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A Model Study on Understanding the Influence of Arabian Sea Mini Warm Pool on Monsoon Onset Vortex Formation

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Abstract

The Arabian Sea Mini Warm Pool (MWP) is a zone of anomalously high Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in the Arabian Sea over which the monsoon onset vortex (OV) is believed to form. In the present study it is shown that this MWP is a key parameter in the development of the onset vortex. Atmospheric model experiments are carried out with and without MWP to understand the mechanisms for the formation of the OV. The model failed to simulate the OV with the cold SST advocating the importance of the MWP for the formation of the OV. The MWP is found to favor the formation of the onset vortex in the east central Arabian Sea by increasing the horizontal shear and decreasing the vertical wind shear.

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Acknowledgments

The first author acknowledges CSIR, India for financial support. Thanks are also due to Director, IITM and INCOIS, Hyderabad for support. The critical comments and very useful suggestions from the anonymous reviewers helped us to improve the manuscript considerably.

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  1. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, 411008, India

    R. Deepa, C. Gnanaseelan, M. Deshpande & P. S. Salvekar

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  1. R. Deepa
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  2. C. Gnanaseelan
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  3. M. Deshpande
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  4. P. S. Salvekar
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Correspondence to C. Gnanaseelan.

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Deepa, R., Gnanaseelan, C., Deshpande, M. et al. A Model Study on Understanding the Influence of Arabian Sea Mini Warm Pool on Monsoon Onset Vortex Formation. Pure Appl. Geophys. 169, 1693–1706 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-011-0406-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-011-0406-z

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