Scientists have developed a new tool for objectively defining the onset and demise of the summer monsoon — a colossal weather system that affects millions of people annually. The researchers from Florida State University in the U.S. developed a method that uses rainfall rates to mark the span of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) at any given location throughout the affected region. Researchers said many rhythms of Indian political and agricultural life can be destabilised by dubious or false claims of monsoon onset. The new system, which ties the onset of the monsoon to location-specific rainfall thresholds, can work to allay that frustration, he said. Up until now, regional meteorological departments have relied on their own ad hoc criteria for determining ISM onset, which can often lead to contradicting claims.

Source: The Hindu October 26, 2017 06:11 UTC