频繁地往返对流层顶.这些瞬时交换事件的考虑与否对穿越对流层顶的质量交换计算的准确性具有重要影响,尤其在中纬度的风暴轴区域.(2)从亚洲季风区对流层-平流层质量净交换纬向平均上看,45°N以南的区域为对流层向平流层的质量输送(Troposphere to Stratosphere mass Transport,TST),副热带地区为最强的上升支,而在45°N~55°N的中纬度地区是平流层向对流层质量输送（Stratosphere to Troposphere mass Transport,STT）.地理分布上,STT主要分布在青藏高原以北的东亚地区,与亚洲季风区夏季大尺度的槽区相对应.夏季整个亚洲季风区都是TST发生的区域,最大值位于青藏高原东南侧及其附近区域,该区域占亚洲季风区不可逆TST夏季平均总量的46%.(3)对流层-平流层质量交换的“源汇”特征分析表明,STT主要源于100°E以西、50°N以北的高纬地区,向下可以输送到中国东北部及朝鲜半岛北部等中纬度区域.而TST主要来源于中纬度和副热带地区的大气输送,向上穿越对流层顶高度以后,可分别向高纬的极地和热带地区输送,这意味着亚洲季风区夏季的TST水汽输送可能进入“热带管”中,进而可能对全球平流层水汽平衡产生重要影响.     

Tibetan anticyclone and tropical easterly jet

Summary During the summer monsoon the upper tropospheric subtropical anticyclone of Asia is centred over SE Tibet (when it is called the Tibetan anticyclone). Further, the equatorward outflow from this anticyclone gains easterly angular momentum and therefore it appears as an easterly jet stream over SE Asia south of 20N between 150 mb and 100 mb. On finding these current concepts questionable, this study offers an alternative explanation for the migration of the upper tropospheric anticyclone to the Tibetan Plateau and also for the development of the tropical easterly jet. In summer the Bay of Bengal is cold compared to its adjoining continental plains in the north. Therefore in the beginning of summer the lower levels of the anticyclone migrate from their winter position in the Bay of Bengal to the warm plains in the north. As they reach the plains by about June, the upper levels of the anticyclone above 150 mb extend north over the Tibetan Plateau irrespective of whether the Plateau is a warm source or cold source because the upper levels of the subtropical anticyclone have a characteristic poleward slope in all seasons. By about July, when the lower levels of the anticyclone migrate from the plains to still warmer areas in the north over the Plateau, the upper levels which are already over the Plateau continue to remain there throughout the season. The zonal component of the equatorward outflow from the Tibetan anticyclone computed from the law of conservation of angular momentum does not bear any comparison with the observed winds in the upper troposphere over India. On the other hand the winds computed from a thermal gradient show a reasonable agreement with the observed winds indicating thereby that the upper tropospheric high winds are thermally generated. These high winds have been found as a unique phenomenon distinct from a jet stream and therefore it is considered appropriate to call them Tropical Strong Easterlies (TSE) rather than as a tropical easterly jet stream. Some of the characteristic features of the TSE are discussed and they are ascribed to the peculiar temperature distribution in the atmosphere between 200 mb and 60 mb mainly brought about by the vertical motion associated with the summer monsoon.     

Isotopic and other geochemical evidence for the origin of the Loch Uisg Granophyre,Isle of Mull,Scotland

Full chemical analyses, including some trace elements and both oxygen and strontium isotope abundance data are presented for samples collected from a traverse across the outcrop of the early Tertiary Loch Uisg Granophyre. Chemically, the body is rhyodacite with very uniform major and trace element composition. In contrast, depleted δ¹⁸O values vary widely from +1.5‰ in the south to ?3.7‰ in the north (a distance of about 21/2 km), a range comparable to that for the intrusive rocks of Mull as a whole. This indicates more extensive groundwater interaction (i.e. higher water/rock ratios and/or higher temperatures of isotope exchange) towards the focus of the central intrusive complex. There is some degree of correlation between δ¹⁸O and iron oxidation ratios but no other evidence that the primary igneous geochemistry of these rocks has been significantly modified by hydrothermal alteration after emplacement of the pluton. Initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios range from 0.71350 ± 9 to 0.71624 ± 6 and correlate with both Rb content and Rb/Sr ratio, the latter correlation yielding a pseudo-isochron of 260 ± 54 Ma at the time of emplacement. These results confirm a major contribution from an old crustal source region, ruling out formation of the granophyre solely from a basic parent magma. However, Rb-Sr data are presented for the Moine schists exposed in Mull and Morvern which also appear to rule out their involvement in the petrogenesis of the granophyre, either as a source region for melting, or as a bulk contaminant for a mantle-derived magma. The only viable hypotheses are assimilation at depth of? Lewisian into a basaltic fractionation sequence or partial melting of a Proterozoic basement such as that involved in the production of Caledonian granites in the Scottish Highlands.     

Impacts of post-depositional processes on rapid monsoon signals recorded by the last glacial loess deposits of northern China

Rapid East Asian Monsoon oscillations recorded by Chinese loess are thought to be dynamically linked to north Atlantic climate. However, few efforts have been made to assess the effects of post-depositional processes (e.g., surface mixing and pedogenesis) on loess paleoclimatic records. Here a detailed optically stimulated luminescence dating of a thick loess sequence from the western Loess Plateau is presented, offering a reliable chronology for last glacial deposits. Magnetic susceptibility and mean grain size records from three loess–paleosol sequences along a northwest–southeast transect are investigated to evaluate impacts of post-depositional processes on these loess-based proxy records. Our results indicate that: (1) loess sequences developed within the flat tableland of the central and western Loess Plateau are nearly continuous during the last glaciation; and (2) post-depositional processes have distinct impacts on rapid monsoon signals recorded in loess sequences from different regions. In the central Loess Plateau, rapid monsoon signals have been attenuated to various degrees depending on the sedimentation rate and pedogenic intensity. In the northwestern Loess Plateau, however, due to high sedimentation rate and relatively weak pedogenesis, high-resolution grain size oscillations reliably record rapid monsoon changes and can be well correlated to rapid climate changes recorded in the Greenland ice core and Hulu cave stalagmite.     

Seasonal variations of stable isotope in precipitation and moisture transport at Yushu,eastern Tibetan Plateau

Precipitation δ 18O at Yushu, eastern Tibetan Plateau, shows strong fluctuation and lack of clear seasonality. The seasonal pattern of precipitation stable isotope at Yushu is apparently different from either that of the southwest monsoon region to the south or that of the inland region to the north. This different seasonal pattern probably reflects the shift of different moisture sources. In this paper, we present the spatial comparison of the seasonal patterns of precipitation δ 18O, and calculate the moisture transport flux by using the NCAR/NCEP reanalysis data. This allows us to discuss the relation between moisture transport flux and precipitation δ 18O. This study shows that both the southwest monsoon from south and inland air mass transport from north affected the seasonal precipitation δ 18O at Yushu, eastern Tibetan Plateau. Southwest monsoon brings the main part of the moisture, but southwest transport flux is weaker than in the southern part of the Tibetan Plateau. However, contribution of the inland moisture from north or local evaporation moisture is enhanced. The combined effect is the strong fluctuation of summer precipitation δ 18O at Yushu and comparatively poor seasonality.     

An Objective Approach for Prediction of Daily Summer Monsoon Rainfall over Orissa (India) due to Interaction of Mesoscale and Large-scale Synoptic Systems

Orissa State, a meteorological subdivision of India, lies on the east coast of India close to north Bay of Bengal and to the south of the normal position of the monsoon trough. The monsoon disturbances such as depressions and cyclonic storms mostly develop to the north of 15° N over the Bay of Bengal and move along the monsoon trough. As Orissa lies in the southwest sector of such disturbances, it experiences very heavy rainfall due to the interaction of these systems with mesoscale convection sometimes leading to flood. The orography due to the Eastern Ghat and other hill peaks in Orissa and environs play a significant role in this interaction. The objective of this study is to develop an objective statistical model to predict the occurrence and quantity of precipitation during the next 24 hours over specific locations of Orissa, due to monsoon disturbances over north Bay and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal based on observations to up 0300 UTC of the day. A probability of precipitation (PoP) model has been developed by applying forward stepwise regression with available surface and upper air meteorological parameters observed in and around Orissa in association with monsoon disturbances during the summer monsoon season (June-September). The PoP forecast has been converted into the deterministic occurrence/non-occurrence of precipitation forecast using the critical value of PoP. The parameters selected through stepwise regression have been considered to develop quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF) model using multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) for categorical prediction of precipitation in different ranges such as 0.1–10, 11–25, 26–50, 51–100 and >100 mm if the occurrence of precipitation is predicted by PoP model. All the above models have been developed based on data of summer monsoon seasons of 1980–1994, and data during 1995–1998 have been used for testing the skill of the models. Considering six representative stations for six homogeneous regions in Orissa, the PoP model performs very well with percentages of correct forecast for occurrence/non-occurrence of precipitation being about 96% and 88%, respectively for developmental and independent data. The skill of the QPF model, though relatively less, is reasonable for lower ranges of precipitation. The skill of the model is limited for higher ranges of precipitation. accepted September 2006     

Isotopic geochemistry (O,Sr, Pb) of the Golda Zuelva and Mboutou anorogenic complexes,North Cameroun: mantle origin with evidence for crustal contamination

The annular (6–8 km diameter) Golda Zuelva and Mboutou anorogenic complexes of North Cameroun are composed of a suite of alkaline plutonic rocks ranging from olivine gabbro to amphibole and biotite granite. For the Mboutou complex there are two overlapping centres. In the Golda Zuelva complex the plutonic rocks are associated with a later hawaiite to rhyolite volcanic suite. A Rb/Sr whole rock isochron gives an age of 66±3 Ma for the Golda Zuelva granites, with initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.7020, and demonstrates that plutonism and volcanism were essentially contemporaneous and probably cogenetic. For Golda Zuelva and the north Mboutou centre¹⁸O/¹⁶O (5.6–6.2),⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.7030–0.7045) and Pb isotopic ratios (²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb: 15.60–15.64) support a mantle origin for the initial magmas. Unlike Sr isotopes, the O isotopic ratios of the granitic end members at Golda Zuelva (～7.5) indicate crustal contamination. Post-magmatic alteration was not significant.For the younger south Mboutou centre the O-, Sr- and Pb-isotopic data indicate more extensive magma-crust interaction and in a different (higher level?) crustal environment with δ¹⁸O granite=3.3‰,⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios up to 0.706 and Pb isotopic ratios more markedly displaced from the oceanic volcanic field. The low-¹⁸O granites probably record, at least in part, a magmatic process with subsequent minor post-magmatic alteration effects. The major and trace element systematics between the north and south Mboutou centres are directly comparable. The evolution of the magmas were dominated by fractional crystallisation and progressive crustal contamination processes.     

Some aspects of the monsoon circulation and monsoon rainfall

Summary The south Asian summer monsoon from June to September accounts for the greater part of the annual rainfall over most of India and southeast Asia. The evolution of the summer and winter monsoon circulations over India is examined on the basis of the surface and upper air data of stations across India. The salient features of the seasonal reversals of temperature and pressure gradients and winds and the seasonal and synoptic fluctuations of atmospheric humidity are discussed. The space-time variations of rainfall are considered with the help of climatic pentad rainfall charts and diagrams. The rainfall of several north and central Indian stations shows a minimum around mid-August and a maximum around mid-February which seem to be connected with the extreme summer and winter positions of the ITCZ and the associated north-south shifts in the seasonal circulation patterns. Attention is drawn to the characteristic features of the monsoon rainfall that emerge from a study of daily and hourly rainfall of selected stations. Diurnal variations of temperature, pressure, wind and rainfall over the monsoon belt are briefly treated.     

Weak chemical weathering during the Little Ice Age recorded by lake sediments

Low magnetic susceptibility, low Sr content and hence high Rb/Sr ratio in the lake sediment sequence indicate a weak chemical weathering process under arid and cold climate of the Little Ice Age in a single closed lake watershed. According to different geochemical behavior between rubidium and strontium in earth surface processes, variation of Rb/Sr ratios in the lake sediment sequence can be used as an effective geochemical proxy with definite climatic significance of chemical weathering in watershed. Unlike chemical weathering process in tropic zone and modern temperate-humid climate, concordant changes in both Sr content and magnetic susceptibility with δ¹⁸O values of Dunde ice core suggest that the weak chemical weathering was controlled by air temperature during the Little Ice Age maximum. After the Little Ice Age, chemical weathering intensity was controlled also gradually by precipitation with increasing in temperature.     

A hypothesis on onset,advance and withdrawal of the Indian summer monsoon

The paper defines the intertropical convergence zone. (ITCZ) in the Indian monsoon region during the northern summer, identifies it with the northern boundary of the advancing monsoon and suggests that its seasonal movement can serve as an indicator of onset, advance and withdrawal of the monsoon. Evidence suggesting the movement of the ITCZ which is associated with the equatorial trough of low pressure is indirectly furnished by an analysis of the isallobaric or height-tendency field which reveals a distinct gradient towards the north/south during period of advance/withdrawal of the monsoon. A comparative study of the dates of onset of monsoon during two successive years appears to suggest that some of the problems encountered in using rainfall as the sole criterion for determining the onset and advance of the monsoon may be over-come by using the ITCZ concept as proposed in the present paper. Attention is drawn to the effects of synoptic-scale disturbances on the normal dates of onset, advance and withdrawal of the monsoon.