scintillometer for 9 November 2025

Scintillometer Latest News

Recently, a scintillometer was installed at the Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute (TRRI), Aduthurai, Tamil Nadu.

About Scintillometer

• It is an optical instrument that measures heat and moisture exchange between the land surface and the atmosphere. 

Working of Scintillometer

• It operates by transmitting a light beam between two fixed points.
• Minute, rapid fluctuations in the beam caused by turbulent air known as scintillations are analysed to estimate heat transfer from the land to the atmosphere.
• It was installed recently in an existing suite of sensors at the TRRI Critical Zone Observatory (CZO).

Key Facts about Critical Zone Observatory of Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute

• It was established under Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) with support from the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS), and became fully operational in 2022.
• It is one of three such observatories in India and the only one in Tamil Nadu.
• The site records weather parameters, soil moisture and direct air–surface fluxes; the scintillometer now provides direct estimates of sensible heat flux.
• Main Instruments at about Critical Zone Observatory Site: Automatic Weather Station, COSMOS soil-moisture sensor, pan evaporimeter and eddy-covariance tower.
• Functions:
  • The site records weather parameters, soil moisture and direct air–surface fluxes; the scintillometer now provides direct estimates of sensible heat flux.
  • These observations improve estimates of evapotranspiration, soil moisture and local microclimate, directly supporting irrigation planning and local forecasts.
  • The observatory will generate long-term datasets on meteorological, canopy and hydrological parameters for the Cauvery delta.
• Advantages: These are crucial for managing water and crops in this climate-sensitive agricultural region.
• It would strengthen climate-resilient decision-making in the Cauvery delta.

Source: TH