Collaborative Research: Snow-Soil Moisture-Monsoon Relationship

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This collaborative project involving Drs. A. Robock and D. Robinson of Rutgers University and Dr. K. Vinnikov of the University of Maryland will explore the connection between snow and soil moisture anomalies and the timing and strength of the Indian summer monsoon. This analysis will include examining the links among snow, soil moisture, rainfall and circulation anomalies, and sea surface temperatures using special observations and the NCEP reanalysis data. The principal investigators (PIs) will exploit a newly available data base of soil moisture observations, with more than 400 stations covering most of Eurasia, including the former Soviet Union, Mongolia, China, and India, along with an updated data set of snow extent and snow water equivalent observations. A critical part of the activity will be the PIs' careful assessment and quality control of the diverse observations that make up the data set. The data set will be made available to the wider community via the web.