Latief Ahmad

Measurement of Sunshine Duration

Sunshine duration is the length of time that the ground surface is irradiated by direct solar radiation (i.e., sunlight reaching the earth’s surface directly from the sun). The instruments and accessories are required for measurement of sunshine duration have been explained. The installation of these instruments as well as the procedure for taking the observations has been discussed.

Measurement of Precipitation

Precipitation denotes all forms of water (liquid or solid) that reach the earth from atmosphere. Precipitation includes rain, snow, hail, dew, fog, drizzle etc. Of all these only rain and snow contribute significant amount of water on the earth. The chapter explains different forms of precipitation and the instruments and techniques associated with their measurement. Different methods used for analysis, presentation and trend analysis of rainfall data are discussed.

Projected Change in Climate Under A2 Scenario in Dal Lake Catchment Area of Srinagar City in Jammu and Kashmir

The present study was done to study the effect of climate change on weather parameters like highest possible temperature, lowest possible temperature, average temperature and precipitation. Multiple linear Regression (MLR), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Statistical Downscaling Model (SDSM) models were tested in the Dal lake catchment area of Jammu and Kashmir State. Twenty seven year weather data (1985-2012) obtained from SKUAST-Kashmir weather station was used for the study. The modeling results showed a first-rate agreement between the observed data and predicted values for temperature series with high coefficient of determination R2 values varying from (0.87-0.97) for different models. In case of precipitation R2 values varied from (0.112-219) for different models. The low values of coefficient of determination in precipitation time series are due to lot of uncertainty in occurrence of precipitation which could not be defined by the selected models. The SDSM showed the best results of the three models tested for prediction of weather parameters. Thus SDSM was used for climate scenario generation. By comparing daily precipitation and temperature series for 1985-2012 with 2015-2030, an overall increasing pattern of 0.46%, 1.96%, 0.95% and 2.66% was observed for monthly, highest possible temperature, lowest possible temperature, average temperature and precipitation.

Climate Change Projection In Kashmir Valley (J&K)

The decision support tool viz. SDSM (Statistical Downscaling Model) was used to downscale climate data of future years for Kashmir province of Jammu & Kashmir state. The 21st century projected data for the A1B scenario was adjusted by using observed climatic data recorded during the period 19852015 for the region. The data from the same period was taken as the baseline for the analysis. This data was thereon analyzed for monthly, seasonal, cropping season and annual periods to enumerate the variation of maximum temperature, minimum temperature and precipitation in Kashmir valley of Jammu & Kashmir state in the 21st century. The modelled data obtained exhibited no significant change in maximum and minimum temperature for the period 2021-2050 but for the same period increase in annual precipitation was exhibited. For the period2051-2100, decreasing trend of annual temperature was exhibited whereas for annual precipitation, an increasing trend was exhibited.

Climate Scenario in Cold Arid Region and its Future Prediction

Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir State is characterized by excessive aridity and severe moisture deficit throughout the year. On one side of the region are the Karakoram ranges while on the other side lie the mighty Greater Himalayas and Zanskar ranges. Together these impart a rain shadow effect to the region resulting in very low annual precipitation. With scarce water resources, such regions show high sensitivity and vulnerability to the change in climate and need urgent attention. The objective of this study is to understand the climate scenario in the cold arid region of Ladakh region and to characterize its changing climate. The climate over Leh has shown a warming trend with reduced precipitation. The reduced average seasonal precipitation may be associated with some indications of reducing number of days with higher precipitation amounts over the region.

Scenario of Crop Production in Temperate and Cold Arid Region with Respect to Climate Change

Agriculture and forestry will be particularly sensitive to changes in mean climate and climate variability. Climate change will definitely impact agriculture and agricultural productivity especially with the introduction of new crop species and varieties, higher crop production and expansion of suitable areas for crop cultivation. However this may be accompanied by a rise in need for plant protection, risk of nutrient leaching and accelerated breakdown of soil organic matter. The rise in carbon-dioxide level may result in increased water use efficiency, which will recompense for some of the adverse effects of increasing water constraint and extreme weather events. This on the other hand will also lead to low harvest yields, higher variation in yield and reduction in areas suitable for growing traditional crops. In Kashmir Valley, the increased precipitation is expected to be large enough to compensate for the increased evapotranspiration. On the other hand, increased precipitation, cloudiness and rain days and the reduced duration of snow cover and soil frost may negatively affect the agricultural production.

Measurement of Wind

Wind plays an important role in crop evapotranspiration and thus determines crop water use. The measurement of wind is thus necessary for studying the crop growth. The chapter deals with the measurement of wind speed and direction and the instruments used for the same. The units used for expression of wind speed and their correlation have been given. The chapter also introduces wind rose and Beaufort Scale.

Measurement of Soil Moisture

The water present in the interstices of the soil matrix constitutes the soil moisture. It is one of the most important constituents of the soil. The water stored in the root zone is used by the plants for photosynthesis, evapotranspiration and building of its tissues. Soil properties such as soil moisture content, texture, structure density, fertility, salinity aeration, drainage and temperature have a pronounced effect on growth and yield responses of a crop. The chapter describes the methods and techniques for determination of soil moisture content and expression of soil moisture content.

Measurement of Atmospheric Pressure

The atmospheric pressure on a given surface is the force exerted per unit area by the weight of the Earth’s atmosphere above. Atmospheric pressure is an important parameter for studying weather of a location and its interaction with the crops. The chapter includes various types of barometers used for the measurement of atmospheric pressure. The relation between atmospheric pressure and weather has been discussed in brief.

Agro Meteorological Advisory Service

The Agro-meteorological Advisory Service (AAS) rendered by India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is a mechanism to apply relevant meteorological information to help the farmer make the most efficient use of natural resources, with the aim of improving agricultural production; both in quantity and quality. A brief introduction to Agro meteorological Advisory Service, Information Support Systems under AAS and Database provided by AAS is given.