Monsoons and Intertropical Convergence Zones (ITCZ) exhibit variability at various temporal and spatial scales. The temporal scale of variability encompasses scales from the intraseasonal through interannual to interdecadal time scales. Anthropogenic climate change can also have an impact on ITCZ and monsoons. Thus it is necessary to assess the ability of coupled ocean atmospheric models (commonly known as AOGCM) to simulate these aspects of variability of tropical climate. This has been studied with simulations from 20 AOGCMs and their AGCM from IPCCAR4 archive. In addition, we have used our own 100 year simulation with CCSM2 and also simulations with its AGCM viz. CAM2. Our analysis shows that most model have significant bias in tropical rainfall and SST. Most models underestimate SST except over a few regions such as the Eastern boundaries of Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The AGCMs which are forced with observed SSTs have much higher annual mean rainfall as compared to AOGCMs. There is a strong correlation between error in shortwave reflectance at the top of the atmosphere and error in SST. The ability of coupled ocean-atmosphere models and their atmosphere-alone counterparts to simulate the seasonal cycle of rainfall over major monsoon regions and also over oceanic ITCZ. It is found that over the Indian monsoon region, most AGCMs overestimate the seasonal cycle while AOGCMs have a more realistic seasonal cycle. This inspite of the fact that most AOGCMs underestimate the SST over the Indian region. It is shown that this is related to errors in precipitable water-rainfall relationship in most models i.e. for a given amount of precipitable water, most models overestimate the rainfall. Thus lower SST reduces the precipitable water and hence the amount of rainfall is reduced. Therefore, the mutual cancellation of errors leads to a more realistic seasonal cycle in AOGCMs. The seasonal cycle over Africa was analysed with the help of a diagnostic model. Over Southern Africa, most models show simulate a less stable atmosphere and hence the rainfall is overestimated. A technique based on Continous Wavelet Transform in Space and Time (CWTST) has been modified to seperate northward and southward propagating modes of BSISO over the Indian and West Pacific regions. It was seen that over the Indian region, northward propagating modes were more prominent in comparison to southward modes. It was also found that the predominant spatial scale (of about 30o) did not show much interannual variability but the associated temporal scale showed significant variation. Both AOGCMs and AGCMs simulations were analysed to investigate the impact of coupling on intraseasonal activity. Most AOGCMs were able to simulate the predominant spatial scale but were unable to simulate the associated temporal scale correctly. These problems persisted with AGCMs also. It was also found that for AGCMs, there were some variations between ensemble members of the AGCMs. Comparing BSISO in increased GHG scenarios with present day simulations we found that in general, power in the spectrum increases. This could be related to higher mean precipitation that has been simulated by most AOGCMs when GHG are increased. The interannual variability in the tropics with special reference to Tropical Biennial Oscillation (TBO) and ENSO has been studied. The changes in these modes of variability due to anthropogenic climate change has also been assessed. We found that in most models over the Nino3.4 region, the mode of variation shifts from a near-four period (in pre-industrial simulations) to that of TBO mode in increased GHG (green house gas) scenario. This suggests that with increasing GHGs, ENSO quasi-periodicity might shift to about two years. It is also interesting to note that for observed rainfall, OLR and 850 hPa winds, the TBO mode has higher variance over the Eastern Indian Ocean, indicating that the TBO mode might be related to Indian Ocean Dipole Mode and EQUINOO (Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillation).

Arctic geoengineering wherein sunlight absorption is reduced only in the Arctic has been suggested as a remedial measure to counteract the on-going rapid climate change in the Arctic. Several modelling studies have shown that Arctic geoengineering can minimize Arctic warming but will shift the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) southward, unless offset by comparable geoengineering in the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, we investigate and quantify the implications of this ITCZ shift due to Arctic geoengineering for the global monsoon regions using the Community Atmosphere Model version 4 coupled to a slab ocean model. A doubling of CO2 from pre-industrial levels leads to a warming of ~ 6 K in the Arctic region and precipitation in the monsoon regions increases by up to ~15 %. In our Arctic geoengineering simulation which illustrates a plausible latitudinal distribution of the reduction in sunlight, an addition of sulfate aerosols (11 Mt) in the Arctic stratosphere nearly offsets the Arctic warming due to CO2 doubling but this shifts the ITCZ southward by ~1.5⁰ relative to the pre-industrial climate. The combined effect from this shift and the residual CO2-induced climate change in the tropics is a decrease/increase in annual mean precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere /Southern Hemisphere monsoon regions by up to -12/+17%. Polar geoengineering where sulfate aerosols are prescribed in both the Arctic (10 Mt) and Antarctic (8 Mt) nearly offsets the ITCZ shift due to Arctic geoengineering, but there is still a residual precipitation increase (up to 7 %) in most monsoon regions associated with the residual CO2 induced warming in the tropics. The ITCZ shift due to our Global geoengineering simulation, where aerosols (20 Mt) are prescribed uniformly around the globe, is much smaller and the precipitation changes in most monsoon regions are within ±2 % as the residual CO2-induced warming in the tropics is also much less than in Arctic and Polar geoengineering. Further, global geoengineering nearly offsets the Arctic warming. Based on our results we infer that Arctic geoengineering leads to ITCZ shift and leaves residual CO2 induced warming in the tropics resulting in substantial precipitation changes in the monsoon regions.

Evapotranspiration is a nexus for planetary energy and carbon cycles, as yet poorly constrained. Here I use stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen to partition flux of water due to plant transpiration from the direct evaporative flux from soils, water bodies and plant. The study areas, Langat and Kelantan watersheds represent examples of domains dominated by the respective Southwest and Northeast monsoons on the two sides of the main orographic barrier (Titiwangsa mountain range). Mean annual rainfall for the Langat watershed, obtained from 30 years of hydrological data, is 2145 ± 237 mm. Tentatively, 48% of this precipitation returns to the atmosphere via transpiration (T), with 33% partitioned into discharge (Q), 8% into interception (In), and 11% into evaporation (Ed). In the Kelantan watershed, the mean annual rainfall, also based on the 30 year hydrological data, is 2383 ± 120 mm. Similar to Langat, the T accounts for 43% of precipitation (P), 45% is discharged into South China Sea (Q), 12% partitioned into interception (In) and tentatively 0% for evaporation (Ed). Ed for the Langat watershed represents only a small proportion in terms of volumetric significance, up to almost ~11% with strong effect on the isotopic fingerprints of waters associated with the summer Southwest Monsoon (SWM). Note, however, that insignificant Ed for the Kelantan watershed may be an artefact of rain and river water sampling at only coastal downstream portion of the watershed. High humidity (80%) also was recorded for the Malaysian Peninsula watershed. T appropriates about half of all solar energy absorbed by the continents, here ~1000*103 g H2O m-2 yr-1 similar to other tropical regions at 900-1200*103 g H2O m-2 yr-1. The associated carbon fluxes are ~ 1300 g C m-2yr-1, independent of P. Vegetation responses to solar irradiance, via T and photosynthesis reflects the importance of stomatal regulation of the water and carbon fluxes. In order to maintain high transpiration in the tropical region, “constant” water supply is required for continuous pumping of water that delivers nutrients to the plant, suggesting that water and carbon cycle are co-driven by the energy of the sun. The existence of the water conveyor belt may be precondition for nutrient delivery, hence operation of the carbon cycle. Potentially, this may change our perspective on the role that biology plays in the water cycle. In such perspective, the global water cycle is the medium that redistributes the incoming solar energy across the planet, and the anatomical structures of plants then help to optimize the loop of energy transfer via evaporation and precipitation in the hydrologic cycle. The main features of aquatic geochemistry of the Langat and Kelantan rivers inferred from the Principal Component Analysis are controlled by three components that explain 80% and 82% of total variances. These components are reflecting of the geogenic factor with superimposed pollution, the latter particularly pronounced in urbanized sections of the Langat river and dominant in downstream of the Kelantan river. There is no correlation between seasonal variations in major ion chemistry and environmental variables such as precipitation, discharge, temperature or solar activity.

Evapotranspiration is a nexus for planetary energy and carbon cycles, as yet poorly constrained. Here I use stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen to partition flux of water due to plant transpiration from the direct evaporative flux from soils, water bodies and plant. The study areas, Langat and Kelantan watersheds represent examples of domains dominated by the respective Southwest and Northeast monsoons on the two sides of the main orographic barrier (Titiwangsa mountain range). Mean annual rainfall for the Langat watershed, obtained from 30 years of hydrological data, is 2145 ± 237 mm. Tentatively, 48% of this precipitation returns to the atmosphere via transpiration (T), with 33% partitioned into discharge (Q), 8% into interception (In), and 11% into evaporation (Ed). In the Kelantan watershed, the mean annual rainfall, also based on the 30 year hydrological data, is 2383 ± 120 mm. Similar to Langat, the T accounts for 43% of precipitation (P), 45% is discharged into South China Sea (Q), 12% partitioned into interception (In) and tentatively 0% for evaporation (Ed). Ed for the Langat watershed represents only a small proportion in terms of volumetric significance, up to almost ~11% with strong effect on the isotopic fingerprints of waters associated with the summer Southwest Monsoon (SWM). Note, however, that insignificant Ed for the Kelantan watershed may be an artefact of rain and river water sampling at only coastal downstream portion of the watershed. High humidity (80%) also was recorded for the Malaysian Peninsula watershed. T appropriates about half of all solar energy absorbed by the continents, here ~1000*103 g H2O m-2 yr-1 similar to other tropical regions at 900-1200*103 g H2O m-2 yr-1. The associated carbon fluxes are ~ 1300 g C m-2yr-1, independent of P. Vegetation responses to solar irradiance, via T and photosynthesis reflects the importance of stomatal regulation of the water and carbon fluxes. In order to maintain high transpiration in the tropical region, “constant” water supply is required for continuous pumping of water that delivers nutrients to the plant, suggesting that water and carbon cycle are co-driven by the energy of the sun. The existence of the water conveyor belt may be precondition for nutrient delivery, hence operation of the carbon cycle. Potentially, this may change our perspective on the role that biology plays in the water cycle. In such perspective, the global water cycle is the medium that redistributes the incoming solar energy across the planet, and the anatomical structures of plants then help to optimize the loop of energy transfer via evaporation and precipitation in the hydrologic cycle. The main features of aquatic geochemistry of the Langat and Kelantan rivers inferred from the Principal Component Analysis are controlled by three components that explain 80% and 82% of total variances. These components are reflecting of the geogenic factor with superimposed pollution, the latter particularly pronounced in urbanized sections of the Langat river and dominant in downstream of the Kelantan river. There is no correlation between seasonal variations in major ion chemistry and environmental variables such as precipitation, discharge, temperature or solar activity.