India and the UK have joined hands to start an observational campaign from June 8 till end-July to better understand small-scale processes that drive monsoon variability and predictability.
The Rs 50-crore project, the cost of which is being shared by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the UK Met department, will involve the deployment of UK’s BAe-146-301 atmospheric research aircraft with sophisticated scientific instruments and India’s Sagar Nidhi and Sindhu Sadhna research ships during May-July, read an official statement.
“Paucity of data at smaller space and time scales have a major effect on the large-scale variability of the monsoon,” the Ministry said, adding that better understanding of the smaller scale physical processes will help improve computer simulation models and parameterisation of physical process, which in turn will produce improved monsoon prediction.
This joint effort is part of the implementation agreement signed between the Ministry and Natural Environment Research Council, UK, entailing three research projects.