Articles tagged with Monsoons
Researchers found a 22,000-year cycle in the Earth-sun distance affecting the Pacific cold tongue, impacting El Niño/La Niña events and North American weather. The study suggests that the changing distance may have long-term historical effects on other weather systems.
Researchers from Singapore University of Technology and Design show that restoring natural water availability to the Mekong's floodplains is possible through coordination among hydropower producers. By altering dam release decisions and production plans, key components of hydrological variability can be restored, leading to improved ec...
A study published in Nature suggests that ocean heating in the western tropical Pacific will make the East Asian monsoon season wetter. The researchers found a correlation between increases in monsoonal rain in eastern China and the heat content of the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool over the past 360,000 years.
Researchers created global temperature maps of Earth during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, a time period similar to our own future under climate change. The study found that the climate was more sensitive to carbon dioxide increases than previously thought, with sensitivity between 5.7 to 7.4 degrees Celsius per doubling.
Researchers conducted the Earth Summit Mission 2022 to investigate the interaction mechanisms between westerlies and monsoonal flow near Mt. Qomolangma. They discovered strong glacial wind and vertical momentum exchange between large-scale westerlies and boundary layer in the region.
A study found that winter storms in north-west India are 31% more frequent and 45% more intense during positive NAO phases, leading to increased moisture and precipitation in the western Himalayas. This could impact crop yields and water security in states like Jammu and Kashmir.
A new study by Pusan National University researchers finds that dry heatwaves mainly occur in northwestern East Asia, while moist heatwaves prevail over southern East Asia. The study predicts more frequent dry heatwaves and longer-lasting moist heatwaves under climate change scenarios.
A new study finds that climate variables like temperature, rainfall, and ocean warming predict mosquito population growth in Sri Lanka for the next one to six months. The research can inform programs to limit dengue transmission, a major public health problem in the country.
Research team from Goethe University reproduces Asian monsoon conditions in experimental chamber, identifying increased aerosol particle formation. The study found that ice clouds can form under lower water vapour supersaturation than anticipated, affecting climate models' accuracy.
Researchers documented traditional wooden boats in the Zanzibar Channel, showing continued use despite modern transportation developments. The study highlights innovations such as outboard engines and portable generators, which have transformed fishing methods.
Latest climate models tend to overestimate future Afro-Asian summer monsoon (AfroASM) rainfall and runoff. By constraining biases, the rainfall increase is 70% of the raw projection.
A new online portal developed by UKCEH enables forecasters to provide communities with more reliable warnings about large storms in the Sahel region. The portal uses state-of-the-art weather forecast models to predict storm behavior, taking into account factors such as land surface temperatures, soil moisture, and atmospheric humidity.
A team of scientists has developed a solution to accurately simulate how the atmosphere works by linking large- and small-scale simulations. This helps model winds, transport of pollutants, climate projections, and weather forecasts with greater accuracy.
Researchers used complex networks to study synchronized structures of extreme rainfall events, revealing regions with similar climatological behaviors. The analysis showed that extreme rainfalls are not independent but have a degree of similarity globally.
The Indochina Peninsula plays a significant role in inducing and maintaining the Asian summer monsoon, with both land-sea thermal contrast and orography contributing to its development. The study found that the orographic effect increases South Asian rainfall while reducing it over other regions, whereas the land-sea contrast has oppos...
Researchers found that Indian Summer Monsoon rainfall was less intense during the Last Interglacial period than in the current warm period, contradicting paleoclimate model simulations. The study suggests that sea surface temperature plays a dominant role in shaping monsoon variability in South Asia.
Researchers revealed key sources of uncertainty in projecting the South Asian summer monsoon's circulation under global warming, attributing it to tropospheric meridional thermal contrast. A novel diagnostic method identified atmospheric dynamics, cloud radiation effects as dominant contributors to uncertainty.
Research reveals that the 2020 Yangtze River flooding was caused by an unusual anticyclone and frequent latitudinal swings of the Meiyu front. The study aims to improve forecasting skill before and during monsoon season.
Scientists studied the Lanzhou Basin sedimentary succession to reconstruct Asian monsoon precipitation patterns during a warm, high-CO2 world. They found prominent short and long eccentricity cycles influencing monsoon variability, which may become increasingly susceptible to global warming.
Researchers at USTC reconstructed precipitation patterns in East Asian monsoon region during the Holocene and proposed a driving mechanism. The study suggests that low-latitude seasonal insolation changes, modulated by Western Pacific Subtropical High, control monsoon precipitation variation.
A new study reveals that natural decadal variability related to the Pacific Ocean played a significant role in modulating the Pacific Walker circulation change. The research found that the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) could explain 63% of the observed strengthening trend in the Walker circulation between 1980-2015.
Detailed supercomputer simulations show that the North American monsoon occurs when Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental mountains divert the eastward-trending jet stream toward the equator, cooling moist tropical air until it condenses and falls as rain. This new understanding will impact forecasts in the region.
The North American Monsoon originates from the interaction of mountain ranges with extratropical atmospheric circulation, deflecting the jet stream and generating a stationary wave. This unique case has implications for models forecasting heavy rainfall events brought by the monsoon.
A recent study found that earthquakes and extreme rainfall lead to a significant increase in landslide rates in Nepal during the monsoon season. The research, published in Nature Communications, reveals that landscape damage caused by the April 2015 Gorkha earthquake increased landslide risk by six times.
A new prediction framework can forecast extreme climate events like floods and heatwaves up to two days in advance, allowing for crucial preparation time. This network-based approach analyzes large-scale connectivity patterns in observational data to improve forecasting accuracy.
Volcanic eruptions impact monsoon rainfall differently globally, dominated by pre-eruption ENSO phases according to a study. Regional responses are varied and can be explained by the underlying mechanism of SST anomalies triggered by volcanic eruptions.
Heavy precipitation affected a significant portion of China, with the Yangtze River basin experiencing extreme flooding and multi-day rain events. The study found that the East Asian Summer Monsoon front played a dominant role in bringing persistent precipitation to the region.
Researchers reconstructed full-frequency precipitation variability in the Asian Summer Monsoon using a 6,700-year tree-ring stable isotope chronology. The data suggests a long-term decreasing trend and several abrupt climate change events, including a drought regime from ~1,675-1,185 BCE.
Researchers analyzed tree ring data to determine Asian monsoon variability from 4680 BCE to 2011 CE. The findings revealed a significant decrease in precipitation, leading to megadrought and accelerated dispersal of ancient civilizations, ultimately harming Neolithic societal development.
A study published in Geophysical Research Letters found that anthropogenic forcing has increased drought risk in Southeast Asia, with more frequent and widespread droughts over the past six decades. The region's biodiversity is also threatened due to water scarcity issues exacerbated by climate change.
A new study suggests that rising CO2 levels and warming temperatures will lead to stronger monsoon seasons in the Indian subcontinent. The research, published in Science Advances, analyzed sediment core samples from the Bay of Bengal and found a correlation between CO2 levels and intense monsoon rainfall over the past 900,000 years.
Researchers analyzed a sediment core from Lake Tislit, Morocco, and found that the Sahara expanded with greenery during the African Humid Period. The expansion was caused by increased winter precipitation rather than a northward expansion of the monsoon.
Researchers analyzed pollen and leaf waxes to reconstruct vegetation cover and rainfall in the past. Mediterranean plants tolerate arid conditions with winter rain, suggesting a southward shift of westerlies during the African Humid Period. This climate scenario produced a Green Sahara with two seasonal rains.
Research led by Prof. Ping Huang found that the ENSO-Indian summer monsoon rainfall relationship has been strengthening since 1999/2000, driven by tropical Atlantic SST anomalies. This restoration of the relationship improves climate prediction and restores confidence in physical process-based predictions.
Researchers found that atmospheric dust particles from the Middle East supercharge the Indian summer monsoon by absorbing solar radiation, heating the atmosphere, and altering wind patterns. This 'elevated heat pump' drives moisture onto the Indian subcontinent, leading to increased precipitation.
A study found that warming in the Indian Ocean led to extreme monsoon rainfall and Yangtze River flooding in 2020. The researchers used a global atmospheric model and observed data to predict the excessive rainfall, which was mainly caused by temperature anomalies in the Indian Ocean.
A new study finds that climate warming reduces the impact of summer monsoons on streamflow in the Colorado River Basin. Monsoonal rains normally deliver 18% of the basin's water and produce 10% of annual streamflow, but a warmer future with less snow accumulation will diminish this effect.
Researchers found climate change was behind the decline of Roman settlements in Egypt's Faiyum region, which relied heavily on irrigation. The study linked a volcanic eruption and reduced Nile rainfall to the environmental changes that led to mass migration.
A new study using ancient tree rings reveals that the Brahmaputra River's flooding is more frequent than previously thought, with estimates underestimating the danger by nearly 40%. The research found that the river's discharge was much wetter in the past, with periods of extreme flooding that may not be comparable to modern times.
The WRF4-LICOM model shows improved summer mean monsoon rainfall, circulations, and sea surface heat fluxes. Regional air-sea coupling enhances the simulated daily SST-rainfall relationship, offering a more accurate representation of the western North Pacific summer monsoon.
Researchers found a seesaw pattern between Indian and western North Pacific summer monsoons, influenced by the tropical Atlantic Ocean's sea surface temperature. The study reveals increasing influences from the tropical Atlantic SST may lead to changes in monsoon variability.
New study uses phylogenetic information to estimate timing of Himalayan uplift and origin of biodiversity. The Stepwise Hypothesis is supported by in situ diversification and dispersal rates, while the Late Orogeny Hypothesis is rejected due to inconsistencies with origination and peak diversification times.
New research shows that climate change is altering the role of the North American monsoon in regulating wildfire season. Without the monsoon's winter rains, winter rainfall and snowpack are not enough to stop severe fires, leading to more destructive blazes. The US may learn from Mexico's land management strategies to mitigate wildfires.
Researchers developed a balloon-based system to study stratospheric radiation over the Tibetan Plateau, providing in situ measurements for the first time. The data helps understand radiation variations and thermal conditions associated with clouds and aerosols during the Asian summer monsoon period.
Research finds global land monsoon summer precipitation increased by 2.54% and 5.75% in lowest and highest emission scenarios respectively, driven by thermodynamic responses to increased moisture. Model spread in projection was larger for higher emission scenarios, emphasizing importance of circulation change prediction.
A study on plant life in China's Hengduan Mountains, Himalaya, and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau reveals how climate change affects evolution. The research found that the diversity of plants today can be traced back to newly-formed mountain ranges 30 million years ago and intense monsoons that followed.
The study assesses the simulation performance for global precipitation and summer hemispheric precipitation using CMIP6 datasets. The GMMIP simulation significantly exceeds the historical experiment, especially in terms of fidelity to different timescales.
A high-resolution climate simulation reveals significantly increased precipitation over the monsoon trough due to global warming, driven by tropical disturbances and enhanced water vapor. The study also found distinct trends in water vapor and a stronger effect of global sea surface temperature increases on precipitation.
Research finds consistent summer precipitation patterns between the Mongolian Plateau and North China, driven by the Eurasian mid-latitude teleconnection wave train. This phenomenon enhances moisture transport and strengthens regional climate features.
Climate researchers projected changes in nine monsoon regions across five continents, revealing delayed onset and intensified seasonal fluctuation. The study found that reduced greenhouse gas emissions under RCP2.6 scenario could minimize long-term shifts, while RCP8.5 scenario predicts significant changes.
New research from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics suggests a future intensification of the WNPSH under RCP 8.5, leading to stronger East Asian summer monsoon and increased rainfall but reduced typhoon landfalls over East Asia. However, this may also imply increased risk of heatwaves in southern and eastern China.
Researchers used ensemble simulations to quantify uncertainty caused by internal variability in SASM rainfall projections. They found a linkage between the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) phase and the spread in projected SASM rainfall, identifying IPO as a leading internal mode influencing near-term projection.
A University of Oklahoma-led study has found a strong correlation between paddy rice area and atmospheric methane concentration in monsoon Asia. The research used satellite data to create annual maps of paddy rice, showing that the spatial-temporal dynamics of methane concentration are closely linked to rice growth.
A recent study suggests that climate changes in Africa, driven by Earth's orbit and vegetation patterns, may have provided resource gradients for humans, driving migration outward to areas with more water and plant life. The model showed large increases in rainfall and vegetation at specific time periods, potentially creating advantage...
Chinese scientists made significant contributions to climate studies, including statistical analyses of temperature and precipitation changes. They studied the formation mechanisms of climate disasters and extreme events, laying the physical foundation for climate disaster prediction in China.
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted model perturbation experiments to improve monsoon predictions. The study sheds light on the complex atmosphere-ocean-land interactions driving monsoon systems and their regional variations.
Researchers have made a breakthrough in predicting June rainfall in the lower Yangtze River Basin with four-month accuracy. The Met Office's seasonal forecasting system successfully identifies variations in mei-yu rainfall linked to atmospheric circulation patterns.
A new study suggests that summer monsoons from Asia and Africa reached the Middle East at least 125,000 years ago, providing suitable corridors for human migration. This finding corresponds with cyclical changes in Earth's orbit that brought increased summer precipitation, supporting animal and human migration into the region.
A study analyzing carbonate minerals in Soreq Cave, Israel, suggests the summer monsoon periodically impacted the region during the last interglacial period. The findings coincide with archaeological evidence of human migration out of Africa, implying paleoclimate may have influenced early human movement.
A new study by Berkeley Lab suggests that the East Asian Monsoon will shift geographically as the climate warms, leading to less rainfall in certain regions. The researchers used global climate models to investigate changes in the Hadley cell, resulting in a contraction of monsoon rains towards the equator during summer months.