Regionality of long-term trends and interannual variation of seasonal precipitation over India

Abstract This study investigated the long-term trends and interannual variations (IAVs) of seasonal precipitation during two different periods in India and their relation to atmospheric circulation. To focus on the relation between the regional characteristics of precipitation and the large-scale ci...

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Main Authors: Azusa Fukushima, Hironari Kanamori, Jun Matsumoto
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2019-02-01
Series:Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40645-019-0255-4
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author Azusa Fukushima
Hironari Kanamori
Jun Matsumoto
author_facet Azusa Fukushima
Hironari Kanamori
Jun Matsumoto
author_sort Azusa Fukushima
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This study investigated the long-term trends and interannual variations (IAVs) of seasonal precipitation during two different periods in India and their relation to atmospheric circulation. To focus on the relation between the regional characteristics of precipitation and the large-scale circulation system, we defined homogeneous regions based on pentad rainfall seasonality using hierarchical cluster analysis. Seven obtained clusters (regions) were used to analyze the long-term trends, IAVs, and their relation to atmospheric circulation. Seasonal precipitation showed no remarkable trend in most regions and seasons, which implies the effect of IAV in seasonal precipitation is greater than the long-term trend. Based on regression analysis, the IAV of seasonal precipitation and its relation to atmospheric circulation over the ocean surrounding India were detected for each season. Enhancement of the southwesterly monsoon flow over the Indian Ocean and the strength of the southeasterly wind related to the activity of the monsoon trough around the Gangetic Plain both affected the increase of summer monsoon precipitation in regions CL3 (central and eastern India) and CL6 (western coast of the Arabian Sea in southern India). In contrast, neither region CL5 (eastern coastal region of southern India) nor CL7 (northeastern India and part of the western coastal region of southern India) showed a relationship between IAV of summer monsoon precipitation and the southwesterly flow or the southeasterly flow over the Indian Ocean or the Gangetic Plain, respectively. Region CL5 showed strong correlation with the northeasterly monsoon flow (strength of the southeasterly flow over the Bay of Bengal) during the post-monsoon season. Other regions showed no relation with the northeasterly flow during the post-monsoon season. Furthermore, IAV of precipitation in region CL7 showed no correlation with either the southwesterly monsoon during the summer monsoon season or the northeasterly monsoon during the post-monsoon season.
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spelling doaj.art-877950039cd14307bee7a2d7fd3179f52022-12-22T02:06:21ZengSpringerOpenProgress in Earth and Planetary Science2197-42842019-02-016112010.1186/s40645-019-0255-4Regionality of long-term trends and interannual variation of seasonal precipitation over IndiaAzusa Fukushima0Hironari Kanamori1Jun Matsumoto2Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Kobe Gakuin UniversityInstitute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya UniversityResearch Center for Climatology, Department of Geography, Tokyo Metropolitan UniversityAbstract This study investigated the long-term trends and interannual variations (IAVs) of seasonal precipitation during two different periods in India and their relation to atmospheric circulation. To focus on the relation between the regional characteristics of precipitation and the large-scale circulation system, we defined homogeneous regions based on pentad rainfall seasonality using hierarchical cluster analysis. Seven obtained clusters (regions) were used to analyze the long-term trends, IAVs, and their relation to atmospheric circulation. Seasonal precipitation showed no remarkable trend in most regions and seasons, which implies the effect of IAV in seasonal precipitation is greater than the long-term trend. Based on regression analysis, the IAV of seasonal precipitation and its relation to atmospheric circulation over the ocean surrounding India were detected for each season. Enhancement of the southwesterly monsoon flow over the Indian Ocean and the strength of the southeasterly wind related to the activity of the monsoon trough around the Gangetic Plain both affected the increase of summer monsoon precipitation in regions CL3 (central and eastern India) and CL6 (western coast of the Arabian Sea in southern India). In contrast, neither region CL5 (eastern coastal region of southern India) nor CL7 (northeastern India and part of the western coastal region of southern India) showed a relationship between IAV of summer monsoon precipitation and the southwesterly flow or the southeasterly flow over the Indian Ocean or the Gangetic Plain, respectively. Region CL5 showed strong correlation with the northeasterly monsoon flow (strength of the southeasterly flow over the Bay of Bengal) during the post-monsoon season. Other regions showed no relation with the northeasterly flow during the post-monsoon season. Furthermore, IAV of precipitation in region CL7 showed no correlation with either the southwesterly monsoon during the summer monsoon season or the northeasterly monsoon during the post-monsoon season.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40645-019-0255-4Indian monsoon variabilityRainfall seasonalityCluster analysisWater vapor convergenceLow-level jet stream
spellingShingle Azusa Fukushima
Hironari Kanamori
Jun Matsumoto
Regionality of long-term trends and interannual variation of seasonal precipitation over India
Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
Indian monsoon variability
Rainfall seasonality
Cluster analysis
Water vapor convergence
Low-level jet stream
title Regionality of long-term trends and interannual variation of seasonal precipitation over India
title_full Regionality of long-term trends and interannual variation of seasonal precipitation over India
title_fullStr Regionality of long-term trends and interannual variation of seasonal precipitation over India
title_full_unstemmed Regionality of long-term trends and interannual variation of seasonal precipitation over India
title_short Regionality of long-term trends and interannual variation of seasonal precipitation over India
title_sort regionality of long term trends and interannual variation of seasonal precipitation over india
topic Indian monsoon variability
Rainfall seasonality
Cluster analysis
Water vapor convergence
Low-level jet stream
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40645-019-0255-4
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AT hironarikanamori regionalityoflongtermtrendsandinterannualvariationofseasonalprecipitationoverindia
AT junmatsumoto regionalityoflongtermtrendsandinterannualvariationofseasonalprecipitationoverindia