Rainfall and Cloud Dynamics in the Andes: A Southern Ecuador Case Study
Mountain regions worldwide present a pronounced spatiotemporal precipitation variability, which added to scarce monitoring networks limits our understanding of the generation processes involved. To improve our understanding of clouds and precipitation dynamics and cross-scale generation processes in...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2016-01-01
|
| Series: | Advances in Meteorology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/3192765 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849413312862748672 |
|---|---|
| author | Lenin Campozano Rolando Célleri Katja Trachte Joerg Bendix Esteban Samaniego |
| author_facet | Lenin Campozano Rolando Célleri Katja Trachte Joerg Bendix Esteban Samaniego |
| author_sort | Lenin Campozano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mountain regions worldwide present a pronounced spatiotemporal precipitation variability, which added to scarce monitoring networks limits our understanding of the generation processes involved. To improve our understanding of clouds and precipitation dynamics and cross-scale generation processes in mountain regions, we analyzed spatiotemporal rainfall patterns using satellite cloud products (SCP) in the Paute basin (900–4200 m a.s.l. and 6481 km2) in the Andes of Ecuador. Precipitation models, using SCP and GIS data, reveal the spatial extension of three regimes: a three-modal (TM) regime present across the basin, a bimodal (BM) regime, along sheltered valleys, and a unimodal (UM) regime at windward slopes of the eastern cordillera. Subsequently, the spatiotemporal analysis using synoptic information shows that the dry season of the BM regime during boreal summer is caused by strong subsidence inhibiting convective clouds formation. Meanwhile, in UM regions, low advective shallow cap clouds mainly cause precipitation, influenced by water vapor from the Amazon and enhanced easterlies during boreal summer. TM regions are transition zones from UM to BM and zones on the windward slopes of the western cordillera. These results highlight the suitability of satellite and GIS data-driven statistical models to study spatiotemporal rainfall seasonality and generation processes in complex terrain, as the Andes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-74729d80dd174a2cb65a67e9934a927e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-9309 1687-9317 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advances in Meteorology |
| spelling | doaj-art-74729d80dd174a2cb65a67e9934a927e2025-08-20T03:34:09ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93091687-93172016-01-01201610.1155/2016/31927653192765Rainfall and Cloud Dynamics in the Andes: A Southern Ecuador Case StudyLenin Campozano0Rolando Célleri1Katja Trachte2Joerg Bendix3Esteban Samaniego4Departamento de Recursos Hídricos y Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Cuenca, 10150 Cuenca, EcuadorDepartamento de Recursos Hídricos y Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Cuenca, 10150 Cuenca, EcuadorLaboratory for Climatology and Remote Sensing (LCRS), Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 10, 35032 Marburg, GermanyLaboratory for Climatology and Remote Sensing (LCRS), Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 10, 35032 Marburg, GermanyDepartamento de Recursos Hídricos y Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Cuenca, 10150 Cuenca, EcuadorMountain regions worldwide present a pronounced spatiotemporal precipitation variability, which added to scarce monitoring networks limits our understanding of the generation processes involved. To improve our understanding of clouds and precipitation dynamics and cross-scale generation processes in mountain regions, we analyzed spatiotemporal rainfall patterns using satellite cloud products (SCP) in the Paute basin (900–4200 m a.s.l. and 6481 km2) in the Andes of Ecuador. Precipitation models, using SCP and GIS data, reveal the spatial extension of three regimes: a three-modal (TM) regime present across the basin, a bimodal (BM) regime, along sheltered valleys, and a unimodal (UM) regime at windward slopes of the eastern cordillera. Subsequently, the spatiotemporal analysis using synoptic information shows that the dry season of the BM regime during boreal summer is caused by strong subsidence inhibiting convective clouds formation. Meanwhile, in UM regions, low advective shallow cap clouds mainly cause precipitation, influenced by water vapor from the Amazon and enhanced easterlies during boreal summer. TM regions are transition zones from UM to BM and zones on the windward slopes of the western cordillera. These results highlight the suitability of satellite and GIS data-driven statistical models to study spatiotemporal rainfall seasonality and generation processes in complex terrain, as the Andes.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/3192765 |
| spellingShingle | Lenin Campozano Rolando Célleri Katja Trachte Joerg Bendix Esteban Samaniego Rainfall and Cloud Dynamics in the Andes: A Southern Ecuador Case Study Advances in Meteorology |
| title | Rainfall and Cloud Dynamics in the Andes: A Southern Ecuador Case Study |
| title_full | Rainfall and Cloud Dynamics in the Andes: A Southern Ecuador Case Study |
| title_fullStr | Rainfall and Cloud Dynamics in the Andes: A Southern Ecuador Case Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rainfall and Cloud Dynamics in the Andes: A Southern Ecuador Case Study |
| title_short | Rainfall and Cloud Dynamics in the Andes: A Southern Ecuador Case Study |
| title_sort | rainfall and cloud dynamics in the andes a southern ecuador case study |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/3192765 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lenincampozano rainfallandclouddynamicsintheandesasouthernecuadorcasestudy AT rolandocelleri rainfallandclouddynamicsintheandesasouthernecuadorcasestudy AT katjatrachte rainfallandclouddynamicsintheandesasouthernecuadorcasestudy AT joergbendix rainfallandclouddynamicsintheandesasouthernecuadorcasestudy AT estebansamaniego rainfallandclouddynamicsintheandesasouthernecuadorcasestudy |