Important Facts For Prelims
Equatorial Indian Ocean Monsoon Oscillation (EQUINOO)
- 11 Sep 2019
- 1 min read
Recently, the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc), Bengluru has released a study about Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillation (EQUINOO) and its effects over Indian Summer Monsoon.
- Positive phase of Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillation (EQUINOO) is favourable to the Indian summer monsoon.
- Summer monsoon of 2019 picked up steam despite a delayed start due to increased cloud formation which is a feature of a positive phase of EQUINOO.
EQUINOO
- It is an oscillation between enhanced cloud formation and rainfall over the Western Equatorial Indian Ocean (WEIO) and suppressed clouding over the Eastern Equatorial Indian Ocean (EEIO), west of Sumatra.
- A positive EQUINOO phase is when the surface sea temperature in WEIO is above 27.5 degree Celsius leading to enhanced clouding, which is then suppressed in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean.
- Positive phase of the ‘Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillation (EQUINOO)
- Enhanced cloud formation and rainfall in western part of the equatorial ocean near the African coast, whereas this activity is suppressed near Sumatra.
- This phase produces good rains over India.
