Exploring the intraseasonal variability of the monsoon: An overview of JASMINE

During the late spring and summer of 1999, three research cruises were conducted in the southern Bay of Bengal as part of a cooperative U.S.-Australian venture. These three surveys constituted the Joint Air-Sea Monsoon Interaction Experiment (JASMINE). A fourth survey was conducted in the same region by an Indian group. The principal aim of the JASMINE was to measure the interaction structure of the ocean and the atmosphere during significant intraseasonal variations of the monsoon. During the second leg of JASMINE, the onset of the monsoon was encountered. Overall, over 70 days of atmospheric, oceanic, interfacial and convective data was collected.

The aim of this talk is to provide an overview of JASMINE, the data collected and some of the early results that have emerged from analyses. At the same time, ideas relating to unanswered questions and some possible next steps in observing the Indian Ocean will be discussed.