Interaction of Convective Organization and Monsoon Precipitation, Atmosphere, Surface and Sea (INCOMPASS)

Lead Research Organisation: University of Reading
Department Name: Meteorology

Abstract

The monsoon supplies the majority of water for agriculture and industry in South Asia, and is therefore critical to the well-being of a billion people. Active and break periods in the monsoon have a major influence on the success of farming, while year-to-year variations in the rainfall have economic consequences on an international scale. The growing population and developing economy mean that understanding and predicting the monsoon is therefore vital. Despite this, our capability to model the monsoon, and to make forecasts on scales from days to the season ahead is limited by large errors that develop quickly. The relatively poor performance of weather prediction models over India is due to a very strong and complex relationship between the land, ocean and atmosphere, which are linked by the process of convection, in the form of the rain-bringing cumulonimbus clouds. Forecast errors occur primarily because the convective clouds are not accurately linked to the large-scale circulation or to the surface conditions, and these errors persist to long time scales. Worldwide, weather and climate forecast models are gaining resolution, and yet the errors in monsoon rainfall are not diminishing. A lack of detailed observations of the land, ocean and atmospheric parts of the monsoon system, on a range of temporal and spatial scales, is preventing a more thorough understanding of processes in monsoon convective clouds and at the land surface, and their interaction with the large-scale circulation.
This project will use a programme of new measurements over India and the adjacent oceans to advance monsoon forecasting capability in the Indo-UK community. The first detachment of the FAAM research aircraft to India, in combination with an intensive ground-based observation campaign, will gather new observations of the land surface, the boundary layer structure over land and ocean, and atmospheric profiles. We will institute a new long-term series of measurements of energy and water exchanges at the land surface. Research measurements from one monsoon season will be combined with long-term observations on the Indian operational networks. Observations will be focused on two transects: in the northern plains of India, covering a range of surface types from irrigated to rain-fed agriculture, and wet to dry climatic zones; and across the Western Ghats, with transitions from land to ocean and across orography. The observational analysis will represent a unique and unprecedented characterization of monsoon processes linking the land, ocean and atmospheric patterns which control the rainfall. Long-term measurements will allow the computation of statistical relationships between the various factors.
The observational analysis will feed directly into improved forecasting at the Met Office and NCMRWF. The Met Office Unified Model, which is used for weather forecasting at both institutions, will be set up in a range of different ways for the observational period. In particular, we will pioneer the test development of a new 100m-resolution atmospheric model, which we expect to greatly improve the representation of land-ocean-atmosphere interactions. Another priority will be to improve land surface modelling in monsoon forecasts. By comparing the results of the very high resolution models on small domains with lower-resolution models representing the global weather patterns, it will be possible to describe the key processes controlling monsoon rainfall, and to indicate how these need to be represented in different applications, such as weather predictions or climate predictions. Through model evaluation at a range of scales, the development of simple theoretical understanding of the rainfall processes, and working with groups responsible for operational model improvement, the project will lead directly to improvements in monsoon forecasts. By improving rainfall prediction, we expect the work to have an economic impact in India and internationally.

Planned Impact

The primary impacts of our research will be delivered through our partners, the Met Office, National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The effectiveness of these public weather forecasting and climate prediction services will be enhanced by better understanding of existing and new processes affecting monsoon predictability. The primary goal of the project is to improve the performance of the weather and climate forecast models used by these centres. Furthermore, improved understanding of the key processes in the monsoon will have knock-on scientific benefits, for instance in the improved conceptual understanding which can be taught to forecasters, improved ability to give strategic advice on issues such as land management, and better-informed strategies for model development. Improved monsoon modelling and forecasting capability in the medium-to-long term will raise the profile and performance of these organisations nationally and internationally, increasing their reputation (the current status of monsoon prediction is currently regarded as poor) and saleability of their products. These organisations would also benefit from our quantitative assessment of the value of new observations demonstrated by the proposed field campaign, and generally greater awareness of the uses of such data.

Our weather-service partners will convey impacts of our research to national and state government ministries in India. These organisations will be provided with quantitative evidence to inform new policies of investment in the monsoon observing system, given the improvements to forecasting and analysis that we expect our new and additional observations will initiate. New interpretations of the effect of contrasts between different surface types on weather over India should also influence policies on agriculture and extraction of groundwater (both related to irrigation).

As a result of improved weather and climate predictions, there is an opportunity for planners and governors at the state and district level to benefit from improved protection against extremes, and associated impact reductions (of flooding, drought, delayed monsoon onset), if the intended improvements to understanding of monsoon variability and forecasting can be effectively communicated to society. For instance, the IMD are already communicating forecast information to millions of farmers via new electronic media.

Technical staff undertaking in situ measurements in India will benefit from improved skills and knowledge in measurement of surface fluxes, the relative merits of the different techniques involved and improvement in their quality control procedures. This will make their data products more reliable and useful.

Finally, the public will benefit through greater awareness of monsoon forecasting and its inherent limitations, and its effect on society. The public will also become engaged more directly with the process of science.

Publications

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Barton E (2019) A case-study of land-atmosphere coupling during monsoon onset in northern India in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society

 
Description Research funded under this award (Parker et al., 2016, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society) has developed new theory for the onset progression of the Indian summer monsoon. This will aid in the understanding of how to model this process, and therefore how it can be better forecast for the good of society. (Knowing the timing of the advancement of the monsoon rains each year across India is vital for agricultural, industrial and other users of water resources.) This work has further been shown to be reasonably represented in forecast models (Menon et al., 2018, QJRMS), which additionally reveals the importance of shallow clouds in moistening the atmosphere to further allow progression of the monsoon onset. Further work funded under the award had demonstrated the structure of clouds and how it changes as monsoon rain events occur. In particular, we have found how monsoon clouds affect the radiation received at the surface and which heats the troposphere. These results arose from a dedicated and intensive period of weather balloon (radiosonde) launches during the INCOMPASS field campaign, from Kanpur in northern India.

In addition, emerging research (Barton et al. 2021, QJRMS) has demonstrated the importance of fine-scale interactions between the land and atmosphere in northern India in leading to the development of rain storms. Based on research flights from the INCOMPASS flight campaign, we have demonstrated that the boundary between wet and dry soils leads to local wind patterns which eventually lead to convergence of moisture in the air and development of rainstorms later in the day. Our flight shows that these boundaries between dry and wet soils in India exist naturally over regions which prevously received rainfall; but, in addition, irrigated land also leads to the same impact on the wind and storm development. The observational has subsequently been tested in weather forecasting models for India, with a clear impact on weather patterns. The research implies that climate models (which operate at a much coarser resolution) will not resolve these processes and therefore may suffer errors as a result.

The results of INCOMPASS (described above, and others) are linked together in an on-going Special Collection of the Royal Meteorological Society, led by a Turner et al. (2021) paper that describes the INCOMPASS field campaign, its motivation, and emerging results. The Special Collection can be found at: https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1002/(ISSN)1477-870X.incompass with a preface at https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3889.
Exploitation Route We are expanding our analysis (performed initially in observations) to seasonal weather forecasting models. We are taking forward further study into how often the boundaries between wet and dry land surfaces over India lead to storm development in the monsoon. Hypotheses developed arising from INCOMPASS have already been used in further study such as the BEIS/Newton Fund WCSSP-India project "IMPROVE" led by PI Turner from University of Reading.
Sectors Agriculture

Food and Drink

Energy

Environment

URL https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1002/(ISSN)1477-870X.incompass
 
Description Participation by Indian project partners in the 2016 aircraft campaign of INCOMPASS (and an earlier September 2015 recce visit of the aircraft to India) has encouraged participation by early career scientists in India. Project outcomes and lessons learned have been felt in continuing Indo-UK research programmes such as the Weather and Climate Science for Services Partnership (WCSSP)-India programme funded under the Newton Fund and administered by the UK Met Office, September 2019-March 2022 and ongoing. There is a renewed keenness for further observation-based research of the Indian monsoon.
First Year Of Impact 2015
Sector Environment
Impact Types Cultural

Policy & public services

 
Title FAAM aircraft observations from the INCOMPASS / SWAAMI field campaign in India, June/July 2016 
Description Raw and processed instrument data from 22 research flights performed during the INCOMPASS and SWAAMI project field campaigns in India during June/July 2016. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Numerous academic research papers in preparation. 
URL http://catalogue.ceda.ac.uk/uuid/1873b605e2a74cac8b4f5d12593e54fc
 
Title INCOMPASS: India Meteorology Department Doppler radar convective cell statistics v2 
Description This dataset contains radar-derived measurements of cell-top height, size, 2 km reflectivity, and cell latitude and longitude from all convective cells between 14 May and 30 September 2016, where radar is available. The data was collected as part of the NERC/MoES Interaction of Convective Organization and Monsoon Precipitation, Atmosphere, Surface and Sea (INCOMPASS) field campaign. The seven sites analysed here represent four different Indian climate regions, allowing the study of the spatiotemporal development of convection during the 2016 monsoon season at high (1 km) resolution. Variation in these different cell statistics are found over timescales of variability such as the diurnal cycle, active-break periods, and monsoon progression. The updated radar-derived cell statistics here have been corrected from the previous version by removing all convective cells that touch the outer edge of the radar domain. The data were collected as part of the INCOMPASS field campaign May-July 2016, funded by Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) (NE/L01386X/1). The aim of the project was to improve the skill of rainfall prediction in operational weather and climate models by way of better understanding and representation of interactions between the land surface, boundary layer, convection, the large-scale environment and monsoon variability on a range of scales. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2021 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Allows comparison of cloud statistics at various Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) sites over India 
URL https://catalogue.ceda.ac.uk/uuid/b28633ddc0f44d77a6aa81ad7bd66285
 
Title INCOMPASS: Radiosonde measurements from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) airstrip, Kanpur, India 
Description This dataset contains temperature, humidity, wind and GPS location information recorded from 137 radiosondes launched during July 2016 as part of the NERC/MoES Interaction of Convective Organization and Monsoon Precipitation, Atmosphere, Surface and Sea (INCOMPASS) field campaign. All radiosondes were launched from the airstrip of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, northern India, from the location 26.519N, 80.233E, 126m above sea level. Launches took place between 5th July and 28th July at 00, 06, 12, 18UTC. The Vaisala RS41-SG radiosondes were fitted to Totex TA350 balloons. The data were collected as part of the INCOMPASS field campaign May-July 2016, funded by Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) (NE/L01386X/1). The aim of the project was to improve the skill of rainfall prediction in operational weather and climate models by way of better understanding and representation of interactions between the land surface, boundary layer, convection, the large-scale environment and monsoon variability on a range of scales. Citable as: University of Reading; Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur; Turner, A.G.; Tripathi, S.N.; George, G.; Chakraborty, T.; Fletcher, J.K.; Hunt, K.; Sarangi, C.; Willetts, P.J.; Recchia, L. (2018): INCOMPASS: Radiosonde measurements from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) airstrip, Kanpur, India. Centre for Environmental Data Analysis, date of citation. doi:10.5285/28a48da1141447058f8d5323908e4b3d. http://dx.doi.org/10.5285/28a48da1141447058f8d5323908e4b3d 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact This research has so far resulted in one publication in an ISI journal: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1002/2017JD027759 Vertical Structure and Radiative Forcing of Monsoon Clouds over Kanpur during the INCOMPASS Campaign This research gives detailed information on the impact of passing monsoon storms on cloud radiative forcing. 
URL https://catalogue.ceda.ac.uk/uuid/28a48da1141447058f8d5323908e4b3d
 
Description British Government press release 12 July 2016 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact British Government press release: UK-India joint observational campaign to study monsoon variability. Dr Harsh Vardhan (Hon'ble Union Minister for Ministry of Science & Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences) and Dr Alexander Evans (British Deputy High Commissioner to India) boarded the UK's Atmospheric Research Aircraft to study monsoon variability in Lucknow.

Describes a research flight on the INCOMPASS field campaign of July 2016 with governmental participation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/uk-india-joint-observational-campaign-to-study-mon...
 
Description INCOMPASS presentation at the Cockcroft-Walton special lecture series jointly hosted by the Indian Physics Association (IPA) & Institute of Physics (IOP) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Observing the Indian monsoon - can we solve the problem of monsoon prediction? (Online Zoom/Youtube) Talk given to the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) ASET Colloqium, Mumbai, 26 October 2020 as part of my invitation to present the 2020 annual Cockcroft-Walton special lecture series jointly hosted by the Indian Physics Association (IPA) & Institute of Physics (IOP).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTI5NYpEpOo
 
Description Indian Press Information Bureay press release 8 June 2016 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Indian Press Information Bureau press release: Observational Campaign to study Small-Scale Processes and Large-Scale Monsoon Variability under a Joint Indo-UK Effort.

Press release covering the INCOMPASS field campaign in India, summer 2016, involving the UK's FAAM Atmospheric Research Aircraft
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=146051
 
Description Indian and UK scientists team up to tackle monsoon 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact http://www.nerc.ac.uk/press/releases/2014/19-monsoon/ and http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/international/offices/officeinindia/indianews/indian-and-uk-scientists-team-up-to-tackle-monsoon/ are NERC and RCUK press releases, and https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/indian-and-uk-scientists-team-up-to-tackle-monsoon is a UK government article on the new India-UK projects funded under the NERC/MoES monsoons programme. My project INCOMPASS is one of the three projects funded under this programme.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.nerc.ac.uk/press/releases/2014/19-monsoon/
 
Description Internal seminar at UoR by Dr Arathy Menon: The Effect of dry intrusions and land surface on the Indian monsoon (2 June 2020), Lunchtime Seminar, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Internal seminar at UoR by Dr Arathy Menon: The Effect of dry intrusions and land surface on the Indian monsoon (2 June 2020), Lunchtime Seminar, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Invited presentation at the WCRP Grand Challenge on Clouds, Circulation and Climate Sensitivity: 2nd Meeting on Monsoons and Tropical Rain Belts at ICTP, Trieste, Italy, 2-5 July 2019: "Modern Monsoons: Progress and Challenges in Observations and Modeling" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact INCOMPASS PI Andy Turner gave an invited presentation at the WCRP Grand Challenge on Clouds, Circulation and Climate Sensitivity: 2nd Meeting on Monsoons and Tropical Rain Belts at ICTP, Trieste, Italy, 2-5 July 2019: "Modern Monsoons: Progress and Challenges in Observations and Modeling". This presentation covered an overview of INCOMPASS work to an audience of monsoon scientists at postgraduate, postdoctoral and professorial level.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL http://indico.ictp.it/event/8457/
 
Description Keynote talk at University of Westminster School of Architecture, ERC-funded "Monsoon Assemblages" workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Attended advisory board meeting (on which I sit) and subsequent workshop of the ERC-funded Monsoons Assemblages project at University of Westminster. The project is concerned with how architecture and urban planning is affected by the monsoon in India and the surrounding region.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://www.monass.org/monsoon-other-airs/
 
Description Ministry of Earth Sciences (India) press briefing, 13 July 2016 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Observational Campaign to study small-scale processes and large-scale monsoon variability under a Joint Indo-UK effort

The Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences convened a press-briefing in our Lucknow operational base, at the end of our summer 2016 field campaign, on the likely outcomes of the project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://moes.gov.in/writereaddata/files/press_brief_v3.pdf
 
Description Monsoon breaks could cause wind power stress article in environmentalresearchweb 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Contributed quotes and factual material to article authored by journalist Kate Ravilious in environmentalresearchweb on our recent paper published in Environmental Research Letters journal. The article resulted in significant increase in downloads of the journal paper.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
URL http://environmentalresearchweb.org/cws/article/news/61875
 
Description NERC press release, 25 May 2016, for INCOMPASS and SWAAMI aircraft campaigns 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Indian and UK researchers team up to reveal secrets of the monsoon. NERC Chief Executive Duncan Wingham said: This is the most ambitious atmospheric observation campaign that NERC has undertaken. The campaign will gather fresh data on the region in more detail than ever before, bringing together scientists from the UK and India to improve forecasts of the South Asian monsoon and to learn more about its potential impacts on the global climate.."
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.nerc.ac.uk/press/releases/2016/23-faam/
 
Description NERC/RCUK press release, 26 August 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Joint NERC and RCUK press releases on funded INCOMPASS project as part of NERC/MoES monsoons programme.
Includes comments from Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Davey.

The UK's Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change Edward Davey has today announced new UK-India research projects that will see Indian and UK scientists come together to improve forecasts of the South Asian monsoon, including the potential impacts of climate change.

Edward Davey is visiting India with the UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

The Drivers of Variability in the South Asian Monsoon research programme will receive combined funding for approximately £8m from NERC, the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and the UK's Met Office. This builds on a flourishing research partnership between the UK and India, which has already invested over £150m in research between the two nations.

The summer monsoon provides 80 per cent of annual rainfall to around a billion people. Accurate predictions of intense downpours and breaks in the monsoon are essential to let society plan for floods and droughts. Last year, the monsoon advanced particularly rapidly over northern India, causing devastating damage. Meanwhile, prolonged breaks in 2009 led to a severe shortage of rainfall and poor harvests. Forecasting the precise timing and location of the rains is vital to the region's economy, which is dominated by farming, and for managing its increasingly pressured water resources.

The programme will examine the physical processes of the monsoon through a large-scale observational campaign. It will use the UK's BAe-146 atmospheric research aircraft and ocean gliders, and Indian research ships, to gather fresh data on the region in more detail than ever before. This programme will help us in better understanding of the physical processes of the South Asian monsoon and their improved representation in weather and climate models.

The research will begin in 2015 and is expected to last for between three and five years. Each project will be led by a UK and an Indian researcher. The UK team is headed by Professor Hugh Coe (University of Manchester), Dr Andy Turner (University of Reading) and Dr Adrian Matthews (University of East Anglia). They will be joined by Indian colleagues Dr S Suresh Babu (Indian Space Research Organisation), Professor GS Bhat (Indian Institute of Science) and PN Vinayachandran (Indian Institute of Science).

Speaking at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai as part of a three-day visit to India, Secretary of State Edward Davey said:
"Our countries share a strong and growing relationship at the forefront of science and technology, one that aims to improve lives of people. The monsoon is a hugely important part of peoples' livelihoods here in India. It is also a very important part of the global climate system. This major new UK - India research initiative on the monsoon is a great example of how UK and India can work together to tackle climate change and other global challenges."

Dr Shailesh Nayak, secretary of MoES, said:
"I am happy to note that the Indian and UK scientists are collaborating on observational campaigns including the NERC aircraft and modelling efforts to study the complex physical processes of the South Asian monsoon. I am sure this collaboration will facilitate improving the representation of monsoon physical processes in weather and climate models."

Ned Garnett, NERC's interim head of research, said:
"We are delighted to be teaming up again with our colleagues at the Ministry of Earth Sciences in India to tackle this important problem. Being able to deliver better predictions of the monsoon will be of huge benefit to the people of South Asia and the regional economy, which is of course an important part of the global economy. This programme will bring together complementary skills of UK and Indian scientists in joint projects to address these global issues."
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.nerc.ac.uk/press/releases/2014/19-monsoon/
 
Description Oral presentation in the Open Session on Water and Extremes Research of the 8th GEWEX Open Science Conference: Extremes and water on the edge, 6-11 May 2018, Canmore, Alberta, Canada: "Emerging results from the 2016 INCOMPASS field campaign of the Indian monsoon" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Oral presentation in the Open Session on Water and Extremes Research of the 8th GEWEX Open Science Conference: Extremes and water on the edge, 6-11 May 2018, Canmore, Alberta, Canada: "Emerging results from the 2016 INCOMPASS field campaign of the Indian monsoon". This presentation by INCOMPASS PI Andy Turner gave a summary of the INCOMPASS project to the GEWEX audience, particularly focused on land-atmosphere interactions in the monsoon.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.gewexevents.org/wp-content/uploads/website_1145-GEWEXtalk_7may2018_agturner.pdf
 
Description Organisation of Royal Meteorological Society National Meeting on "The Indian Monsoon: Atmospheric Dynamics, Aerosol and the Ocean", 14 February 2018, Leeds, UK 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact INCOMPASS PDRA co-orgnanised the Royal Meteorological Society National Meeting on "The Indian Monsoon: Atmospheric Dynamics, Aerosol and the Ocean", 14 February 2018, Leeds, UK where INCOMPASS science along with that from BoBBLE and SWAAMI projects, also funded under the NERC/MoES South Asian monsoon programme, was presented.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.rmets.org/event/indian-monsoon-atmospheric-dynamics-aerosol-and-ocean
 
Description Participation in NERC Into the Blue outreach week at Machester airport runway park 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Worked on exhibition stand "Chasing the monsoon" at NERC's Into The Blue science outreach event at Machester Airport Runway park, October 2016. This covered the activities of the INCOMPASS and SWAAMI field campaigns using the FAAM Atmospheric Research Aircraft in India, May-July 2016.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://intotheblue.nerc.ac.uk/manchester/
 
Description Participation of University of Reading INCOMPASS PDRA in 2017 STEM for Britain presentation at House of Commons 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact University of Reading's post-doctoral research assistant on the INCOMPASS project, Dr Arathy Menon, participated in the poster presentations at the House of Commons on 14 March 2017 for the annual "STEM for Britain" competition.

Poster entitled, "Using aircraft and ground measurements over India to improve forecasts of monsoon rainfall".
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://www.setforbritain.org.uk/2017event.asp
 
Description Poster presentation at European Geophysical Union General Assembly 2018: "Modelling the moistening of the free troposphere during the northwestward progression of Indian monsoon onset" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Poster presentation by INCOMPASS PI Andy Turner on behalf of PDRA Arathy Menon at the EGU 2018 General Assembly, 8-13 April 2018, Vienna, Austria: "Modelling the moistening of the free troposphere during the northwestward progression of Indian monsoon onset"
This presentation helped advertise the ISI journal paper associated with this work:
https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3281 Modelling the moistening of the free troposphere during the northwestward progression of Indian monsoon onset
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2018/EGU2018-8790.pdf
 
Description Poster presentation at NCAS staff conference, 6-7 February, Manchester, UK: "Modelling the moistening of the free troposphere during the north-westward progression of Indian monsoon onset" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Poster presentation made by INCOMPASS PDRA Arathy Menon at the NCAS Staff Conference 2018, 6-7 February, Manchester. "Modelling the moistening of the free troposphere during the north-westward progression of Indian monsoon onset".
This work has recently been published as a paper in an ISI journal:
https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3281 Modelling the moistening of the free troposphere during the northwestward progression of Indian monsoon onset
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://sites.google.com/ncas.ac.uk/ncasconference2018/programme/posters
 
Description Poster presentation at UK Atmospheric Science Conference 2018: York, 3-4 July 2018: "Synoptic- and meso-scale thermodynamic structure of the troposphere in NW India during the progression of the 2016 monsoon" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Poster presentation at the UK Atmospheric Science Conference 2018: Weather, Climate and Air Quality, York, 3-4 July 2018 by INCOMPASS PDRA Ambrogio Volonte. Poster title: Synoptic- and meso-scale thermodynamic structure of the troposphere in NW India during the progression of the 2016 monsoon.
This work presented work in development to the UK Atmospheric Science community (an NCAS and RMetS co-organised conference).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.rmets.org/event/atmospheric-science-conference-2018-weather-climate-and-air-quality
 
Description Poster presentation at joint INCOMPASS-SWAAMI-BoBBLE project meeting of the NERC/MoES South Asian Monsoon programme 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Poster presentation at joint INCOMPASS-SWAAMI-BoBBLE project meeting of the NERC/MoES South Asian Monsoon programme, in Bangalore, India, 24-26 July 2018. BITMAP PDRA Kieran Hunt gave poster presentation on, "Understanding western disturbances and their fate in future climate projections". The Indian scientists present felt the work was of direct relevance to their understanding of Western Disturbances, a type of winter storm afflicting northern India.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Poster presentation at joint INCOMPASS-SWAAMI-BoBBLE project meeting of the NERC/MoES South Asian Monsoon programme, 23-28 July 2018: "Synoptic- and meso-scale thermodynamic structure of the troposphere in NW India during the progression of the 2016 monsoon" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Poster presentation made by INCOMPASS PDRA Ambrogio Volonte at the INCOMPASS-SWAAMI-BoBBLE joint project meeting of the NERC/MoES South Asian monsoon programme, 23-28 July 2018. Meeting held at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Poster presentation at joint INCOMPASS-SWAAMI-BoBBLE project meeting of the NERC/MoES South Asian Monsoon programme: "Modelling the moistening of the free troposphere during the northwestward progression of Indian monsoon onset" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Poster presentation at the joint INCOMPASS-SWAAMI-BoBBLE project meeting of the NERC/MoES South Asian Monsoon programme: "Modelling the moistening of the free troposphere during the northwestward progression of Indian monsoon onset". Poster presented by INCOMPASS PDRA Arathy Menon based on her associated ISI journal paper:
https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3281 Modelling the moistening of the free troposphere during the northwestward progression of Indian monsoon onset
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Public lecture at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Gave invited evening public lecture, "Modelling the Indian Monsoon and the INCOMPASS field campaign" at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, India, 27 November 2017.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://103.251.184.118/145-news_details
 
Description RCUK press release, 11 July 2016 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact RCUK press release: Indian Science Minister participates in the UK-India joint observational campaign to study monsoon variability

Describes the participation of Indian joint-Minister of Ministry of Earth Sciences and Department of Science and Technology in one of the research flights for the INCOMPASS field campaign, during July 2016. The flight took place from Lucknow airport in the northern plains of India.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/international/offices/india/indianews/160711/
 
Description Royal Meteorological Society event on the NERC South Asian monsoon programme 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact An open "Wednesday meeting" of the Royal Meteorological Society open to students, academic and weather enthusiasts among the general public. Includes INCOMPASS talk by Dr Andy Turner. Meeting abstract: The Indian Monsoon occurring between the months of May to September is the major source of rainfall for more than 800 million people. While the Indian Monsoon occurs every year, there are substantial year-to-year variations in its geographic structure, local onset dates, and the amount of rainfall the monsoon brings. It is important to understand the factors that lead to these variations to improve predictive capability for the Indian Monsoon and to enable adaptation planning by governments and communities. A major field campaign was held in India in May-July 2016 and took novel measurements of many components of the monsoon system, with an overall aim of improving our ability to forecast and to understand interactions between aerosols and the monsoon. Speakers at this meeting will discuss recent advances in understanding the Indian Monsoon system and its prediction using numerical models and observations, including new insights provided by the recent field campaign.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.rmets.org/events/indian-monsoon-atmospheric-dynamics-aerosol-and-ocean
 
Description Talk at INCOMPASS-SWAAMI-BoBBLE joint project meeting, 23-28 July 2018, Bangalore, India: "Synoptic and mesoscale structure of the troposphere in convection-permitting model simulations during the progression of the 2016 monsoon" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Joint talk given between INCOMPASS PDRAs Ambrogio Volonte and Arathy Menon on "Synoptic and mesoscale structure of the troposphere in convection-permitting model simulations during the progression of the 2016 monsoon" at the joint 2018 meeting of the INCOMPASS-SWAAMI-BoBBLE projects funded under the NERC/MoES Monsoons Programme. Meeting held during July 2018 at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Talk by Dr Arathy Menon: Monsoon seasonal forecasts and Indian Ocean tropical cyclones in summer 2020 (25 November 2020), Seasonal review and preview science discussion meeting, Reading 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Talk by Dr Arathy Menon: Monsoon seasonal forecasts and Indian Ocean tropical cyclones in summer 2020 (25 November 2020), Seasonal review and preview science discussion meeting, Reading
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Talk by Dr Arathy Menon: Onset and Progression of the Indian Monsoon (1 May 2020), AIGWES webinar in connection with the celebrations of the Day of Belongingness, Amity University, Delhi. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Talk by Dr Arathy Menon: Onset and Progression of the Indian Monsoon (1 May 2020), AIGWES webinar in connection with the celebrations of the Day of Belongingness, Amity University, Delhi.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Talk by Dr Arathy Menon: Seasonal Forecasting Of Indian Monsoon and Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclones Of 2020 (2 February 2021), RMetS SE Local Centre Virtual Meeting. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact Talk by Dr Arathy Menon: Seasonal Forecasting Of Indian Monsoon and Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclones Of 2020 (2 February 2021), RMetS SE Local Centre Virtual Meeting.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Talk by Dr Arathy Menon: Structure and dynamics of a case-study monsoon depression in high-resolution numerical simulations using the Met Office Unified Model (6 May 2020), EGU General Assembly 2020. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Talk by Dr Arathy Menon: Structure and dynamics of a case-study monsoon depression in high-resolution numerical simulations using the Met Office Unified Model (6 May 2020), EGU General Assembly 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/EGU2020-16658.html
 
Description Talk by Dr Arathy Menon: The effect of dry-air intrusions on the progression of the Indian monsoon and Monsoon outlook for 2020 (17 June 2020), Monsoon CafĂ©, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Talk by Dr Arathy Menon: The effect of dry-air intrusions on the progression of the Indian monsoon and Monsoon outlook for 2020 (17 June 2020), Monsoon Café, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Talk given at the 33rd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, 16 - 20 April 2018, Ponte Vedra, FL, USA: "An Overview of the 2016 Indian Monsoon Progression from INCOMPASS Field Observations and Modelling" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Oral presentation given at the 33rd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, 16 - 20 April 2018, Ponte Vedra, FL, USA: "An Overview of the 2016 Indian Monsoon Progression from INCOMPASS Field Observations and Modelling" by INCOMPASS PDRA Arathy Menon. This meeting is a major international meeting of the American Meteorological Society.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://ams.confex.com/ams/33HURRICANE/webprogram/Paper340021.html