Search

This paper discusses projections of heavy rainfall events in China during the 21st century based on daily precipitation data from the Fourth Assessment Report's (AR4) Coupled General Circulation Models (CGCM). Results show that all three experimental scenarios (scenarios A2, A1B, and B1) project consistent changes in frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall at the end of 21st century. In the regions of Northeast China and North China, there are no significant changes in frequency but there are remarkable increases in intensity of heavy rainfall, indicating that enhanced intensity is the main contributor to increased ratios of heavy rainfall to total annual precipitation in these regions. In regions of the lower reaches of Yangtze River and South China, increases in the amount of heavy rainfall are closely associated with increased frequency and increased intensity. Projected frequencies of heavy rainfall at the end of 21st century increase by 30.9 ∼ 56.6% in the Yangtze River and 35.9 ∼ 50.2% in South China compared to the period of 1980-1999, and projected intensities increase by 1.0 ∼ 5.7% and 2.8 ∼ 6.3%, respectively. Additionally, the ratios of heavy rainfall to total annual precipitation increase by 2.3 ∼ 5.4% in the Yangtze River and 1.8 ∼ 3.8% in South China. The significant increases of heavy rainfall ratios indicate that as the climate warms, heavy rainfall events are expected to increase at rates that are much faster than increases in total precipitation amounts, indicating that China will experience increased amounts of flooding. These results are substantially consistent among the three IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) scenarios. The increased probability of heavy rainfall events in China is closely connected with increased transportation of water vapour from the Arabian Sea and the South China Sea. Additionally, atmosphere stratification has become increasingly unstable, which has provided a favorable background for the initiation of heavy rainfall at the end of the 21st century. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent trend of global warming has exerted a disproportionately strong influence on the Eurasian land surface, causing a steady decline in snow cover extent over the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau region. Here we show that this loss of snow is undermining winter convective mixing and causing stratification of the upper layer of the Arabian Sea at a much faster rate than predicted by global climate models. Over the past four decades, the Arabian Sea has also experienced a profound loss of inorganic nitrate. In all probability, this is due to increased denitrification caused by the expansion of the permanent oxygen minimum zone and consequent changes in nutrient stoichiometries. These exceptional changes appear to be creating a niche particularly favorable to the mixotroph, Noctiluca scintillans which has recently replaced diatoms as the dominant winter, bloom forming organism. Although Noctiluca blooms are non-toxic, they can cause fish mortality by exacerbating oxygen deficiency and ammonification of seawater. As a consequence, their continued range expansion represents a significant and growing threat for regional fisheries and the welfare of coastal populations dependent on the Arabian Sea for sustenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, sea level fluctuations, and tectonic uplift play key roles in the evolution of sedimentary systems on continental margins. In the Arabian Sea, the Makran continental margin is suitable for studying these processes during the Holocene due to its high sedimentation rate and continuous sequence of Holocene sediments. Here, high‐resolution clay mineral and grain size analyses have been conducted to better understand the sedimentary process and controlling factors over the past 13,000 yr. The results show that the influence of Indus‐derived sediments on the Makran continent margin is negligible. Holocene relative sea level fluctuations can strongly control the shelf accommodation space due to the narrow shelf, which in turn affects the deposition process at the Makran continental margin. The sediment records at the central Makran continental margin are more suitable for studying ancient earthquakes or tsunamis. Plain Language Summary: Deciphering sediment records is challenging because linking the sedimentary process with related major influencing factors is not always straightforward. Although previous studies have shown that climate is an important influencing factor in the sedimentary history of the Makran continental margin, the roles of other influencing factors remain poorly understood. The findings of this study provide new insights into the sedimentary process on the Makran continental margin over the past 13,000 yr based on high‐resolution clay mineral and grain size analyses. Our clay mineralogy data provide further evidence that the Indus River is unimportant to the sedimentary process on the Makran continental margin. Combined with the results of previous studies, this work demonstrates that the relative sea level fluctuations since the Holocene have played an important role in the sedimentary process at the Makran continental margin. In the central continental margin, river sediments, wave‐erode sediments, and eolian dust are all important source materials, suitable for studying event deposition related to earthquakes and tsunami due to the limited role of rivers. Key Points: Climate change is not the only decisive factor controlling the sedimentary processIndus‐derived sediments are unimportant on the Makran continental marginRelatively low sea levels seem to have played a major role in the early Holocene [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearshore wave characteristics and its variations at Ganpatipule coast, eastern Arabian Sea, for the past 4 decades (1979–2016) have been examined. The study is based on European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Re‐Analysis‐Interim wave data at ~50 m water depth and the nearshore wave parameters estimated using the numerical model Simulating WAves Nearshore, executed from the Delft3D dashboard considering shallow water wave propagation, wave setup, and breaking. The littoral drift is estimated based on bulk transport formula of the Coastal Engineering Research Centre with the input from the hydrodynamic module. The model shows good agreement with wave rider buoy measured wave parameters at 14‐m water depth. Anomalies of breaker height, period, and direction vary in the range of −0.35–0.4 m, −0.80–1 s, and − 16 to 12°, respectively during the study period. A detailed analysis of monthly variations of breaker height along the study region suggests a significant increasing trend during the Asian summer monsoon, whereas a decreasing trend is identified during the nonmonsoon period. The study region accounts for a northerly net transport of 3.9 × 105 m3 yr−1 with a significant increasing trend of 1,840 m3 yr−1. The strong wind field region along the central Arabian Sea (65–70°E and 15–20°N) gives a strengthened positive correlation (r > 0.7) with the littoral drift. Impacts of Pacific climate variability on interannual and decadal timescales are observed in the littoral drift rates. Key Points: Investigates nearshore wave climate and littoral drift for past 4 decades (1979–2016) at a location in eastern Arabian SeaBreaker height shows a significant increasing trend during the Asian Summer monsoon (June‐September)An increasing trend in the net littoral drift is observed (1,840 m3 yr−1)Impact of Pacific climate variability on littoral drift is observed during 1979–1989 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly saline, oxygen‐saturated waters of the Arabian Gulf (hereafter the Gulf) sink to intermediate depths (200–300 m) when they enter the Arabian Sea, ventilating the World's thickest oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). Here, we investigate the impacts of a warming of the Gulf consistent with climate change projections on the intensity of this OMZ. Using a series of eddy‐resolving model simulations, we show that the warming of the Gulf waters increases their buoyancy and hence limits their contribution to the ventilation of intermediate depths. This leads to an intensification of the OMZ and an increase in denitrification that depletes subsurface nitrate and limits deoxygenation at depth. The projected future concomitant increase of Gulf salinity only partially reduces the OMZ intensification. Our findings highlight the importance of the Arabian marginal seas for the biogeochemistry of the North Indian Ocean and stress the need for improving their representation in global climate models. Plain Language Summary: Dissolved oxygen in the ocean is fundamental for marine life. While relatively abundant in surface waters, oxygen generally declines with depth as it is consumed by organisms' respiration. In certain regions like the Arabian Sea, oxygen concentrations are too low at depth to support marine animals. These are known as "oxygen minimum zones" (OMZs). At their core, extreme oxygen depletion known as suboxia can also cause a loss of bioavailable nitrogen, essential for phytoplankton growth. Using a series of computer simulations, we show that the sinking of oxygen‐saturated dense waters formed in the Arabian Gulf contributes to oxygen replenishment of the intermediate depths (200–300 m) in the northern Arabian Sea, reducing the intensity of the OMZ and limiting the volume of its suboxic core. We also show that a warming of the Gulf waters consistent with recent observations and future climate projections limits their ability to sink and ventilate the intermediate depths. This results in a strong intensification of the OMZ and an important loss of bioavailable nitrogen. Our findings highlight the importance of semienclosed seas like the Arabian Gulf for the ventilation of the ocean and hence stress the need for improving their representation in climate models. Key Points: Highly saline, oxygen‐saturated Arabian Gulf waters ventilate the Arabian Sea OMZWarming of the Gulf causes reduction of ventilation and expansion of suboxiaWe find nonlinear response of suboxia to warming due to denitrification feedback [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somali upwelling history has been reconstructed for the last 18.5 ka BP based on biogenic silica fluxes estimated from a sediment core retrieved from the western Arabian Sea. Surface winds along the east African coast during the southwest monsoon (SWM) cause the Somali upwelling; thus, the intensity of this upwelling has been related to the variability of the SWM. Biogenic silica flux variation suggests periodic weakening and strengthening of the Somali upwelling. Weakened upwelling during the 18.5-15 ka BP period and strengthened upwelling during the Bølling-Allerød (15-12.9 ka BP) suggest the onset of the SWM. The Younger Dryas (12.9-11.7 ka BP) is marked by reduced upwelling strength, with an intensification of the Somali upwelling observed at the beginning of the Holocene and a further decline at 8 ka BP. The increase in the upwelling strength recorded since 8 ka BP suggests SWM strengthening during the latter part of the Holocene. A comparison of upwelling variations with the SWM precipitation record demonstrates a reversal in the relationship between the strength of the Somali upwelling and SWM rainfall at the beginning of the Holocene. This observed shift has been attributed to the variation in the SWM strength due to the latitudinal shift of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) associated with changes in moisture sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the relationship between the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and the precipitation of Pakistan using data for the period of 1958-2010. The long-term evolution of the IOD index did not show interannual patterns similar to those of the annual precipitation of Pakistan. No linkage between the co-occurring trends of the IOD and the precipitation was traced during the period of investigation. The correlation between the IOD and the precipitation of Pakistan indicated a noteworthy impact over the monsoonal regions, especially the coastal area and the western region of Pakistan, which showed a significant positive correlation between the IOD index and annual and summer precipitation. A significant positive relationship was also revealed between the precipitation of the Balochistan Plateau and the IOD index for the summer monsoon season. No connection was observed between the IOD and the precipitation of the northern regions and the upper Indus Plain of Pakistan. Positive phases of the IOD have been noted to occur along with surplus precipitation during active monsoon conditions. The southeasterly wind moves from the Arabian Sea and transports additional moisture from the Arabian Sea to the coastal and southwestern parts of Pakistan during positive phases of the IOD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study sea surface salinity (SSS) biases and seasonal tendency over the Tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) in the coupled models [Climate Forecasting System version 1 (CFSv1) and version 2 (CFSv2)] are examined with respect to observations. Both CFSv1 and CFSv2 overestimate SSS over the TIO throughout the year. CFSv1 displays improper SSS seasonal cycle over the Bay of Bengal (BoB), which is due to weaker model precipitation and improper river runoff especially during summer and fall. Over the southeastern Arabian Sea (AS) weak horizontal advection associated with East Indian coastal current during winter limits the formation of spring fresh water pool. On the other hand, weaker Somali jet during summer results for reduced positive salt tendency in the central and eastern AS. Strong positive precipitation bias in CFSv1 over the region off Somalia during winter, weaker vertical mixing and absence of horizontal salt advection lead to unrealistic barrier layer during winter and spring. The weaker stratification and improper spatial distribution of barrier layer thickness (BLT) in CFSv1 indicate that not only horizontal flux distribution but also vertical salt distribution displays large discrepancies. Absence of fall Wyrtki jet and winter equatorial currents in this model limit the advection of horizontal salt flux to the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. The associated weaker stratification in eastern equatorial Indian Ocean can lead to deeper mixed layer and negative Sea Surface Temperature (SST) bias, which in turn favor positive Indian Ocean Dipole bias in CFSv1. It is important to note that improper spatial distribution of barrier layer and stratification can alter the air-sea interaction and precipitation in the models. On the other hand CFSv2 could produce the seasonal evolution and spatial distribution of SSS, BLT and stratification better than CFSv1. However CFSv2 displays positive bias in evaporation over the whole domain and negative bias in precipitation over the BoB and equatorial Indian Ocean, resulting net reduction in the fresh water availability. This net reduction in fresh water forcing and the associated weaker stratification lead to deeper (than observed) mixed layer depth and is primarily responsible for the cold SST bias in CFSv2. However overall improvement of mean salinity distribution in CFSv2 is about 30 % and the mean error has reduced by more than 1 psu over the BoB. This improvement is mainly due to better fresh water forcing and model physics. Realistic run off information, better ocean model and high resolution in CFSv2 contributed for the improvement. Further improvement can be achieved by reducing biases in the moisture flux and precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reproducibility and future changes of the onset of the Asian summer monsoon were analyzed based on the simulations and projections under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenario in which anthropogenic emissions continue to rise throughout the 21st century (i.e. RCP8.5) by all realizations from four Chinese models that participated in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). Delayed onset of the monsoon over the Arabian Sea was evident in all simulations for present-day climate, which was associated with a too weak simulation of the low-level Somali jet in May. A consistent advanced onset of the monsoon was found only over the Arabian Sea in the projections, where the advanced onset of the monsoon was accompanied by an increase of rainfall and an anomalous anticyclone over the northern Indian Ocean. In all the models except FGOALS-g2, the enhanced low-level Somali jet transported more water vapor to the Arabian Sea, whereas in FGOALS-g2 the enhanced rainfall was determined more by the increased wind convergence. Furthermore, and again in all models except FGOALS-g2, the equatorial SST warming, with maximum increase over the eastern Pacific, enhanced convection in the central West Pacific and reduced convection over the eastern Indian Ocean and Maritime Continent region, which drove the anomalous anticyclonic circulation over the western Indian Ocean. In contrast, in FGOALS-g2, there was minimal (near-zero) warming of projected SST in the central equatorial Pacific, with decreased convection in the central West Pacific and enhanced convection over the Maritime Continent. The broader-scale differences among the models across the Pacific were related to both the differences in the projected SST pattern and in the present-day simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Making use of the extensive shipboard and aircraft measurements of aerosol properties over the oceanic regions surrounding the Indian peninsula, under the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB) field experiment during the premonsoon season (March-May), supplemented with long-term satellite data and chemical transport model simulations, investigations are made of the east-west and north-south gradients in aerosol properties and estimated radiative forcing, over the oceans around India. An eastward gradient has been noticed in most of the aerosol parameters that persisted both within the marine atmospheric boundary layer and above up to an altitude of ~6 km; the gradients being steeper at higher altitudes. It was also noticed that the north-south gradient has contrasting patterns over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea on the either side of the Indian peninsula. The aerosol-induced atmospheric heating rate increased from a low value of ≤0.1 K day−1 in the southwestern Arabian Sea to as high as ~0.5 K day−1 over the northeastern Bay of Bengal. The simulations of species-resolved spatial gradients have revealed that the observed gradients are the result of the strong modulations by anthropogenic species over the natural gradients, thereby emphasizing the role of human activities in imparting regional forcing. These large spatial gradients in aerosol forcing induced by mostly anthropogenic aerosols over the oceanic regions around the Indian peninsula can potentially affect the regional circulation patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wave data collected off Ratnagiri, west coast of India, during 1 May 2010 to 30 April 2012 are used in this study. Seasonal and annual variations in wave data controlled by the local wind system such as sea breeze and land breeze, and remote wind generated long period waves are also studied. The role of sea breeze on the sea state during pre- and postmonsoon seasons is studied and it is found that the maximum wave height is observed at 15:00 UTC during the premonsoon season, with an estimated difference in time lag of 1-2 h in maximum wave height between premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons. Observed waves are classi- fied in to (i) short waves (Tp <8 s), (ii) intermediate waves (813 s) based on peak period (Tp) and the percentages of occurrence of each category are estimated. Long period waves are observed mainly during the pre- and the postmonsoon seasons. During the southwest monsoon period, the waves with period >13 s are a minimum. An event during 2011 is identified as swells propagated from the Southern Ocean with an estimated travelling time of 5-6 days. The swells reaching the Arabian Sea from the south Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean, due to storms during the pre- and postmonsoon periods, modify the near surface winds due to higher phase wave celerity than the wind speed. Estimation of inverse wave age using large-scale winds such as NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) reflects the presence of cyclonic activity during pre- and postmonsoon seasons but not the effect of the local sea breeze/land breeze wind system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, interannual fluctuations of the mixed layer depth (MLD) in the tropical Indian Ocean are investigated from a long-term (1960-2007) eddy permitting numerical simulation and a new observational dataset built from hydrographic in situ data including Argo data (1969-2008). Both datasets show similar interannual variability patterns in relation with known climate modes and reasonable phase agreement in key regions. Due to the scarcity of the observational dataset, we then largely rely on the model to describe the interannual MLD variations in more detail. MLD interannual variability is two to four times smaller than the seasonal cycle. A large fraction of MLD interannual variations is linked to large-scale climate modes, with the exception of coastal and subtropical regions where interannual signature of small-scale structures dominates. The Indian Ocean Dipole is responsible for most variations in the 10°N-10°S band, with positive phases being associated with a shallow MLD in the equatorial and south-eastern Indian Ocean and a deepening in the south-central Indian Ocean. The El Niño signature is rather weak, with moderate MLD shoaling in autumn in the eastern Arabian Sea. Stronger than usual monsoon jets are only associated with a very modest MLD deepening in the southern Arabian Sea in summer. Finally, positive Indian Ocean Subtropical Dipoles are associated with a MLD deepening between 15 and 30°S. Buoyancy fluxes generally appear to dominate MLD interannual variations except for IOD-induced signals in the south-central Indian Ocean in autumn, where wind stirring and Ekman pumping dominate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of OMZs (oxygen minimum zones) due to climate change and their possible evolution and impacts on the ecosystems and the atmosphere are still debated, mostly because of the unability of global climate models to adequatly reproduce the processes governing OMZs. In this study, we examine the factors controlling the oxygen budget, i.e. the equilibrium between oxygen sources and sinks in the northern Arabian Sea OMZ using an eddy-resolving biophysical model. Our model confirms that the biological consumption of oxygen is most intense below the region of highest productivity in the western Arabian Sea. The oxygen drawdown in this region is counterbalanced by the large supply of oxygenated waters originated from the south and advected horizontally by the western boundary current. Although the biological sink and the dynamical sources of oxygen compensate on annual average, we find that the seasonality of the dynamical transport of oxygen is 3 to 5 times larger than the seasonality of the biological sink. In agreement with previous findings, the resulting seasonality of oxygen concentration in the OMZ is relatively weak, with a variability of the order of 15% of the annual mean oxygen concentration in the oxycline and 5% elsewhere. This seasonality primarily arises from the vertical displacement of the OMZ forced by the monsoonal reversal of Ekman pumping across the basin. In coastal areas, the oxygen concentration is also modulated seasonally by lateral advection. Along the western coast of the Arabian Sea, the Somali Current transports oxygen-rich waters originated from the south during summer and oxygen-poor waters from the northeast during winter. Along the eastern coast of the Arabian Sea, we find that the main contributor to lateral advection in the OMZ is the Indian coastal undercurrent that advects southern oxygenated waters during summer and northern low-oxygen waters during winter. In this region, our model indicates that oxygen concentrations are modulated seasonally by coastal Kelvin waves and westward-propagating Rossby waves. Whereas on seasonal time scales the sources and sinks of oxygen are dominated by the mean vertical and lateral advection (Ekman pumping and monsoonal currents), on annual time scales we find that the biological sink is counterbalanced by the supply of oxygen sustained by mesoscale structures (eddies and filaments). Eddy-driven advection hence promotes the vertical supply of oxygen along the western coast of the Arabian Sea and the lateral transport of ventilated waters offshore the coast of Oman and southwest India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arabian Sea is an important moisture source for Indian monsoon rainfall. The skill of climate models in simulating the monsoon and its variability varies widely, while Arabian Sea cold sea surface temperature (SST) biases are common in coupled models and may therefore influence the monsoon and its sensitivity to climate change. We examine the relationship between monsoon rainfall, moisture fluxes and Arabian Sea SST in observations and climate model simulations. Observational analysis shows strong monsoons depend on moisture fluxes across the Arabian Sea, however detecting consistent signals with contemporaneous summer SST anomalies is complicated in the observed system by air/sea coupling and large-scale induced variability such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation feeding back onto the monsoon through development of the Somali Jet. Comparison of HadGEM3 coupled and atmosphere-only configurations suggests coupled model cold SST biases significantly reduce monsoon rainfall. Idealised atmosphere-only experiments show that the weakened monsoon can be mainly attributed to systematic Arabian Sea cold SST biases during summer and their impact on the monsoon-moisture relationship. The impact of large cold SST biases on atmospheric moisture content over the Arabian Sea, and also the subsequent reduced latent heat release over India, dominates over any enhancement in the land-sea temperature gradient and results in changes to the mean state. We hypothesize that a cold base state will result in underestimation of the impact of larger projected Arabian Sea SST changes in future climate, suggesting that Arabian Sea biases should be a clear target for model development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The southeastern Arabian Sea (SEAS), located in the Indian Ocean warm pool, is a key-region of the regional climate system. It is suspected to play an important role in the dynamics of the Asian summer monsoon system. The present study reports the salient features derived from a newly harvested observational dataset consisting of repeated fortnightly XBT transects in the SEAS over the period 2002–2008. The fortnightly resolution of such a multi-year record duration is unprecedented in this part of the world ocean and provides a unique opportunity to examine the observed variability of the near-surface thermal structure over a wide spectrum, from intra-seasonal to interannual timescales. We find that most of the variability is trapped in the thermocline, taking the form of upwelling and downwelling motions of the thermal stratification. The seasonal variations are consistent with past studies and confirm the role of the monsoonal wind forcing through linear baroclinic waves (coastally-trapped Kelvin and planetary Rossby waves). Sub-seasonal variability takes the form of anomalous events lasting a few weeks to a few months and occurs at two preferred timescales: in the 30–110 day band, within the frequency domain of the Madden–Julian oscillation and in the 120–180 day band. While this sub-seasonal variability appears fairly barotropic in the offshore region, the sign of the anomaly in the upper thermocline is opposite to that in its lower part on many occasions along the coast. Our dataset also reveals relatively large interannual temperature variations of about 1°C from 50 to 200m depth that reflect a considerable year-to-year variability of the magnitude of both upwelling and downwelling events. This study clearly demonstrates the necessity for sustained long-term temperature measurements in the SEAS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

During the second phase of the Arabian Sea Monsoon Experiment (ARMEX-II), extensive measurements of spectral aerosol optical depth, mass concentration, and mass size distribution of ambient aerosols as well as mass concentration of aerosol black carbon (BC) were made onboard a research vessel during the intermonsoon period (i.e., when the monsoon winds are in transition from northeasterlies to westerlies/southwesterlies) over the Arabian Sea (AS) adjoining the Indian Peninsula. Simultaneous measurements of spectral aerosol optical depths (AODs) were made at different regions over the adjoining Indian landmass. Mean AODs (at 500-nm wavelength) over the ocean (∼0.44) were comparable to those over the coastal land (∼0.47), but were lower than the values observed over the plateau regions of central Indian Peninsula (∼0.61). The aerosol properties were found to respond distinctly with respect to change in the trajectories, with higher optical depths and flatter AOD spectra associated with trajectories indicating advection from west Asia, and northwest and west-coastal India. On average, BC constituted only ∼2.2% to total aerosol mass compared to the climatological values of ∼6% over the coastal land during the same season. These data are used to characterize the physical properties of aerosols and to assess the resulting short-wave direct aerosol forcing. The mean values were –27 W m-2 at the surface and -12 W m-2 at the top of the atmosphere (TOA), resulting in a net atmospheric forcing of +15 W m-2. The forcing also depended on the region from where the advection predominates. The surface and atmospheric forcing were in the range -40 to -57 W m-2 and +27 to +39 W m-2, respectively, corresponding to advection from the west Asian and western coastal India where they were as low as -19 and +10 W m-2, respectively, when the advection was mainly from the Bay of Bengal and from central/peninsular India. In all these cases, the net atmospheric forcing (heating) efficiency was lower than the values reported for northern Indian Ocean during northern winter, which is attributed to the reduced BC mass fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]