Atmospheric Research Testbed-ART facility in Sehore, MP Inaugurated

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju inaugurated two research facilities: the Atmospheric Research Testbed-ART facility in Silkheda, Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh and the Coastal Research Laboratory (CRL) in Dolphin’s Nose area, Visakhapatnam.

Atmospheric Research Testbed 

• The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) has launched a groundbreaking project known as the Atmospheric Research Testbed (ART) to advance our understanding of atmospheric dynamics and bolster weather prediction capabilities. 
• The inauguration of ART marks a significant milestone in India's quest to become a leader in atmospheric research and forecasting.
• ART is a one-of-a-kind observational facility located in Bhopal which commenced construction in early 2018. 
• Its state-of-the-art instruments are designed to record several critical parameters which will be fed into enhancing weather models and enabling advanced studies on the Indian monsoons. 
• The facility will help us better comprehend cloud systems, land-atmospheric systems, and the tracking of low-pressure systems and depressions.
• Rainfall associated with these systems during the monsoon season has become erratic with climate change. 
• The data obtained from the ART facility will be assimilated and used to improve forecasts. 
• The facility boasts almost 25 high-end instruments, such as aethalometer for aerosol studies, cloud condensation nuclei counter, laser ceilometer to measure cloud sizes, micro rain radar to calculate raindrop size and distribution. 
• Also, Ka-band cloud radar and C-band doppler weather radar will aid in tracking the movement of rain-bearing systems over this region.

Coastal Research Laboratory (CRL) 

• The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune is leading research efforts at a groundbreaking testbed facility that cost Rs 125 crore to build. Meanwhile, the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) in Chennai will host and coordinate activities at the CRL. 
• During the June to September southwest monsoon season, India typically receives around 70% of its annual rainfall. 
• The interaction between southwest monsoon winds and low pressure systems or depressions moving westward sustains rainfall over the core monsoon zone, which encompasses rain-fed agricultural areas spanning from Gujarat to West Bengal across central India. 
• Sehore's Silkheda region is directly in the path of rain-bearing systems originating in the Bay of Bengal, making it an ideal location to study the characteristics of these systems as well as the properties of the clouds they contain.