Temporal characteristics of the Indian southwest monsoon

Abstract

In this study, we elucidate the temporal characteristics of the onset and withdrawal of the Indian southwest monsoon, making use of the model integration and daily analyses of the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, India. The onset of the Indian southwest monsoon over the Bay of Bengal is discernable by a gradual increase in the adiabatic generation of kinetic energy, while over the Arabian Sea it is first noticeable by a steep and abrupt increase of generation. The horizontal transport of heat indicates a convergence regime over the Bay of Bengal prior to onset, while over the Arabian Sea a convergence regime is indicated by a change from the divergence to the convergence regime. The withdrawal of the southwest monsoon is characterized by the horizontal transport of heat and moisture that evince a transition from the convergence to divergence regime; similarly, diabatic heating noticed during the active period changes to cooling. The withdrawal over the Arabian Sea is characterized by the divergence regime of the horizontal transport of moisture. This change precedes even the circulation changes over northwest India, which may be regarded as a precursor. The withdrawal is further supported by a monotonic decrease in the net tropospheric moisture over the Arabian Sea, followed by a similar change at land locations.