Hydrogeochemical parameters for assessment of groundwater quality in the upper Gunjanaeru River basin,Cuddapah District,Andhra Pradesh,South India

In the management of water resources, quality of water is just as important as its quantity. In order to know the quality and/or suitability of groundwater for domestic and irrigation in upper Gunjanaeru River basin, 51 water samples in post-monsoon and 46 in pre-monsoon seasons were collected and analyzed for various parameters. Geological units are alluvium, shale and quartzite. Based on the analytical results, chemical indices like percent sodium, sodium adsorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, permeability index (PI) and chloroalkaline indices were calculated. The pre-monsoon waters have low sodium hazard as compared to post-monsoon season. Residual sodium carbonate values revealed that one sample is not suitable in both the seasons for irrigation purposes due the occurrence of alkaline white patches and low permeability of the soil. PI values of both seasons revealed that the ground waters are generally suitable for irrigation. The positive values of Chloroalkaline indices in post-monsoon (80%) and in pre-monsoon (59%) water samples indicate absence of base-exchange reaction (chloroalkaline disequilibrium), and remaining samples of negative values of the ratios indicate base-exchange reaction (chloroalkaline equilibrium). Chadha rectangular diagram for geochemical classification and hydrochemical processes of groundwater for both seasons indicates that most of waters are Ca–Mg–HCO₃ type. Assessment of water samples from various methods indicated that majority of the water samples in both seasons are suitable for different purposes except at Yanadipalle (sample no. 8) that requires precautionary measures. The overall quality of groundwater in post-monsoon season in all chemical constituents is on the higher side due to dissolution of surface pollutants during the infiltration and percolation of rainwater and at few places due to agricultural and domestic activities.     

Trend analysis and ARIMA modelling of pre-monsoon rainfall data for western India

Spatial and temporal variability of rainfall over different seasons influence physical, social and economic parameters. Pre-monsoon (March, April and May – MAM) rainfall over the country is highly variable. Since heat lows and convective rainfall in MAM have an impact on the intensity of the ensuing monsoons, hence the pre-monsoon period was chosen for the study. The pre-whitened Mann Kendall test was used to explore presence of rainfall trend during MAM. The results indicate presence of significant (at 10% level) increasing trend in two stations (Ajmer, Bikaner). The practical significance of the change in rainfall was also explored as percentage changes over long term mean, using Theil and Sen's median slope estimator. Forecast using univariate ARIMA model for pre-monsoon months indicates that there is a significant rise in the pre-monsoon rainfall over the northwest part of the country.     

High temporal and spatial resolution observations of meso-scale features of pre- and mature summer monsoon cloud systems over Bangladesh

Meso-scale characteristics of disturbances that bring about atmospheric disasters in pre- and mature monsoon seasons in Bangladesh are analyzed. Several types of meteorological instruments capable of observations with high temporal and spatial resolutions were introduced for the first time in this area to capture the meso-scale structure of rainfall systems. We installed an automatic weather station (AWS) and several automatic raingauges (ARGs) and utilized the weather radar of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). From the radar image in the summer of 2001 (16–18 July), a striking feature of the systematic diurnal variation in this area was elucidated. In these 3 days, the diurnal evolutions of convective activity were remarkably similar to each other, implying that this pattern can be understood as a typical response of local cloud systems to the diurnal variation of insolation under some summer monsoon situations. The ARG data show the difference in characteristics of rainfall between pre- and mature monsoon seasons. The short intense downpour tends to occur more frequently in the pre-monsoon season than in the mature monsoon season. The pre-monsoon rainfall also has clear diurnal variation with a peak that is more strongly concentrated in time. In the northern part the rainfall peak is found in between midnight and early morning, while it is observed in the daytime in central to western parts of the country. Two disaster cases caused by meso-scale disturbances are analyzed. Although they occurred in the same season, the structures of the cloud systems were largely different from each other. The disturbance brought about tornadoes on 14 April 2004, consisting of many spherical cloud systems of approximately 20 km size. On the other hand, another one that caused the tragic river water transport accident on 23 May 2004 had meso-scale rain band structure. The latter case was captured by the AWS located at Dhaka. Sudden changes in temperature, wind and pressure were observed clearly, showing the typical structure of convective rain bands.     

春季高原南侧低层前季风经圈环流特征分析

使用美国NCEP/NCAR再分析Ⅱ提供的风场资料,分析了春季青藏高原南侧大气低层前季风经圈环流的气候特征、年际变化和存在的原因及其与季风环流、夏季500 hPa环流形势之间的联系和物理机制。结果表明:前季风经圈环流是青藏高原与低纬地区之间从冬季Hadley环流型到夏季季风环流型转换的一种过渡形势;它的建立、结束时间及强度都有明显的年际变化,这种变化与其后季风环流出现的时间有密切的联系:当前季风经圈环流结束偏早时,往往预示着季风环流会提早建立;前季风经圈环流的异常与随后夏季环流形势也有一定的关系:当前季风经圈环流建立偏晚时,夏季500hPa西太平洋副热带高压面积偏大、强度偏强,且西伸更为明显;它们之间的这种联系实际上反映了前冬、春季青藏高原积雪对两者的共同影响。     

Absorbing aerosols and pre-summer monsoon hydroclimate variability over the Indian subcontinent: The challenge in investigating links

The sub-monthly evolution of the interannual variations of absorbing aerosols and related hydrometeorology over South Asia in the pre-monsoon period is investigated from the analysis of pentad-resolution observational datasets.It is shown that pre-monsoon (late April–early May) variations are characterized by increased aerosols, reduced cloudiness and precipitation, and increased downward shortwave radiation. Lead-lag regressions indicate the significant influence of synoptic scale advection (and related vertical motion) in simultaneously shaping the aerosol distribution and associated significant hydroclimate (precipitation, cloudiness, surface shortwave radiation, and 2-m air temperature) over the Indo-Gangetic Plain.The above findings can be interpreted as a manifestation of the aerosol “semi-direct” effect if one is not mindful of the prevailing circulation anomalies and their concurrent impact on aerosol and hydroclimate. The complex interplay among aerosols, dynamics and precipitation also shows the challenge of extracting the aerosol impact from an observational analysis. Finally, the analysis points to the pitfalls of a columnar, circulation-blind framework in investigating aerosol–monsoon interactions, a concern of relevance in analyses of the impact of long-term aerosol trends, as well.     

Temporal variation of diatom benthic propagules in a monsoon-influenced tropical estuary

Temporal variations in the diatom benthic propagule (DBP) community and their role in the phytoplankton community in a monsoon-affected tropical estuary, Zuari estuary, Goa (India) are presented. The DBP from the sediments was enumerated using an extinction dilution method (most probable number method), which allows estimation of resting stages through examination of germinated vegetative cells in culture. The DBP community was dominated by planktonic species belonging to the genera Skeletonema, Fragilariopsis, Thalassiosira, and Chaetoceros. Benthic propagules (BPs) of Skeletonema costatum and Fragilariopsis sp. were dominant throughout the year. Between these two species, only S. costatum showed a linear relationship between the BP and planktonic cells, indicating that this species is particularly important in coupling of pelagic and benthic ecosystems. During the onset and restart of monsoon after an intermittent break, water column was stratified, with a low-salinity layer arising from riverine discharge and precipitation at the surface and relatively cold, saline, low-oxygen waters at the bottom. Stratification favored blooming of S. costatum and Fragilariopsis sp. in nutrient-rich surface and bottom waters, respectively. The decline in these blooms ensuing nitrate depletion and salinity change resulted in an increased abundance of BP. Chaetoceros bloom was observed during the monsoon break as well as during non-monsoon period and on both the occasions the decline in bloom was coupled with freshwater discharge. During the non-monsoon season, Thalassiosira blooms were encountered subsequent to high nitrate inputs. These findings suggest that in such shallow tropical regions, physical processes during monsoon (freshwater discharge) and non-monsoon seasons (currents, waves and tides) cause resuspension of diatom BP. Since light is not a limiting factor for germination in such regions, the blooming of resuspended BP depends on nutrient availability.