Role of intra-seasonal oscillations on monsoon floods and droughts over India

Abstract

Aim of this diagnostic study is to investigate the impact of intra-seasonal oscillations in terms of number, duration and intensity on rainfall during June through September, 1979–2006. Analysis of wavelet spectra for winds at 850 hPa field for monsoon period reveals number and duration of oscillations, which exercise profound influence on monsoon rainfall. Results indicate that four to six oscillations appear in normal rainfall or flood cases, while two or three oscillations are identified in the years of drought episodes. Though total duration of above oscillations is varied from 25 to 85 days, the duration is short (20 to 35 days) obviously in the years of less number of oscillations and also the number of oscillations are directly related to the monsoon rainfall. The coefficient of correlation between them is 0.56, which is significant at 1% level. To examine the strength of intra-seasonal oscillations in terms of different indices on seasonal rainfall is investigated. The Madden and Julian Oscillation Index shows an inverse relationship with rainfall, where as a direct relationship is noticed between Monsoon Shear Index and rainfall for the study period. Both results are significant at 5% level. To consolidate the above statistical relationships, seasonal circulation changes in the contrasting years of monsoon rainfall have been examined; present study reveals that anomaly negative outgoing longwave radiation is noticed over most of Arabian Sea, Indian sub-continent and the Bay of Bengal during June through September in flood year (1988). But opposite convective activity is true in drought year (2002). Similarly the spatial U-850 hPa field distribution showed much stronger monsoon winds in 1988, while zonal circulation was very weak in 2002. Such differences are observed in the anomaly zonal wind field at 200 hPa also. Over the monsoon region U-850 hPa field is almost a mirror image of U-200 hPa distribution of wind field. Finally annual cycles of U-850 and U-200 hPa fields reflect striking difference at 200 hPa level during the summer monsoon period in flood and drought years.