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  The role of atmospheric rivers in the distribution of heavy precipitation events over North America

Vallejo Bernal, S. M., Wolf, F., Boers, N., Traxl, D., Marwan, N., Kurths, J. (2023): The role of atmospheric rivers in the distribution of heavy precipitation events over North America. - Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 27, 14, 2645-2660.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2645-2023

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 Creators:
Vallejo Bernal, Sara Maria1, Author              
Wolf, Frederik1, Author              
Boers, Niklas1, Author              
Traxl, Dominik1, Author              
Marwan, Norbert1, Author              
Kurths, Jürgen1, Author              
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1Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, ou_persistent13              

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 Abstract: Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are filaments of extensive water vapor transport in the lower troposphere that play a crucial role in the distribution of freshwater but can also cause natural and economic damage by facilitating heavy precipitation. Here, we investigate the large-scale spatiotemporal synchronization patterns of heavy precipitation events (HPEs) over the western coast and the continental regions of North America (NA), during the period from 1979 to 2018. In particular, we use event synchronization and a complex network approach incorporating varying delays to examine the temporal evolution of spatial patterns of HPEs in the aftermath of land-falling ARs. For that, we employ the SIO-R1 catalog of ARs that landfall on the western coast of NA, ranked in terms of intensity and persistence on an AR-strength scale which varies from level AR1 to AR5, along with daily precipitation estimates from ERA5 with a 0.25∘ spatial resolution. Our analysis reveals a cascade of synchronized HPEs, triggered by ARs of level AR3 or higher. On the first 3 d after an AR makes landfall, HPEs mostly occur and synchronize along the western coast of NA. In the subsequent days, moisture can be transported to central and eastern Canada and cause synchronized but delayed HPEs there. Furthermore, we confirm the robustness of our findings with an additional AR catalog based on a different AR detection method. Finally, analyzing the anomalies of integrated water vapor transport, geopotential height, upper-level meridional wind, and precipitation, we find atmospheric circulation patterns that are consistent with the spatiotemporal evolution of the synchronized HPEs. Revealing the role of ARs in the precipitation patterns over NA will lead to a better understanding of inland HPEs and the effects that changing climate dynamics will have on precipitation occurrence and consequent impacts in the context of a warming atmosphere.

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Language(s): eng - English
 Dates: 2023-07-192023-07-19
 Publication Status: Finally published
 Pages: 16
 Publishing info: -
 Table of Contents: -
 Rev. Type: Peer
 Identifiers: DOI: 10.5194/hess-27-2645-2023
PIKDOMAIN: RD4 - Complexity Science
Organisational keyword: FutureLab - Artificial Intelligence in the Anthropocene
MDB-ID: yes - 3469
OATYPE: Gold Open Access
 Degree: -

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Title: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
Source Genre: Journal, SCI, Scopus, p3, oa
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Pages: - Volume / Issue: 27 (14) Sequence Number: - Start / End Page: 2645 - 2660 Identifier: CoNE: https://publications.pik-potsdam.de/cone/journals/resource/journals208
Publisher: Copernicus