Open AccessOrographic effect on tropical rain physics in the Asian monsoon region
Author(s) -
Harikumar R.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
atmospheric science letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 45
ISSN - 1530-261X
DOI - 10.1002/asl.692
Subject(s) - orographic lift , climatology , monsoon , tropical monsoon climate , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , east asian monsoon , geography , meteorology , geology , precipitation
Effect of orography on tropical rain drop size distribution ( DSD ), which was not well known, is evidenced through the present study. DSD is the number of raindrops/unit volume/diameter interval, which tells about the underlying physics of rainfall process. Rain DSD was studied, using a Joss–Waldvogel disdrometer, at three coastal and a hill station in the Tropics. The variation in the characteristics of three physically significant parameters derived from the DSD with rain rate clearly unraveled the effect of orography on rain physics. The orographic rain appears to have larger drops compared with nonorographic rains when rain rate is high.