Some characteristic features of the low-level jet field over the Arabian Sea during the Indian summer monsoon

Abstract

Some characteristic features of the low-level jet over the Arabian Sea have been studied by using the Indo-Soviet Monsoon Experiment- 1973 and Monsoon Experiment- 1977 data. The meridional wind profiles show two distinct jet maxima over the extreme western Arabian Sea. The lower maximum occurs near 1.0 km in the north and lies well within the pronounced inversion layer. The upper wind maximum lies near 2.0 km toward the south above the inversion. Towards the east, the profiles indicate a stronger low-level maximum and the absence of the upper level wind maximum in the south. Thus, the downwind changes occurring in the wind field over the western Arabian Sea indicate a possible dynamic coupling between the two jet cores in this region. The low-level wind structure over the Arabian Sea indicates cold air advection to the south and warm air advection to the north of the jet core. Strong negative thermal wind shear is evident in the jet core.