Characterizing the onset and demise of the Indian summer monsoon

Abstract

An objective index of the onset and demise of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) is introduced. This index has the advantage of simplicity by using only one variable, which is the spatially averaged all-India rainfall, a reliably observed quantity for more than a century. The proposed onset index is shown to be insensitive to all historic false onsets. By definition, now the seasonal mean rainfall anomalies become a function of variations in onset and demise dates, rendering their monitoring to be very meaningful. This new index provides a comprehensive representation of the seasonal evolution of the ISM by capturing the corresponding changes in large-scale dynamic and thermodynamic variables. We also show that the interannual variability of the onset date of the ISM is associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) with early (late) onsets preceded by cold (warm) ENSO.