Research Moored Array for African-Asian-Australian Monsoon Analysis and Prediction

The Research Moored Array for African-Asian-Australian Monsoon Analysis and Prediction, also known as RAMA, is a system of moored observation buoys in the Indian Ocean that collects meteorological and oceanographic data. The data collected by RAMA will greatly enhance the ability of scientists to understand climatic events and predict monsoon events. Climatic and oceanic events in the Indian Ocean affect weather and climate throughout the rest of the world (such as El Niño, hurricanes, and United States weather), so RAMA will support weather forecasting and climate research worldwide. Although widely supported internationally, the system has only been partially implemented (as of 2012^[update]) due to pirate activity off the coast of Somalia.

Although the data coverage for the Indian Ocean has been poor, it has not been non-existent. Satellites have been taking measurements, but those measurements require validation in situ. Some nations, like India and Australia, operate national ocean observing programs. Researchers have mounted observing equipment on ships of opportunity to take measurements. Also, the Argo float system has taken data in the Indian Ocean. What RAMA will contribute is large scale, long term data with high temporal resolution. High temporal resolution will allow rapid changes to be captured. With the installation of RAMA, the Indian Ocean will have a basin-wide observing system similar to TAO/TRITON in the Pacific Ocean and PIRATA in the tropical Atlantic. RAMA will complete the worldwide network of tropical ocean observing buoys, which will help with modeling and forecasting.The data RAMA collects will facilitate the study of "ocean-atmosphere interactions, mixed layer dynamics, and ocean circulation related to the monsoon on intraseasonal to decadal time scales."

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