In a move to acquire a deeper understanding of the formation and propagation of convective thunderclouds and associated lightning activity, the National Centre for Earth Science Studies is establishing a network of cloud physics observatories in the Western Ghats.
Scientists at the CESS are already poring over real-time meteorological data streaming in from three observatories set up at three locations, namely on CESS campus, Braemore in Thiruvananthapuram district and Munnar in Idukki. All the three observatories are equipped with sophisticated equipment to measure thermodynamic variables, atmospheric and electric field precipitation.
“The observation sites have been selected to represent three zones in the Western Ghats,” says T.N. Prakash, Director, CESS. While the observatory at the CESS is located in the coastal zone, the one at Braemore at 450 m above sea level represents the midland zone and the unit at Munnar at a height of 1,820 m falls in the highland zone.
“The data from the network is expected to give us a better understanding of the role of mountain weather in convective cloud formation and increased lightning incidence in the Western Ghats,” explains Dr. Prakash. “It will also provide insights into multi- cell convective cloud formation, lightning distribution and dissipation over the region as well as the impact of climate change.”
The project has been funded by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). Dr. Prakash told The Hindu that a network of lightning sensors would be established across South India in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, in the second phase of the project.
M.Rajeevan, Secretary, MoES, is scheduled to inaugurate the cloud physics observatory at Braemore near here on Friday.
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