Diurnal Spatial Variability of Great Plains Summer Precipitation Related to the Dynamics of the Low-Level Jet

Pu, Bing; Dickinson, Robert E.

doi:10.1175/jas-d-13-0243.1

Cited by 53 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Precipitation plays an important role in most parts of the southern US in winter. In spring, surface wind starts to dominate the variations in fine dust along the Gulf of Mexico coast and eastern Great Plains, consistent with the intensification of the Great Plains low-level jet (e.g., Helfand and Schubert, 1995;Weaver and Nigam, 2008;Pu and Dickinson, 2014;Pu et al, 2016a) in April and May, while bareness is important over the western Great Plains and the Midwest. During summer, the influence of surface wind speed gets stronger, especially over western Arizona and the lower Mississippi basin, whereas bareness and precipitation are also important in many parts of the Great Plains and western US.…”

Section: Trends Of Surface Fine Dust Concentration Duringmentioning

confidence: 69%

Climatic factors contributing to long-term variations in surface fine dust concentration in the United States

Ginoux

2018

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

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Abstract. High concentrations of dust particles can cause respiratory problems and increase non-accidental mortality. Studies found fine dust (with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 µm) is an important component of the total PM 2.5 mass in the western and central US in spring and summer and has positive trends. This work examines climatic factors influencing long-term variations in surface fine dust concentration in the US using station data from the Interagency Monitoring Protected Visual Environments (IM-PROVE) network during 1990-2015. The variations in the fine dust concentration can be largely explained by the variations in precipitation, surface bareness, and 10 m wind speed. Moreover, including convective parameters such as convective inhibition (CIN) and convective available potential energy (CAPE) that reveal the stability of the atmosphere better explains the variations and trends over the Great Plains from spring to fall.While the positive trend of fine dust concentration in the southwestern US in spring is associated with precipitation deficit, the increase in fine dust over the central Great Plains in summer is largely associated with enhanced CIN and weakened CAPE, which are caused by increased atmospheric stability due to surface drying and lower-troposphere warming. The strengthening of the Great Plains low-level jet also contributes to the increase in fine dust concentration in the central Great Plains in summer via its positive correlation with surface winds and negative correlation with CIN.Summer dusty days in the central Great Plains are usually associated with a westward extension of the North Atlantic subtropical high that intensifies the Great Plains low-level jet and also results in a stable atmosphere with subsidence and reduced precipitation.

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Section: Trends Of Surface Fine Dust Concentration Duringmentioning

confidence: 69%

Climatic factors contributing to long-term variations in surface fine dust concentration in the United States

Ginoux

2018

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

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“…The GPLLJ brings moisture into the region from the Gulf of Mexico and provides the main external moisture source for precipitation over the High Plains and central United States (Cook et al, 2008;Higgins et al, 1997;Pei et al, 2014;Tuttle and Davis, 2006;Weaver, 2007). At shorter timescales (event-scale), fluctuations in the GPLLJ prompt nighttime rainfall maxima during warmer seasons, where greater moisture convergence results in heavier precipitation (Carbone and Tuttle 2008;Pu and Dickinson 2014;Zhong et al, 1996).…”

Section: Regional Climatementioning

confidence: 99%

Complex water management in modern agriculture: Trends in the water-energy-food nexus over the High Plains Aquifer

Smidt

Haacker

Kendall

et al. 2016

Science of The Total Environment

113

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In modern agriculture, the interplay between complex physical, agricultural, and socioeconomic water use drivers must be fully understood to successfully manage water supplies on extended timescales. This is particularly evident across large portions of the High Plains Aquifer where groundwater levels have declined at unsustainable rates despite improvements in both the efficiency of water use and water productivity in agricultural practices. Improved technology and land use practices have not mitigated groundwater level declines, thus water management strategies must adapt accordingly or risk further resource loss. In this study, we analyze the water-energy-food nexus over the High Plains Aquifer as a framework to isolate the major drivers that have shaped the history, and will direct the future, of water use in modern agriculture. Based on this analysis, we conclude that future water management strategies can benefit from: (1) prioritizing farmer profit to encourage decision-making that aligns with strategic objectives, (2) management of water as both an input into the water-energy-food nexus and a key incentive for farmers, (3) adaptive frameworks that allow for short-term objectives within long-term goals, (4) innovative strategies that fit within restrictive political frameworks, (5) reduced production risks to aid farmer decision-making, and (6) increasing the political desire to conserve valuable water resources. This research sets the foundation to address water management as a function of complex decision-making trends linked to the water-energy-food nexus. Water management strategy recommendations are made based on the objective of balancing farmer profit and conserving water resources to ensure future agricultural production.

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“…Roughly one-third of the moisture entering this region is transported from the Gulf of Mexico by the GPLLJ 1 , and convergence downstream of the jet promotes the formation of thunderstorms and convective precipitation 2 . GPLLJs also influence the intensity and longevity of mesoscale convective complexes 3 , and diurnal variations of the GPLLJ help explain the summertime nocturnal precipitation maximum of the central plains 4 . An anomalously strong GPLLJ contributed to the central U.S. floods of 1993 5 , 2008 6 , and 2015 7 , and increased (decreased) precipitation in the northern (southern) plains observed during 1979–2012 was attributed to a northward expansion of the GPLLJ 8 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Future changes in the climatology of the Great Plains low-level jet derived from fine resolution multi-model simulations

Tang

Winkler

Zhong

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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The southerly Great Plains low-level jet (GPLLJ) is one of the most significant circulation features of the central U.S. linking large-scale atmospheric circulation with the regional climate. GPLLJs transport heat and moisture, contribute to thunderstorm and severe weather formation, provide a corridor for the springtime migration of birds and insects, enhance wind energy availability, and disperse air pollution. We assess future changes in GPLLJ frequency using an eight member ensemble of dynamically-downscaled climate simulations for the mid-21st century. Nocturnal GPLLJ frequency is projected to increase in the southern plains in spring and in the central plains in summer, whereas current climatological patterns persist into the future for daytime and cool season GPLLJs. The relationship between future GPLLJ frequency and the extent and strength of anticyclonic airflow over eastern North America varies with season. Most simulations project a westward shift of anticyclonic airflow in summer, but uncertainty is larger for spring with only half of the simulations suggesting a westward expansion. The choice of regional climate model and the driving lateral boundary conditions have a large influence on the projected future changes in GPLLJ frequency and highlight the importance of multi-model ensembles to estimate the uncertainty surrounding the future GPLLJ climatology.

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Diurnal Spatial Variability of Great Plains Summer Precipitation Related to the Dynamics of the Low-Level Jet

Cited by 53 publications

References 36 publications

Climatic factors contributing to long-term variations in surface fine dust concentration in the United States

Climatic factors contributing to long-term variations in surface fine dust concentration in the United States

Complex water management in modern agriculture: Trends in the water-energy-food nexus over the High Plains Aquifer

Future changes in the climatology of the Great Plains low-level jet derived from fine resolution multi-model simulations

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