Blue pages

December 01

Meteorology

SHALL WE RECORD IT IN AV?

Climate change. Scientists confirm that global warming is happening. And as usual in research, each finding gives birth to a new batch of questions: what are the global scenarios? how many degrees more? what about the behaviour of oceans? patterns of seasons and rainfall? how will nature go through?
Pessimistic previsions abound, whereas proactive formulations are unattended: how is it possible to mitigate climate change locally? Undoubtedly, to monitor local change, to act and to check the efficiency of actions, one needs meteo data.
Main winds, velocity and direction, alteration of monsoon patterns, solar radiation, air moisture, temperature, precipitation… these impact on architecture, energy, land planing, agriculture, and so on.
Unfortunately the station in Aurodam is in the middle of a grown forest and the instruments have stretched far beyond their lifespan to be accurate. We could shift it, have the skills to manage the dataloggers, but to replace the old instruments we need your financial help: Rs. 1,50,000. Specified contributions are welcome on P.T. account of HARVEST.

For any detail feel free to contact Tom (622333 or 622687)

Daily rainfall recorded for the month of November 2001 (manually recorded at 6.00 am)

Total 2001(till Nov): 958.4. Total average (till Nov): 1053.4. Total yearly average 1227. We need another 270 mm to meet the average. The latest approximate date for the withdrawal of the monsoon concerned is around 20th of December. Will we get the balance in 2 two weeks?

Comparison of November rainfall with previous years and average

LOCAL WEATHER SCENARIO

Most of us wonder why rainfall varies from place to place. You might have got drenched in Kuilapalayam but there wouldn't be anything in Certitude. Sometime it rains in Alankuppam but not in Edayanchavady. Why? Of course it is a matter of condensation and direction of Wind flow.

You may know at larger level the Coastal, Forest and Hilly places get proportionally more rain than the other places. At micro level the difference may not be more. The meagre difference is not a matter to the public; it only matters to Researchers and Developers. The micro level climate studies can give you the error free derivation from the calculations like runoff, infiltration and other water related studies.

Harvest - concerned with above reasons, embarked an initiative for the micro level weather studies in the Auroville bioregion. We distributed 14 rainguages and thermometers to the village volunteers who are participating in Harvest's Hydrological extension study using participatory methodology. The Tamil Nadu Council for Science and Technology sponsored the study.

Appropriate training was provided to the volunteers to record the rainfall data and temperature. The data collected from these volunteers helps us to generate maps, which indicate the exact rainfall scenario of the region.

The Region map below developed from the Annual rainfall of 2000 (Recorded in each station from 1st of January to 31st Dec, 2000 at 6.00 am).

Contact: Murugaian at harvest@auroville.org.in