Pune Weather : IITM study reveals Sulfate Aerosols behind dip in Indian rainfall
Researchers from IITM Pune unveil how climatic conditions influenced historical invasions
In a recent study, scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune discovered that a decrease in India’s monsoon rainfall is being caused by the country’s rising concentrations of sulfate aerosols, or microscopic pollution particles.
The pattern in the rainfall during the Indian monsoon in the second half of the 20th century was discovered by the researchers.
According to a senior scientist at IITM, the study, which made use of sophisticated climate modeling, shows that these aerosols from human activity are reducing monsoon rainfall through altering the temperature, convection, and moisture transport of the atmosphere. According to sensitivity simulations, sulfate aerosols decreased monsoon rainfall by 27.5% to 43.3% when there was a 48% increase in sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions.
In fact, the results demonstrated that these aerosols could exacerbate El Nino’s effects on the Indian monsoon, while a decrease in this pollutant could mitigate El Nino’s tendency to reduce rainfall. The primary precursor gas for sulfate aerosols is SO2.
