CHENNAI: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has partnered with Finnish Meteorological Institute to establish ‘VAYYU’- Virtual Research Centre on Aerosol-Meteorology Interactions, Himalayan Atmosphere-Cryosphere Interactions, and Urban Air.

A statement said the centre will advance simulations and state-of-the-art atmospheric observations to understand how aerosols influence regional hydro-climate, Himalayan snow and glacier melt, and air quality in Indian megacities.

A memorandum of understanding was signed in this regard.

VAYYU builds on two major joint initiatives. The Rs 10 million CryoSCOPE project, funded by the European Union, SERI (Switzerland) and India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences, operates a supersite in Kargil to study atmosphere-cryosphere-hydrosphere processes and aerosol-driven glacier melt.

The Research Council of Finland-funded CO-ENHANCIN project has enabled a Rs 5 crore urban observatory at IIT-M’s satellite campus in Chennai, equipped with advanced aerosol analysers, lidar profilers, eddy-covariance flux towers, rain radar and sky imagers to investigate land-atmosphere interactions and aerosol-cloud-rain dynamics.

The collaboration strengthens Indo-Finnish cooperation in climate science, urban sustainability and environmental modelling.

By combining IIT-M’s expertise in atmospheric modelling and engineering solutions with FMI’s strengths in aerosol science and weather prediction, VAYYU aims to deliver robust climate-risk assessments and policy-relevant tools for sustainable development.