Weakened baroclinic activity causes an abrupt rise in fog in the Indo-Gangetic Plain

Udaya Gunturu; Vinay Kumar

doi:10.1029/2021gl096114

Weakened baroclinic activity causes an abrupt rise in fog in the Indo-Gangetic Plain

Udaya Gunturu, Vinay Kumar

Physical Sciences and Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

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 1996-97 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.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2021gl096114
State	Published - Dec 13 2021

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2021-12-15
Acknowledgements: We gratefully acknowledge the support of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change by the government, industry and foundation funding, the MIT Energy Initiative, and industrial sponsors. We thank the King Abdullah University of Sci-ence and Technology (KAUST) for supporting Udaya Bhaskar Gunturu. Vinay Kumar has been supported by the Texas A&M University, Kingsville

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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10.1029/2021gl096114

https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/bitstream/10754/674034/1/Geophysical%20Research%20Letters%20-%202021%20-%20Gunturu%20-%20Weakened%20baroclinic%20activity%20causes%20an%20abrupt%20rise%20in%20fog%20in%20the.pdf

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title = "Weakened baroclinic activity causes an abrupt rise in fog in the Indo-Gangetic Plain",

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 1996-97 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.",

author = "Udaya Gunturu and Vinay Kumar",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2021-12-15 Acknowledgements: We gratefully acknowledge the support of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change by the government, industry and foundation funding, the MIT Energy Initiative, and industrial sponsors. We thank the King Abdullah University of Sci-ence and Technology (KAUST) for supporting Udaya Bhaskar Gunturu. Vinay Kumar has been supported by the Texas A&M University, Kingsville",

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doi = "10.1029/2021gl096114",

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journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

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AU - Gunturu, Udaya

AU - Kumar, Vinay

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2021-12-15 Acknowledgements: We gratefully acknowledge the support of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change by the government, industry and foundation funding, the MIT Energy Initiative, and industrial sponsors. We thank the King Abdullah University of Sci-ence and Technology (KAUST) for supporting Udaya Bhaskar Gunturu. Vinay Kumar has been supported by the Texas A&M University, Kingsville

PY - 2021/12/13

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N2 - 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 1996-97 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.

AB - 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 1996-97 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.

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/674034

UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021GL096114

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DO - 10.1029/2021gl096114

M3 - Article

SN - 0094-8276

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

ER -

Weakened baroclinic activity causes an abrupt rise in fog in the Indo-Gangetic Plain

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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