Andes Of Peru Research Articles

Chemical Characterization of PM2.5 at Rural and Urban Sites around the Metropolitan Area of Huancayo (Central Andes of Peru)

The purpose of this study was to determine PM2.5 mass concentration and the contents of trace elements and water-soluble ions in samples collected inside the Metropolitan area of Huancayo. Four monitoring stations were installed at three urban areas (UNCP, HYO, and CHI) and one rural (IGP). The sampling campaign was carried out from March 2017 to November 2017. The PM2.5 content was determined by gravimetric method, and fifteen trace elements (TE) and seven water-soluble ions were detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS), and ion chromatography (IC), respectively. Datasets were assessed by one ANOVA test to detect significant differences among monitoring station. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied for source identification. The mean annual concentration of PM2.5 mass concentrations has ranged (average) from 3.4 to 36.8 µg/m3 (16.6 ± 6.8 µg/m3) for the monitoring stations under study. The annual World Health Organization thresholds and national air quality standards were exceeded. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between most trace elements at urban and rural areas. PCA and HCA illustrated that the most important sources of traces element originated of natural origin (soil re-suspension) and vehicular sources (fuel combustion, abrasion of vehicles tires, wear car components).

Draft Genome Sequence of Halomonas elongata MH25661 Isolated from a Saline Creek in the Andes of Peru.

Halomonas elongata strain MH25661, a moderate halophile, was isolated from a saline creek in the Andes of Peru. Genome annotation analyses revealed genes that respond to osmotic stress and oxidative stress, genes that are involved in sporulation, and genes that are involved in transport systems and resistance to antibiotics and toxic compounds.

Women’s Place in the Andes: Engaging Decolonial Feminist Anthropology by Florence E. Babb

Reviewed by: Women’s Place in the Andes: Engaging Decolonial Feminist Anthropology by Florence E. Babb Susan C. Bourque Florence E. Babb, Women’s Place in the Andes: Engaging Decolonial Feminist Anthropology. Oakland: University of California Press, 2018. 277 pp. For those who wish to understand the recent intellectual history of the study of Peruvian Andean women, Florence Babb’s remarkable book will be essential. In Women’s Place in the Andes, Babb provides us with an extensive review of the last half-century of anthropological thinking, theorizing, and debate regarding gender relations and the roles of women in rural Andean Peru. The author has done extensive fieldwork in Peru (as well as Nicaragua and Mexico) and has engaged over the past 40 years with Peruvian and Latin American, US, and European scholars, feminists, market women, and campesinas. She gives us a perceptive account of her own involvement with the significant theoretical and political questions with which scholars have struggled, such as the differential impact of modernization efforts on women and men, and complementarity versus subordination in Andean sex roles. She revisits and revises previously held ideas through a re-examination of her work with the perspective of a mature and confident scholar, eager to understand what combination of theoretical lenses is most useful for understanding Andean women’s lives. As Babb notes, she has been engaged in rethinking her own work in light of the research and debates among Peruvian scholars and feminists and in light of the political and economic changes that have occurred in Peru over this tumultuous half century. The book begins with a reconsideration of a paper Babb wrote as a graduate student on the impact of development efforts on gender relations. Babb was one of a small group of scholars who argued that well-intentioned efforts at “development” and “modernization” did not have the same outcomes for women as they did for men. Access to new tools [End Page 1297] and technology often gave preference to men and this subsequently undermined the previous distribution of roles and power between men and women. This position was a significant challenge to the dominant theories of modernization in the late 1950s and 1960s and was often dismissed. In contrast, Babb assigned agency to the women who resisted development efforts that undermined their sources of control. Her respect for the subjects of her research and her effort to understand the constraints under which their choices were made are found throughout the trajectory of Babb’s work. Subsequent chapters trace her extensive fieldwork among the market women of Huaraz and the communities of the Callejon de Huaylas in central Andean Peru. This long association with Peru gives Babb a rich basis for reflection. She notes the degree to which questions of what constitutes “lo andino” and the issue of “complementarity” versus subordination—questions that sparked scholarly debate in the late 1970s—remain key parts of today’s conversations about Andean women’s status. These core debates center on how Andean women view themselves, their contributions to their communities, their roles in the family and the economy, and not insignificantly, the attitudes of others (primarily urban mestizos) toward them. Babb traces these changes through the discourse and debates at the international meetings of feminists and activists. This includes Latin American feminist meetings held in Lima, UN women’s meetings in Mexico, and lectures at regional and national universities. She was frequently on the program as a researcher or a discussant, and recalls in detail the challenging exchanges that led to revisions in her interpretations. Her review of what were often contentious encounters provides an anthropologist’s insight into how intellectual growth, insight, and change occur. This alone is a valuable contribution to the intellectual history of feminist scholarship in Latin America. Babb’s respect for the contributions of others to her own intellectual development is evident throughout the recounting of her scholarly journey. She relates her conversations with Maruja Barrig, the brilliant Peruvian scholar and activist, who challenged Babb’s interpretation of complementarity in Babb’s early work on Vicos. Babb describes how Barrig clarified the negative impact of notions of “complementarity” on the work of NGOs attempting to...

Two new species of Begonia from Andean Peru

Two new species of Begonia from montane forests in Andean Peru are described and illustrated as B. lamolina and B. amoeboides. These two species are placed within B. section Cyathocnemis and are morphologically most similar to B. lophoptera, which is lectotypified, and a new description is provided. Preliminary IUCN Red List assessments are provided for all three species.

The genetic prehistory of the Andean highlands 7000 years BP though European contact.

The peopling of the Andean highlands above 2500 m in elevation was a complex process that included cultural, biological, and genetic adaptations. Here, we present a time series of ancient whole genomes from the Andes of Peru, dating back to 7000 calendar years before the present (BP), and compare them to 42 new genome-wide genetic variation datasets from both highland and lowland populations. We infer three significant features: a split between low- and high-elevation populations that occurred between 9200 and 8200 BP; a population collapse after European contact that is significantly more severe in South American lowlanders than in highland populations; and evidence for positive selection at genetic loci related to starch digestion and plausibly pathogen resistance after European contact. We do not find selective sweep signals related to known components of the human hypoxia response, which may suggest more complex modes of genetic adaptation to high altitude.

Werneria microphylla (Asteraceae, Senecioneae), a new species from the Andean marshes of Peru

Werneria microphylla is described and illustrated as a remarkable new species from the high Andes of Peru. It is compared with the putatively most closely related species W. pygmaea and W. spathulata. The new species is a tiny perennial herb and the smallest species of the genus. It has been collected from Ancash to Puno departments thriving in Andean marshes.

An unusual new record of Baccharis (Asteraceae) from the Peruvian Andes and its relation with the northern limit of the dry puna

Background and Aims: The knowledge of the richness and distribution of the flora in the Peruvian Andes is scarce; about 70 taxonomic novelties have been reported for this area in the last decade, a large part belonging to the Asteraceae. The objective of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge of this flora through a new record of Baccharis acaulis. In addition, the distribution pattern of this species is examined.Methods: As part of floristic inventories in the high Andes of Peru, various field trips were carried out, several plant specimens were collected, among them a previously unreported species, which was identified by consulting some specialists and confirmed using taxonomic keys. Furthermore, predicting species distribution based on ecological niche modeling was made use the machine learning algorithm Maxent with the bioclimatic variables of the WorldClim database.Key results: A species of the genus Baccharis was registered for the first time for the flora of Peru. This species is recognized for its unique habit; it is a rhizomatous herb in which the aboveground part consists of small leaf rosettes surrounding a solitary capitulum. The species was collected in the south of the Peruvian Andes. This record extends the known distribution of the species considerably to the north.Conclusions: This record suggests the need to continue studying the Andean flora, as well as the links of their distribution patterns with the phytogeographical regions.

New species of Dugdaleiella, gen. nov., Kozloviella, gen. nov., and Pfitzneriella Viette from upper elevation Andes of Ecuador and Peru (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae).

Six new Hepialidae species are described from high elevation habitats in the Andes of Peru and Ecuador. One species is assigned to the genus Kozloviella gen. n., K. viazmenskyi sp. n., from Peru, and five to the genus Pfitzneriella Viette, 1951: P. antonkozlovi sp. n., P. olafi sp. n., P. titarenkoi, sp. n., P. yuliyakovalevae sp. n. from Peru and P. rawlinsi sp. n., from Ecuador. Dugdaleiella gen. n., is proposed to accommodate the Ecuadorian species Dugdaleiella monticola (Maassen, 1890) comb. n., formerly placed in Pfitzneriella. The taxonomic (but not the phylogenetic) status of P. lucicola (Maassen, 1890) is unaltered pending future opportunity to examine the type series. Preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the morphological characters supports Kozloviella gen. n., and Pfitzneriella as sister taxa, and separates P. titarenkoi sp. n., from the other species of Pfitzneriella. We suggest that the ancestor of these high elevation genera already occupied a pre-Andean upland habitat across Peru and Ecuador and this ancestor further diverged into the modern genera and species during the Andean orogeny. We consider it likely that there is a considerable diversity of endemic high elevation Hepialidae that remains to be discovered in the eastern Andes between Venezuela and Bolivia.

Extreme Rainfall Forecast with the WRF-ARW Model in the Central Andes of Peru

The ability of the WRF-ARW (Weather Research and Forecasting-Advanced Research WRF) model to forecast extreme rainfall in the Central Andes of Peru is evaluated in this study, using observations from stations located in the Mantaro basin and GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) images. The evaluation analyzes the synoptic conditions averaged over 40 extreme event cases, and considers model simulations organized in 4 nested domains. We first establish that atypical events in the region are those with more than 27 mm of rainfall per day when averaging over all the stations. More than 50% of the selected cases occurred during January, February, and April, with the most extreme occurring during February. The average synoptic conditions show negative geopotential anomalies and positive humidity anomalies in 700 and 500 hPa. At 200 hPa, the subtropical upper ridge or “Bolivian high” was present, with its northern divergent flank over the Mantaro basin. Simulation results show that the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model underestimates rainfall totals in approximately 50–60% of cases, mainly in the south of the basin and in the extreme west along the mountain range. The analysis of two case studies shows that the underestimation by the model is probably due to three reasons: inability to generate convection in the upstream Amazon during early morning hours, apparently related to processes of larger scales; limitations on describing mesoscale processes that lead to vertical movements capable of producing extreme rainfall; and limitations on the microphysics scheme to generate heavy rainfall.

Long-term declines in waterbirds abundance at Lake Junín, Andean Peru

SummaryLake Junín is famous for the abundance and diversity of breeding, staging and wintering waterbirds. The lake supports the entire world population of three species or subspecies: Junín GrebePodiceps taczanowskii,Junín RailLaterallus tuerosiand the endemic subspecies of the White-tufted GrebeRollandia rolland morrisoni. Surveys undertaken in the 1930s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s confirmed the lake’s importance in the Andes, however there has been no recent assessment of its waterbird community. We undertook waterbird counts between 6 and 20 February 2014 from the lakeshore and by boat. Despite using differing survey methods, we nevertheless conclude that the relative abundance of waterbird species has changed dramatically compared to earlier counts. Most notably, the Junín Grebe has experienced a major decline since the 1930s when the species was considered extremely abundant and another native fish-eating species the White-tufted Grebe also appears to have declined. In contrast the Northern Silvery GrebePodiceps juninensis, classified as ‘Near Threatened’, has apparently become more abundant. Numbers of Puna TealSpatula punaand Common GallinuleGallinula galeataseem to have crashed, presumably reflecting the general loss of submerged vegetation. In spite of a major decline in waterbirds overall, the Junín area holds numbers of migratory shorebirds, perhaps as a consequence of local hunting restrictions and awareness campaigns. Lake Junín is a candidate for listing on the Montreux Record under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland showing serious change in ecological character. Management planning should proceed to balance conflicting interests at the lake. Actions to re-establish a clear water column by reducing eutrophication (from settlements in the catchment) as well as sedimentation and heavy metals (from upstream mining) will contribute to improving ecological functions and to secure waterbirds including the endemics.

Y-chromosome Peruvian origin of the 500-year-old Inca child mummy sacrificed in Cerro Aconcagua (Argentina)

Abstract We present results of a Y-chromosome analysis of a frozen mummy found at a high altitude in Cerro Aconcagua (Argentina) in 1985. The mummy was identified as a seven-year-old Inca sacrifice victim living at the time of the Inca Civilization (∼500 years ago). The Y-SNPs indicate that the haplotype belongs to the most common Native American branch in the highlands and lowlands of South America (Q-M3) pointing to the continuity of the native settlement in the Andes. No matches were found in the Y-chromosome STR Haplotype Reference Database (YHRD; n =39414 haplotypes) when searching for the Y-STR haplotype. After collapsing this profile into its minimum haplotype (MHT), three 1-step mutational neighbors were detected in the YHRD ( n =197102 haplotypes); one was found in Peru (Q1a2-M3) and two in the US-admixed population. Subsequently, haplotypes from South Americans were compiled and masked for their genuine Native American component. A probabilistic model indicates that the mummy’s profile most likely originated in the Quechuan Andean Peru (with the closest affinities to the Choppca). The results are in good agreement with anthropological and archaeological evidence suggesting that the Inca child could have been carried out from Peru to the Aconcagua (> 2,600 km far) for sacrifice.

Thermal comfort in an adobe room with heat storage system in the andes of Peru

El objetivo de este trabajo fue la evaluacion del confort termico al interior de la habitacion de prueba (HP) de adobe y materiales de la zona alto andina del Peru, como la piedra andesita que es un acumulador de calor. Esta investigacion experimental, determino los valores de la conductividad termica 0,176 0,149 y 0,118 W/mK para el adobe, yeso y paja. Se efectuo una comparacion entre los valores de la conductividad termica y calor especifico, obtenido experimentalmente para los materiales y sistemas utilizados en la construccion de HP con los valores conocidos de materiales especificos como el agua y el aire. El diseno y uso de los materiales en la construccion de la pared, puerta y ventana, permitieron determinar los valores de las conductividades termicas iguales a 0,061 0,030 y 0,027 W/mK respectivamente, que son similares a la conductividad termica de un aislante termico natural como el aire cuyo valor es 0,026 W/mK. La trasferencia de energia calorifica hacia el exterior de la HP, durante 11 horas nocturnas es 0,815 MJ. El acumulador de energia instalado en la HP construido con piedra, guano y madera cuyos valores del calor especifico fueron 1235,13 2416,44 y 2212,77 J/kgK respectivamente; comparada con la del agua que es un buen almacenador de energia, representan 29,55; 57,81 y 52,94 % respectivamente. El sistema acumulador de HP almacena energia calorifica equivalente a 8,305 MJ, el excedente de energia calorifica permite que la temperatura al interior de HP durante las epocas de invierno tenga valores medio mayores en 63,83 y 68,83 % a las temperaturas medias de HC y MAC respectivamente. ABSTRACT The objective of this work was the evaluation of thermal comfort inside the test room (HP), of adobe and materials of the high Andean area of Peru, like the andesite stone that is a heat accumulator. This experimental research work determined the values of thermal conductivity 0,176 0,149 and 0,118 W / mK for the adobe, plaster and straw. It was made a comparison was made between the values of thermal conductivity and specific heat, obtained experimentally for the materials and systems used in the construction of HP with the known values of specific materials such as water and air. The design and use of the materials in the construction of the wall, door and window, allowed to determine the values of the thermal conductivities equal to 0,061 0,030 and 0,027 W / mK respectively, that are similar to the thermal conductivity of a natural thermal insulator such as air whose value is 0.026 W / mK. The transfer of heat energy to the outside of the HP, during 11 hours at night is 0,815 MJ. The energy accumulator installed in the HP built with stone, guano and wood whose specific heat values were 1235,13 2416,44 and 2212,77 J / kgK respectively compared with the water, that is a good energy storage, that represent 29,55 57,81 and 52,94% respectively. The HP storage system stores heat energy equivalent to 8,305 MJ, the surplus of heat energy allows that temperature inside HP during the winter times to have average values higher in 63, 83 and 68, 83% at the average temperatures of HC and MAC respectively. Keywords . Thermal accumulator, specific heat, thermal conductivity, room with thermal comfort and adobe building materials.

A new species of Phrynopus from the northeastern Andes of Peru, its phylogenetic position, and notes on the relationships of Holoadeninae (Anura: Craugastoridae).

We report the discovery of a geographically disjunct and morphologically distinctive species of direct-developing frog of the genus Phrynopus (Phrynopus mariellaleo sp. nov.) that changes considerably our understanding of the distribution of species in this Andean genus. The type locality lies on a subcordillera (Cerro de Campanario area) of the extreme northeastern portion of the Cordillera Central of Peru, on the headwaters of the Mayo River, Amazonas department, at 2575 m asl (6°6'42.9''S, 77°26'24''W). This area is situated 170 km to the NE from the northernmost record of Phrynopus known so far. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of a supermatrix (13269 aligned positions of gene sequences of four mitochondrial and ten nuclear genes) of 105 terminals (representing 93 named and 9 unnamed species of Holoadeninae) recover this new species as the sister to Phrynopus auriculatus, a species occurring more than 500 km south of the type locality of the new species. Both Phrynopus auriculatus and the new species occur at moderate elevations on the easternmost stretches of the Andean subcordilleras; their sister relationship point to a potentially broader distribution of species of Phrynopus along the poorly sampled intervening areas of the eastern hills of the Andes. The new species has a conspicuous and visibly large tympanic membrane (a trait rare in the clade), outlined by a marked bold black supratympanic fold and a black facial mask, and exhibits conspicuous dorsolateral, scapular, and middorsal Y-shaped folds. Specimens were found on the forest floor-a rocky substrate covered by a thick layer of leaf litter, moss and roots-of a primary humid montane forest (Yungas ecoregion) with scattered patches of bamboo (Chusquea spp.). Our phylogenetic analyses corroborate the monophyly of all Holoadeninae genera, including Euparkerella and Psychrophrynella, genera for which tests of monophyly were pending, and corroborates Hypodactylus nigrovittatus as part of Hypodactylus and sister to a clade that includes H. brunneus, H. elassodiscus and H. peraccai.

The Lexical Legacy of Substrate Languages: A Test Case From The Southern Ecuadorian Highlands

AbstractThe Central Andes of Peru and Ecuador have seen periods of language shift and language replacement in which expansive languages superseded earlier layers of local languages, as has happened numerous times in other regions around the world. In colonial times, members of the expansive Quechua family still coexisted with a number of local languages, and it is almost certain that Quechua had replaced several such languages in prehistory. In this paper, I focus on the Quechua variety spoken in the southern Ecuadorian highlands of Cañar and Azuay, and ask what can be learnt of the replaced language(s), and thereby the linguistic prehistory of the Southern Ecuadorian highlands, from its lexicon. By employing criteria developed elsewhere, I identify possible substrate items in the lexicon, highlighting philological points and linguistic analysis during the discussion. I further explore what these items suggest for the hypothesis – suggested in passing but not yet fully explored – that the original language of the region was a southern representative of the Barbacoan family of languages. I conclude that they provide some support for the hypothesis, but that the evidence is ultimately equivocal.

Distribución espacial del índice de concentración de precipitación diaria en los andes centrales peruanos: valle del río Mantaro

Los altos porcentajes de concentración de precipitación diaria en pocos días, pueden incrementar el potencial de erosión, inestabilidad de laderas y riesgo de inundaciones, siendo estos problemas comunes en el Perú, por lo que es importante el conocimiento acerca de la precipitación a nivel diario. En este articulo, se ha llevado a cabo una investigación acerca de los patrones espaciales y temporales de la concentración de precipitación diaria en los andes centrales del Perú, mediante el índice de concentración (IC), que evalúa la variación de la valoración de precipitación diaria, la contribución de grandes lluvias a la cantidad total presentada. El índice es aplicado a una curva exponencial como Y = aX exp(bX ) , el cual ajusta el porcentaje acumulado de precipitación en Y contribuida por el porcentaje acumulado de días X llevado a cabo en un lugar, en el periodo 1964-2004, con el cual es posible generar superficies de concentración pluviométrica. Donde las máximas concentraciones registradas en el valle del rio Mantaro, posiblemente estén asociadas a la dinámica de los vientos, como la corriente de chorro de Sudamérica, que se adentran al valle proveniente del Norte y Sur. Donde el 25% de días más lluviosos representan el 60% o más de la cantidad total de días con lluvia.

Preliminary Habitat Models of Foraging and Roosting Sites Used By Two Rehabilitated Adult Male Andean Condors (Vultur gryphus) In Peru

Satellite telemetry is widely used to generate information on species' use of space, which contributes to meeting conservation goals. Between June 2015 and September 2016, we obtained approximately 11,000 GPS points from two adult male Andean Condors (Vultur gryphus) that had been fitted with satellite transmitters and released in the central Andes of Peru. We used GPS coordinates and associated data to produce habitat distribution models (binomial Generalized Linear Models) from presence and pseudo-absence data of roosting sites and foraging areas visited by these individuals. The best potential habitats for Andean Condors in Peru were west of the Andes, from the border with Ecuador, south to Bolivia and Chile. Foraging areas of both individuals were at higher elevations than roosting sites (means: 3934 masl and 3356 masl, respectively). Roosting sites were in areas dominated by grasslands and agriculture, whereas foraging areas were dominated by puna grassland and brush. Conservation strategies for Andean Condors in Peru should be informed by data derived from satellite telemetry and should focus on preserving natural short vegetation above 3000 m west of the Andes for foraging and, for roosting sites, on maintaining areas free from the disturbances of road construction.

An update on recent glacier changes in Mexico using Sentinel-2A data

ABSTRACTThis study estimated the recent evolution of three glacierized stratovolcanoes – namely Volcán Iztaccíhuatl, Volcán Popocatépetl and Volcán Citlaltépetl – in South-central Mexico using Landsat and Sentinel-2A satellite data acquired between 1973 and 2017. These three glaciers are influenced by various factors such as climate change, volcanic eruption and pollution. Three key climate variables, which control the presence of glacier coverage – air temperature, precipitation and humidity – were also analysed. Among these three volcanoes, only Volcán Iztaccíhuatl and Volcán Citlaltépetl have ice-covered areas since the late 1990s and Volcán Popocatépetl has lost its glaciers due to volcanic eruption, even though the glacier shrinkage has started long before the appearance of eruptive products. An overall glacier area loss of 75% has been observed for the period between 1973 and 2017. Shrinkage of Volcán Citlaltépetl (66%) is comparable with the retreat observed in the tropical Andes of Peru and Bolivia during the same period. Observed trends in the air temperature were not very significant for all the three glaciers studied whereas a substantial rise in relative humidity (+0.11%/year) was observed. Trends in precipitation were different for Citlaltépetl (+7.8 mm/year) and the other two volcano-glaciers (−5.1 mm/year).

Interrupted futures: co‐operative labour and the changing forms of collective precarity in rural Andean Peru

AbstractSociological interest in precarious labour has focused on the existential insecurity associated with the discontinuous work relations of contemporary modes of production and the difficulties produced for the formation of effective modes of social and political solidarity. This essay, by contrast, explores the continuities of precarious living in the Southern Peruvian Andes over the past century, with a focus on how the affective force of social obligations and responsibilities to wider collectives (such as the family, the peasant community, or the co‐operative) both support and interrupt the search for more stable personal and collective futures. Approaching precarity as a relational condition, the essay traces how precarity takes form in the movements between formal and informal labour practices.

Archetypes of Climate Vulnerability: a Mixed-method Approach Applied in the Peruvian Andes

Farm household systems (FHSs) in the Andes handle climate-related hazards such as frost and droughts with risk-coping and risk-management strategies based on the adaptive capital available to them. Nevertheless, a higher frequency of climatic stressors observed during the last few decades is challenging their capacity to adapt at a pace fast enough to keep up with the changes in external conditions. This increases the demand on the scientific community from policy and decision makers to investigate climate impacts and propose viable adaptation pathways at the local and regional scales. Better understanding heterogeneity in climate vulnerability is an important step towards addressing this demand. We present here a mixed-method approach to assessing archetypes or patterns of climate vulnerability that combines qualitative tools from participatory rural assessment approaches and quantitative techniques including cluster analysis. We illustrate this by looking at a case study of the Central Andes of Peru. The operationalization of the methods revealed differential factors for climate vulnerability, allowing us to categorize FHS archetypes according to the differences in those underlying factors. The archetypes differed mainly according to farm area, agro-ecological zones, irrigation, off-farm employment and climate-related damages. The results suggest that the approach is useful for explaining vulnerability as a function of recurrent internal and external determinants of vulnerability and developing related adaptive strategies.

Sensitivity Study on the Influence of Parameterization Schemes in WRF_ARW Model on Short- and Medium-Range Precipitation Forecasts in the Central Andes of Peru

A sensitivity study of the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting regional model (WRF, version 3.7) to the use of different microphysics, cumulus, and boundary layer parameterizations for short- and medium-term precipitation forecast is conducted in the Central Andes of Peru. Lin-Purdué, Thompson, and Morrison microphysics schemes were tested, as well as the Grell–Freitas, Grell 3d, and Betts–Miller–Janjic cumulus parameterizations. The tested boundary layer schemes were the Yonsei University and Mellor–Yamada–Janjic. A control configuration was defined, using the Thompson, Grell–Freitas, and Yonsei University schemes, and a set of numerical experiments is made, using different combinations of parameterizations. Data from 19 local meteorological stations and regional and global gridded were used for verification. It was concluded that all the configurations overestimate precipitation, but the one using the Morrison microphysical scheme had the best performance, based on the indicators of bias (B) and root mean square error (RMSE). It is recommended not to use the Betts–Miller–Janjic scheme in this region for low resolution domains. Categorical forecast verification of the occurrence of rainfall as a binary variable showed detection rates higher than 85%. According to this criterion, the best performing configuration was the combination of Betts–Miller–Janjic and Morrison. Spatial verification showed that, even if all the configurations overestimated precipitation in some degree, spatial patterns of rainfall match the TRMM and PISCO rainfall data. Morrison’s microphysics scheme shows the best results, and consequently, this configuration is recommended for short- and medium-term rainfall forecasting tasks in the Central Andes of Peru and particularly in the Mantaro basin. The results of a special sensitivity experiment showed that the activation or not of cumulus parametrization for the domain of 3 km resolution is not relevant for the precipitation forecast in the study region.