Monsoon low-level jet over the gateway of Indian summer monsoon: a comparative study for two distinct monsoon years

High-resolution radiosonde measurements are used to study the characteristics and dynamics of monsoon low-level jet at the monsoon onset region of Cochin (10.04N; 76.32E) in India under two contrasting monsoon years, 2013 and 2015. The core speed and core height of the low-level jet is significantly higher during the strong monsoon year of 2013 than for the monsoon-deficient year of 2015. The average core heights for these years are seen to exist at 2.03 and 2.20 km, respectively. The low-level jet-modulated parameters such as moisture flux, momentum flux and kinetic energy flux show higher values during monsoon of 2013 as compared to 2015. Among the monsoon low-level jet parameters, the moisture flux has the strongest influence on the observed rainfall over Cochin. Also, an exponential function is seen to best explain the moisture flux-rainfall relationship. The weakening of monsoon during 2015 is attributed most likely to an eastward shift of the core convective activity from the Indian subcontinent as revealed from satellite observation of the upper tropospheric humidity. A close association is seen between the rainfall over Cochin and the convective activity over the Indian subcontinent. Observational studies such as this, which links monsoon rainfall, monsoon low-level jet parameters and convective activity, are expected to enhance the understanding of monsoon processes in general and subsequently improve the forecasting skill of models.