Showing papers in "Journal of Hydrometeorology in 2018"
TL;DR: In this article, an AR detection algorithm was developed based on integrated water vapor transport (IWV) for precipitation in southern South America, where the authors quantified the impact of atmospheric rivers (ARs) on precipitation.
Abstract: This study quantifies the impact of atmospheric rivers (ARs) on precipitation in southern South America. An AR detection algorithm was developed based on integrated water vapor transport (I...
103 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed soil moisture drought as a compound event of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration on multiple time scales related to both meteorological drought and heat waves in wet, transitional, and dry climates in Europe during summer.
Abstract: Compound events are extreme impacts that depend on multiple variables that need not be extreme themselves. In this study, we analyze soil moisture drought as a compound event of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (PET) on multiple time scales related to both meteorological drought and heat waves in wet, transitional, and dry climates in Europe during summer. Drought indices that incorporate PET to account for the effect of temperature on drought conditions are sensitive to global warming. However, as evapotranspiration (ET) is moisture limited in dry climates, the use of such drought indices has often been criticized. We therefore assess the relevance of the contributions of both precipitation and PET to the estimation of soil moisture drought. Applying a statistical model based on pair copula constructions to data from FluxNet sites in Europe, we find at all sites that precipitation exerts the main control over soil moisture drought. At wet sites PET is additionally required to explai...
77 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the relationship between air temperature and convection by analyzing the characteristics of rainfall at the storm and convective rain cell scales, and they found that the peak intensity of individual rain cells increased with temperature, but at a lower rate than the 7%°C−1 scaling expected from the Clausius-Clapeyron relation.
Abstract: This study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between air temperature and convection by analyzing the characteristics of rainfall at the storm and convective rain cell scales. High spatial–temporal resolution (1 km, 5 min) estimates from a uniquely long weather radar record (24 years) were coupled with near-surface air temperature over Mediterranean and semiarid regions in the eastern Mediterranean. In the examined temperature range (5°–25°C), the peak intensity of individual convective rain cells was found to increase with temperature, but at a lower rate than the 7%°C−1 scaling expected from the Clausius–Clapeyron relation, while the area of the individual convective rain cells slightly decreases or, at most, remains unchanged. At the storm scale, the areal convective rainfall was found to increase with warmer temperatures, whereas the areal nonconvective rainfall and the stormwide area decrease. This suggests an enhanced moisture convergence from the stormwide extent toward th...
76 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the Atmospheric River Skill (ATRISK) algo was used to predict the velocity of ARs in a single-stage manner. But the results showed that ARs are global phenomena that transport water vapor horizontally and are associated with hydrological extremes.
Abstract: Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are global phenomena that transport water vapor horizontally and are associated with hydrological extremes. In this study, the Atmospheric River Skill (ATRISK) algo...
75 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors pointed out shortcomings in global climate models for simulating droughts. But, they did not consider how to quantify past and projecting future changes in drought conditions.
Abstract: Global climate models play an important role in quantifying past and projecting future changes in drought. Previous studies have pointed to shortcomings in these models for simulating droug...
60 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the equidistant cumulative distribution function (EDCDF) quantile-based mapping method was used to develop bias-corrected and downscaled monthly precipitation and temperature.
Abstract: In this study, the equidistant cumulative distribution function (EDCDF) quantile-based mapping method was used to develop bias-corrected and downscaled monthly precipitation and temperature...
59 citations
TL;DR: In this article, satellite-based precipitation estimation products have the advantage of global coverage and high spatiotemporal resolutions compared to ground precipitation measurements, however, the accu-...
Abstract: Compared to ground precipitation measurements, satellite-based precipitation estimation products have the advantage of global coverage and high spatiotemporal resolutions. However, the accu...
55 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used gridded meteorological datasets to represent precipitation in the Himalayas because of their relatively low spatial resolution and the associated representation of the c...
Abstract: Frequently used gridded meteorological datasets poorly represent precipitation in the Himalayas because of their relatively low spatial resolution and the associated representation of the c...
55 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors forecasted precipitation during landfalling atmospheric rivers (ARs) in the United States during Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, and showed that ARs play a large role in water supply and flooding for many regions.
Abstract: Accurate forecasts of precipitation during landfalling atmospheric rivers (ARs) are critical because ARs play a large role in water supply and flooding for many regions. In this study, we h...
50 citations
TL;DR: In the Levant drylands is scarce but can potentially generate high-magnitude flash floods as discussed by the authors, where rainstorms are caused by distinct synoptic-scale circulation patterns: Mediterranean cycl...
Abstract: Rainfall in the Levant drylands is scarce but can potentially generate high-magnitude flash floods. Rainstorms are caused by distinct synoptic-scale circulation patterns: Mediterranean cycl...
48 citations
TL;DR: The Ka-Ku Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) and the Microwave Imager on board the GPM mission core satellite have been collecting data for more than a decade.
Abstract: The Ka–Ku Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) and the Microwave Imager on board the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission core satellite have been collecting data for more tha...
TL;DR: This paper presented an observation-driven technique to delineate the dominant boundaries and temporal shifts between different hydrologic regimes over the contiguous United States (CONUS) over the last decade.
Abstract: This study presents an observation-driven technique to delineate the dominant boundaries and temporal shifts between different hydrologic regimes over the contiguous United States (CONUS). ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose a conceptual and theoretical foundation for information-based model benchmarking and process diagnostics that provides diagnostic insight into model performance and model realism, based on model realism.
Abstract: We propose a conceptual and theoretical foundation for information-based model benchmarking and process diagnostics that provides diagnostic insight into model performance and model realism...
TL;DR: In this paper, six existing precipitation datasets (observation-based reanalysis datasets, satellite observation datasets, and the output of high-resolution regional climate models) were compared over five headwaters of the Tarim River.
Abstract: Mountain precipitation is often strongly underestimated as observations are scarce, biased toward lower-lying locations and prone to wind-induced undercatch, while topographical heterogeneity is large. This presents serious challenges to hydrological modeling for water resource management and climate change impact assessments in mountainous regions of the world, where a large population depends on water supply from the mountains. The headwaters of the Tarim River, covering four remote and highly glacierized Asian mountain ranges, are vital water suppliers to large agricultural communities along the Taklamakan Desert, northwest China. Assessments of future changes to these water towers have been hampered because of the large precipitation uncertainties. In this study, six existing precipitation datasets (observation-based reanalysis datasets, satellite observation datasets, and the output of high-resolution regional climate models) were compared over five headwaters of the Tarim River. The dataset ...
TL;DR: Precipitation profiles from the GPM Core Observatory Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR; Ku and Ka bands) form part of the a priori database used in this article.
Abstract: Precipitation profiles from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR; Ku and Ka bands) form part of the a priori database used in ...
TL;DR: Data assimilation reduces the ubRMSE of soil moisture estimates and improves the timing of streamflow variations, whereas model calibration reduces the model biases in both soil moisture and streamflow, which provides the highest soil moisture simulation accuracy.
Abstract: The assimilation of remotely sensed soil moisture information into a land surface model has been shown in past studies to contribute accuracy to the simulated hydrological variables. Remotely sensed data, however, can also be used to improve the model itself through the calibration of the model's parameters, and this can also increase the accuracy of model products. Here, data provided by the Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) satellite mission are applied to the land surface component of the NASA GEOS Earth system model using both data assimilation and model calibration in order to quantify the relative degrees to which each strategy improves the estimation of near-surface soil moisture and streamflow. The two approaches show significant complementarity in their ability to extract useful information from the SMAP data record. Data assimilation reduces the ubRMSE (the RMSE after removing the long-term bias) of soil moisture estimates and improves the timing of streamflow variations, whereas model calibration reduces the model biases in both soil moisture and streamflow. While both approaches lead to an improved timing of simulated soil moisture, these contributions are largely independent; joint use of both approaches provides the highest soil moisture simulation accuracy.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed that accurate precipitation data are fundamental for understanding and mitigating the disastrous effects of many natural hazards in mountainous areas. Floods and landslides, in particular, are p...
Abstract: Accurate precipitation data are fundamental for understanding and mitigating the disastrous effects of many natural hazards in mountainous areas. Floods and landslides, in particular, are p...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluate global snow water equivalent (SWE) products derived at least in part from satellite remote sensing (SRS) in weather, climate, and hydrometeorological studies.
Abstract: Global snow water equivalent (SWE) products derived at least in part from satellite remote sensing are widely used in weather, climate, and hydrometeorological studies. Here we evaluate thr...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors show that climate change impacts often stem from the combined effect of these variables, making the evaluation of inter-model inter-variables difficult or impossible.
Abstract: Variables simulated by climate models are usually evaluated independently. Yet, climate change impacts often stem from the combined effect of these variables, making the evaluation of inter...
TL;DR: In this article, the sensitivity of the Noah land surface model with multiple parameterization options (Noah-MP) to vegetation carbon assimilation and soil carbon decomposition processes is investigated.
Abstract: The Noah land surface model with multiple parameterization options (Noah-MP) includes a routine for the dynamic simulation of vegetation carbon assimilation and soil carbon decomposition processes. To use remote sensing observations of vegetation to constrain simulations from this model, it is necessary first to understand the sensitivity of the model to its parameters. This is required for efficient parameter estimation, which is both a valuable way to use observations and also a first or concurrent step in many state-updating data assimilation procedures. We use variance decomposition to assess the sensitivity of estimates of sensible heat, latent heat, soil moisture, and net ecosystem exchange made by certain standard Noah-MP configurations that include the dynamic simulation of vegetation and carbon to 43 primary user-specified parameters. This is done using 32 years’ worth of data from 10 international FluxNet sites. Findings indicate that there are five soil parameters and six (or more) veg...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider soil moisture transport as a thruster in atmospheric models and show that this variability is not well represented in the atmospheric models that do not consider it.
Abstract: Precipitation is affected by soil moisture spatial variability. However, this variability is not well represented in atmospheric models that do not consider soil moisture transport as a thr...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated climate change effects on hydrology for the 2041-60 horizon under the A2 emission scenarios using a multimodel approach over two snowmelt-dominated catchments in Canada.
Abstract: Projected climate change effects on hydrology are investigated for the 2041–60 horizon under the A2 emission scenarios using a multimodel approach over two snowmelt-dominated catchments in Canada. An ensemble of 105 members was obtained by combining seven snow models (SMs), five potential evapotranspiration (PET) methods, and three hydrological model (HM) structures. The study was performed using high-resolution simulations from the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM–15 km) driven by two members of the third-generation Canadian Coupled Global Climate Model (CGCM3). This study aims to compare various combinations of SM–PET–HM in terms of their ability to simulate streamflows under the current climate and to evaluate how they affect the assessment of the climate change–induced hydrological impacts at the catchment scale. The variability of streamflow response caused by the use of different SMs (degree-day versus degree-day/energy balance), PET methods (temperature-based versus radiation-based met...
TL;DR: The extreme precipitation that resulted in historic flooding in central-northern France began 26 May 2016 and was linked to a large cutoff low as discussed by the authors. The floods caused some casualties and over a...
Abstract: The extreme precipitation that resulted in historic flooding in central-northern France began 26 May 2016 and was linked to a large cutoff low. The floods caused some casualties and over a ...
TL;DR: In this article, atmospheric rivers (ARs) come in all intensities, and clear communication of risks posed by individual storms in observations and forecasts can be a challenge.
Abstract: Atmospheric rivers (ARs) come in all intensities, and clear communication of risks posed by individual storms in observations and forecasts can be a challenge Modest ARs can be characteriz
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the performance of a physically based model resembling the US National Water Model (NWM) over the Texas Hill Country over the period of May and October 2015.
Abstract: This study evaluates the May and October 2015 flood prediction skill of a physically based model resembling the US National Water Model (NWM) over the Texas Hill Country It also investig
TL;DR: It is well established that episodic deposition of dust on mountain snow reduces snow albedo and impacts snow hydrology in the western United States, particularly in the Colorado Rockies, w
Abstract: It is well established that episodic deposition of dust on mountain snow reduces snow albedo and impacts snow hydrology in the western United States, particularly in the Colorado Rockies, w
TL;DR: The Surface Urban Energy and Water Balance Scheme (SUEWS) was used to investigate the impact of anthropogenic heat flux QF and irrigation on surface energy balance partitioning in a central....
Abstract: The Surface Urban Energy and Water Balance Scheme (SUEWS) is used to investigate the impact of anthropogenic heat flux QF and irrigation on surface energy balance partitioning in a central ...
TL;DR: In this article, the GPM mission's Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) and combined DPR and multifrequency microwave (MIMO) were used to estimate surface rain rate from the Global Precipment Measurement (GPM) mission's dual-frequency precipitation radar and multiview microwave.
Abstract: Instantaneous surface rain rate estimates from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission’s Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) and combined DPR and multifrequency microwave im...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined long-term trends in the fraction of winter precipitation that falls as snow (Sfrac) for 175 hydrologic units (HUs) in snow-covered areas of the western United States for the period 1951-2014.
Abstract: Winter snowfall and accumulation is an important component of the surface water supply in the western United States. In these areas, increasing winter temperatures T associated with global warming can influence the amount of winter precipitation P that falls as snow S. In this study we examine long-term trends in the fraction of winter P that falls as S (Sfrac) for 175 hydrologic units (HUs) in snow-covered areas of the western United States for the period 1951–2014. Because S is a substantial contributor to runoff R across most of the western United States, we also examine long-term trends in water-year runoff efficiency [computed as water-year R/water-year P (Reff)] for the same 175 HUs. In that most S records are short in length, we use model-simulated S and R from a monthly water balance model. Results for Sfrac indicate long-term negative trends for most of the 175 HUs, with negative trends for 139 (~79%) of the HUs being statistically significant at a 95% confidence level (p = 0.05). Additio...
TL;DR: One of the main goals of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is to retrieve parameters of the raindrop size distribution as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: One of the main goals of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is to retrieve parameters of the raindrop size distribution ...