Assessment of climate variability and trend on wheat productivity in West Bengal,India: crop growth simulation approach

Wheat is the second important cereal crop after rice in West Bengal. During last three decades, due to climate fluctuations and variability, the productivity of this crop remains almost constant, bringing the threat of food security of this State. The objectives of the present study were to assess the trend of climatic variables (rainfall, rainy days, and temperature) over six locations covering five major agro-climatic sub-zones of West Bengal and to estimate the variability of potential, simulated yield using crop simulation model (DSAATv4.5) and the yield gap with actual yield. There were no significant change of rainfall and rainy days in annual, seasonal and monthly scale at all the study sites. In general, the maximum temperature is decreasing throughout West Bengal. Except for Birbhum, the minimum temperature increased significantly in different study sites. District average yield of wheat varied from 1757 kg ha^?1 at Jalpaiguri to 2421 kg ha^?1at Birbhum. The actual yield trend ranged from ??4.7 kg ha^?1 year^?1 at Nadia to 32.8 kg ha^?1 year^?1 at Birbhum. Decreasing trend of potential yield was observed in Terai (Jalpaiguri), New Alluvial Zone (Nadia) and Coastal saline zone (South 24 Parganas), which is alarming for food security in West Bengal.     

Climatic drivers of tree growth at tree line in Southwest Yukon change over time and vary between landscapes

Growth of trees at their altitudinal and latitudinal range limits is expected to increase as climate warms, but trees often exhibit unexplained spatial and temporal variation in climate-growth responses, particularly in alpine regions. Until this variability is explained, predictions of future tree growth are unlikely to be accurate. We sampled Picea glauca (white spruce) growing at forest and tree line on north and south aspects in two mountain ranges of southwest Yukon to determine how and why ring-width patterns vary between topographic settings, and over time. We used multivariate statistical analysis to characterize variation in ring-width patterns between topographic factors and time periods, and calculated correlations between ring-width indices and climate variables to explain this variation. Ring-width patterns varied more between mountain ranges than elevations or aspects, particularly in recent decades when ring-widths increased in one mountain range but not the other. Growth responses to summer temperature were notably weaker during warmer time periods, but growth was not positively correlated to summer precipitation, suggesting trees may not be suffering from temperature-induced drought stress. Rather, ring-width indices began responding positively to spring snow depth after 1976. We conclude that tree growth is unlikely to increase in synchrony with rising air temperatures across subarctic tree lines in southwest Yukon. Instead, they may decline in areas that are prone to thin snowpacks or rapid spring runoff due to the negative influence warming springs will have on snow depth and, consequently, early growing season soil moisture.     

Evaluation of precipitation prediction skill of IMD operational NWP system over Indian monsoon region

Summary The study provides a concise and synthesized documentation of the current level of skill of the operational NWP model of India Meteorological Department based on daily 24 hours forecast run of the model during two normal monsoon years 2001 and 2003 making detailed inter-comparison with daily rainfall analysis from the use of high dense land rain gauge observations. The study shows that the model, in general, is able to capture three regions of climatologically heavy rainfall domains along Western Ghats, Northeast India and over east central India, over the domain of monsoon trough. However, the accuracy in prediction of location and magnitude of rainfall fluctuates considerably. The inter-comparison reveals that performance of the model rainfall forecast deteriorated in 2003 when rainfall over most parts of the region was significantly under-predicted. These features are also reflected in the error statistics. The study suggests that there is a need to maximize the data ingest in the model with a better data assimilation scheme to improve the rainfall forecast skill.     

Measurements of tropospheric OH concentrations: A comparison of field data with model predictions

Using long path UV absorption spectroscopy we have measured OH concentrations close to the earth's surface. The OH values observed at two locations in Germany during 1980 through 1983 range from 0.7×10⁶ to 3.2×10⁶ cm^-3. Simultaneously we measured the concentrations of O₃, H₂O, NO, NO₂, CH₄, CO, and the light non methane hydrocarbons. We also determined the photolysis rates of O₃ and NO₂. This allows calculations of OH using a zero dimensional time depdendent model. The modelled OH concentrations significantly exceed the measured values for low NO _x concentrations. It is argued that additional, so far unidentified. HO _x loss reactions must be responsible for that discrepancy.     

Reactive Nitrogen Compounds at Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Arctic

Simultaneousindependent measurements of NO_y and NO_x(NO_x= NO + NO₂) by high-sensitivitychemiluminescence systems and of PAN (peroxyacetylnitrate) and PPN (peroxypropionyl nitrate) by GC-ECDwere made at Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Arcticduring the first half year of 1994. The average mixingratio of the sum of PAN and PPN (denoted PANs)increased from around 150 pptv in early winter to amaximum of around 500 pptv in late March, whereasepisodic peak values reached 800 pptv. This occurredsimultaneously with a maximum in ozone which increasedto 45–50 ppbv in March–April. The average NO_xmixing ratio was 27 pptv and did not show any cyclethrough the period. The NO_y mixing ratio showeda maximum in late March, while the difference betweenNO_y and PAN decreased during spring. This is anindication of the dominance of PAN in the NO_ybudget in the Arctic, but possible changes in theefficiency of the NO_y converter could alsocontribute to this. Although most PAN in theArctic is believed to be due to long range transport,the observations indicate local loss and formationrates of up to 1–2 pptv h^-1 in April–May.Measurements of carbonyl compounds suggest thatacetaldehyde was the dominant, local precursor ofPAN.Now at 1.     

The Convective-Atmospheric-Boundary-Layer Height and its dependence upon Meteorological Variables At a Tropical Coastal Station during Onshore and Offshore Flows

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - The height of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) plays a crucial role in the vertical transport of energy, moisture, and pollutants from the surface. We investigate...     

Electrification of thundercloud by an entrainment mechanism

Summary A time dependent model for the growth of electric field by an entrainment mechanism has been developed, in which charge separation takes place at the interface of the descending blob due to discontinuity in the conductivity either from the onset of ice process or from the evaporative depletion of small ice or water particles in cloud parcels diluted by entrainment of dry air at the cloud top. Charge generation by the entrainment mechanism may be self limiting in high electric fields. We examine the extent to which the leakage current produced by the electrical forces acting on the descending thermals influences the net charge separation caused by the entrainment mechanism. When the effect of electrical force on the descending blob is negligibly small and the fractional change in conductivity of the blob is 0.75, high electric field of the order of a few hundred kV/m can be generated within the duration of 800s. The electrical force acting on the blods, however, does set an upper limit to the growth of an electric field, and the considered mechanism can generate electric field of the order of ten kV/m within the duration of 400 to 800s, depending on the meteorological and electrical conditions. We conclude that an entrainment mechanism can account for the observed electrification of thunderstorm at the initial stages, but that it is inadequate to generate an electric field high enough to initiate lightning.With 8 Figures     

Structure and evolution of a tropopause fold during GALE IOP-1: An eta model study

Summary A fine-mesh regional model simulation of upper-level cyclogenesis is carried out to examine the structure and evolution of the accompanying tropopause fold and its relationship to the surface and upper-level cyclones. The initial state for the simulation, conducted using the 80-km, 16-level version of the National Meteorological Center Eta model, uses the Level III-b gridded dataset for 1200 UTC, 18 January 1986, during the First Intensive Observing Period (IOP-1) of the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment (GALE) project.Results are presented from a 48 hour integration of the model. The emphasis is on the examination of the synoptic scale evolution and structure of the upper-level cyclone and tropopause fold, both of which were successfully simulated in the model. The potential vorticity structure associated with a propagating jet-streak displayed distinctive structure, with its tilt reversing as the jet-streak moved around the base of an amplifying upper-level trough. In addition, the model simulates the intrusion of dry, stratospheric air containing high potential vorticity anomalies into the lower troposphere as well as subsidence warming when the folding of the tropopause occurs. the model also predicts upper-level frontogenesis as a result of a thermally indirect secondary circulation in the exit region of the jet-streak. The success of the model simulation is most likely the result of comprehensive physics and the fine grid resolution employed and, more importantly, the excellent distribution of subsynoptic scale initial data during the GALE project.With 16 Figures