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Precipitation

About: Precipitation is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 32861 publications have been published within this topic receiving 990496 citations. The topic is also known as: rain & rainfall.


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a multidecadal simulation of present-day climate (1961-1990) over Europe with the regional climate model RegCM nested within the global atmospheric model HadAMH is presented.
Abstract: We present an analysis of a multidecadal simulation of present-day climate (1961–1990) over Europe with the regional climate model RegCM nested within the global atmospheric model HadAMH. Climatic means, interannual variability and trends are examined, with focus on surface air temperature and precipitation. The RegCM driven by HadAMH fields is able to reproduce the basic features of the observed mean surface climate over Europe, its seasonal evolution and the regional detail due to topographic forcing. Surface air temperature biases are mostly less than 1–2 °C and precipitation biases mostly within 10–20%. The RegCM has more intense vertical transport of temperature and water vapor than HadAMH, which results in lower surface air temperatures and greater precipitation than found in the HadAMH simulation. In some cases this is in the direction of greater agreement with observations, while in others it is in the opposite direction. The simulation shows a tendency to overestimate interannual variability of temperature and precipitation compared to observations, particularly during summer and over the Mediterranean regions. It is shown that in DJF, MAM and SON the RegCM interannual variability is primarily determined by the boundary forcing from HadAMH, while in JJA the internal model physics and resolution effects dominate over many subregions of the domain, and the RegCM has higher interannual variability than HadAMH. The precipitation trends simulated by the nested modeling system for the period 1961–1990 capture some features of the observed trends, in particular the cold season drying over the Mediterranean regions. Ensembles of simulations are, however, needed for a more robust assessment of the model’s capability to simulate climatic trends. Overall, this simulation is of good quality compared with previous nested RegCM experiments and will constitute the basis for the generation of climate change scenarios over the European region to be reported in future work.

288 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a year-round record of atmospheric sea-salt concentrations at three coastal Antarctic stations (Halley, Dumont D'Urville, and Neumayer) was recovered at temporal resolutions typically between 1 day and 2 weeks.
Abstract: Continuous year round records of atmospheric sea-salt concentrations have been recovered at three coastal Antarctic stations (Halley, Dumont D'Urville, and Neumayer) at temporal resolutions typically between 1 day and 2 weeks. The records were evaluated in terms of their spatial and seasonal variability as well as with respect to changes in the relative ion composition of airborn sea-salt particles. Annual mean sea-salt concentrations vary between 1400 ng m−3 at Dumont D'Urville, 850 ng m−3 at Neumayer, and 200 ng m−3 at Halley, respectively. They are thus considerably lower than the mean levels previously observed at the north tip of the Antarctic Peninsula but are, at their lower end, comparable to the level previously reported from Mawson. The representativeness of the atmospheric sea-salt data appears to be weak due to their high temporal variability, strong impacts of site specific aspects (such as site topography) but also due to the nonuniform sampling techniques applied so far. In accordance with the ice core evidence, the seasonal change in the atmospheric sea-salt load is found to be clearly out of phase with the seasonal cycle of the open water fraction offshore from the station as (with the exception of Dumont D'Urville) the lowest concentrations are generally observed during the local summer months. Major ion analyses of bulk aerosol and concurrently sampled fresh snow show a strong, systematic depletion of the SO42− to Na+ (Cl−) ratios with respect to bulk sea water, which appeared to be confined to the local winter half year. During that time, sea-salt SO42− was found to be depleted typically by 60–80% along with a concurrent Na+ deficit, which is in accordance with the precipitation of mirabilite. No significant fractionation of Mg2+, K+, and Ca2+ between seawater and sea-salt particles is observed. Laboratory experiments failed to simulate the SO42− fractionation in airborne seawater droplets or in the skin of seawater bubbles at low air temperatures. They gave, however, SO42− depletion factors, similar to the field observation in air and snow, in the remaining brine of seawater which was partly frozen below −8°C to an artificial sea ice surface. It is suggested therefore that the mobilization of brine from the sea ice surface constitutes an important sea-salt source in winter which may dominate the atmospheric sea-salt load at high latitudes of coastal Antarctica.

288 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed developments for the Community Land Model, version 4 (CLM4) compared to CCSM3, and assessed new earth system features of CLM4 within the community land model.
Abstract: This paper reviews developments for the Community Land Model, version 4 (CLM4), examines the land surface climate simulation of the Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4) compared to CCSM3, and assesses new earth system features of CLM4 within CCSM4. CLM4 incorporates a broad set of improvements including additions of a carbon–nitrogen (CN) biogeochemical model, an urban canyon model, and transient land cover and land use change, as well as revised soil and snow submodels.Several aspects of the surface climate simulation are improved in CCSM4. Improvements in the simulation of soil water storage, evapotranspiration, surface albedo, and permafrost that are apparent in offline CLM4 simulations are generally retained in CCSM4. The global land air temperature bias is reduced and the annual cycle is improved in many locations, especially at high latitudes. The global land precipitation bias is larger in CCSM4 because of bigger wet biases in central and southern Africa and Australia.New earth...

287 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate the impacts of observed irrigation changes over this century with two ensemble simulations using an atmosphere general circulation model, one ensemble includes irrigation specified by a time-varying data set of irrigation water withdrawals.
Abstract: Various studies have documented the effects of modern ]day irrigation on regional and global climate, but none, to date, have considered the time ]varying impact of steadily increasing irrigation rates on climate during the 20th century. We investigate the impacts of observed irrigation changes over this century with two ensemble simulations using an atmosphere general circulation model. Both ensembles are forced with transient climate forcings and observed sea surface temperatures from 1902 to 2000; one ensemble includes irrigation specified by a time ]varying data set of irrigation water withdrawals. Early in the century, irrigation is primarily localized over southern and eastern Asia, leading to significant cooling in boreal summer (June.August) over these regions. This cooling spreads and intensifies by century fs end, following the rapid expansion of irrigation over North America, Europe, and Asia. Irrigation also leads to boreal winter (December.February) warming over parts of North America and Asia in the latter part of the century, due to enhanced downward longwave fluxes from increased near ]surface humidity. Precipitation increases occur primarily downwind of the major irrigation areas, although precipitation in parts of India decreases due to a weaker summer monsoon. Irrigation begins to significantly reduce temperatures and temperature trends during boreal summer over the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes and tropics beginning around 1950; significant increases in precipitation occur in these same latitude bands. These trends reveal the varying importance of irrigation ]climate interactions and suggest that future climate studies should account for irrigation, especially in regions with unsustainable irrigation resources.

287 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors quantify the impact of black carbon aerosols on snow cover and precipitation from 1990 to 2010 over the Indian subcontinental region using two different BC emission inventories.
Abstract: . Recent thinning of glaciers over the Himalayas (sometimes referred to as the third polar region) have raised concern on future water supplies since these glaciers supply water to large river systems that support millions of people inhabiting the surrounding areas. Black carbon (BC) aerosols, released from incomplete combustion, have been increasingly implicated as causing large changes in the hydrology and radiative forcing over Asia and its deposition on snow is thought to increase snow melt. In India BC emissions from biofuel combustion is highly prevalent and compared to other regions, BC aerosol amounts are high. Here, we quantify the impact of BC aerosols on snow cover and precipitation from 1990 to 2010 over the Indian subcontinental region using two different BC emission inventories. New estimates indicate that Indian BC emissions from coal and biofuel are large and transport is expected to expand rapidly in coming years. We show that over the Himalayas, from 1990 to 2000, simulated snow/ice cover decreases by ~0.9% due to aerosols. The contribution of the enhanced Indian BC to this decline is ~36%, similar to that simulated for 2000 to 2010. Spatial patterns of modeled changes in snow cover and precipitation are similar to observations (from 1990 to 2000), and are mainly obtained with the newer BC estimates.

286 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
20237,839
202214,365
20212,302
20201,964
20191,942
20181,773