Weakened Baroclinic Activity Causes an Abrupt Rise in Fog in the Indo‐Gangetic Plain
Name
Geophysical Research Letters - 2021 - Gunturu - Weakened Baroclinic Activity Causes an Abrupt Rise in Fog in the.pdf
Description
Published version
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696.38 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
e65e50027420aa048e24f46e642a7ad9
Author(s)
Gunturu, Udaya Bhaskar
Kumar, Vinay
Date Issued
December 13, 2021
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
Citation
Gunturu, U. B., & Kumar, V. (2021). Weakened baroclinic activity causes an abrupt rise in fog in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Geophysical Research Letters, 48, e2021GL096114.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Dense and widespread winter fog in the Indo‐Gangetic Plain (IGP) causes a significant reduction in visibility and worsened air pollution. Despite extensive observational campaigns, the key processes in the formation and persistence of fog are not yet clear. The global increase in surface temperatures led to a decline in the incidence of fog, whereas the IGP experienced a sudden increase in fog incidence. It is shown here that abruptly reduced activity of the western disturbances (WD) around 1996–1997 resulted in a sudden decline of the cloud cover in the region, with a concomitantly enhanced radiative cooling of the surface and the atmosphere. These abrupt changes, aided by the impacts of human activities, altered the dynamics and thermodynamics of the boundary layer to favor fog formation. Also, the critical role of the extensive deep subsidence in the modulation of stable stratification and turbulence, which are essential for fog formation, is elucidated.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Joint Program on the Science & Policy of Global Change
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Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021gl096114
