Indonesia use radar to observe monsoon winds

Indonesia's National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN) is developing a model Indonesian Monsoon Index using data from the Equatorial Atmosphere Radar (EAR) to detect monsoons to determine the beginning of the planting season, the Jakarta Post reported here on Monday.With Indonesia's location on the equator and huge ocean mass, the country has a role as one of the largest "heat keepers" for giant cloud formations.The rotating antenna radar helps reveal the dynamics of Indonesia's atmosphere. It can monitor wind turbulence and velocity in 3D from 1.5 to 20 kilometers, or from troposphere to below stratosphere."The radar can detect strong monsoon signal in the stratosphere layer and beyond. It can also be used to see the East- West wind movement, especially the Walker Circulation, which is one important parameter to estimate El Nino and Southern Oscillation in Indonesia," LAPAN researcher Eddy Hermawan said.He added that before they apply the EAR results to sectors such as agriculture, forestry and plantations, they should ideally merge the data with Indonesian climate models.He explained that the EAR radar was not a super radar and that they should incorporate the data recorded by the EAR with other equipment, such as a radiometer, an optical rain gauge and a micro rain radar.Ten years ago, the LAPAN and Kyoto University's Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH) started operating the radar in Kototabang, West Sumatra province.The EAR is one of the radar chains besides the Mesosphere Stratosphere Troposphere radar in Peru and India designed to observe atmospheric phenomenon in equatorial areas that affect the global climate.