Abstract
The United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) organized a virtual session on "The Oceans and the Monsoon" on Thursday, June 25, 2020, from 5 pm to 6.15 pm IST. Mr. Moulik D. Berkana, Cultural Affairs Officer, the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai, presented the opening remarks followed by a Special Address by Dr. M. Rajeevan, Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi. Three of Fulbright alumni viz Dr. Venkatesan (NIOT Chennai), Prof Amit Tandon (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) presented their views on this hugely intricate and complex but interesting topic of the interplay of the oceans, land and the atmosphere. There were 1164 persons registered and 599 attendees from India and the USA. The monsoon is a hugely complex and chaotic phenomenon that involves an intricate interplay among the oceans, land, and the atmosphere. Oceans around India play a crucial role in bringing in and sustaining the monsoons. The study of oceanic patterns are an important indicator for farmers and policymakers to know the time and duration of the active monsoonal season. This also necessitates an accurate prediction of the phase and amplitude of sub-seasonal variations.