Simulation of monsoon disturbances in a GCM

Abstract

A large part of the rainfall over India during the summer monsoon season (June-September) is contributed by synoptic scale disturbances such as monsoon depressions. To study the evolution of such disturbances in Atmospheric General Circulation Models (AGCM), the Hadley Centre AGCM (HadAM2b) has been integrated for 15 summer monsoons (1979-1993) and the output was examined for the presence of synoptic scale disturbances such as monsoon depressions, low pressure areas, land lows and land depressions over the Indian summer monsoon region. The atmospheric initial condition for each of these integrations was of 23rd May and observed Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) were described as a boundary condition. Although the horizontal resolution of the AGCM used in this study is only 2.5°x 3.75°lat. long., the model is able to simulate a few monsoon disturbances. The important features of these simulated disturbances are presented. The features of the simulated disturbances are realistic. The morphologies of a well simulated monsoon depression and a simulated low pressure area are presented as examples. The frequency of the simulated monsoon depressions is less than the climatological frequency of the depressions during all four monsoon months.