Levels of far-flung Arctic sea ice can change monsoon patterns: study Premium

A new study has found that the seasonal changes in the Arctic sea ice, specifically central Arctic and the Barents-Kara Sea located south of the Arctic sea impacts the Indian monsoon.  

Incessant rainfall has wreaked havoc in India’s southeast, leaving at least 17 dead in Andhra Pradesh and thousands homeless and at the mercy of floods in Telangana.

The Indian Meteorological Department has also warned of heavy rains in parts of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi. 

Unpredictable, erratic rainfall has been becoming the norm for the Indian monsoon. Once a bringer of relief and hope to the subcontinent, these rains are now a herald of drought and floods.

Climate change is an important reason why. However, a closer look into climate models shows the intricate play of surface temperature, pressure gradients, air currents and even sea ice that is responsible for bringing rain to the Indian landmass. 

In a study published in the journal Remote Sensing of Environment in June, researchers from India’s National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and South Korea’s Korea Polar Research Institute have found that seasonal changes in the Arctic sea ice affect the Indian monsoon as well.

The Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) over the Indian subcontinent, from July to September, and with most of the rains recorded in July and August, is one of the most prominent monsoon systems in the world.

In summer months, sunlight warms the Central Asian and Indian landmass more and faster than the surrounding ocean. This creates a low pressure band at the Tropic of Cancer called the intertropical convergence zone.