Text & Design: Bharti Dharapuram
Early explanations of the monsoon attributed it to greater heating of land during summer, which creates low pressure that draws in moisture-laden winds from the sea. However, that is only part of the picture. More recent theory invokes energy differences in the atmosphere, which move around heat and moisture that shape the monsoon.
A recent study used simulations where the Earth’s rotation was reversed to discover that a monsoon develops over the Sahara. Changing the Earth’s spin affects atmospheric circulation, leading to water vapour converging over the Sahara, trapping outgoing heat and attracting more moisture. This leads to the emergence of the monsoon.
Reference: Jalihal, C., & Mikolajewicz, U. (2026). Energetics of monsoons and deserts: Role of surface albedo vs water vapor feedback. Earth System Dynamics, 17(2), 319–331. https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-319-2026