The Indian summer monsoon is characterized as a deep tropospheric circulation system (extending through a substantial depth of the atmosphere), carrying moisture-laden (moist) air masses from the surrounding oceans, and exhibiting baroclinic structure (with significant horizontal temperature gradients and associated vertical wind shear, particularly related to the contrast between the heated Asian landmass and the cooler ocean, and the presence of features like the tropical easterly jet); it is not a barotropic system, since a barotropic atmosphere would have no horizontal temperature gradients and winds independent of height, which does not describe the vertically sheared, thermally contrasting monsoon circulation.