Publications

Srivastava, R; Shah, R; Sharma, S; Patel, J; Panicker, D; Vachharajani, B (2023). A Study of Aerosol-Cloud Variability under Different Rainfall Scenarios over Western India and the Arabian Sea. PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS, 180(8), 3035-3052.

Abstract
Clouds and aerosols contribute substantial uncertainty to the estimation of precipitation patterns at the global and regional scale. The present study focuses on understanding spatiotemporal and vertical variability in aerosol-cloud interactions over western India and the Arabian Sea. The study was conducted for the period 2000-2018 using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellites and a regional climate model. In situ measurements of rainfall for western India from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) were also used. High values of aerosol optical depth (0.21-1.10) were observed for deficit rain, whereas low values (0.15-0.85) accounted for excess rain over western India. Over both regions, a negative linear correlation between aerosol optical depth and cloud effective radius and between aerosol optical depth and precipitation rate for excess, normal, and deficit rainfall conditions, with variations in correlation coefficient and slope values for the three monsoon conditions. In general, higher slope values were observed for excess rain over both regions, signifying a greater rate of change in cloud effective radius and precipitation rate with change in aerosol optical depth. Simulated cloud parameters including fractional cloud cover and the mass fraction of cloud liquid water content showed significant vertical variability for different monsoon conditions along different latitudes and longitudes for western India and the Arabian Sea, respectively.

DOI:
10.1007/s00024-023-03305-y

ISSN:
1420-9136