Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

High resolution simulation of the South Asian monsoon using a variable resolution global climate model

  • Published:
Climate Dynamics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examines the feasibility of using a variable resolution global general circulation model (GCM), with telescopic zooming and enhanced resolution (~35 km) over South Asia, to better understand regional aspects of the South Asian monsoon rainfall distribution and the interactions between monsoon circulation and precipitation. For this purpose, two sets of ten member realizations are produced with and without zooming using the LMDZ (Laboratoire Meteorologie Dynamique and Z stands for zoom) GCM. The simulations without zoom correspond to a uniform 1° × 1° grid with the same total number of grid points as in the zoom version. So the grid of the zoomed simulations is finer inside the region of interest but coarser outside. The use of these finer and coarser resolution ensemble members allows us to examine the impact of resolution on the overall quality of the simulated regional monsoon fields. It is found that the monsoon simulation with high-resolution zooming greatly improves the representation of the southwesterly monsoon flow and the heavy precipitation along the narrow orography of the Western Ghats, the northeastern mountain slopes and northern Bay of Bengal (BOB). A realistic Monsoon Trough (MT) is also noticed in the zoomed simulation, together with remarkable improvements in representing the associated precipitation and circulation features, as well as the large-scale organization of meso-scale convective systems over the MT region. Additionally, a more reasonable simulation of the monsoon synoptic disturbances (lows and disturbances) along the MT is noted in the high-resolution zoomed simulation. On the other hand, the no-zoom version has limitations in capturing the depressions and their movement, so that the MT zone is relatively dry in this case. Overall, the results from this work demonstrate the usefulness of the high-resolution variable resolution LMDZ model in realistically capturing the interactions among the monsoon large-scale dynamics, the synoptic systems and the meso-scale convective systems, which are essential elements of the South Asian monsoon system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Starting from an instantaneous initial condition taken from the ECMWF analysis for the month of January, the 10 perturbed initial conditions were created by making ten 1-year model runs with interannually varying SSTs (2000–2009) as boundary conditions. The model dumps generated after 1 year of integration from the above 10 cases constitute the 10 perturbed initial conditions. It must be mentioned that interannually varying SSTs have been used only for the purpose of creating the perturbed initial conditions. Once the model dumps are generated, the zoom and no-zoom ensemble simulations are performed using the seasonally varying climatological SST boundary forcing.

  2. The LMDZ GCM simulations are based on a 360 day calendar year, with each month having 30 days.

References

  • Adler RF et al. (2003) The version-2 global precipitation climatology project (GPCP) monthly precipitation analysis (1979-Present). J Hydrometeorol 4:1147–1167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alexander G, Keshavamurty RN, De US, Chellappa R, Das SK, Pillai PV (1978) Fluctuations of monsoon activity. Indian J Meteor Geophys 29:76–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhaskaran B, Jones RG, Murphy JM, Noguer M (1996) Simulations of the Indian summer monsoon using a nested climate model: domain size experiments. Clim Dyn 12:573–587

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhat GS (2006) The Indian drought of 2002—a sub-seasonal phenomenon? Q J R Meteorol Soc 132:2583–2602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bollasina M, Nigam S (2010) The summertime “Heat” low over Pakistan / Northwestern India: evolution and Origin. Clim Dyn. doi:10.1007/s00382-010-0879-y

    Google Scholar 

  • Boos WR, Kuang Z (2010) Dominant control of the South Asian monsoon by orographic insulation versus plateau heating. Nature 463. doi:10.1038/nature08707

  • Brown RG, Zhang C (1997) Variability of mid tropospheric moisture and its effect on cloud-top height distribution during TOGA COARE. J Atmos Sci 54:2760–2774

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choudhury AD, Krishnan R (2011) Dynamical response of the South Asian monsoon trough to latent heating from stratiform and convective precipitation. J Atmos Sci 68:1347–1363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Das PK (1968) The monsoons. National Book Trust, New Delhi 110016, India, pp 1–210

  • Das PK (1986) Monsoons. WMO Rep 613, 115 pp

  • Dash SK, Keshavamurty RN (1982) Stability of mean monsoon zonal flow. Beitr Phys Atmosph 55:299–310

    Google Scholar 

  • Dash SK, Shekhar MS, Singh GP (2006) Simulation of Indian summer monsoon circulation and rainfall using RegCM3. Theor Appl Climatol 86:161–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding Q, Wang B (2007) Intraseasonal teleconnection between the Eurasian wavetrain and Indian summer monsoon. J Clim 20:3751–3767

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunkerton TJ, Montgomery MT, Wang Z (2009) Tropical cyclogenesis in a tropical wave critical layer: easterly waves. Atmos Chem Phys 9:5587–5646

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emanuel KA (1993) A cumulus representation based on the episodic mixing model: the importance of mixing and microphysics in predicting humidity. A M S Meteorol Monogr 24:185–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Emanuel KA, Neelin JD, Bretherton CS (1994) On large-scale circulations in convective atmospheres. Q J R Meteorol Soc 120:1111–1143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enomoto TB, Hoskins J, Matsuda Y (2003) The formation mechanism of the Bonin high in August. QJ R Meteorol Soc 587:157–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox-Rabinovitz MS, Cote J, Deque M, Dugas B, McGregor J (2006) Variable-resolution GCMs: stretched-grid model intercomparison project (SGMIP). J Geophys Res 111:D16104. doi:10.1029/2005JD006520

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gadgil S (2003) The Indian monsoon and its variability. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 31:429–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gates WL (1992) AMIP: the atmospheric model intercomparison project. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 73:1962–1970

    Google Scholar 

  • Gadgil S, Sajani S (1998) Monsoon precipitation in the AMIP runs. Clim Dyn 14:659–689

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goswami BN, Keshavamurthy RN, Satyan V (1980) Role of barotropic-baroclinic instability for the growth of monsoon depressions and mid-tropospheric cyclones. Proc Indian Acad Sci 89:79–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Goswami BN, Ajayamohan RS, Xavier PK, Sengupta D (2003) Clustering of synoptic activity by Indian summer monsoon intraseasonal oscillations. Geophys Res Lett 30:1431. doi:10.1029/2002GL016734

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hastenrath S, Lamb P (1977) Climatic atlas of the Tropical Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, p 112

    Google Scholar 

  • Hourdin F, Ionela M, Bony S, Codron F, Dufresne J-L, Fairhead L, le Filiberti M-A, Friedlingstein P, Grandpeix JY, Krinner G, LeVan P, Li Z-X, LottHouze F (2006) The LMDZ4 general circulation model: climate performance and sensitivity to parametrized physics with emphasis on tropical convection. Clim Dyn 27:787–813. doi:10.1007/s00382-006-0158-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houze RA (2004) Mesoscale convective systems. Rev Geophys 42:43. doi:10.1029/2004RG000150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu CJ, Plumb RA (2000) Non-axisymmetric thermally driven circulations and upper tropospheric monsoonal dynamics. J Atmos Sci 57:1254–1276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huffmann GJ et al (2007) The TRMM multi-satellite precipitation analysis: quasi-global multi-year, combined-sensor precipitation estimates at fine scale. J Hydrometeorpl 8(1):38–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacob D, Podzum R (1997) Sensitivity studies with the regional climate model REMO. Meteor Atmos Phys 63:119–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nie J, Boos WR, Kuang Z (2010) Observational evaluation of a convective quasi-equilibrium view of monsoon. J Clim 23:4416–4428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joseph PV, Sabin TP (2008) An ocean-atmosphere interaction mechanism for the active break cycle of the Asian summer monsoon. Clim Dyn 30:553–566. doi:10.1007/s00382-007-0305-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joshi U, Rajeevan M (2006) Trends in precipitation extremes over India. Tech Rep 3, National Climate Centre

  • Keshavamurty RN, Awade ST (1974) Dynamical abnormalities associated with drought in the Asiatic summer monsoon. Indian J Meteorol Geophys 25:257–266

    Google Scholar 

  • Keshavamurty RN, Asnani GC, Pillai PV, Das SK (1978) Some studies on the growth of monsoon disturbances. Proc Indian Acad Sci 87:61–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Kitoh A, Kusunoki S (2009) East Asian summer monsoon simulation by a 20-km mesh AGCM. Clim Dyn. doi:10.1007/s00382-007-0285-2

    Google Scholar 

  • Koteswaram P (1958) The easterly jet stream in the tropics. Tellus 10:43–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koteswaram P, Rao NSB (1963) The structure of the Asian summer monsoon. Aust Meteorol Mag 42:35–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamurthy V, Ajayamohan RS (2010) Composite structure of monsoon low pressure systems and its relation to Indian rainfall. J Clim 23:4285–4305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamurti TN (1971) Tropical east-west circulations during the northern summer. J Atmos Sci 28:1342–1347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamurti TN (1973) Tibetan high and upper tropospheric tropical circulation during northern summer. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 54:1234–1249

    Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamurti TN, Bhalme HN (1976) Oscillations of a monsoon system. Part I: observational aspects. J Atmos Sci 33:1937–1954

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamurti TN, Surgi N (1987) Observational aspects of the summer monsoon. In: Chang C-P, Krishnamurti TN (eds) Monsoon meteorology. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 3–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamurti TN, Kanamitsu M, Godbole RV, Chang CB, Carr F, Chow JH (1976a) Study of a monsoon depression II. Dynamical structure. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 54:208–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamurti TN, Molinari J, Pan HL (1976b) Numerical simulation of the Somali jet. J Atmos Sci 33:2350–2362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamurti TN, Wong V, Pan HL, Pasch R, Molinari J, Ardanuy P (1983) A three dimensional planetary boundary layer model for the Somali jet. J Atmos Sci 40:894–908

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamurti TN, Thomas A, Simon A, Kumar V (2010) Desert air incursions, an overlooked aspect, for the dry spells of the Indian summer monsoon. J Atmos Sci 67:3423–3441

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnan R, Zhang C, Sugi M (2000) Dynamics of breaks in the Indian summer monsoon. J Atmos Sci 57:1354–1372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnan R, Vinay K, Sugi M, Yoshimura J (2009) Internal feedbacks from monsoon–midlatitude interactions during droughts in the Indian summer monsoon. J Atmos Sci 66:553–578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnan R, Ayantika DC, Kumar V, Pokhrel S (2011) The long-lived monsoon depressions of 2006 and their linkage with the Indian Ocean Dipole. Int J Climatol. doi:10.1002/joc.2156

    Google Scholar 

  • Krishnan R, Sabin TP, Ayantika DC, Kitoh A, Sugi M, Murakami H, Turner AG, Slingo JM, Rajendran K (2012) Will the South Asian monsoon overturning circulation stabilize any further? Clim Dyn. doi:10.1007/s00382-012-1317-0

    Google Scholar 

  • Lal M, Bengtsson L, Cubasch U, Esch M, Schlese U (1995) Synoptic scale disturbances of the Indian summer monsoon as simulated in a high resolution climate model. Clim Res 5:243–258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee DK, Suh MS (2000) Ten-year East Asian summer monsoon simulation using a regional climate model (RegCM2). J Geophys Res 105:29565–29577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lighthill MJ (1969) Dynamic response of the Indian Ocean to onset of southwest monsoon. Phil Trans Roy Soc 265A:45–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Mapes B, Houze R Jr (1995) Diabatic divergence profiles in western Pacific mesoscale convective systems. J Atmos Sci 52:1807–1828

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGregor JL (1996) Semi-Lagrangian advection on conformal cubic grids. Mon Weather Rev 124:1311–1322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra SK, Salvekar PS (1980) Role of baroclinic instability in the development of monsoon disturbances. J Atmos Sci 37:383–394

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mizuta R, Yoshimura H, Murakami H, Matsueda M, Endo H, Ose T, Kamiguchi K, Hosaka M, Sugi M, Yukimoto S, Kusunoki S, Kitoh A (2012) Climate simulations using MRI-AGCM3.2 with 20-km grid. J Meteorol Soc Japan 90A:233–258. doi:10.2151/jmsj.2012-A12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ngo-Duc T, Polcher J, Laval K (2005) A 53-year forcing data set for land surface models. J Geophys Res 110:D06116. doi:10.1029/2004JD005434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raghavan K (1973) Tibetan anticyclone and tropical easterly jet. Pure Appl Geophys 110:2130–2142. doi:10.1007/BF00876576

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajeevan M, Bhate J, Kale JD, Lal B (2006) High resolution daily gridded rainfall data for the Indian region: analysis of break and active monsoon spells. Curr Sci 91:296–306

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajeevan M, Gadgil S, Bhate J (2010) Active and break spells of the Indian summer monsoon. Proc Indian Acad Sci 119:229–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajendran K, Kitoh A (2008) Indian summer monsoon in future climate projection by a super high-resolution global model. Curr Sci 95:1560–1569

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajendran K, Kitoh A, Srinivasan J, Mizuta R, Krishnan R (2012) Monsoon circulation interaction with Western Ghats orography under changing climate—projection by a 20-km mesh AGCM. Theoret Appl Climatol. doi:10.1007/s00704-012-0690-2

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramamurthy K (1969) Monsoon of India: some aspects of the ‘break’ in the Indian southwest monsoon during July and August. Forecasting Manual IV–18.3, India Met Dept, pp 1–57

  • Raman CRV, Rao YP (1981) Blocking highs over Asia and monsoon droughts over India. Nature 289:271–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramaswamy C (1962) Breaks in the Indian summer monsoon as a phenomenon of interaction between the easterly and the subtropical westerly jet streams. Tellus 14A:337–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao YP (1976) Southwest monsoon. India Meteorological Department. Meteorol Monogr Synop Meteorol, No.1/1976, Delhi

  • Rayner NA, Parker DE, Horton EB, Folland CK, Alexander LV, Rowell DP, Kent EC, Kaplan A (2003) Global analyses of sea surface temperature, sea ice, and night marine air temperature since the late nineteenth century. J Geophys Res 108:D144407. doi:10.1029/2002JD002670

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodwell MJ, Hoskins BJ (1996) Monsoons and the dynamics of deserts. Q J R Meteorol Soc 122:1385–1404. doi:10.1002/qj.49712253408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saha K, Sanders F, Shukla J (1981) Westward propagating predecessor of monsoon depressions. Mon Weather Rev 109:330–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Satyan V, Keshavamurty RN, Goswami BN, Dash SK, Sinha HSS (1980) Monsoon cyclogenesis and large scale flow patterns over South Asia. Proc Indian Acad Sci 89:277–292

    Google Scholar 

  • Sikka DR (2006) A study on the monsoon low pressure systems over the Indian region and their relationship with drought and excess monsoon seasonal rainfall. COLA Tech Report CTR217

  • Simmons AS, Uppala D Dee, Kobayashi S (2006) ERAInterim: New ECMWF reanalysis products from 1989 onwards. ECMWF Newsletter 110, ECMWF, Reading, United Kingdom, pp 25–35. Available online at http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/newsletters/pdf/110_rev.pdf

  • Verant S, Laval K, Polcher J, De Castro M (2004) Sensitivity of the continental hydrological cycle to the spatial resolution over the Iberian peninsula. J Hydrometeorol 5:267–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vernekar AD, Ji Y (1999) Simulation of the onset and intraseasonal variability of two contrasting summer Monsoons. J Clim 12:1707–1725

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Z, Montgomery MT, Fritz C (2012) A first look at the structure of the wave pouch during the 2009 PREDICT–GRIP dry runs over the Atlantic. Mon Weather Rev 140:1144–1163. doi:10.1175/MWR-D-10-05063.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xie SP, Xu H, Saji NH, Wang Y (2006) Role of narrow mountains in large-scale organization of Asian monsoon convection. J Clim 19:3420–3429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yanai M, Esbensen S, Chu J (1973) Determination of bulk properties of tropical cloud clusters from large-scale heat and moisture budget. J Atmos Sci 30:611–627

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou T, Li Z (2002) Simulation of the East Asian summer monsoon using a variable resolution atmospheric GCM. Clim Dyn 19:167–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

RK and TPS thank Prof. B.N. Goswami, Director, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) for extending all support for this research work. IITM is fully funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. The travel support to JG and SD for visiting IITM, Pune in 2011 was funded by the French Embassy in Mumbai, India. The LMDZ model simulations were conducted on the PRITHVI High Performance Computing system at IITM, Pune. We thank the Editor, Prof. Jean-Claude Duplessy and the three anonymous reviewers for providing constructive suggestions leading to improvements in the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Climate Change Research, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, India

    T. P Sabin & R. Krishnan

  2. Laboratoire Meteorologie Dynamique, IPSL, Paris, France

    Josefine Ghattas, Sebastien Denvil, Jean-Louis Dufresne & Frederic Hourdin

  3. LOCEAN, IPSL, Paris, France

    Terray Pascal

Authors
  1. T. P Sabin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Krishnan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Josefine Ghattas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sebastien Denvil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jean-Louis Dufresne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Frederic Hourdin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Terray Pascal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Krishnan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

P Sabin, T., Krishnan, R., Ghattas, J. et al. High resolution simulation of the South Asian monsoon using a variable resolution global climate model. Clim Dyn 41, 173–194 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-012-1658-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-012-1658-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation