February 8th, 2010 Category: Mountains, Rivers

India - January 26th, 2010

The dark brown area parallel to the coast in this image of central-eastern India is part of the Eastern Ghats, a discontinuous range of mountains along India’s eastern coast.

The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa (Odisha) and Andhra Pradesh (both visible here) to Tamil Nadu in the south. The mountain ranges run parallel to the Bay of Bengal.

The Deccan Plateau lies to the west of the range, between the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats. The coastal plains lies between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal.

A range of low hills lie between the Krishna River (furthest south, near bottom) and the Godavari River (just up the coast from the former), but north of the Godavari the Eastern Ghats increase again in height, forming the boundary between Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

Tags: Andhra Pradesh Bay of Bengal Deccan Plateau Eastern Ghats Godavari River India Krishna River Odisha Orissa |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

January 13th, 2010 Category: Rivers

Bangladesh - January 8th, 2010

Sediments from several rivers enter the Bay of Bengal and create a thick tan stain in its waters off the coasts of Bangladesh (center) and northeastern India (lower left). The most prominent of these rivers is the Brahmaputra, appearing as a tan ribbon flowing downwards from the upper right quadrant. The Ganges River can also be seen, entering from the center left.

To the north of the snow-capped Himalayas is part of the Tibetan lakes region, in China, on the Tibetan Plateau. South of the mountains the fertile land of India and Bangladesh appears hazy to due smoke from agricultural fires.

Other visible countries include Myanmar (right), Bhutan (in the mountains, just north of Bangladesh) and Nepal (also in the mountains, to the left, between Tibet and India).

Tags: Bangladesh Bay of Bengal Bhutan Brahmaputra River China Ganges River India Myanmar Nepal Sediments Tibet Tibetan Lakes Region Tibetan Plateau |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

November 22nd, 2009 Category: Image of the day

Sri Lanka - November 12th, 2009

The island of Sri Lanka lies in the Indian Ocean, to the southwest of the Bay of Bengal and to the southeast of the Arabian Sea. It is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait.

The island consists mostly of flat-to-rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central part. This mountainous area of the country is depicted here in this orthorectified image. Amongst these is the highest point Pidurutalagala, reaching 2,524 metres (8,280 ft) above sea level.

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October 18th, 2009 Category: Lakes, Rivers

India - September 24th, 2009

Greenish sediments line the east coast of India near the estuary of the Penner River (above) and Pulicat Lake (below). Here, the tan-colored Penner flows eastward across the plain of Coastal Andhra, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal 15 km east of Nellore at a place called Utukuru. The estuary of the Penner River extends 7km upstream from the Bay of Bengal.

Pulicat Lake, straddling the border of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh states on the Coromandal Coast, is the second largest brackish-water lake or lagoon in India. The lake is separated from the Bay of Bengal by the barrier island of Sriharikota, which is home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Tags: Andhra Pradesh Bay of Bengal Coromandal Coast Estuary India Nellore Penner River Pulicat Lake Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sediments Sriharikota Island Tamil Nadu Utukuru |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

June 16th, 2009 Category: Rivers

India - June 8th, 2009

The Krishna River, whose name translates to “the Dark-Colored River”, is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India at about 1300 km in length.

The Krishna rises at Mahabaleswar in Maharashtra, in the west, and meets the Bay of Bengal at Hamasaladeevi in Andhra Pradesh, on the east coast. The delta of the river is one the most fertile regions in Bharat.

Ecologically, this is one of the disastrous rivers in the world, in that it causes heavy soil erosion during the monsoon season, when it flows fast and furious, often reaching depths of over 75 feet (23 m).

The highest degree of erosion occurs between June and August. During this time, Krishna takes fertile soil from Maharashtra, Karnataka and western Andhra Pradesh towards the delta region. Here, such sediments can be seen spilling into the Bay of Bengal and framing the coastline.

Tags: Andhra Pradesh Bay of Bengal Bharat Erosion Hamasaladeevi India Krishna River Sediments |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

May 26th, 2009 Category: Tropical Cyclones

Tropical Cyclone 02B (Aila) - May 26th, 2009

TC 02B color composite

Tropical Cyclone 02B (Aila), over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and adjoining parts of Bangladesh, has moved further northward and weakened into a deep depression.

The cyclone made landfall yesterday, slamming into the coastal areas of eastern India and Bangladesh with 110 kph winds, killing at least 17 people and leaving thousands homeless.

Aila, which is currently located approximately 105 nautical miles north of Kolkata (Calcutta), India, has tracked northward at 13 knots over the past six hours.

The system still has a defined low level circulation center with a defined convective band wrapping around the northern periphery into the center.

TC 02B has been moving into an increasingly hostile environment with moderate vertical wind shear and interaction from land during the last 6 hours.

As of this morning it lay centred over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, about 50 km to the north of Malda. The system is likely to move in a near northerly direction, and continue to gradually lose strength overland as it moves into an increasingly dry environment. It is forecast to weaken into a depression during next six hours.

Under its influence, rainfall at most places is heavy, with some isolated extremely heavy falls greater than 25cm likely over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, and Assam and Meghalaya for the next 24 hours. In these areas, squall-like wind speeds reaching 50-60kph are also expected during the next 12 hours.

Rain and thundershowers are also likely at many places with isolated heavy falls over Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram and Tripura during the next 24 hours.

After Aila made landfall, mud embankments in West Bengal burst as heavy rains swelled the rivers, reports CBC news. In Kolkata, West Bengal’s state capital, trees were uprooted and communication lines were brought down. At least 10 people died in West Bengal because of collapsed buildings and fallen trees.

Meanwhile, the storm triggered tidal waves in the Bay of Bengal that slammed into low-lying coastal Bangladesh, damaging thousands of houses, and killing at least seven people.

Thousands of people were evacuated from the Khulna district ahead of the storm but about 15,000 people are believed to still be stranded in eight flooded villages.

Tags: 02B Aila Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bangladesh Bay of Bengal Calcutta Himalayas Khulna Kolkata Malda Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Sikkim Tidal Wave Tripura Tropical Cyclone West Bengal |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

May 25th, 2009 Category: Tropical Cyclones

Tropical Cyclone 02B (Aila) - May 24th, 2009

TC 02B enhanced image

Track of TC 02B

Tropical Cyclone 02B (Aila), located approximately 130 nautical miles south of Kolkata (Calcutta), India, has accelerated northward at 12 knots over the past six hours. Maximum significant wave height is 20 feet.

Animated water vapor imagery shows radial outflow has improved and convective bands have consolidated around a more symmetrical low level circulation center.

Aila is being steered under the subtropical ridge axis by a mid-level anti-cyclone to the east-southeast.

Environmental analysis indicates low vertical wind shear values of 10 knots aloft and along-track sea surface temperatures in excess of 28 Celsius. Both of these factors will sustain the system before it makes landfall south of Kolkata before TAU 12.

People along the Bay of Bengal coastline from Orissa, India to Bangladesh have been advised to be prepared for affects of TC 02B as it travels north towards the India – Bangladesh border region. When the cyclone makes landfall, wind speed is expected to be approximately 70 mph, or near hurricane strength.

Aila could bring torrential rains causing widespread flooding in West Bengal, Bangladesh, and the Kolkata metro region, with a population of 15 million. Other potential problems include infrastructure damage from flooding and wind damage to poorly constructed buildings.

Tags: 02B Aila Bangladesh Bay of Bengal Calcutta India Kolkata Orissa Tropical Cyclone West Bengal |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Comments (1)

April 16th, 2009 Category: Tropical Cyclones

Tropical Cyclone 01B (Bijli) - April 16th, 2009

TC 01B

Tropical Cyclone 01B (Bijli), located approximately 145 nautical miles east-southeast of Visakhapatnam, India, has tracked north-northwestward at 6 knots over the last 6 hours. The intensity remains at 45 knots, and maximum significant wave height is 13 feet.

The cyclone is currently situated in-between a pair of anticyclones over Myanmar and India. The NOGAPS model fields show a weak shortwave trough moving north of the system, helping induce a turn back to the East between TAU 12 and 24.

Additionally, the anticyclone over Myanmar will build south of Bijli, further steering the cyclone to the east. TC 01B is expected to make landfall near the Bangladesh/Myanmar border prior to TAU 72.

The NOGAPS and ECMWF continue to predict similar tracks; however, GFS and EGRR continue to have a much weaker depiction of the storm and do not forecast the turn to the East.

Warm sea surface temperatures and the 200 mb anticyclone aloft favor moderate intensification to 60 knots prior to landfall.

Tags: 01B Bangladesh Bay of Bengal Bijli India Indian Ocean Myanmar Tropical Cyclone Visakhapatnam |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

April 15th, 2009 Category: Tropical Cyclones

Tropical Cyclone 01B - April 15th, 2009

TC 01B - enhanced image

Tropical Cyclone 01B, located approximately 375 nautical miles east of Chennai, India, has tracked west-northwestward at 6 knots over the past 6 hours.

Recent imagery indicates that increased deep convection has persisted over a well organized low level circulation center (LLCC).

TC 01B has begun to increase track speed over the past 6 hours from a quasi-stationary position and is tracking to the west-northwest.

A mid-level ridge located over India and another mid-level ridge located over southeast Asia have caused a weak steering environment over the past 24 hours.

However, in the last 6 hours the increase in track speed suggests that the ridging to the west of the cyclone has become more of a dominant influence and will help to track the system to the west-northwest and eventually turn it more northward.

Upper level analysis indicates that there is subsidence on the northern periphery of the LLCC, which will hinder outflow in the poleward channel, leaving only the equatorward outflow.

Track of TC 01B

Based on the single channel outflow and interaction with the upper level subsidence over the northern portion of the Bay of Bengal, the forecast intensifies TC 01B at a climatological rate through TAU 48 with only small increases beyond that time.

Sea surface temperatures and vertical wind shear are favorable for increased development
throughout the forecast period. Maximum significant wave height is 12 feet.

Tags: 01B Bay of Bengal Chennai India Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclone |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment