Regional climate includes Central India’s monsoon trough and core.
We needed detailed atmospheric observations in monsoon core zone (MCZ), where monsoon lows and depressions occur.
Due to its importance, IITM, MoES developed an Atmospheric Research Test bed in Central India (ART-CI) at Silkheda (50 km NW of Bhopal) to study monsoon convection dynamics
ART-CI will use a variety of remote-sensing and in-situ instruments to monitor convection, clouds, precipitation, soil moisture, radiation, and microphysics to capture major variable patterns.
What is the news?
India made tremendous progress in understanding the monsoon system on March 12, 2024.
Atmospheric Research Testbed in Central India (ART-CI) phase one began in Silkheda, Sehore, Madhya Pradesh.
This is a major step in understanding the monsoons, which affect agriculture and water security.
Development Phases:
First Phase: Researches convection, land-atmosphere interactions, and microphysics over central India.
Second Phase:The study will analyze thunderstorm process in eastern and north-eastern India.
Significance of this Phase:
1) Understanding Monsoon Nuances:
The complex Indian monsoon brings much-needed summer rain to the subcontinent. However, its arrival, intensity, and distribution are unpredictable, causing floods and droughts in some areas. A specialized research center to monitor and analyze atmospheric processes in central India, a key monsoon region, would help the ART-CI fill this knowledge gap.
2) Suitable for Inspection:
The testbed’s initial phase comprises about 25 high-end meteorological equipment. These instruments will measure key atmospheric characteristics like temperature, wind speed, humidity, and precipitation. In later phases, radars and balloon-borne radiosondes will be used to better understand cloud processes and atmospheric dynamics.
3) Benefits Beyond Horizon:
ART-CI data will improve weather forecasting models. This will improve monsoon arrival, strength, and spatial distribution predictions. This information helps farmers improve crop planning and irrigation, increasing agricultural productivity. Furthermore, knowing the monsoon system can help plan for and mitigate floods and droughts.
4) Cooperative Project:
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and several research institutions founded the ART-CI. This partnership ensures a holistic approach to atmospheric research using specialists from several domains.
5) Future Vision: A Better
The ART-CI’s opening shows India’s dedication to weather prediction science and technology. Continuous monitoring and analysis of atmospheric data will improve monsoon system understanding, agricultural practices, disaster preparedness, and water resource management. We should expect better monsoon predictions and a more robust society when India completes the ART-CI project.
About Central India Atmospheric Research Testbed (ART-CI):
ART-CI is a project established by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
It is 50 miles northwest of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, in Silkheda.
What is Atmospheric Research Testbed?
The India-inaugurated Atmospheric Research Testbed (ART) studies the monsoon system’s intricacies. Here are its main features:
Purpose:
To collect data on temperature, wind speed, humidity, precipitation, and cloud processes.
To understand how the monsoon acts in central India, a key region for circulation.
Location:
The first ART-CI phase is in Silkheda, Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Equipment:
A network of advanced instruments is on the testbed:
Sensors on the ground measure weather.
Advance radars to track rain-bearing systems.
Later balloon-borne radiosondes for high-altitude data collection.
Benefits:
Better monsoon arrival, strength, and distribution predictions from weather forecasting models.
Improved agricultural planning and irrigation using monsoon forecasts.
Improved flood and drought preparedness and mitigation.
Significant for India:
India’s agriculture and water security depend on the monsoon. The ART-CI helps simplify this complex system and regulate its effects.
The Atmospheric Research Testbed helps India understand the monsoon and prepare for the future.
Why does India need an Atmospheric Research Testbed?
An Atmospheric Research Testbed (ART), especially in India, is important for various reasons:
Understanding Monsoon:
The Indian monsoon is a complex weather phenomena that causes much of the country’s annual rainfall. Its timing, intensity, and distribution are unpredictable, causing floods and droughts.
Data for Demystification: The ART is a research center dedicated to studying atmospheric phenomena in central India, a monsoon-critical region. This data helps scientists comprehend monsoon “why” behavior.
Advantages for Multiple Sectors:
Weather Forecasting: ART data will improve weather forecasting models. This will improve monsoon arrival, strength, and spatial distribution predictions. Improved forecasts enable farmers to optimize crop planning. Plant crops that match rainfall patterns to reduce drought and flood concerns.
Maintain Irrigation: Use water efficiently based on projected rainfall.
Disaster Management: Understanding the monsoon system helps prepare for extreme weather. This may cause:
Flood Mitigation Strategies: Controlling monsoon-induced floods.
Drought preparedness: Conserving water and reducing the impact of weak monsoons.
These additional points might help you comprehend the value of an Atmospheric Research Testbed (ART) in India:
Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: The ART can facilitate Indian-international monsoon research collaboration and accelerate progress.
The monsoon system is vulnerable to climate change. ART data helps measure climate change’s impact on the monsoon and build adaption plans.
Long-Term Data Collection: ART is a long-term initiative. Continuous data gathering over multiple years will reveal monsoon variability and long-term patterns.
Economic benefits: Better monsoon predictions help reduce agricultural interruptions, which boost India’s GDP.
India makes a big step in understanding, managing, and benefiting from the monsoon by establishing the ART.
Why is central India monsoon data important?
Central India’s Key Role
Central India is the monsoon’s main route east from the Bay of Bengal. Predicting monsoon circulation and influence across the country requires understanding its behavior in this region.
Central India’s monsoons are representative of India’s overall. Understanding monsoons here helps across the globe.
Opening Monsoon Secrets:
Trigger and Development: Central India starts monsoons. Scientists can use data from this location to understand monsoon triggers and development.
Interaction with Local Systems: Monsoon and local weather systems interact uniquely in this location. These interactions can explain how the monsoon varies across India.
Improve Monsoon Predictions:
Understanding how the monsoon interacts with central India helps scientists construct more accurate weather models that predict its arrival, intensity, and travel.
Spatial Distribution: Central India data predicts monsoon rainfall distribution, essential for planning and resource allocation.
Agriculture and Disaster Management Benefits:
Farmers across India, especially those in surrounding regions, may make informed crop choices, sowing times, and irrigation decisions based on precise monsoon forecasts from central India data.
Disaster Preparedness: Better monsoon weather predictions enable for timely disaster preparedness actions to reduce death and property loss.
Overall Importance:
Central India monsoon data is crucial to understanding the complex monsoon system. Scientists can better forecast weather, farm, and handle disasters in India by researching this region’s monsoon characteristics.
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1 / 5
Category:General Studies
Collaboration between various stakeholders is crucial for the success of the ART-CI project because it can lead to:
Answer: (b) Sharing of expertise and knowledge from diverse fields.
Explanation: The editorial underlines the importance of collaboration between research institutions, government agencies, and international bodies for knowledge exchange, advanced data analysis techniques, and a more comprehensive research effort.
2 / 5
Category:General Studies
The primary objective of the Atmospheric Research Testbed in Central India (ART-CI) is to:
Answer: (c) Study the behavior of the Indian monsoon system.
Explanation: The editorial emphasizes the focus of ART-CI on understanding the complexities of the monsoon, crucial for India's agriculture and water security.
3 / 5
Category:General Studies
A potential benefit of the ART-CI for Indian agriculture is:
Answer: (c) Improved planning and irrigation practices based on accurate monsoon forecasts.
Explanation: The editorial highlights how better monsoon predictions can empower farmers to optimize crop planning and irrigation, leading to increased agricultural productivity.
4 / 5
Category:General Studies
Instruments used in the ART-CI project might include:
Answer: (c) A combination of ground-based and remote sensing instruments.
Explanation: The editorial mentions a variety of instruments like weather stations, radars, and lidars, indicating a combined approach for comprehensive data collection.
5 / 5
Category:General Studies
The location of the first phase of ART-CI in Madhya Pradesh is strategically chosen because:
Answer: (d) It lies on the established path of major monsoon weather systems.
Explanation: The passage highlights the importance of Madhya Pradesh's location for directly monitoring monsoon systems and their interaction with the local atmosphere.
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The inauguration of the first phase of the Atmospheric Research Testbed in Central India (ART-CI) marks a significant development in India’s meteorological research. Discuss the potential benefits of the ART-CI for weather forecasting and disaster management in India.(250 words)
Model Answer:
The ART-CI has the potential to revolutionize weather forecasting and disaster management in India by:
Improved Weather Forecasting:
Enhanced Data Collection: The network of advanced instruments will provide high-resolution, real-time data on atmospheric parameters like temperature, humidity, wind patterns, and precipitation. This data will be crucial for developing more accurate weather models.
Better Monsoon Prediction: A specific focus on central India, a critical region for the monsoon’s circulation, will lead to improved forecasts of monsoon arrival, intensity, and spatial distribution.
Early Warning Systems: The ART-CI can contribute to developing early warning systems for extreme weather events like floods and droughts associated with the monsoon.
Effective Disaster Management:
Proactive Measures: Accurate weather forecasts based on ART-CI data will enable authorities to take proactive measures like issuing warnings, evacuating vulnerable populations, and pre-positioning resources in anticipation of disasters.
Improved Mitigation Strategies: A deeper understanding of the monsoon system gained through the ART-CI can help develop targeted mitigation strategies for floods and droughts, minimizing loss of life and property.
Enhanced Preparedness: The data from the ART-CI can be used to improve disaster preparedness plans by identifying areas at high risk and allocating resources accordingly.
By providing high-quality data and fostering a better understanding of the monsoon, the ART-CI will significantly improve India’s weather forecasting capabilities and disaster management strategies.
Question 2:
The success of the ART-CI hinges on a collaborative approach. Explain the importance of collaboration between various stakeholders for a successful Atmospheric Research Testbed project.(250 words)
Model Answer:
Collaboration is vital for the success of the ART-CI project at various levels:
Government Agencies: Collaboration between the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), and other relevant agencies ensures coordinated efforts, resource sharing, and effective project implementation.
Research Institutions: Collaboration between IITM and other national and international research institutions facilitates knowledge exchange, expertise sharing, and the development of advanced data analysis techniques.
Local Communities: Engaging local communities in data collection, dissemination of weather forecasts, and capacity building programs fosters a sense of ownership and ensures the project benefits them directly.
International Cooperation: Collaboration with international weather agencies and research institutions allows India to access advanced technologies, expertise in monsoon research, and participate in global climate change initiatives.
A collaborative approach ensures a comprehensive research effort, maximizes the impact of the ART-CI, and fosters a culture of knowledge sharing for the benefit of India and the broader scientific community.
Remember, these are just two examples of UPSC Mains questions inspired by the current news. Feel free to modify and adapt them further to fit your specific needs and writing style. Good luck with your preparation!
Relevance to the UPSC Prelims and Mains syllabus under the following topics:
Prelims:
General Studies Paper I (GS Paper I):
Science and Technology: Developments in meteorological tools and forecasting (indirectly linked).
Mains:
General Studies Paper I (GS Paper I):
Infrastructure: Developments in science and technology and their applications in various fields (indirectly linked).
General Studies Paper III (GS Paper III):
Agriculture: Importance of irrigation, storage, and marketing in agriculture (indirectly linked).
Disaster Management: Importance of National Disaster Management Framework (NDMF) (indirectly linked).
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