Spatial and temporal variation of water vapour in upper troposphere and lower stratosphere over Indian region

摘要

Spatial and temporal distribution of water vapour in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) region over India including Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal is presented using COSMIC/FORMOSAT 3 radio occultation measurements. Water vapour plays a crucial role in many aspects of UTLS chemistry. The influence of Asian summer monsoon can be seen in the seasonal pattern of water vapour in the UTLS region. It is observed that water vapour in the lower stratosphere follows the seasonal cycle in upper tropospheric water vapour with a time lag of one month. The time scale of cross tropopause transport of air mass in the region is also discussed.