In a study on the North-East Indian monsoon (NEIM), a recently graduated Dr. Jothi Shanmugasundram, a colleague in our department (Amy Hessl), co-authors in France and Thailand, and Eungul Lee examined the climatological and societal aspects of the NEIM in the southeastern peninsular India. The physical and societal aspects of the NEIM variability could be a valuable input for predicting rainfall as well as adapting to climatic challenges during the Anthropocene.

 

We revealed the variability of NEIM rainfall with the classified three rainfall states and identified the key atmospheric circulation and surface temperature conditions linked to these rainfall states [Shanmugasundaram et al., 2018 International J. Climatology].

 

 

We investigated societal response to the NEIM variability to illustrate the influence of climate on shaping the rise and economic prosperity of the Chola Kingdom in South India from 850 to 1280 CE [Shanmugasundaram et al., 2017 The Anthropocence Review]. We found that the enhanced NEIM rainfall conditions and adaptation strategies practiced in the Chola’s territory, combined with less favorable climatic conditions over the neighboring kingdoms, appear to have underpinned the well-documented political and economic strengths of the Chola superpower.

 

We have investigated the oceanic and atmospheric dynamics over the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean regions associated with the NEIM rainfall, and identified the potential moisture transport mechanisms [Shanmugasundaram and Lee, 2018 Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans].

 

 

 

 

Publications

Shanmugasundaram, J., E. Lee, and G. Srinivasan (2018), Characterizing pentad rainfall variations during the North-East Indian monsoon season over the southeastern peninsular India, International J. of Climatology. doi:10.1002/joc.5432. [Link]

Shanmugasundaram, J.,Y. Gunnell, A. E. Hessl, and E. Lee (2017), Societal response to monsoon variability in Medieval South India: Lessons from the past for adapting to climate change, The Anthropocene Review, 1-26. doi: 10.1177/2053019617695343. [Link]

Shanmugasundaram, J., and E. Lee (2018), Oceanic and atmospheric conditions associated with the pentad rainfall over the southeastern peninsular India during the Northeast Indian Monsoon season, Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans, 81, 1-14. doi.org/10.1016/j.dynatmoce.2017.11.001. [Link]