India Flora and Fauna

For any body interested in the flora and fauna of India then explore the Wikipedia online encyclopedia. Only yesterday I read an article in the Irish Times newspaper about how the Indian Ocean influences the climate of the entire Asian subcontinent, even as far away as Australia. Farmers in Australia are now making use of weather data gathered from RAMA. The following article from Scientific American demonstrates how the Indian Ocean weather data is being utilized:

"Data from the network, called the research moored array for African-Asian-Australian monsoon analysis and prediction (RAMA), would also help scientists better predict the impacts of phenomena such as the Indian Ocean Dipole, a fluctuation in ocean surface temperatures.

When it is in a negative phase, it creates cool water west of Australia and warm Timor Sea water to the north. In a positive phase, the pattern of Indian Ocean temperatures is reversed, weakening the winds and reducing the amount of moisture picked up and transported across Australia.

Australian farmers were already using forecasting data about the dipole to plan their cropping."

Scientific American, (Editing by David Fox), May 6, 2009

Amazing how such a body of warm water can have a such a far reaching impact.