Understanding Pacific Ocean influence on interannual precipitation variability in the Sahel
Abstract Moisture budget decomposition is performed for the Sahel (10°–20°N and 20°W–40°E) in order to understand the processes that govern regional hydroclimate variability on interannual time scales and frame them in the context of their primary ocean driver. Results show that warm conditions in t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2016-09-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069980 |
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| author | Catherine Pomposi Alessandra Giannini Yochanan Kushnir Dong Eun Lee |
| author_facet | Catherine Pomposi Alessandra Giannini Yochanan Kushnir Dong Eun Lee |
| author_sort | Catherine Pomposi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Moisture budget decomposition is performed for the Sahel (10°–20°N and 20°W–40°E) in order to understand the processes that govern regional hydroclimate variability on interannual time scales and frame them in the context of their primary ocean driver. Results show that warm conditions in the Eastern Tropical Pacific remotely force anomalously dry conditions primarily through affecting the low‐troposphere mass divergence field. This behavior is related to increased subsidence over the tropical Atlantic and into the Sahel and an anomalous westward flow of moisture from the continent, both resulting in a coherent drying pattern. Understanding the physical processes relating remote sea surface temperature anomalies to atmospheric circulation changes and the resulting complex local convergence patterns is important for advancing seasonal prediction of precipitation over West Africa. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e7f9872897f84e91aa7de7d68218d65e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-e7f9872897f84e91aa7de7d68218d65e2025-08-20T03:10:24ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-09-0143179234924210.1002/2016GL069980Understanding Pacific Ocean influence on interannual precipitation variability in the SahelCatherine Pomposi0Alessandra Giannini1Yochanan Kushnir2Dong Eun Lee3Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Columbia University New York New York USAInternational Research Institute for Climate and Society Palisades New York USALamont–Doherty Earth Observatory Palisades New York USALamont–Doherty Earth Observatory Palisades New York USAAbstract Moisture budget decomposition is performed for the Sahel (10°–20°N and 20°W–40°E) in order to understand the processes that govern regional hydroclimate variability on interannual time scales and frame them in the context of their primary ocean driver. Results show that warm conditions in the Eastern Tropical Pacific remotely force anomalously dry conditions primarily through affecting the low‐troposphere mass divergence field. This behavior is related to increased subsidence over the tropical Atlantic and into the Sahel and an anomalous westward flow of moisture from the continent, both resulting in a coherent drying pattern. Understanding the physical processes relating remote sea surface temperature anomalies to atmospheric circulation changes and the resulting complex local convergence patterns is important for advancing seasonal prediction of precipitation over West Africa.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069980monsoonSahelmoisture budgetEl Nino |
| spellingShingle | Catherine Pomposi Alessandra Giannini Yochanan Kushnir Dong Eun Lee Understanding Pacific Ocean influence on interannual precipitation variability in the Sahel Geophysical Research Letters monsoon Sahel moisture budget El Nino |
| title | Understanding Pacific Ocean influence on interannual precipitation variability in the Sahel |
| title_full | Understanding Pacific Ocean influence on interannual precipitation variability in the Sahel |
| title_fullStr | Understanding Pacific Ocean influence on interannual precipitation variability in the Sahel |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding Pacific Ocean influence on interannual precipitation variability in the Sahel |
| title_short | Understanding Pacific Ocean influence on interannual precipitation variability in the Sahel |
| title_sort | understanding pacific ocean influence on interannual precipitation variability in the sahel |
| topic | monsoon Sahel moisture budget El Nino |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069980 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT catherinepomposi understandingpacificoceaninfluenceoninterannualprecipitationvariabilityinthesahel AT alessandragiannini understandingpacificoceaninfluenceoninterannualprecipitationvariabilityinthesahel AT yochanankushnir understandingpacificoceaninfluenceoninterannualprecipitationvariabilityinthesahel AT dongeunlee understandingpacificoceaninfluenceoninterannualprecipitationvariabilityinthesahel |