Summer monsoon convection in the Himalayan region: terrain and land cover effects

Abstract During the Asian summer monsoon, convection occurs frequently near the Himalayan foothills. However, the nature of the convective systems varies dramatically from the western to eastern foothills. The analysis of high‐resolution numerical simulations and available observations from two case‐studies and of the monsoon climatology indicates that this variation is a result of region‐specific orographically modified flows and land surface flux feedbacks. Convective systems containing intense convective echo occur in the western region as moist Arabian Sea low‐level air traverses desert land, where surface flux of sensible heat enhances buoyancy. As the flow approaches the Himalayan foothills, the soil may provide an additional source of moisture if it was moistened by a previous precipitation event. Low‐level and elevated layers of…