Get started
Work

Observed rainfall changes in the past century (1901–2019) over the wettest place on Earth

Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Changes in rainfall affect drinking water, river and surface runoff, soil moisture, groundwater reserve, electricity generation, agriculture production and ultimately the economy of a country. Trends in rainfall, therefore, are important for examining the impact of climate change on water resources for its planning and management. Here, as analysed from 119 years of rainfall measurements at 16 different rain gauge stations across northeast India, a significant change in the rainfall pattern is evident after the year 1973, with a decreasing trend in rainfall of about 0.42 ± 0.024 mm dec−1. The wettest place of the world has shifted from Cherrapunji (CHE) to Mawsynram (MAW) (separated by 15 km) in recent decades, consistent with long-term rainfall changes in the region. The annual mean accumulated rainfall was about 12 550 mm at MAW and 11 963 mm at CHE for the period 1989–2010, as deduced from the available measurements at MAW. The changes in the Indian Ocean temperature have a profound effect on the rainfall in the region, and the contribution from the Arabian Sea temperature and moisture is remarkable in this respect, as analysed with a multivariate regression procedure for the period 1973–2019. The changes in land cover are another important aspect of this shift in rainfall pattern, as we find a noticeable reduction in vegetation area in northeast India in the past two decades, implying the human influence on recent climate change.
DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/abcf78
Authors: J Kuttippurath, S Murasingh, P A Stott, B Balan Sarojini, Madan K Jha, P Kumar, P J Nair, H Varikoden, S Raj, P A Francis, P C Pandey
Institutions: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Met Office, University of Exeter, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services
Language: English
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,045
Funders: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Ministry of Education, India, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Naval Research Board, Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy, Office of Naval Research, Division of Human Resource Development
OpenAlex ID: W3107529813
FWCI: 6.257
Cites: 67
Cited by: 123
Related to: 10