A STUDY OF THE METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATE OF THE HIMALAYAN REGION BY
MEANS OF MODEL SIMULATIONS OF THE ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
Dr.ssa Laura Bertolani, Dr. Raffaele Salerno
Centro Epson Meteo
Abstract
The Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau are well-known for their large sensible and latent heating
effects in the upper Troposphere due to their extensive high-altitude lands. They play a
fundamental role within the Asian monsoon system, exerting significant thermal and dynamical
influences on the atmospheric global circulation and, thus, affecting the living of the most
populated area of the Earth. Thus, for meteorological and climate monitoring, it is very important to
have continuous observational datasets (satellites estimates and weather stations data). Moreover,
modelling studies are fundamental for a better understanding of the mechanisms and the physical
processes related to the large-scale circulation of the monsoon as far as the interactions between
local and large scale fluxes
Introduction
This activity continues and develops the research carried out since 1998 by a research team called
Pyramid MeteoGroup (PMG), and represents an important mean to gain a deeper knowledge of the
interactions between the Himalayan Range and the large scale monsoon circulation system, the
interannual and intraseasonal variability of the monsoon and the physical processes influencing the
variability of the hydrological and energy cycle over those lands (first overall objective within the
Coordinated Enhanced Observing Period (CEOP) International Project).
During 2003 and 2004 the Epson Meteo Centre set up a multi-nesting, fine resolution modelling
system to perform simulations of the monsoon and its variability at different temporal and spatial
scales and collected datasets from different sources, trying to demonstrate the synergy and utility
of CEOP integrated satellite data, in situ observations and assimilated data in providing a pathway
for model physics evaluation and improvement.
Moreover, part of the dataset collected by the Pyramid MeteoNetwork ("Himalayas Reference Site "
within CEOP since 2002) has been checked, validated and provided to CEOP.
Aims
The main aims of the research are:

to study the intraseasonal variability of the summer monsoon (active and break phases) and
the characteristics of the diurnal cycle, by means of model output, in situ observations and
remote sensing observations,

to study the interaction between local circulation in the Himalayan region and the synoptic
circulation of the monsoon,

to apply downscaling methods to simulate local scale meteorology.
Data and Methods
Large-scale circulation will be investigated by means of:

gridded data produced by CEM-GCM and CEM-RSM,

daily/monthly reanalysis gridded data available for the latest years (i.e. NCEP/NCAR
Reanalysis),

global gridded data derived from satellite estimates.
Local climate characteristics will be investigated by means of:

hourly data provided by the Himalayas Reference Site,

model location time series (MOLTS)
Expected Results
The main results expected are:

the description of the intraseasonal variability of the monsoon,

the description of the characteristics of the diurnal cycle of the monsoon (convective
precipitation, mountain/valley wind system, etc.),

the study of the local circulation and its interaction with large scale circulation.
The research will be carried on developing contacts with other international research institutes, as
has been done within CEOP community.
The main results will be published on international journals and presented to conferences.