Aerosol-CAPE-Cloud Interactions over Gangetic Basin

Abstract:

In the last few decades exponential growth of population and rapid industrialization has resulted in high aerosol loading over Gangetic basin (GB) in Northern India. Gangetic basin is the food basket of India and its agricultural yield is mainly dependent on South Asian summer monsoon. Hence, understanding the aerosol-cloud-rainfall interactions is crucial and demand utmost attention. In this study, we have used more than a decade (2002-2013) of Radiosonde measurements from 5 WMO stations over the GB to illustrate enhancement of CAPE and cloud thickness with increase in AOD under deep cloudy conditions. Enhancement in mean atmospheric temperature below cloud layer at higher aerosol loading was also observed. These observations suggest that increase in aerosols increases the atmospheric temperature below cloud base and causes increase in CAPE, which, in turn, invigorates the cloud dynamics and eventually resultsin deeper cloud systems. Simultaneously, analysis of decade long satellite and in-situ observational datasets provided compelling evidence of aerosol-induced cloud invigoration, from cloud macrophysical as well as microphysical observations, which fostered a net atmospheric cooling nearly twice compared to the aerosol direct effect. Moreover, a striking positive association between aerosol loading and daily surface rainfall during Indian summer monsoon was found. The observed aerosol-induced heating of lower atmosphere, intensification of cloud dynamics, deepening of clouds, intensification of precipitation rate and daily rainfall coherently suggested an increase in surface water with increase in aerosol loading. Hence, this study not only demonstrates the importance of aerosol-induced microphysical perturbations during Indian summer monsoon but also is a major step forward in understanding the impact of aerosols on surface water under continental conditions.