Simulation of anomalous Indian Summer Monsoon of 2002 with a Regional Climate Model

The Indian summer monsoon behaved in an abnormal way in 2002 and as a result there was a large deficiency in precipitation (especially in July) over a large part of the Indian subcontinent. For the study of deficient monsoon of 2002, a recent version of the NCAR regional climate model (RegCM3) has been used to examine the important features of summer monsoon circulations and precipitation during 2002. The main characteristics of wind fields at lower level (850 hPa) and upper level (200 hPa) and precipitation simulated with the RegCM3 over the Indian subcontinent are studied using different cumulus parameterization schemes namely, mass flux schemes, a simplified Kuo-type scheme and Emanuel (EMU) scheme. The monsoon circulation features simulated by RegCM3 are compared with the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and simulated precipitation is validated against observation from the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC). Validation of the wind fields at lower and upper levels shows that the use of Arakawa and Schubert (AS) closure in Grell convection scheme, a Kuo type and Emanuel schemes produces results close to the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis. Similarly, precipitation simulated with RegCM3 over different homogeneous zones of India with the AS closure in Grell is more close to the corresponding observed monthly and seasonal values. RegcM3 simulation also captured the spatial distribution of deficient rainfall in 2002.