Contrasting features of monsoon convection over land and sea in the west coast of peninsular India as revealed by S-band radar

• Published in: Theoretical and applied climatology Vol. 150; no. 1-2; pp. 731 - 747
• Main Authors: Morwal, S. B., Padmakumari, B., Maheskumar, R. S., Hosalikar, K. S., Sai Krishnan, K. C., Narkhedkar, S. G., Pandithurai, G., Kulkarni, J. R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.10.2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Atmospheric Sciences; Cells; Climate science; Climatology; Cloud distribution; Clouds; Convection; Distribution; Diurnal variations; Dynamic meteorology; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Frequency variation; Mesoscale convective systems; Monsoon clouds; Monsoon convection; Monsoons; Original Paper; Radar; Radar data; Radar systems; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Wind; India
• ISSN: 0177-798X; 1434-4483
• DOI: 10.1007/s00704-022-04189-z

Monsoon convection characteristics over land and sea within 150 km of the west coast of India are studied using coastal Mumbai S-band radar. The intraseasonal and interannual monsoon variabilities in cloud characteristics are investigated for the contrasting monsoon seasons of 2013 and 2014. The cloud characteristics studied are frequency of occurrences, cloud top height (CTH), longitudinal distribution, diurnal variation, and scale-wise distribution of cloud cells. The number of cloud cells is about four times higher over land than over sea. The maximum frequency of CTH is found in the cumulus category (3–4 km). The mean CTH varies from 4.49–5.44 km. No significant difference between the CTH over the land and sea regions is found. The contribution of congestus to total cloud cells is found maximum over both land and sea. The longitudinal variation of cloud frequency shows maximum frequency at a distance of 50–60 km from the location of radar over both sea and land. The maximum over the land region is the new feature revealed in the analysis. The diurnal variation of clouds shows a broad structure with maximum in the local noon and minimum in the morning hours. The mean duration of the clouds is 40–44 min both over land and sea. The contribution by the mesoscale convective system (MCS) is dominant (57–63%). The study of cloud distribution over land and sea over the west coast of India using radar data is the first of its kind and has brought out detailed structure of cloud distribution with time and space.