Why in the News?
The Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX) at Delhi’s IGI Airport, has marked 10 years of pioneering research on dense winter fog in North India.
![[pib] 10 years of Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX)](https://d18x2uyjeekruj.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/wifex.jpg)
About Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX):
- Purpose: It is a long-term, open-field research project dedicated to studying winter fog—a major hazard in North India.
- Launch: Initiated in 2015 at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
- Lead Institution: Managed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- Supporting Agencies: Supported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting.
- Objective: To understand fog variability, dynamics, and microphysics, and to improve fog forecasting across the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
Key Features:
- Network: Began at Indira Gandhi International Airport; expanded to Jewar Airport (Noida) and Hisar (Haryana).
- Instruments Used: Includes micrometeorology towers, ceilometers, and high-frequency sensors.
- Data Collected: Covers temperature profiles, humidity, wind, turbulence, soil heat flux, and aerosol concentrations.
- Scientific Goal: To model the full fog life cycle and develop operational forecasting systems.
- Next Phase – WiFEX-II:
- Will provide localized, runway-specific fog forecasts.
- Will expand to more airports for real-time winter decision-making.
Outcomes:
- Forecasting Model: A high-resolution fog prediction model with 3-km resolution and 85% accuracy for very dense fog (visibility <200 metres).
- Operational Benefits: Reduced flight delays and diversions; enhanced runway safety.
- Research Insights: Clarified the role of air pollution, urban heat islands, and land-use changes in fog formation.
- Significance:
- Aviation Planning: Helps airlines, pilots, and passengers manage winter fog disruptions.
- Science-Policy Link: Demonstrates successful collaboration between scientific institutions and public policy to address climate and aviation challenges.
| [UPSC 2014] Photochemical smog is a resultant of the reaction among-
Options: (a) NO2, O3 and peroxyacetyl nitrate in the presence of sunlight ** (b) CO2, O2, and peroxyacetyl nitrate in the presence of sunlight (c) CO, CO2, and NO2 at low temperature (d) high concentration of NO2, O3 and CO in the evening |
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