In order to study the unpredictable pattern of the monsoon, scientists have launched the Arabian Sea Monsoon Experiment (ARMEX), a massive and concerted effort to collect and analyze data about what happens in the Arabian Sea and the atmosphere above it during the monsoon season.
South Kanara receives about 4,000 mm of rain annually. The rainfall, which is well spread in June, July and August, decreases by the second week of September before stopping with the withdrawal showers in the last week of that month. The first week of October sees one or two showers. But, the pattern has undergone some changes, and is characterized by long periods of sunny weather and high humidity with intermittent showers. The district did not receive heavy showers after June 20. As a result, initial agricultural operations were slowed down, as the prolonged sunny weather dried up tender saplings and brought down the crop output drastically. The ARMEX study, conducted by the Indian Climate Research Program (ICRP) based in Thiruvananthapuram, is based on the fact that the oceans surrounding India influence the monsoon in many ways. The study determines the role of the intense interplay between the oceans and the atmosphere in deciding the amount of water released into the atmosphere. The ICRP’s first study was conducted in 1999 with the Bay of Bengal Monsoon Experiment, which has become a benchmark. Many institutions were involved with the research that included agriculture, fisheries, met offices, universities, scientific organizations, and government departments. This is where the ICRP is expecting inputs concerning the monsoons and variations in the rainfall pattern.
Source: AP