Precipitation and aerosol studies in India.

In India, rain water and atmospheric aerosols are observed to be alkaline in nature due to the influence of soil-derived particles which are rich in components like Ca and Mg. These components increase the neutralization potential of rain water and have a greater influence at rural site compared to urban site. However, if there are continuous rains, the concentration of crustal components becomes lower resulting in lower pH of rain water. Unlike the characteristics of rain water on continent, the pH of rain water has been observed to be acidic in all the events over the Indian Ocean during Pre-campaigns of Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX). The possible reason for acidic rains over Indian Ocean could be the anthropogenic contribution from continent transported by NE winds coming towards the ocean during this period.