Some characteristics of very heavy rainfall over Orissa during summer monsoon season

Orissa is one of the most flood prone states of India. The floods in Orissa mostly occur during monsoon season due to very heavy rainfall caused by synoptic scale monsoon disturbances. Hence a study is undertaken to find out the characteristic features of very heavy rainfall (24 hours rainfall ≥125 mm) over Orissa during summer monsoon season (June–September) by analysing 20 years (1980–1999) daily rainfall data of different stations in Orissa. The principal objective of this study is to find out the role of synoptic scale monsoon disturbances in spatial and temporal variability of very heavy rainfall over Orissa. Most of the very heavy rainfall events occur in July and August. The region, extending from central part of coastal Orissa in the southeast towards Sambalpur district in the northwest, experiences higher frequency and higher intensity of very heavy rainfall with less interannual variability. It is due to the fact that most of the causative synoptic disturbances like low pressure systems (LPS) develop over northwest (NW) Bay of Bengal with minimum interannual variation and the monsoon trough extends in west-northwesterly direction from the centre of the system. The very heavy rainfall occurs more frequently with less interannual variability on the western side of Eastern Ghat during all the months and the season except September. It occurs more frequently with less interannual variability on the eastern side of Eastern Ghat during September. The NW Bay followed by Gangetic West Bengal/Orissa is the most favourable region of LPS to cause very heavy rainfall over different parts of Orissa except eastern side of Eastern Ghat. The NW Bay and west central (WC) Bay are equally favourable regions of LPS to cause very heavy rainfall over eastern side of Eastern Ghat. The frequency of very heavy rainfall does not show any significant trend in recent years over Orissa except some places in north-east Orissa which exhibit significant rising trend in all the monsoon months and the season as a whole.     

A study on the systematic errors of the tropical forecasts: Influence of physical processes

Summary In this paper, an attempt is made to examine the influence of the physical forcings of an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) in the reduction of the systematic errors of the tropical forecasts. A number of major modifications in the parameterization of physical processes were carried out in the operational forecasting system of the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) during the period 1984–88 largely in an attempt to reduce the conceptual weaknesses in their formulation. A large number of studies (Slingo et al., 1988; Tiedtke et al., 1988; etc) have demonstrated the positive impact on the reduction of tropical forecast errors to various changes in the treatment of physical processes in the ECMWF model.Keeping in view of these facts, the evaluation of the systematic errors of the ECMWF tropical forecasts is carried out for a period prior to the incorporation of major modifications in the parameterization of physical processes (1984) and corresponding period after such major changes are implemented in the operational AGCM of ECMWF (1988). The paper describes a detailed comparison of the tropical forecast errors for summer monsoon seasons (June-August [JJA]) of 1984 and 1988 in order to bring out the impact on tropical simulation of various improvements in the treatment of physical processes.The results demonstrate a dramatic reduction in the systematic errors of the tropical circulation together with an enhancement of the hydrological cycle to a realistic climatological level with the incorporation of major changes in the treatment of physical processes. Similar improvements are also observed in the winter simulation. In spite of major improvements in the simulation of tropical circulation, the nature of the tropical systematic errors of the ECMWF AGCM, however, remains unchanged. Thus, the inference of the study indicates the requirement of a new approach to the problem of parameterization of physical processes particularly, convection, radiation, boundary layer and their interactions for further reduction of the tropical forecast errors.With 14 Figures     

Morphological and strength analysis of PCC bottom ash amended with bentonite

Within the last few years several studies have been completed to evaluate strength, stiffness, and durability properties of pulverized coal combustion (PCC) bottom ash mixed with various admixtures. Studies have shown that strength and stiffness of PCC bottom ash mixed with sodium bentonite changes with the increase in the curing period. Researchers have concluded that this change is due to the chemical composition of the bottom ash and bentonite. In order to understand the reasons for the change in characteristics of bottom ash-bentonite mixtures with time, the strength and structural characteristics of bottom ash-bentonite mixtures cured for various periods was evaluated. Results of the strength testing showed increase in strength and stiffness of the mixtures with curing period. The results of structural analysis using environmental scanning electron microscopy show development of fibrous elements which may cause increase in the unconfined compressive strength and stiffness of the mixtures with the curing period. Selected results from this study are presented herein.     

Spatio-temporal variability of summer monsoon rainfall over Orissa in relation to low pressure systems

The summer monsoon rainfall over Orissa occurs mostly due to low pressure systems (LPS) developing over the Bay of Bengal and moving along the monsoon trough. A study is hence undertaken to find out characteristic features of the relationship between LPS over different regions and rain-fall over Orissa during the summer monsoon season (June-September). For this purpose, rainfall and rainy days over 31 selected stations in Orissa and LPS days over Orissa and adjoining land and sea regions during different monsoon months and the season as a whole over a period of 20 years (1980-1999) are analysed. The principal objective of this study is to find out the role of LPS on spatial and temporal variability of summer monsoon rainfall over Orissa. The rainfall has been significantly less than normal over most parts of Orissa except the eastern side of Eastern Ghats during July and hence during the season as a whole due to a significantly less number of LPS days over northwest Bay in July over the period of 1980-1999. The seasonal rainfall shows higher interannual variation (increase in coefficient of variation by about 5%) during 1980-1999 than that during 1901-1990 over most parts of Orissa except northeast Orissa. Most parts of Orissa, especially the region extending from central part of coastal Orissa to western Orissa (central zone) and western side of the Eastern Ghats get more seasonal monsoon rainfall with the development and persistence of LPS over northwest Bay and their subsequent movement and persistence over Orissa. The north Orissa adjoining central zone also gets more seasonal rainfall with development and persistence of LPS over northwest Bay. While the seasonal rainfall over the western side of the Eastern Ghats is adversely affected due to increase in LPS days over west central Bay, Jharkhand and Bangladesh, that over the eastern side of the Eastern Ghats is adversely affected due to increase in LPS days over all the regions to the north of Orissa. There are significant decreasing trends in rainfall and number of rainy days over some parts of southwest Orissa during June and decreasing trends in rainy days over some parts of north interior Orissa and central part of coastal Orissa during July over the period of 1980-1999     

Variation of coastal atmospheric boundary layer characteristics with convective activity along the west coast of India during the Arabian Sea Monsoon Experiment (ARMEX) 2002

This paper investigates the characteristic features of the coastal atmospheric boundary layer (CABL) along the west coast of India during the south-west monsoon (SWM) 2002. Extensive surface and upper-air findings were obtained during the same period from the Arabian Sea Monsoon Experiment (ARMEX; 15th June to 15th August 2002) 2002. The operational general circulation model (GCM) of the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) was used in this study to see the spatial variation of the CABL during two specific convective episodes that led to heavy rainfall along the west coast of India. The impact of a non-local closure (NLC) scheme employed in the NCMRWF GCM was carried out in simulating the CABL. The same episodes were also simulated using a similar parameterization scheme employed in the high resolution mesoscale modelling system (MM5). The diurnal variation of CABL is better represented from MM5 simulation. Comparing the MM5 simulation with that of the coarser grid NCMRWF GCM, we observed that the NCMRWF GCM underestimates the values of both latent heat flux (LHF) and the coastal atmospheric boundary layer height (CABLH). Results from MM5 therefore indicate that the best way to move forward in addressing the short-comings of coarse grid-scale GCMs is to provide a parameterization of the diurnal effects associated with convection processes.     

Analysis of the Maximum Principal Stress Directions in the Himalayas: A Remote Sensing Based Approach

Geotectonics - The tectonic activity in the Himalayan region is reflected through major and minor lineaments associated with the major fault and thrust systems. In the present study, we used...     

Impacts of ENSO and IOD on tropical cyclone activity in the Bay of Bengal

Natural Hazards - The impacts of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) on tropical cyclone (TC) activity (intensity, frequency, genesis location, track and average...     

近50 a昌吉市降水量与蒸发量变化

利用1960—2009年昌吉市观测站的降水量和20 cm口径小型蒸发皿资料,采用累积距平曲线和线性倾向估计方法,对昌吉市降水量、蒸发量的变化进行了分析.结果表明:昌吉市年、季降水量和蒸发量的年际变化明显;近50 a昌吉市年、季降水量都有显著的线性变化趋势,其中年、春、夏、冬季的降水量有明显的增加趋势,秋季呈略下降趋势,蒸发量均有显著的线性减少趋势,受此影响,近50 a昌吉市气候总体趋于干向湿发展的趋势.     

Integrated remote sensing and GIS study for hydrogeomorphological mapping and delineation of groundwater potential zones in Khallikote block,Ganjam district,Orissa

The present study attempts to delineate different groundwater potential units using remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) in Khallikote block of Ganjam disrict, Orissa. Thematic maps of geology, geomorphology, land use and land cover, drainage density, lineament density, slope and DEM (digital elevation model) were prepared using the Landsat Thematic Mapper data in 3 spectral bands, band 7 (mid-infrared light), band 4 (near-infrared light), Band 2 (visible green light). Relationship of each layer to the groundwater regime has been evaluated through detailed analysis of the individual hydrological parameters. The SMCE (Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation) module in ILWIS (Integrated Land and Water Information System) supports the decision-making process for evaluating the ground water potential zones in the area. The study shows that more than 70% of the block is covered by medium to excellent category having good ground water potential.