The Atmospheric Process Studies (APS) group at ACARR focuses on basic research related to tropical atmospheric processes leading to variations in the weather and climate. The markedly non-uniform distribution of land and ocean areas, together with high insolation, may be expected to have a large influence on the meteorology of the tropics. Being the gateway of the Indian summer monsoon, Kerala has been a hot spot region for monitoring the monsoonal dynamical and thermo-dynamical processes. Improved understanding of the micro and macro level processes spanning from convection to cloud formation and associated meteorological effects during various seasons is the special focus of the APS group.

A brief description of focused activities of the group in the current academic year is given below:

1. Classification of mesoscale convective systems using ground- and satellite-based remote sensing over South West peninsular region
2. Understanding the genesis (both the timing and location) and evolution (areal coverage, vertical extent, duration and propagation) of thunderstorms
3. Sensitivity of various microphysical schemes in simulating the thermo-dynamical and microphysical structure of convective systems using the WRF model
4. Wind characteristics during the transition from pre-monsoon to monsoon
5. Intra-seasonal and inter-annual variability of monsoons over Kerala
6. Characterizing the diurnal variability of both horizontal and vertical air motions
7. Characterizing the planetary boundary layer and unravelling the boundary layer processes.

Team