Gopa Dutta

Impact of Cyclone Nilam on Tropical Lower Atmospheric Dynamics

A deep depression formed over the Bay of Bengal on 28 October 2012, and developed into a cyclonic storm. After landfall near the south coast of Chennai, cyclone Nilam moved north-northwestwards. Coordinated experiments were conducted from the Indian stations of Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E) and Hyderabad (17.4°N, 78.5°E) to study the modification of gravity-wave activity and turbulence by cyclone Nilam, using GPS radiosonde and mesosphere–stratosphere–troposphere radar data. The horizontal velocities underwent large changes during the closest approach of the storm to the experimental sites. Hodograph analysis revealed that inertia gravity waves (IGWs) associated with the cyclone changed their directions from northeast (control time) to northwest following the path of the cyclone. The momentum flux of IGWs and short-period gravity waves (1–8 h) enhanced prior to, and during, the passage of the storm (±0.05 m2 s−2 and ±0.3 m2 s−2, respectively), compared to the flux after its passage. The corresponding body forces underwent similar changes, with values ranging between ±2–4 m s−1 d−1 and ±12–15 m s−1 d−1. The turbulence refractivity structure constant (Cn2) showed large values below 10 km before the passage of the cyclone when humidity in the region was very high. Turbulence and humidity reduced during the passage of the storm when a turbulent layer at ~17 km became more intense. Turbulence in the lower troposphere and near the tropopause became weak after the passage of the cyclone.

Equatorial wave activity during 2007 over Gadanki, a tropical station

ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-interim) data of winds for the year 2007 between the pressure levels 1 and 1000 hPa (0–49 km) have been analyzed for equatorial wave activity over a tropical station Gadanki (13.5oN, 79.2°E). Available wind observations made by MST radar located at the same site have also been used to investigate the wave activity in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. Waves in the period bands 7–10, 12–15 and 20–30 d are observed. Temporal variability of the wave activity has been investigated by constructing wavelet spectra. The longer period waves show strong seasonal variability with maximum and minimum activities during winter and summer months respectively. Short period activity is more prominent during June–July–August in the tropospheric region. The waves are found to be generated in the troposphere by wind shear and convection. Propagation of the waves to higher altitudes is found to depend strongly on background zonal wind and phase of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO). The waves are inhibited to propagate through the negative wind shear zone. Meridional waves might be generated by non-linear wave CISK.