This project will use observed data from satellites to identify the dominant cloud types during the Indian summer monsoon. The project will determine how clouds evolve during the day, how they change as the monsoon advances across the country, and how their behaviour changes under different weather patterns.
Department: Meteorology
Supervised by: Prof. Andy Turner and Dr Akshay Deoras
The Indian summer monsoon produces most of the country’s annual rainfall, profoundly affecting the lives of a billion people. On a day-to-day basis, clouds are thought to start developing in the late morning before deepening and producing their heaviest rainfall in the late afternoon. As the summer progresses, the monsoon also features three stages that are important for agriculture and water resources: onset of the rains, maturity, and withdrawal. Each stage is marked by changes in weather conditions, which affect the formation of clouds. This ultimately impacts land-surface conditions that could feedback on the monsoon via changes in fluxes of heat and moisture from the surface. Besides, large-scale weather patterns that affect India such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) could also affect the occurrence and growth of clouds. The advent of satellite data has improved our understanding of the processes and mechanisms driving the monsoon. However, new observations of cloud have been less exploited, limiting our understanding of how clouds evolve day-by-day and month-by-month during the monsoon. The main aim of this project is to use data from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) to identify the dominant cloud types during the three stages of the monsoon and understand how they vary under different conditions. The student will use standard statistical techniques and develop novel diagnostic tools to analyse the characteristics of clouds, and how cloud behaviour changes under different prevailing weather conditions.
The first task (from week 1) will be to read provided scientific literature on the seasonal cycle of the monsoon and how monsoon weather can change under different conditions. The second task (intended for week 2) will be to explore the ISCCP dataset; this includes testing/writing basic codes, understanding data conventions, and creating basic scientific graphs showing the frequency and location of clouds and how they vary through the day across India. These activities will help the student perform more complicated analysis in subsequent weeks. The student will explore advanced data analysis and visualisation techniques from the provided scientific literature (from week 3). This will pave the way for the third task (intended for weeks 3–4), which will be to determine the dominant cloud types and analyse how cloud behaviour changes as the monsoon begins, matures, and withdraws. The fourth task (intended for weeks 5–6) will be to build on the techniques developed in the previous task to analyse how clouds evolve during different large-scale weather patterns. If there is time in week 6, the student will be able to contribute to the creation of a proposed catalogue of cloud types.
As the bulk of this project involves analysing meteorological data, experience with a programming language (e.g., Python) would be an advantage. The student should have an interest in meteorology, particularly of the tropics.
This project will give the student an opportunity to develop or enhance their data analysis and scientific programming skills, with support from the supervisors. They will also get a chance to build their knowledge of statistics. With the final outcome of the project being a presentation, there is also the opportunity to work on communication skills and the student will gain experience in preparing a presentation for a scientific audience.
The NCAS area of the Harry Pitt building
Normal working hours: 09:00 to 17:00 or equivalent
Monday 10 June 2024 - Friday 13 September 2024
The deadline to apply for this project is 5pm on Friday 5th April 2024. To make an application, please go to the following link and complete the application form: https://forms.office.com/e/pMgea0dAHv. To find this project in the application form, please filter ‘school of project applying to’ and select School of Mathematical, Physical & Computational Sciences