In-Class Assignment:
The Indian Monsoon - Use the pressure, precipitation and near-surface wind datasets linked below to assess whether your sketch of the Indian monsoon was correct by comparing fields during Dec/Jan with fields during Jun/Jul.  Note that, as part of the homework assignment (see below), you will need to describe the two phases on the monsoon using information from the datasets below to support your description.  Work with your group during today's class period to develop this description.
 

Homework Assignment: (due Tues Oct 3)

1. Describe the two phases on the monsoon using information from the datasets below to support your description.
2. Compare pressure, precipitation, and wind during Jun/Jul for years with strong and weak monsoons (as indicated by the All India Rainfall Index) and compare the seasonal patterns of vegetation for months during and after strong and week monsoons.  For your write-up, describe the difference in meteorological conditions and the vegetation patterns associated with these two cases.   Use information from the datasets below to support your description.

Datasets:

a) Pressure at mean sea level (Monthly values from Jan 1949-Aug 2005, from the NOAA NCAR-NCEP Reanalysis).  In "Views", click on the colored box in the bottom row (color image w/continental outlines) to get started.

b) Precipitation - from rain gauges and satellites (Monthly values for Jan 1979-Sept 2004, from the NOAA CPC).  In "Views", click on the colored box in the bottom row (color image w/continental outlines) to get started.

c) Near-surface wind speed and direction over the ocean (QuikSCAT observations, available from July 1999 - present, browse with the Remote Sensing Systems data viewer).  To get started... Next to "Region Map", choose "Instrument: QuikSCAT" and "Monthly averages" then click on the Arabian Sea region.

d) All India Rainfall Index (methodology developed by Sontakke et al., J.Climate, 1993) - A measure of monsoon strength - higher numbers correspond to larger monsoon rainfall (data available for years 1813-1998).  In "Views" click on the colored bar chart to access the data, then change the start and end years for the plot to cover a shorter interval, e.g., 1960 and 1998.

e) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from the University of Maryland for July 1981 - Dec 2003 (biweekly) - Note that values of 0.1 and below correspond to barren areas, moderate values (0.2-0.3) correspond to shrub and grassland and high values (0.6-0.8) correspond to temperate and tropical forests.