Drivers of climate over the Western Himalayan region of India: A review

• Published in: Earth-science reviews 2019-11, Vol.198, p.102935, Article 102935
• Main Authors: Das, Lalu, Meher, Jitendra Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Feedback; Local climate; Natural Hazards; Review; Western Himalayan Region
• ISSN: 0012-8252; 1872-6828
• DOI: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2019.102935

The Himalayas popularly known as the ‘Third Pole’ and ‘Water tower’ of Asia has attracted global attention under the context of climate change as rainfall in this region has decreased drastically, and temperature has risen very rapidly in the last century. Present study was attempted to quantify such abnormal warming and unexpected declining trend of rainfall vis-à-vis to identify factors influencing such abnormal behavior over the complex physiographical region technically known as Western Himalaya Region (WHR) through the available literature therein. It was revealed that frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall and temperature events have risen due to the variation of local weather events while mean climate has altered due to the influence of large-scale circulations like the Indian monsoon, Western Disturbances, and change in teleconnection pattern. Why the WHR has been a hotspot of several hazards like the cloudburst, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), convective storms, and forest fires in the past have been answered with appropriate evidence. Feedback from different atmospheric factors like snow-albedo, black carbon, and other suspended particulates was discussed in details to understand the complex nature of the Himalayan climate. WHR may face higher magnitude of heavy and extreme rainfall because of its accelerated warming. Information assembled in the present paper will be considered as a valuable resource document for the remote and vulnerable geographical locations of WHR, where research and developmental activities lag due to unavailability of adequate data and its quality and insufficient information and its proper access in a concise form. •Major circulation system in WHR: WD in winter, monsoon in rainy season, medium to large size convective system, and westerly winds in premonsoon.•1970–2000 declining trend of annual and monsoon rainfall was due to weakening of teleconnection between monsoon rainfall, and NAO and SOI.•Dryline convection in WHR generates the thunderstorms. Cloudburst are convectively triggered followed by orographically locked systems.•Winter warming in WHR due to absorbing aerosols, and BC. Premonsoon warming due to water vapor and BC. Low monsoon warming due to wet deposition on suspended particles.