Moisture variability over the South American Altiplano during the South American Low Level Jet Experiment (SALLJEX) observing season

Abstract

During the austral summer, precipitation over the high‐altitude plateau of the South American Altiplano exhibits a marked intraseasonal variability which has been associated with alternating moist and dry conditions observed at surface stations near the Altiplano western cordillera. In this study the characteristics of humid (wet) and dry (dry) episodes observed at a station on the western rim of the Altiplano during the summer of 2002–2003 are examined using observational data from the South American Low Level Jet Experiment (SALLJEX) and satellite‐based estimates of precipitable water (PW) from Global Positioning System, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer, and Passive Microwave Radiometer instruments. We find that on wet days, mean moist conditions (PW greater than 10 mm) prevail across the entire plateau. This moisture is apparently brought to the Altiplano by sustained westward advection of air at similar altitude above the continental basin and propagates across the Altiplano to moisten the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean a considerable distance (>1000 km) west of the plateau. In contrast, during dry events, significant drying of the boundary layer is observed mainly along the western mountain range and over the southern Altiplano. There is no evidence of strong midlevel advection of dry air across the northern Altiplano, and moisture remains constant and high over the northern basin and along the Altiplano eastern ridge. Consequently, precipitation and convective cloudiness show the strongest relation to moisture along the western cordillera of the Altiplano. Significant diurnal variability of moisture is found to occur most strongly on the outer slopes of the Altiplano. There is little indication that daytime upslope flow on the eastern slope of the Altiplano plays a major role in the transport of moisture to the Altiplano during wet episodes.