Water Vapor Flux Convergence Research Articles

Development and Maintenance Mechanism for the Semiannual Oscillation of the North Pacific Upper-Level Circulation

AbstractThe north–south semiannual oscillation (SAO) of the North Pacific jet stream, part of the atmospheric SAO in the Northern Hemisphere, can be well depicted by the semiannual component of the monthly-mean eddy streamfunction. Expressed by the semiannual eddy streamfunction budget, the dynamic processes develop and maintain the SAO, including the adjustment between vorticity advection and convergence of vorticity flux of the monthly-mean mode and the convergence of transient vorticity flux. An empirical orthogonal function analysis of these dynamic processes shows an east–west elongated cyclonic (anticyclonic) cell of the semiannual eddy streamfunction anomaly, which appears in January and July (October and April) south of the Siberia–Alaska landmass. The maximum (minimum) adjustment processes by the monthly-mean mode and the maximum (minimum) feedback impact of transient activity on the SAO occur in December and June (September and March), a month ahead of the maximum (minimum) north–south SAO of the North Pacific jet stream. Because vorticity is supplied by the convergence of vorticity flux associated with divergent flow, the SAO for the rotational flow is established by diabatic heat and heat transport through the divergent circulation over the North Pacific Ocean, and by precipitation maintained by convergence of water vapor flux along the oceanic storm track. Additionally, the feedback impact of the modulated transient activity affects the SAO development of the atmospheric rotational and divergent circulations, and the hydrological cycle.

Interannual Variation of the Winter Rainfall in Malaysia Caused by the Activity of Rain-Producing Disturbances

Abstract Heavy rainfall/flood (HRF) cyclones contribute close to two-thirds of the total rainfall PT in both parts of Malaysia [peninsular Malaysia (M) and west Borneo (B)]. Judging by the rainfall variance produced by these cyclones and its correlation (~0.9) with the interannual PT variation, this variation is caused primarily by HRF cyclones through two factors: 1) their westward propagation properties and 2) their rain-producing efficiency. The former is regulated by the change of the cyclonic shear flow around the near-equator trough, while the latter is determined by the change of the convergence of water vapor flux toward tropical Southeast Asia. During November–December of cold (warm) ENSO phases, the westward propagation of the cyclone's parent cold surge vortices (CSVs) from the Philippine (P) vicinity (Borneo) to peninsular Malaysia CSVPMs (CSVBMs) and intensified (weakened) convergence of water vapor flux toward tropical South/Southeast Asia act to enhance (reduce) the rain-producing efficiency of HRFPM (HRFBM) cyclones. During winter cold (warm) phases, the deepening (filling) of the near-equator trough crossing west Borneo allows some CSVs formed/trapped in Borneo CSVBBs to develop into HRFBB (HRFBBM) cyclones (to propagate westward to peninsular Malaysia). The rain-producing efficiency of HRFBB and HRFBBM cyclones is also increased (reduced) by the intensified (weakened) convergence of water flux toward tropical South/Southeast Asia. Interannual variations of both PT(M) and PT(B) caused by the impacts of the circulation pattern changes on occurrences of HRFPM and HRFBB/HRFBBM cyclones, respectively, and their rain-producing efficiency may pose a new challenge to simulate the weather–climate relationship in climate modeling.

Atmospheric water balance over oceanic regions as estimated from satellite, merged, and reanalysis data

[1] The column integrated atmospheric water balance over the ocean was examined using satellite-based and merged data sets for the period from 2000 to 2005. The data sets for the components of the atmospheric water balance include evaporation from the HOAPS, GSSTF, and OAFlux and precipitation from the HOAPS, CMAP, and GPCP. The water vapor tendency was derived from water vapor data of HOAPS. The product for water vapor flux convergence estimated using satellite observation data was used. The atmospheric balance components from the MERRA reanalysis data were also examined. Residuals of the atmospheric water balance equation were estimated using nine possible combinations of the data sets over the ocean between 60°N and 60°S. The results showed that there was considerable disagreement in the residual intensities and distributions from the different combinations of the data sets. In particular, the residuals in the estimations of the satellite-based atmospheric budget appear to be large over the oceanic areas with heavy precipitation such as the intertropical convergence zone, South Pacific convergence zone, and monsoon regions. The lack of closure of the atmospheric water cycle may be attributed to the uncertainties in the data sets and approximations in the atmospheric water balance equation. Meanwhile, the anomalies of the residuals from the nine combinations of the data sets are in good agreement with their variability patterns. These results suggest that significant consideration is needed when applying the data sets of water budget components to quantitative water budget studies, while climate variability analysis based on the residuals may produce similar results.

Near future (2016-40) summer precipitation changes over China as projected by a regional climate model (RCM) under the RCP8.5 emissions scenario: Comparison between RCM downscaling and the driving GCM

Multi-decadal high resolution simulations over the CORDEX East Asia domain were performed with the regional climate model RegCM3 nested within the Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System model, Grid-point Version 2 (FGOALS-g2). Two sets of simulations were conducted at the resolution of 50 km, one for present day (1980–2005) and another for near-future climate (2015–40) under the Representative Concentration Pathways 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. Results show that RegCM3 adds value with respect to FGOALS-g2 in simulating the spatial patterns of summer total and extreme precipitation over China for present day climate. The major deficiency is that RegCM3 underestimates both total and extreme precipitation over the Yangtze River valley. The potential changes in total and extreme precipitation over China in summer under the RCP8.5 scenario were analyzed. Both RegCM3 and FGOALS-g2 results show that total and extreme precipitation tend to increase over northeastern China and the Tibetan Plateau, but tend to decrease over southeastern China. In both RegCM3 and FGOALS-g2, the change in extreme precipitation is weaker than that for total precipitation. RegCM3 projects much stronger amplitude of total and extreme precipitation changes and provides more regional-scale features than FGOALS-g2. A large uncertainty is found over the Yangtze River valley, where RegCM3 and FGOALS-g2 project opposite signs in terms of precipitation changes. The projected change of vertically integrated water vapor flux convergence generally follows the changes in total and extreme precipitation in both RegCM3 and FGOALS-g2, while the amplitude of change is stronger in RegCM3. Results suggest that the spatial pattern of projected precipitation changes may be more affected by the changes in water vapor flux convergence, rather than moisture content itself.

Moisture source for the Amazon Basin: a study of contrasting years

The regions where the divergence of vertically integrated water vapor flux, averaged over a season or a year, is positive (negative) are sources (sinks) of moisture for the atmosphere. An aerial river is defined as a stream of strong water vapor flux connecting a source and a sink. Moisture flux, its divergence, and sources and sinks over the tropics of South and Central America and the adjoining Atlantic Ocean are obtained for dry years and for wet years in the Amazon Basin. Results show that the Amazon Basin is a sink region for atmospheric moisture in all seasons and that there are two source regions for the moisture in the basin, one situated in the South Atlantic and the other in the North Atlantic, both located equator-ward of the respective subtropical high-pressure centers. The convergence of moisture increases over the Amazon Basin in austral summer, and at the same time it decreases in the Pacific and Atlantic ITCZs. Box model calculations reveal that the wet years, on the average, present about 55 % more moisture convergence than the dry years in the Amazon Basin. A reduction in the moisture inflow across the eastern and northern boundaries of the basin (at 45°W and at the Equator, respectively) and an increase in the outflow across the southern boundary (at 15°S) lead to dry conditions. The annual mean contribution of moisture convergence to the precipitation over the Amazon Basin is estimated to be 70 %. In the dry years, it lowers to around 50 %. The net convergence of water vapor flux over the basin is a good indicator of the wet or dry condition.

Interannual Variation of the Late Fall Rainfall in Central Vietnam

AbstractThe heavy rainfall/flood (HRF) event in central Vietnam usually occurs in October–November, the maximum rainfall season. This rainfall maximum undergoes a distinct interannual variation, opposite the interannual variation of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies averaged over the NOAA Niño-3.4 area—ΔSST(Niño-3.4)—but coincident with the intensification (weakening) of the low-level easterlies at 15°N and westerlies at 5°N. The changes of low-level zonal winds reflect the strengthening (weakening) of the tropical cyclonic shear flow in tropical South/Southeast Asia in response to the tropical Pacific SST anomalies. Because the rainfall maximum in central Vietnam is primarily produced by the HRF cyclone, the interannual rainfall variation in this region should be attributed to the HRF cyclone activity—a new perspective of the climate change in precipitation. On average, one HRF cyclone occurs in each cold late fall. The population of the HRF cyclone may not be an important factor causing the interannual rainfall variation in central Vietnam. During the cold late fall, the rain-producing efficiency of the individual HRF cyclone is statistically almost twice those during warm and normal late falls and the most crucial factor leading to the interannual rainfall variation in central Vietnam. It is shown by further hydrological analysis that the increase (decrease) of the HRF cyclone’s rain-producing efficiency is determined by the large-scale environmental flow through the enhancement (weakening) of the regional convergence of water vapor flux.

Numerical Study of the Impacts of Land Use/Cover Changes Between 1700 and 1850 on the Seasonal Hydroclimate in Monsoon Asia

This study investigated the impacts of historical land use/cover changes (LUCC), from forest to cultivated land, on the seasonal cycle of the hydroclimate over the Indian subcontinent and southern China. The mechanism of these impacts was studied by conducting numerical experiments using an atmospheric general circulation model MIROC3.2 coupled with the land surface scheme MATSIRO and historical global land use/cover changes between 1700 and 1850. A previous study found a decrease in summer (JJA) precipitation over the Indian subcontinent and southern China induced by extended cultivation between 1700 and 1850. We further found that evapotranspiration in the Indian subcontinent notably decreased, particularly in the spring, while that in southern China discernibly decreased throughout the year. The difference in the changes in evapotranspiration in the spring over both regions could be explained by the amount of precipitation during the dry season. In the Indian subcontinent, the marked decrease in evapotranspiration in May due to LUCC caused the decrease in precipitation during the same season. However, in southern China, the decrease of precipitation from March to April was contributed rather by the decrease of water vapor flux convergence due to atmospheric circulation changes than by the decrease of evapotranspiration.

NAM Model Forecasts of Warm-Season Quasi-Stationary Frontal Environments in the Central United States

Abstract Using a composite procedure, North American Mesoscale Model (NAM) forecast and observed environments associated with zonally oriented, quasi-stationary surface fronts for 64 cases during July–August 2006–08 were examined for a large region encompassing the central United States. NAM adequately simulated the general synoptic features associated with the frontal environments (e.g., patterns in the low-level wind fields) as well as the positions of the fronts. However, kinematic fields important to frontogenesis such as horizontal deformation and convergence were overpredicted. Surface-based convective available potential energy (CAPE) and precipitable water were also overpredicted, which was likely related to the overprediction of the kinematic fields through convergence of water vapor flux. In addition, a spurious coherence between forecast deformation and precipitation was found using spatial correlation coefficients. Composite precipitation forecasts featured a broad area of rainfall stretched parallel to the composite front, whereas the composite observed precipitation covered a smaller area and had a WNW–ESE orientation relative to the front, consistent with mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) propagating at a slight right angle relative to the thermal gradient. Thus, deficiencies in the NAM precipitation forecasts may at least partially result from the inability to depict MCSs properly. It was observed that errors in the precipitation forecasts appeared to lag those of the kinematic fields, and so it seems likely that deficiencies in the precipitation forecasts are related to the overprediction of the kinematic fields such as deformation. However, no attempts were made to establish whether the overpredicted kinematic fields actually contributed to the errors in the precipitation forecasts or whether the overpredicted kinematic fields were simply an artifact of the precipitation errors. Regardless of the relationship between such errors, recognition of typical warm-season environments associated with these errors should be useful to operational forecasters.

Maintenance of tropical tropopause layer cirrus

A two‐dimensional cloud resolving model with explicit bin microphysics is used to study the maintenance of tropical tropopause layer (TTL) cirrus. Numerical simulations using this model show that a TTL cirrus with a maximum radiative heating rate of 3 K/day is able to self‐maintain for as long as 2 days if it contains ice crystals whose initial mean radius is smaller than about 5 μm. The key to the maintenance of the cloud is the circulation thermally forced by the cloud radiative heating. When the cloud layer is at ice saturation and temperature decreases with height, advection of water vapor by the thermally forced circulation results in water vapor flux convergence in the cloud. This leads to growth of ice crystals despite the diabatic warming produced by the radiative heating. The source of water vapor for the growth of ice crystals is outside the cloud lateral edge, which is outside the vertical column that contains the initial cloud. The conversion of water vapor into ice in the simulated TTL cirrus indicates its potential to dehydrate the surrounding environment. This dehydration mechanism does not involve adiabatic cooling associated with external large‐scale uplift.

Climatology of summer midtropospheric perturbations in the U.S. northern plains. Part I: influence on northwest flow severe weather outbreaks

Northwest flow severe weather outbreaks (NWF outbreaks) describe a type of summer convective storm that occurs in areas of mid-level NWF in the central United States. Convective storms associated with NWF outbreaks often travel a long distance systematically along a northwest-southeast oriented track across the northern plains. Previous studies have observed that these migrating convective storms are frequently coupled with subsynoptic-scale midtropospheric perturbations (MPs) initiated over the Rocky Mountains. This study traces MPs for the decade of 1997–2006 using the North American Regional Reanalysis to examine their climatology and possible influence on NWF outbreaks. MPs are characterized by a well organized divergent circulation with persistent ascending motion at the leading edge promoting convection. The divergent circulation is further enhanced by low-level convergence along the northern terminus of the Great Plains low-level jet. The downstream propagation of MPs assists in forming the progressive feature of the associated convective storms. MPs have a maximum frequency in July, consistent with NWF outbreaks. In July and August, the fully developed North American anticyclone produces prevailing NWF over the northern plains, where up to 60% of rainfall and storm reports are linked to MPs. The movement, timing and rainfall distribution of MPs remarkably resemble those of NWF outbreaks. When encountering strong low-level jets, ascending motion and convergence of water vapor flux associated with MPs intensify considerably and precipitation is greatly enhanced. It is likely that NWF outbreaks are generated whenever MPs occur in association with strong low-level jets.

Evaluations of NAM Forecasts on Midtropospheric Perturbation-Induced Convective Storms over the U.S. Northern Plains

Abstract In the U.S. northern plains, summer progressive convective storms that occur in weakly forced environments are often coupled with short-wave perturbations that are embedded in the midlevel northwesterly flow. These midtropospheric perturbations (MPs) are capable of inducing propagating convection that contributes to a majority of the rainfall over the northern plains during July and August. There is a possibility that the difficulties of numerical weather prediction models in forecasting summer convective rainfall over the northern plains are partly attributed to their deficiency in forecasting MPs. The present study tests this possibility through examining operational forecasts by the North American Mesoscale (NAM) model during the summers of 2005 and 2006. Forecasted MPs exhibit slower propagation speeds and weaker relative vorticity than the observations leading to systematic position errors. Underpredicted vorticity magnitudes weaken horizontal vorticity advection that influences the vorticity tendency throughout the MP life cycle and, in turn, slows the propagation speed of MPs. Moreover, biases of weak ambient flow speed and vortex stretching contribute to the magnitude and propagation speed errors of MPs. Skill scores of precipitation forecasts associated with MPs are low, but can be considerably improved after removing the MP position error that displaces the rainfall pattern. The NAM also tends to underpredict precipitation amounts. A modified water vapor budget analysis reveals that the NAM insufficiently generates atmospheric humidity over the central United States. The shortage of moisture in the forecast reduces the water vapor flux convergence that is part of the precipitation process. The precipitation bias may feed back to affect the MP growth through the bias in heating, thus further slowing the perturbation.

The Late-Spring Maximum of Rainfall over the U.S. Central Plains and the Role of the Low-Level Jet

Abstract The seasonal rainfall over the U.S. central plains features a late-spring maximum. A spring–fall annual mode revealed from the empirical orthogonal function analysis on rainfall delineates a maximum center over the central plains that coincides with the large late-spring rainfall. This paper examines the large-scale dynamical and hydrological processes in forming the rainfall center. The NCEP–Department of Energy (DOE) reanalysis 2 data reveal that the baroclinic structure of the continental-scale circulation during late spring (May and June) induces a vertically out-of-phase divergent circulation forming strong convergence of water vapor flux over the central plains. Such circulation features generate concentrated convective activity in this region. The upper-level anticyclone development with the North American monsoon in July replaces the late-spring baroclinic structure and, in turn, reduces the convective activity. The Great Plains low-level jet (LLJ) plays a role in the downscaling process that connects the continental-scale circulation to rainfall. The LLJ coupled with approaching baroclinic waves leads to stronger moisture convergence in the central plains than that occurring under the upper-level anticyclone. The former type of the LLJ occurs most frequently in late spring and contributes to more than 60% of the rainfall. During midsummer (July and August), such a coupling is hindered by the well-developed upper-level anticyclone, subsequently decreasing the rainfall.

A Mechanism for Heavy Precipitation over the Kii Peninsula Accompanying Typhoon Meari (2004)

An extremely heavy precipitation event occurred in the mountainous Kii Peninsula in Japan, associated with Typhoon Meari in 2004. A marked characteristic of this heavy precipitation was its extreme rainfall rate, more than 100 mm h-1. Another feature was that the area of precipitation was far from the storm center, more than 500 km. From radar and surface observations, it was found that the heavy rains were composed of a stationary precipitation system and two moving precipitation systems.In order to evince a physical mechanism for the precipitation systems, the event was analyzed in detail using data from cloud-resolving simulations and observations. The results demonstrated that the heavy precipitation was produced in a synergistic manner from the three precipitation systems. The following are identified as the key factors for the formation and maintenance of each precipitation system: a) elimination of vertical convective instability in a low-level warm and moist easterly on the eastern slope of the mountainous region, b) moisture supply due to a low-level confluent flow along the boundary between the low-level easterly and south-easterly flow, and lifting of a slightly warmer south-easterly flow, and c) low-level convergence due to cold pool, running nearly parallel to the rainband axis and located slightly to the southwest of the band, acting as an obstacle to the low-level inflow into the system.Precipitation efficiency revealed that precipitation was enhanced when moving precipitation systems merged with the stationary precipitation system. The enhancement was attributed to the greater rate of conversion of cloud water to rainwater via accretion of cloud water by rain, under the condition of intense water vapor flux convergence. The moving precipitation systems provided raindrops for the accretion of cloud droplets in the stationary precipitation system. Based on our findings, extremely heavy precipitation in the present case is caused by the enhancement of the accretion process due to the merger of precipitation systems in addition to precipitation in each system.

Interdecadal Variability of Spring Precipitation over South China and Its Associated Atmospheric Water Vapor Transport

The characteristics of spring precipitation and water vapor transport in South China were analyzed by using observational data and the National Centers for En- vironmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis data. The re- sults show that, during the spring, each component of the water cycle (precipitation, wind field, specific humidity, water vapor transport, etc.) in South China exhibits a no- table interdecadal variability. An abrupt increase in spring precipitation occurred in the early 1970s. During the dry period from 1958 to 1971, a water vapor flux divergence (positive divQ) existed in South China, which may have led to the deficiency in rainfall. However, during the wet period from 1973 to 1989, there was a remarkable water vapor flux convergence (negative divQ) in South China, which may have resulted in the higher rainfall. The inter- decadal variability of water vapor transport is closely re- lated to the interdecadal variability of wind fields, al- though the interdecadal variability of specific humidity also plays a role to some extent, and the interdecadal variability of the zonal water vapor transport contributes much more to the interdecadal variability of spring pre- cipitation than the meridional water vapor transport.

Diagnosis and sensitivity study of two severe storm events in the Southeastern Andes

Two cases of severe convection have been studied by means of a set of mesoscale numerical simulations using the Pennsylvania State University-National Center for Atmospheric Research model. These events were caused by two convective systems developing during 23–24 December 2004 and 4–5 January 2005 in the province of Mendoza, Argentina, in the eastern Andes. Two S-band radars registered maximum reflectivities of over 60 dBZ during more than 5 h and the hailpads in the study zone registered hailstones with a diameter of up to 3 cm on one of the study days. The synoptic patterns were similar in both cases. The arrival of a trough from the west, crossing the border with Chile, and the presence of the Northwestern Argentinean Low outlined a favorable environment for the development of convection on the lee side of the Andes. The high diurnal temperatures and the topography of the area favored the formation of thermal mesolows on the lee side of the mountain range. Model output fields suggest that a low-level jet stream carrying warm and moist air from the north impinging on the eastern side of the Andes, together with a mid and high-level cold advection associated to the trough, generated a convergence line with areas of convective instability and water vapor flux convergence. In both cases, the mesoscale model forecasts the spatial distribution of the precipitation field relatively accurately but underestimates the total precipitation estimated by radars. The Andes Mountain Range and the solar radiation could have played an important role in triggering convection in the study zone. A factor separation technique is used to explore this issue. For both events the combined effect of topography and solar radiation is decisive to explain the distribution of precipitation in the study area.

Climatological Basin-Scale Amazonian Evapotranspiration Estimated through a Water Budget Analysis

Abstract Spatially averaged evapotranspiration [ET] over the Amazon Basin is computed as the residual of the basin’s atmospheric water balance equation, at the monthly time scale and for the period 1988–2001. Basin-averaged rainfall [P] is obtained from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) dataset, and alternative estimates of the net convergence of atmospheric water vapor flux over the basin [C] are derived from three global reanalyses: the NCEP–NCAR and NCEP–Department of Energy (DOE) reanalyses and the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40). Additionally, a best estimate of [C] is obtained by taking a weighted average of data from these three sources, in which the weight factors are based on the random error attributed to each reanalysis’ [C] estimates by comparison to river discharge data. The resulting time series is dominated by ERA-40’s contribution, which was found to be the most accurate over the study period. Data products from the three reanalyses are also employed to compute the monthly tendencies of total precipitable water over the basin. While the seasonal signature of this “accumulation term” provides important insight into the Amazon Basin’s hydrological cycle, its magnitude is found to be negligible relative to the other components of the water budget. The value of mean annual [ET] presented in this work is significantly lower than other published estimates that are based on simulations by various land surface models. Furthermore, when the best estimate of [C] is used, the resulting [ET] time series exhibits a seasonal cycle that is in phase with that of basin-averaged surface net radiation, suggesting that Amazonian evapotranspiration is prevalently limited by energy availability. In contrast, most land surface models, including that of the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis, simulate water-limited evapotranspiration in the Amazon Basin. The analysis presented here supports the hypothesis that most Amazonian trees sustain elevated evapotranspiration rates during the dry season through deep roots, which tap into large reservoirs of soil water that are replenished during the following wet season.

Atmospheric moisture budget over Antarctica and the Southern Ocean based on the ERA‐40 reanalysis

AbstractThe atmospheric moisture budget over Antarctica and the Southern Ocean was analysed for the period 1979–2001 on the basis of the ERA‐40 reanalysis of the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts. Meridional transport by transient eddies makes the largest contribution to the southward water vapour transport. The mean meridional circulation contributes to the northward transport in the Antarctic coastal areas, but this effect is compensated by the southward transport by stationary eddies. The convergence of meridional water vapour transport is at its largest at 64–68°S, while the convergence of zonal transport is regionally important in areas of high cyclolysis. Inter‐annual variations in water vapour transport are related to the southern annular mode (SAM). The eastward transport has a significant (95% confidence level) positive correlation with the SAM index, while the northward transport has a significant negative correlation with SAM near 60°S. Hydrological balance is well‐achieved in the ERA‐40 reanalysis: the difference between the water vapour flux convergence (based on analysis) and the net precipitation (precipitation minus evaporation, based on 24‐h forecasts) is only 13 mm yr−1 (3%) over the Southern Ocean and − 8 mm yr−1 (5%) over the continental ice sheet. Over the open ocean, the analysis methodology favours the accuracy of the flux convergence. For the whole study region, the annual mean flux convergence exceeded net precipitation by 11 mm yr−1 (3%). The ERA‐40 result for the mean precipitation over the Antarctic continental ice sheet in 1979–2001 is 177 ± 8 mm yr−1, while previous estimates range from 173 to 215 mm yr−1. For the period 1979–2001, the ERA‐40 data do not show any statistically significant trend in precipitation over the Antarctic grounded ice sheet and ice shelves. From the ERA‐40 data, the annual average net evaporation (evaporation minus condensation) is positive over the whole continent. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society

Satellite Assessment of Divergent Water Vapor Transport from NCEP, ERA40, and JRA25 Reanalyses over the Asian Summer Monsoon Region

The divergent component of water vapor transports was constructed using evaporation, precipitation, and total precipitable water estimated from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I). The SSM/I moisture budget parameters were then compared with those from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) 40-year Reanalysis (ERA40), and the Japanese 25-year Reanalysis Project (JRA25) data over the Asian monsoon region for the May to September (MJJAS) period from 1988 to 2000.The climatology of SSM/I water vapor transports clearly indicates three major water vapor sources for the Asian monsoon, i.e., the subtropical Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean in the Southern Hemisphere, and the North Pacific Ocean. In contrast, sinks are located in the Asian summer monsoon trough, the equatorial convective zones over the Indian and western Pacific Oceans, and over the East Asian monsoon region from the northern tip of Philippine Sea to the Kuroshio extension region. These sources and sinks are linked to well-known large-scale rotational circulation features, i.e., the cross-equatorial flow associated with monsoon circulation over the Indian Ocean, the anticyclonic circulation along the western periphery of the western North Pacific High, and the cross-equatorial flow north of New Guinea. In conjunction with the fluctuation of these sources and sinks, the northward propagating climatological intraseasonal oscillations in water vapor flux convergence are evident in the South and East Asian monsoon regions in the SSM/I data.From the comparison of water budget parameters of NCEP, ERA40, and JRA25 reanalysis with SSM/I-derived features, we found that the general features of all three reanalyses are in good agreement with those from SSM/I; however, the magnitudes of water vapor transports are comparatively weaker in all three reanalyses than what SSM/I measurements suggested. In addition, much weaker water vapor transports in three reanalyses are found in the intraseasonal oscillation signals with less distinct patterns, compared to what are inferred from the SSM/I measurements.

Maintenance of the Boreal Forest Rainbelts during Northern Summer

Abstract It is not unreasonable to expect that boreal forests that exist along 60°N in the Eurasian and North American continents were created and are maintained by warm seasonal rainfall. As revealed from satellite observations and various precipitation sources, zonally elongated rainbelts appear along these forests. Previous studies show that a relationship may exist between the frontal zone along the Arctic seaboard and regional patterns of high-latitude precipitation. It was observed by this study that baroclinic zones associated with strong Arctic westerlies coincide with minor storm tracks and boreal forest rainbelts only in eastern Canada. In contrast, this coincidence does not occur in northern Europe, eastern Siberia, and the Alaska–Pacific coast, because boreal forest rainbelts in these regions are located farther south of strong Arctic westerlies and ahead of high-latitude troughs over central Eurasia, the Bering Sea, the Labrador Sea, and the Norwegian Sea. Therefore, instead of baroclinicity along strong Arctic westerlies, favorable environments for the formation of minor storm tracks are developed by positive vorticity advections ahead of these high-latitude troughs. The water vapor budget analyses performed with NCEP and Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS-1) reanalyses show that the boreal forest rainbelts are essentially maintained by the convergence of water vapor flux associated with transient disturbances at high latitudes.

Water vapor budget of the Indian monsoon depression

Estimations by previous studies show that a minor amount of the Indian monsoon rainfall is contributed by Indian monsoon depressions (IMDs). In contrast, other studies found that approximately half of the summer monsoon rainfall in the northern Indian subcontinent is generated by IMDs. IMDs occur an average of six times during the summer season and provide a crucial water source to the agricultural activity over this region. The large disparity in the estimation of the IMD contribution to the Indian rainfall by previous studies requires a more accurate water vapor budget analysis of the IMD with quality data. For this reason, a composite analysis of the IMD is performed using the ERA-40 reanalysis and four precipitation data sets (the Global Precipitation Climatology Project, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, the GEOS precipitation index at the Goddard Space Flight Center and surface station observations) for the period of 1979–2002. Important findings of this study are: (i) about 45–55% of the total Indian rainfall is produced by the IMD; (ii) the rainfall maximum in the west’south-west sector of IMDs is largely maintained by convergence of atmospheric water vapor flux. The convergence of water vapor flux is largely coupled with the lower-tropospheric divergent circulation. Thus, the IMD water vapor budget is modulated by the 30–60 and 10–20 d monsoon modes through changes of water vapor convergence/divergence. The magnitude of this modulation on the IMD water vapor budget is close to a quarter of the summer-mean water vapor budget over the Bay of Bengal and north-eastern India.