Indian Geography

Physical Geography of India

Geological history of
India
Physiography of India
Indian weather: seasons
Climatic regions of India
Soils of India

Seasons of India
Winter

Monsoo
n

Summe
r

Monsoon
ITCZ

Unique
weather
phenomenon
Mausam=
Seasonal
reversal of
winds

India Monsoon: unique features

Sudden Onset
Gradual Advance
Gradual retreat
Variation regional and temporal

Indian Monsoon: mechanism

Tropical
Easterly Jet

Somali Jet

El-Nino- IOD

2nd
equatorial
trough

STWJ

Tropical Easterly Jet (TEJ)

Tropical
Easterl
y Jet

Masceren
e High

Tibet
plt. LP

Northward movement
of the sun in summer
Heating of Tibetan plt
LP
Rising of the air
Create TEJ above Tibet
move towards
Mascarene High
Strengthen Mascarene
High pressure cell

Pressure system on earth

Second equatorial trough

ITCZ

LP cell

LP cell

Summer: northward
movement of sun,
northward
movement of ITCZ
Sometimes, LP cells
of ITCZ do not
merge with ITCZ on
movement of ITCZ

Second equatorial trough

ITCZ

LP cell

LP cell

When 2nd equatorial

trough (LP cell of ITCZ)
merges with main
ITCZ strengthen the
LP of ITCZ
Attract more monsoon
winds towards India
If not, then weak LP
system over Tibet

Somali current and Somali Jet stream

So
st m
at rea ali
er m Je
/F t
in
dl

i
al
m n t
o
S cea en
o rr
cu

Somali jet stream low

level, appear only in
summer
Intensify Somali ocean
current
Somali jet stream
pushes monsoon winds
towards India
Stronger the Somali
current, better d
monsoon

Permanent Jet stream in the world

Sub-Tropical Westerly Jet

Him
ala
s
ya
HP

Him
ala
s
ya
HP

STWJ

STWJ
ITCZ

ITCZ

Winter entirely
south of Himalayas
over north India
STWJ maintain the
High pressure over
north India

Sub-Tropical Westerly Jet

STWJ
STWJ
HP

STWJ

Early summer
northward
movement
bifurcation
southern branch still
over northern India
HP conditions

Sub-Tropical Westerly Jet

Hi m
a la
s
y

STWJ

Summer: STWJ
entirely northward
Allow Onset of
monsoon (sudden
burst)
If southern branch
re-establishmonsoon break

Sub-Tropical Westerly Jet

LP cell
HP

STWJ
LP cell

Even after development

of ITCZ over Tibet, and
merging of 2nd
equatorial trough,
monsoon winds cant
attract toward India
If southern branch of
STWJ is over north-India
resist monsoon winds
towards India

Indian Ocean Dipole

LP

LP
H
P
Mascarene
High

Western
pacific Pool

Association of
Western Pacific
Pool with
Mascarene High
Strong WPPstrong
Mascarene High

Indian Ocean Dipole

HP

Mascarene
High

HP

Western
Pacific
pool

LP

El-Nino year:
Weak WPP
weak Mascarene
High
Low push to SW
monsoon winds
to move towards
India

Fluctuation in Monsoon
ITC
Z

1) If ITCZ does not

develop properly
over Tibet

Fluctuation in Monsoon
LP cell

ITC
Z

LP cell

2) If 2nd equatorial
trough does not
merge with ITCZ

Fluctuation in Monsoon
HP

STW
J

STWJ

3) Southern
branch of STWJ
re-establish over
north India

Fluctuation in Monsoon

4) Inadequate
heating of Tibetan
plateau

Fluctuation in Monsoon
LP

H
P
Mascarene
High

5) Weak
Mascarene High
pressure cell

Fluctuation in Monsoon
6)

HP

HP

LP

Intensification
of Indian
ocean dipole/
El-Nino event
- If IOD
intense= IOD
negative
weak
monsoon in
India

Monsoon

Arabi
an
branc
h

Bay of
Benga
l
branc
h

Burst of monsoon
first on Malabar
coast
2 branches:
1) Arabian branch
2) Bay of Bengal
branch

Monsoon: Arabian branch

rn
ste
We ts
Gha

Western Ghats
blocks
Rainfall in windward
side
South KN plateau,
Rayalseema of AP
remain dry

A
ra

va

lli

Monsoon : Arabian
branchbarrier
No effective
in Gujarat or
Rajasthan
Aravalli parallel to
the winds
Low rainfall in GJ-RJ
Rainfall along
Kathiawar upland,
south Aravalli

Monsoon : Arabian branch

li
l
a
v
ra
yan
h
d
n
i
A
V

rn
ste
We ts
Gha

ra
Satpu

Gaps between
Western Ghats, river
valleys winds
enter interior of
India
Wind reach up to
Himachal PradeshPunjab

Monsoon: Bay of Bengal branch

n
r
te
s
s
Ea hat
G

Eastern Ghats low,

discontinued
cannot block
Large gaps, large
river deltas more
winds can enter
inland

Monsoon: Bay of Bengal branch

an
y
h
d
Vin
ura
p
t
a
S

Chhota nagpur
plt

n
r
te
s
s
Ea at
Gh

Rainfall along
chhotanagpur
plateau, Vindhyan
and Satpura range

Monsoon: Bay of Bengal branch

Purvanchal
Meghalaya plateau
Funneling effect
high rainfall
Rainfall decrease
from east to west
Most of the rain
from eastern branch

Rainfall pattern

100
cm

India avg rainfall =

120-180 cm =
wetter
But rainfall variation
is across regions
and seasons

Rainfall pattern
60
cm
60
60 100
cm
cm
20
cm
cm

200
cm
200
cm

100
cm
60
cm
200
cm

Highest rainfall:
western Ghats,
North-east
Then East India
Then GJ-RJ and J&K
Then south KNRayalseema region
Thar and Kutchh
deserts

Retreating Monsoon
Northern
Northern
Trade
Trade
winds
winds
ZZ
C
T
I TC
I

Souther
Souther
Trade
nnTrade
winds
winds

Southward
movement of ITCZ
SW monsoon winds
and NE winds coexist
Gradual withdrawal
of SW monsoon
winds first eastern
then western branch

Retreating Monsoon: tropical cyclone

ITC
Z

Increase in SST of
Bay of Bengal and
Arabian sea
Possibility of Tropical
cyclone
Retreating SW
monsoon branch
drag them towards
Eastern coast

Winter: rain in TN coast

North
NE
East
winds

Trade
winds

NE winds coming
from land dry
winds
But passing
through Bay of
Bengal- become
moist
Coastline of TN
Rainfall in TN

Winter: western Disturbances

Him
ala
s
ya

STWJ

ITCZ

STWJ from
Mediterranean sea
Brings
disturbances to
north India
Winter rainfall
western
disturbances

Summer
HP

STWJ

ITCZ

Northward apparent
movement of Sun
Temperature increases
LP but resisted by STWJ
Local heating
convectional rainfall
Pre-monsoon thunder
storm
Kalbaishakhi (WB), Mango
shower, Blossom shower