Search results for "climatology"

Real-time weather forecasting in the Western Mediterranean Basin: An application of the RAMS model

2014

Abstract A regional forecasting system based on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) is being run at the CEAM Foundation. The model is started twice daily with a forecast range of 72 h. For the period June 2007 to August 2010 the verification of the model has been done using a series of automatic meteorological stations from the CEAM network and located within the Valencia Region (Western Mediterranean Basin). Air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed and direction of the output of the model have been compared with observations. For these variables, an operational verification has been performed by computing different statistical scores for 18 weather stations. This verif…

A typology for intraseasonal oscillations

2013

This descriptive study attempts to document the diversity of intraseasonal oscillations (ISO) propagative and spatial patterns, as inferred from outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) variability. Main ISO events over the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool are first extracted using a local mode analysis (LMA) applied on the 20–120-d filtered OLR on the 1979–2008 period. One hundred and sixty-nine individual ISO are detected. Their propagative patterns are then objectively regrouped into a few types using a hierarchical agglomerative classification. Three alternative partitionings are retained, depending on the level of details expected from the typology. ISO events first regroup naturally into two well-sepa…

An Analysis of Regional and Intra-annual Precipitation Variability over Iran using Multivariate Statistical Methods

1998

The temporal and spatial precipitation regime of Iran was analysed using multivariate analyses of monthly mean precipitation records for 71 stations. A Principal Component Analysis was applied to the correlation matrix in order to describe the intra-annual variations of precipitation. The Principal Component scores were mapped to visualize the spatial structure of the three derived precipitation regimes. By applying an agglomerative clustering (WARD) of the three Principal Component scores, five homogeneous spatial clusters, representing five precipitation regions, were developed. The intra-annual types of precipitation distribution, shown by the five clusters, are described and discussed.

Seasonal precipitation interpolation at the Valencia region with multivariate methods using geographic and topographic information

2009

The spatial pattern of precipitation is a complex variable that strongly depends on other geographic and topographic factors. As precipitation is usually known only at certain locations, interpolation procedures are needed in order to predict this variable in other regions. The use of multivariate interpolation methods is usually preferred, as secondary variables—generally derived using GIS tools—correlated with precipitation can be included. In this paper, a comparative study on different univariate and multivariate interpolation methodologies is presented. Our study area is centred in the region of Valencia, located to the eastern Spanish Mediterranean coast. The followed methodology can …

Dynamics of a local Alpine flooding event in October 2011: moisture source and large‐scale circulation

2014

Alpine heavy precipitation events often affect small catchments, although the circulation pattern leading to the event extends over the entire North Atlantic. The various scale interactions involved are particularly challenging for the numerical weather prediction of such events. Unlike previous studies focusing on the southern Alps, here a comprehensive study of a heavy precipitation event in the northern Alps in October 2011 is presented with particular focus on the role of the large-scale circulation in the North Atlantic/European region. During the event exceptionally high amounts of total precipitable water occurred in and north of the Alps. This moisture was initially transported alon…

2017

Abstract. Lightning represents one of the dominant emission sources for NOx in the troposphere. The direct release of oxidised nitrogen in the upper troposphere does not only affect ozone formation, but also chemical and microphysical properties of aerosol particles in this region. This study investigates the direct impact of LNOx emissions on upper-tropospheric nitrate using a global chemistry climate model. The simulation results show a substantial influence of the lightning emissions on the mixing ratios of nitrate aerosol in the upper troposphere of more than 50 %. In addition to the impact on nitrate, lightning substantially affects the oxidising capacity of the atmosphere with substan…

2017

Abstract. Ozone (O3) is an important atmospheric oxidant, a greenhouse gas, and a hazard to human health and agriculture. Here we describe airborne in situ measurements and model simulations of O3 and its precursors during tropical and extratropical field campaigns over South America and Europe, respectively. Using the measurements, net ozone formation/destruction tendencies are calculated and compared to 3-D chemistry–transport model simulations. In general, observation-based net ozone tendencies are positive in the continental boundary layer and the upper troposphere at altitudes above  ∼  6 km in both environments. On the other hand, in the marine boundary layer and the middle tropospher…

Some aspects of the seasonal variation of carbon dioxide and ozone

1968

An attempt is made to estimate the seasonal source function, Q , of CO 2 on the basis of data for the biosphere, provided by Lieth, and for other sources. The variation of soil respiration appears to be the most uncertain factor. The resulting CO 2 variations in the atmosphere are calculated for horizontal exchange coefficients, K , which vary with latitude. Comparison with observations given by Bolin & Keeling shows that the results are not very sensitive with respect to the assumed variations of Q and of K with latitude. Previous results on the 0 3 budget are used to calculate seasonal variations of tropospheric 0 3 for stratospheric injection rates, and K values which vary with latitude.…

Global ozone budget and exchange between stratosphere and troposphere

1962

A survey of existing data reveals that tropospheric ozone is fairly uniformly distributed within the hemispheres, but that the hemispheres are well separated. Within the northern hemisphere representative data of tropospheric ozone exhibit a uniform seasonal variation the phase of which is delayed by about 2 months with respect to the injection into the troposphere. It is suggested that this delay is controlled by the rate of destruction of ozone within the troposphere. On the basis of this concept and additional reasonable assumptions it is possible to give a quantitative analysis of the ozone budget and of the seasonal variation of the exchange between stratosphere and troposphere. Calcul…

The importance of stratospheric–tropospheric transport in affecting surface ozone concentrations in the western and northern tier of the United States

2011

Stratospheric–tropospheric exchange (STE) processes contribute at both high and low-elevation monitoring sites to background ozone (O3) concentrations. This study addresses the importance of stratospheric intrusions contributing to enhanced hourly average surface O3 concentrations (i.e., ≥50 ppb) at 12 O3 monitoring stations in the western and northern tier of the US for 2006, 2007, and 2008. The Lagrangian Analysis Tool (LAGRANTO) trajectory model identified specific days when stratosphere-to-troposphere transport was optimal to elevate surface O3 levels. The coincidences between the number of days with a daily maximum hourly average O3 concentration ≥ 50 ppb and stratosphere-to-tropospher…