Long‐term annual surface heat and water balances over Canada and the United States South of 60°N: Reconciliation of precipitation, run‐off and temperature fields

Abstract

Abstract The analysis compares the observed field of run‐off (assumed correct) with adjusted precipitation over North America (as amended by den Hartog and LeDrew over Canada) and derives the principal hydroclimatological ratios for each five‐degree latitude‐longitude square. The amended precipitation field yields values of the Budyko dry ness index close to values suggested by the vegetation distribution. The Priestley‐Taylor parameter, α, lies between unity (equilibrium) and potential (1.26) values over much of humid North America, but exceeds these values in the northwest Pacific squares, where advective heating may be the cause. Other regions of strong seasonal advective heating (e.g. the Great Plains) do not appear to influence the distribution strongly. A weighted convective forcing temperature is derived, varying from 298 K in the extreme south to below 285 K in the north. This function (and the Bowen ratio) achieve improbable values in northern Labrador‐ Ungava. The precipitation, run‐off and net ...