Indian Ocean Monsoon
Overall, half of the tropics (one quarter of the surface area of the entire globe) can be defined as a monsoon climate. Because of the intensity of the weather, these monsoon climates are a natural laboratory for scientists to observe the way the land, sea and atmosphere regimes interact with each other and influence weather through the exchange of moisture and energy. The large area involved and the grand scale of the weather within monsoon climates suggest that monsoons play a significant role in modulating global climate. Therefore, any plausible theory of global climate will have to include the workings of monsoons and their teleconnections to other meteorological phenomena.
The IOM varies from year to year, season to season, and even on a daily basis. Observing the variations of a particular remote phenomenon may offer a means for constraining the expected variability and estimating what to expect in the future. This observation of variance, coupled with other tools is one way in which scientist are beginning to understand the monsoon, and how it affects the rest of the world. One of the greatest tools for understanding global climate and weather is the recent development of the ability to view the Earth from space.
The Indian Ocean Monsoon is more than a meteorological phenomenon however; for the people of the Indian subcontinent and southern Asia it is a way of life. The torrential rains of summer bestow life upon the parched earth left by the hot spring months. The rains end the wandering dust storms, and they provide water for irrigation and agriculture. Although generally looked upon as a godsend, the rains sometimes spell disaster, in the form of floods, for the people of India's lowlands. Sometimes the the rains are insufficient resulting in droughts and famine. The winds of the monsoon have also been known to generate tropical cyclones, which are capable of causing terrible destruction to India's coastal settlements. The lives of the people who inhabit the Indian subcontinent are greatly affected by the monsoon climate. The quality of life for a particular year is determined almost entirely by the rains (or lack thereof) which occur during the summer. For an economy based on agriculture, as is India's, where the uncertainty of annual rainfall is so high, the importance of accurate prediction and modeling cannot be overstated.
Click here to get an overall
wiring diagram for this scenario.
Many sourses have been used to compile the many figures and graphs used in this IOM module. A reference list is included to credit the contributers.