Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Potential impacts of aerosol–land–atmosphere interactions on the Indian monsoonal rainfall characteristics

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Natural Hazards Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aerosols can affect the cloud-radiation feedback and the precipitation over the Indian monsoon region. In this paper, we propose that another pathway by which aerosols can modulate the multi-scale aspect of Indian monsoons is by altering the land–atmosphere interactions. The nonlinear feedbacks due to aerosol/diffuse radiation on coupled interactions over the Indian monsoon region are studied by: (1) reviewing recent field measurements and modeling studies, (2) analyzing the MODIS and AERONET aerosol optical depth datasets, and (3) diagnosing the results from sensitivity experiments using a mesoscale modeling system. The results of this study suggest that the large magnitude of aerosol loading and its impact on land–atmosphere interactions can significantly influence the mesoscale monsoonal characteristics in the Indo-Ganges Basin.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Boer GJ, Flato G, Ramsden D (2000) A transient climate change simulation with greenhouse gas and aerosol forcing: projected climate for the 21st century. Clim Dynam 16:427–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang H (2004) Observations of the effects of aerosol loading on carbon and water cycles over various landscapes. MS thesis, NC State University (Available from: http://www. lib.ncsu.edu)

  • Chou C, Neelin JD, Lohmann U, Feichter J (2005) Local and remote impacts of aerosol climate forcing on tropical precipitation. J Climate 18:4621–4636

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chung CE, Ramanathan V, Kiehl JT (2002) Effects of the south Asian absorbing haze on the northeast monsoon and surface-air heat exchange. J Climate 15:2462–2476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chung C, Ramanathan V (2006) Weakening of North Indian SST gradients and the monsoon rainfall in India and the Sahel. J Climate 19:2036–2045

    Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar GD, Roderick ML (2003) Pinatubo, diffuse light, and the carbon cycle. Science 299:5615

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giorgi F, Francisco R (2000) Uncertainties in regional climate change predictions. A regional analysis of ensemble simulations with the HADCH2 GCM. Clim Dynam 16:169–182

    Google Scholar 

  • Goudriaan J (1977) Crop micrometeorology and a simulation study. Center for Agricultural Publication and Documentation (PUDOC), Wageningen, The Netherlands

  • Gu L, Fuentes JD, Schugart HH, Staebler RM, Black TA (1999) Responses of net ecosystem exchanges of carbon dioxide to changes in cloudiness: results from two North American deciduous forests. J Geophys Res 104:31421–311434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gu L, Baldocchi DD, Wofsy SC, Munger JW, Michalsky JJ, Urbanski SP, Boden TA (2003) Response of a deciduous forest to the Mount Pinatubo eruption: enhanced photosynthesis. Science 299:2035–2038

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hollinger DY, Kelliher FM, Byers JN, Hunt JE, McSeveny TM, Weir PL (1994) Carbon dioxide exchange between an undisturbed old-growth temperate forest and the atmosphere. Ecology 75:134–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi H, Matsunaga T, Hoyano A, Aoki M, Komori D, Boonyawat S (2004) Satellite estimation of photosynthetically active radiation in Southeast Asia: impacts of smoke and cloud cover. J Geophys Res 109 (D4) Article No. D04102

  • Krakauer NY, Randerson JT (2003) Do volcanic eruptions enhance or diminish net primary production? Evidence from tree rings. Global Biogeochem Cycles 17:1118 (doi: 10.1029/2003GB002076)

  • Lal M, Cubasch U, Voss R, Waszkewitz J (1995) Effect of transient increases in greenhouse gases and sulphate aerosols on monsoon climate. Curr Sci 69:752–763

    Google Scholar 

  • Lal M, Nozawa T, Emori S, Harasawa H, Takahashi K, Kimoto M, Abe-Ouchi A, Nakajima T, Takemura T, Numaguti A (2001) Future climate change: Implications for Indian summer monsoon and its variability. Curr Sci 81:1196–1207

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin JC, Matsui T, Pielke RA Sr, Kummerow C (2006) Effects of biomass burning-derived aerosols on precipitation and clouds in the Amazon Basin: a satellite-based empirical study. J Geophys Res 111:D19204 (doi: 10.1029/2005JD006884)

  • Menon S, Hansen J, Nazarenko L, Luo Y (2002) Climate effects of black carbon aerosols in China and India. Science 297:2250–2503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell JFB, Johns TC, Gregory JM, Tett SFB (1995) Climate response to increasing levels of greenhouse gases and sulphate aerosols. Nature 376:501–504

    Google Scholar 

  • Niyogi D, Chang H et al. (2004) Direct observations of the effects of aerosol loading on net ecosystem CO2 exchanges over different landscapes. Geophys Res Lett 31:L20506 (doi: 10.1029/2004GL020915)

  • Peterson T, Golubev V, Groisman P (1995) Evaporation losing its strength. Nature 377:687–688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pielke RA Sr (2002) Mesoscale meteorological modeling, 2nd edn. Academic Press, San Diego

  • Pinker RT, Zhang B, Dutton EG (2005) Do satellites detect trends in surface solar radiation? Science 308:850–854

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pielke RA Sr, Adegoke JO, Chase TN, Marshall CH, Matsui T, Niyogi D (2006) A new paradigm for assessing the role of agriculture in the climate system and in climate change. Agric For Meteorol (doi: 10.1016/j.agformet.2006.06.012)

  • Pielke RA Sr et al (2002) The influence of land-use change and landscape dynamics on the climate system- relevance to climate change policy beyond the radiative effect of greenhouse gases. Philos Trans A360:1705–1719

  • Qian Y, Leung R, Ghan SJ, Giorgi F (2003) Regional climate effects of aerosols over China: modeling and observation. Tellus B 55:914–934

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramanathan V et al (2005) Atmospheric brown clouds: impacts on South Asian climate and hydrological cycle. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102:5326–5333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramanathan V, Crutzen PJ, Kiehl JT, Rosenfeld D (2001a) Aerosols, climate, and the hydrological cycle. Science 294:2119–2124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramanathan V et al. (2001b) Indian Ocean experiment: an integrated analysis of the climate forcing and effects of the great Indo-Asian haze. J Geophys Res 106:371–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reichenau T, Esser G (2003) Is interannual fluctuation of atmospheric CO2 dominated by combined effects of ENSO and volcanic aerosols? Global Biogeochem Cycles 17(4):1094 (doi: 10.1029/2002GB002025)

    Google Scholar 

  • Robock A (2000) Volcanic eruptions and climate. Rev Geophys 38:191–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roderick M, Farquhar G (2002) The cause of decreased pan evaporation over the past 50 years. Science 298:1410–1411

    Google Scholar 

  • Roderick M, Farquhar GD, Berry SL, Noble IR (1999) On the direct effect of clouds and atmospheric particles on the productivity and structure of vegetation. Oecologia 129:21–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu H, Dickinson M, Chin YJ, et al. (2004) The direct radiative effect of aerosols as determined from a combination of MODIS retrievals and GOCART simulations. J Geophys Res 109:D03206 (doi:10.1029/2003JD003914)

  • Yu H, Liu SC, Dickinson RE (2002) Radiative effects of aerosols on the evolution of the atmospheric boundary layer. J Geophys Res 107:4142 (doi:10.1029/2001JD000754)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wild M, Gilgen H, Roesch A, Ohmura A, Long CN, Dutton EG, Forgan B, Kallis A, Russak V, Tsvetkov A (2005) From dimming to brightening: decadal changes in solar radiation at Earth’s surface. Science 308:847–850

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Purdue University, 915 W State St., West Lafayette, IN, 47906, USA

    Dev Niyogi, Hsin-I Chang & Anil Kumar

  2. National Center for Atmospheric Research, 1850 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder, CO, 80305-560, USA

    Fei Chen & Anil Kumar

  3. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA

    Lianhong Gu

  4. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Surabi Menon

  5. University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309-0430, USA

    Roger A. Pielke Sr.

Authors
  1. Dev Niyogi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hsin-I Chang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fei Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Lianhong Gu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Anil Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Surabi Menon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Roger A. Pielke Sr.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dev Niyogi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Niyogi, D., Chang, HI., Chen, F. et al. Potential impacts of aerosol–land–atmosphere interactions on the Indian monsoonal rainfall characteristics. Nat Hazards 42, 345–359 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-006-9085-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-006-9085-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation