Mascarene High
Topic: Climate of India and the Monsoon · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Mascarene High is a semi-permanent high-pressure area in the southern Indian Ocean, near Mauritius. A high-pressure area is a place where the air presses down more heavily, and winds blow outward from it. "Semi-permanent" means it is present for most of the year, though its strength changes.
In summer, air flows from this high across the equator towards the low over northwest India. When the Mascarene High is strong, this cross-equatorial flow is stronger and the southwest monsoon is more vigorous. When it is weak, the flow slackens. Forecasters watch it as one of the controls of monsoon strength.
Example
The high sits near Mauritius and the Mascarene Islands, east of Madagascar. Winds from it travel northwards across the equator and reach the Kerala coast as the southwest monsoon.
Don't confuse with
- ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone): the ITCZ is a low-pressure belt where winds meet and air rises. The Mascarene High is a high-pressure area that pushes air out towards that low.