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Observational evidence of solar dimming: Offsetting surface warming over India
Author(s) -
Padma Kumari B.,
Londhe A. L.,
Daniel S.,
Jadhav D. B.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2007gl031133
Subject(s) - environmental science , climatology , monsoon , greenhouse gas , atmospheric sciences , mean radiant temperature , climate change , geology , oceanography
Monthly mean surface reaching solar radiation (S) measurements under all sky conditions have been evaluated for 12 stations, which are widely distributed over the Indian region, for the period 1981‐2004. It is noteworthy that all the stations showed decline in S ranging from −0.17 to −1.44 W/m 2 per year. The average solar dimming observed over India for the period 1981–2004 is ∼−0.86 W/m 2 per year while during winter, pre‐monsoon and monsoon seasons it is ∼−0.94, ∼−1.04 and ∼−0.74 W/m 2 per year, respectively. Decadal monthly mean S for the two decades 1981–1990 and 1991–2000 showed strong decline during the second decade with an average reduction of 5% per two decades. Despite the drastic decrease in S, the all India averaged surface maximum and minimum air temperatures have been increasing. But, the change in increase in maximum temperature from the first decade to second decade is only marginal under the present situation of drastic increase in greenhouse gas emissions, while the increase in minimum temperature has been doubled.