Sidha Sankalpa Moharana
Ph.D. Candidate in Atmosphere and Ocean Sciences at IIT Bhubaneswar
Welcome to my personal webpage! I am a passionate researcher (CSIR-SRF) focusing on the current changes in global tropical cyclone activity. My work involves analyzing the historical as well as future trends of tropical cyclone activity and associated drivers. I am always eager to explore new ideas and collaborate on exciting projects.
View CVResearch Interests
My research lies at the intersection of Oceanography, Atmospheric Science, and Space Weather. I am particularly interested in the following areas:
Tropical Cyclones
Recent changes in the tropical cyclone activity in the global oceans due to climate change.
Troposphere-Ionosphere Interactions
Coupling of the Ionosphere with the Troposphere via gravity waves.
Transient Luminous Events
Very short-lived electrical phenomena in the upper atmosphere, also known as upper atmospheric lightning.
Technical Skills & Projects
A showcase of my programming abilities and a few projects I've worked on.
My Toolkit
Languages
Libraries & Data
Tools & Models
Properties of Mesoscale Convective Systems & TLEs
A summer research project characterizing 10 Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) and their parent thunderstorm properties over central India.
ESCS Fani: Troposphere-Ionosphere Coupling Study
Analyzing the meteorological and electrical properties of Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Fani, focusing on its role in coupling the lower and upper atmosphere.
Automated Campus Weather Data System
Developed and deployed an end-to-end system to fetch data from a ground station, process it into hourly stats and plots, and automatically update the campus weather website.
Experience
August 2020 - September 2025
PhD Candidate
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar, India
- My current work is based on the recent increases in tropical cyclone activity in the global oceans and their influencing factors.
August 2019 - April 2020
External MS Student
KSKGRL, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Prayagraj, India
- My work was based on the Troposphere-Ionosphere interactions during extreme weather events.
August 2019 - December 2019
Teaching Assistant
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, India
- I was a teaching assistant for the course "Introduction to Computer Sciences - CS1101" for UG students at IISER Kolkata.
- My responsibilities included teaching programming with Python, grading assignments and proctoring tests.
May 2018 - July 2018
Summer Intern
KSKGRL, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Prayagraj, India
- The occurrences of electrical discharges over the cloud systems and sometimes reaching the base of Ionosphere, known as Transient Luminous Events or TLEs were investigated over the Indian subcontinent.
Education
2020 - 2025
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Atmosphere and Ocean Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar, India
2015 - 2020
BS - MS Dual Degree in Geological Sciences
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, India
2013 - 2015
I.Sc. with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology
Banki Junior College, Banki, India
Publications
Ray, S., Moharana, S. S., Nag, A., and Swain, D. (2025). "Evaluation of Oceansat-3 gridded wind accuracy for low to extreme wind speed conditions." International Journal of Remote Sensing.
Patil, O. M., Moharana, S. S., Maurya, A. K., Parihar, N., Singh, R., and Dimri, A. P. . (2024). "Role of Lightning Activity in Deciphering Atmospheric Gravity Waves (AGWs) Induced D-Region Ionospheric Perturbations During Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) Fani." Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics.
Moharana, S. S., and Swain, D. (2023). "On the recent increase in Atlantic Ocean hurricane activity and influencing factors." Natural Hazards.
Ray, S., Moharana, S. S., and Swain, D. (2022). " Ocean response to Tropical Cyclone “Asani”: Surface cooling restricted by Coastal Downwelling. [Preprint]" Research Square.
Achievements
Year - 2025
Qualified GATE2025 - Geology and Geophysics
Organised by IIT Roorkee
Year - 2024
Received DST-SERB International Travel Grant to attend AOGS 2024 in South Korea.
Awarding Agency: Dept. of Science & Technology, Govt. of India
Year - 2019
Qualified CSIR JRF - Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences
Organised by CSIR/National Testing Agency
Year - 2015-2020
Received INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education
Awarding Agency: Dept. of Science & Technology, Govt. of India
Year - 2015
Received Medhabruti Scholarship
Awarding Agency: Govt. of Odisha
Year - 2012-2015
Received Pathani Samanta Mathematics Scholarship
Awarding Agency: Govt. of Odisha
Gallery
Get In Touch
I'm always open to discussing research, new projects, and collaboration opportunities. Feel free to reach out!
My Address
108B, School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar
Argul, Khordha, Odisha, India - 752050