Long-Term Variability of Atmospheric Precipitation

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Meteorology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (16 September 2022) | Viewed by 11933

Special Issue Editors

College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Interests: climate change analysis; data assimilation; land–atmosphere interaction

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Guest Editor
College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Interests: hydrological simulation and analysis; land-atmosphere interaction
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Precipitation is an indicator that reflects the energy and mass exchange in land–atmosphere interactions, playing an important role in terrestrial modeling and meteorological studies. Precipitation is generally condensed into one quantity and summed at daily, monthly or annual time scales, primarily because most precipitation data are recorded daily. Precipitation is particularly vulnerable to climate change and has significant effects on runoff, groundwater levels, water resources protection, crop growth, and human life; it has large intermittency and fluctuation, at nearly all temporal and spatial scales. The analysis of precipitation commonly depends on surface gauge observations, which are typically used to directly measure precipitation at the Earth’s surface. Alternatively, the reanalysis product aims to reproduce the precipitation state in a statistically optimal sense by combining model forecasts with various observation data after quality control. Precipitation extremes have been widely reported to increase with global warming; however, the variability and mechanism of precipitation characteristics such as extremes, unevenness and seasonality have not been well quantified. The long-term variability of precipitation has also not been fully addressed, and is extremely meaningful to climate studies, hydrological recycling, agricultural water usability and other related fields.

Dr. Guocan Wu
Dr. Yuna Mao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • precipitation
  • long-term variability
  • hydrological recycle
  • climate studies

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 5684 KiB  
Article
Decadal Prediction of the Summer Extreme Precipitation over Southern China
by Huijie Wang, Yanyan Huang, Dapeng Zhang and Huijun Wang
Atmosphere 2023, 14(3), 595; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14030595 - 21 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1754
Abstract
The decadal variability of the summer extreme precipitation over southern China (EPSC) is remarkable, especially for the significant decadal enhancement after the 1990s. The study documented that the summer sea surface temperature (SST) over the North Atlantic and spring sea ice concentration (SIC) [...] Read more.
The decadal variability of the summer extreme precipitation over southern China (EPSC) is remarkable, especially for the significant decadal enhancement after the 1990s. The study documented that the summer sea surface temperature (SST) over the North Atlantic and spring sea ice concentration (SIC) over the East Siberian Sea can significantly affect the EPSC. The summer SST over the North Atlantic influences the low-pressure cyclone in the western Pacific by modulating the SST over the tropical Pacific, thus affecting EPSC. A decrease in the SIC of the East Siberian Sea induces a negative Arctic Oscillation, which induces the increased SST over northwest Pacific and the anomalous cyclone over there, in turn, affecting EPSC. Both predictors have a quasi-period of 10–14 years, which provides useful predictive signals for EPSC. The leading 7-year SST and the leading 5-year SIC are chosen to establish the prediction model based on the decadal increment method, which can well predict the EPSC, especially for the shift in the early 1990s. These results provide a clue to the limited predictability of decadal-scale extreme climate events. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Long-Term Variability of Atmospheric Precipitation)
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17 pages, 18238 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Spatio-Temporal Rainfall Variability in Cameroon over the Period 1950 to 2019
by Valentin Brice Ebodé
Atmosphere 2022, 13(11), 1769; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13111769 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2113
Abstract
The study of rainfall in the long term is essential for climatic change understanding and socioeconomic development. The main goal of this study was to explore the spatial and temporal variations of precipitation in different time scales (seasonal and annual) in Cameroon. The [...] Read more.
The study of rainfall in the long term is essential for climatic change understanding and socioeconomic development. The main goal of this study was to explore the spatial and temporal variations of precipitation in different time scales (seasonal and annual) in Cameroon. The Mann–Kendall and Pettitt tests were applied to analyze the precipitation variability. In temporal terms, the different regions of Cameroon have recorded significant drops in annual rainfall that Pettitt’s test generally situates around the 1970s. The decreases observed for the northern regions of Cameroon are between −5.4% (Adamawa) and −7.4% (Far North). Those of western regions oscillate between −7.5% (South-West) and −12.5% (West). The southern Cameroon regions recorded decreases varying between −4.3% (East) and −5.9% (Center). In spatial terms, the divisions of the northern, western, and southern regions of Cameroon recorded after the 1970s (a pivotal period in the evolution of precipitation in temporal terms) indicate a precipitation decrease towards the South, the South-West, and the West. This study’s findings could be helpful for planning and managing water resources in Cameroon. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Long-Term Variability of Atmospheric Precipitation)
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18 pages, 14813 KiB  
Article
Joint Contribution of Preceding Pacific SST and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau Soil Moisture to September Precipitation over the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River
by Lijun Jin, Ge Liu, Xinchen Wei, Ting Zhang and Yuhan Feng
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1737; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101737 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1447
Abstract
The middle reaches of the Yellow River (MRYR) are an important base for agricultural and husbandry production and coal and coal-based power and chemical industries. Understanding the variability of autumn (especially September) precipitation over the MRYR region and the associated atmospheric circulation anomalies [...] Read more.
The middle reaches of the Yellow River (MRYR) are an important base for agricultural and husbandry production and coal and coal-based power and chemical industries. Understanding the variability of autumn (especially September) precipitation over the MRYR region and the associated atmospheric circulation anomalies and precursory signals is of great importance for the prevention and mitigation of meteorological disasters during autumn rainy season. This study primarily explored precursory signals for September precipitation over the MRYR from the perspectives of sea surface temperature (SST) and soil moisture (SM) anomalies. The results reveal that the northward-shifted East Asian westerly jet (EAWJ) and the strengthened and westward-extended western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) are responsible for more precipitation over the MRYR region. Further analyses show that the September MRYR precipitation is significantly related to the preceding July–August southern Pacific SST pattern (SPSP) and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau (YGP) SM. The preceding SPSP anomaly, which reflects the La Niña/El Niño-like SST anomalies, can be maintained until September and plays an important role in modulating the September MRYR precipitation. Moreover, the above SST anomalies may adjust the SM anomalies in the YGP during July–August. The SM anomalies in The YGP persist from July–August to September and eventually affect the MRYR precipitation through exciting an anomalous vertical motion during September. The effect of the preceding SPSP anomaly on the September MRYR precipitation decreases when the SM effect is absent, which suggests that the YGP SM anomalies act as a bridge linking the preceding Pacific SST anomalies and the ensuing September MRYR precipitation. This study discloses the joint contribution of the preceding Pacific SST and YGP SM anomalies to the September MRYR precipitation and may shed new light on the short-term prediction of autumn precipitation over the MRYR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Long-Term Variability of Atmospheric Precipitation)
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21 pages, 4934 KiB  
Article
Rainfall in the Urban Area and Its Impact on Climatology and Population Growth
by Lua da Silva Monteiro, José Francisco de Oliveira-Júnior, Bushra Ghaffar, Aqil Tariq, Shujing Qin, Faisal Mumtaz, Washington Luiz Félix Correia Filho, Munawar Shah, Alexandre Maniçoba da Rosa Ferraz Jardim, Marcos Vinícius da Silva, Dimas de Barros Santiago, Heliofábio Gomes Barros, David Mendes, Marcel Carvalho Abreu, Amaury de Souza, Luiz Cláudio Gomes Pimentel, Jhon Lennon Bezerra da Silva, Muhammad Aslam and Alban Kuriqi
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1610; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101610 - 1 Oct 2022
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4186
Abstract
Due to the scarcity of studies linking the variability of rainfall and population growth in the capital cities of Northeastern Brazil (NEB), the purpose of this study is to evaluate the variability and multiscale interaction (annual and seasonal), and in addition, to detect [...] Read more.
Due to the scarcity of studies linking the variability of rainfall and population growth in the capital cities of Northeastern Brazil (NEB), the purpose of this study is to evaluate the variability and multiscale interaction (annual and seasonal), and in addition, to detect their trends and the impact of urban growth. For this, monthly rainfall data between 1960 and 2020 were used. In addition, the detection of rainfall trends on annual and seasonal scales was performed using the Mann–Kendall (MK) test and compared with the phases of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). The relationship between population growth data and rainfall data for different decades was established. Results indicate that the variability of multiscale urban rainfall is directly associated with the ENSO and PDO phases, followed by the performance of rain-producing meteorological systems in the NEB. In addition, the anthropic influence is shown in the relational pattern between population growth and the variability of decennial rainfall in the capitals of the NEB. However, no capital showed a significant trend of increasing annual rainfall (as in the case of Aracaju, Maceió, and Salvador). The observed population increase in the last decades in the capitals of the NEB and the notable decreasing trend of rainfall could compromise the region’s water security. Moreover, if there is no strategic planning about water bodies, these changes in the rainfall pattern could be compromising. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Long-Term Variability of Atmospheric Precipitation)
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13 pages, 2763 KiB  
Article
Interdecadal Variability of Summer Extreme Rainfall Events over the Huaihe River Basin and Associated Atmospheric Circulation
by Rongwei Liao, Ge Liu, Junming Chen and Lei Zhang
Atmosphere 2022, 13(8), 1189; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13081189 - 27 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1825
Abstract
The Huaihe River basin (HRB) is an important economically developed and grain production region in China, which is severely affected by rainfall anomalies, especially extreme rainfall events (EREs). It is crucial to the features of interdecadal change in EREs and the contribution of [...] Read more.
The Huaihe River basin (HRB) is an important economically developed and grain production region in China, which is severely affected by rainfall anomalies, especially extreme rainfall events (EREs). It is crucial to the features of interdecadal change in EREs and the contribution of EREs to summer-mean total rainfall amount (TRA) over the HRB. Using the observational 24-h ac-cumulated rainfall and the reanalysis products from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF), as well as the methods of composite analysis and Mann–Kendal and running t tests, we revealed that the EREs experienced a significant interdecadal increase from the period 1990–1999 to the period 2000–2009. The EREs, particularly long persistent extreme rainfall events (LPEREs), occurred more frequently over the HRB during the latter period and dominated the interdecadal increase in the summer mean TRA. An anomalous high-pressure ridge and associated anomalous anticyclone appeared around Lake Baikal during the latter period, which led to anomalous northeasterlies along the eastern flank of the anomalous anticyclone, inducing the southward intrusion of cold air flow from higher latitudes and associated anomalous ascent and more active convection over the HRB. As such, more EREs and LPEREs occurred during the latter period. The higher pseudo-equivalent temperatures also support more active convective ascent and relevant more EREs. The results may shed light on further understanding the effect of large-scale atmospheric circulation on the interdecadal variability of EREs over the HRB, helping mitigate the disastrous impacts of EREs on local ecosystems, agriculture, soil erosion, and societies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Long-Term Variability of Atmospheric Precipitation)
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