Research
Research interests
- Physical Oceanography
- Climate variability
- Monsoon
- Tropical Meteorology
- Ocean-Atmosphere coupling
Current research
Increasing flood and drought severity under climate change poses a major societal challenge, particularly across monsoon-dependent regions. In a warming climate, enhanced atmospheric moisture capacity is expected to intensify hydrological contrasts—amplifying wet and dry regimes, seasonal variability, and extreme events. However, while the thermodynamic intensification of the hydrological cycle is relatively well understood, the role of ocean-driven changes in atmospheric moisture transport remains far less constrained.
My research focuses on the evolving hydrological cycle over the Indian Peninsula and Maritime Southeast Asia, where monsoon rainfall is strongly coupled to oceanic moisture sources. I investigate how ocean warming—particularly in the Indian Ocean—modulates evaporation, moisture transport pathways, and tropical rain bands, ultimately shaping regional monsoon variability and extremes.
Using a combination of observations, reanalysis products, and climate model simulations, I develop and apply novel diagnostics to identify the oceanic “fingerprints” on atmospheric moisture transport and precipitation. This includes quantifying the relative roles of thermodynamic and dynamic processes, and examining how ocean–atmosphere interactions influence emerging extremes such as the recent catastrophic flooding events across South Asia.
By advancing our understanding of how ocean warming alters regional moisture supply and monsoon behaviour, my work aims to improve the physical basis for predicting hydrological extremes in densely populated and climate-vulnerable regions.