The Relationship of Highly Reflective Clouds to Tropical Climate Anomalies

Hastenrath, Stefan

doi:10.1175/1520-0442(1990)003<0353:trohrc>2.0.co;2

Cited by 36 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Contribution of synoptic-scale anomalies is substantial only over the higher topographic areas. This suggests that atmospheric moisture transport mechanism is part of the large-scale circulation changes in response to global SST variations, which provide forcing of Sahelian interannual-to-decadal rainfall variability (e.g., Lamb 1978a, b;Hastenrath 1990;Ward 1998;Giannini et al 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intraseasonal variability of low-level moisture transport over West Africa

Lélé

Leslie

2016

Clim Dyn

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intraseasonal variability of low-level moisture transport over West Africa

Lélé

Leslie

2016

Clim Dyn

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“…Anomalously high pressure in the western Pacific in the north-west season months of November-April is associated with a suppression of convective rainfall-producing processes. In periods of extreme anomalously high pressure an eastern shift of the zone of convective activity from the Indonesian-Australian area to the equatorial mid-Pacific may occur (Allan and Pariwono, 1990;Deser and Wallace, 1990;Hastenrath, 1990). This has a marked impact on rainfall totals for dry subhumid locations, which normally experience NW season rainfall maxima.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal and spatial characteristics of coastal rainfall anomalies in Papua New Guinea and their relationship to the Southern Oscillation

McGregor

1992

Intl Journal of Climatology

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Thirty-year rainfall records for seven coastal locations in Papua New Guinea were analysed to assess the spatial and temporal characteristics of rainfall anomalies and the general response of coastal rainfall to the Southern Oscillation (SO). Spatial and temporal variability of rainfall anomalies are a distinct feature of the coastal locations analysed. Despite the spatial variability of rainfall anomaly behaviour, an all Papua New Guinea rainfall anomaly index shows significant concurrent and lag inverse associations with the Southern Oscillation Index of Wright. Anomalously high (low) pressure in the Papua New Guinea region leads to low (high) rainfall in the concurrent and ensuing season. Rainfall anomaly periodicities of 7-8 years lie within the time-scale of 2-10 years for ENSO events, but individual locations demonstrate a variable response to ENSO events. Study results fill an important geographical gap in the understanding of the spatial and temporal characteristics of rainfall variability in the western tropical Pacific.

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“…The climate dynamics of the tropical Atlantic and the circulation mechanisms of rainfall anomalies in northeast Brazil (Nordeste), in particular, have been themes of our research at the University of Wisconsin since the mid-1970s [Hastenrath and Heller, 1977;Hastenrath and Lamb, 1977;Hastenrath, 1976Hastenrath, , 1978Hastenrath, , 1990bLamb, 1978a, b;Hastenrath et al, 1984Hastenrath et al, , 1987 (also see review in the work by Hastenrath [1991, p. 302-309]). We found that severe rainfall anomalies in key land areas of the tropical Americas and Africa tend to be associated with sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies of opposing sign in the tropical North versus South Atlantic and that the meridional pressure gradient, rather than pressure over either the tropical North or South Atlantic by itself, is most strongly related to Nordeste (Figure 1) rainfall anomalies [Hastenrath and Heller, 1977].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For details of the circulation and climate in the tropical Atlantic sector and the diagnostics and predictability of interannual rainfall variability in northeast Brazil, refer to various earlier publications [Hastenrath and Heller, 1977;Hastenrath and Lamb, 1977;Hastenrath et al, 1984Hastenrath et al, , 1987Hastenrath, 1990b] (also see review in the work by Hastenrath [1991, p. 302-309]). Only a brief summary is given here of the earlier results most pertinent to the present study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Circulation mechanisms related to northeast Brazil rainfall anomalies

Hastenrath¹,

Greischar²

1993

J. Geophys. Res.

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209

148

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This study explores the role of the upper ocean for circulation anomalies in the overlying atmosphere, with focus on the late boreal winter and extreme climatic events in northeast Brazil. Data sources comprise rainfall records in the Nordeste, surface ship observations of the sea surface temperature (SST), pressure, and wind fields (COADS, period 1948-1990), satellite observations of tropical convection (HRC, 1971(HRC, -1988, and upper air analyses of the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF, 1980(ECMWF, -1991, all for the tropical Atlantic sector. Interhemispheric SST gradients are most strongly associated with north-south contrasts in pressure and the meridional wind component, whereas the inverse SST-pressure relations in situ are less close. Enhanced northward temperature increase in the tropical Atlantic is accompanied by steeper meridional pressure gradient and accelerated southerly wind component, which is representative of a northward displaced Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), with the latter in turn leading to drought in northeast Brazil. Interhemispheric contrasts in the 850/1000 mbar layer mean temperature are similar to those of SST and account for most of the meridional surface pressure gradient. During wet as compared to dry years in northeast Brazil, the tropical North Atlantic is cooler and the South Atlantic warmer, and accordingly the lower tropospheric thickness is reduced to the north but inflated to the south of the equator, resulting in increased/reduced surface pressure over the North/South Atlantic, as well as reduced southerly surface wind, stronger subsidence over the outer tropics of the northern hemisphere and intensified ascending motion and convective activity over the Nordeste, related to a southward displaced near-equatorial convection belt. The surface and upper air evidence thus indicates the ways in which the interhemispheric SST gradients exert a hydrostatic control on the lower tropospheric thickness pattern, and thus force the south-north surface pressure gradients and the surface meridional wind component, and hence modulate the latitude position of the ITCZ and Nordeste rainfall.1.

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The Relationship of Highly Reflective Clouds to Tropical Climate Anomalies

Cited by 36 publications

References 14 publications

Intraseasonal variability of low-level moisture transport over West Africa

Intraseasonal variability of low-level moisture transport over West Africa

Temporal and spatial characteristics of coastal rainfall anomalies in Papua New Guinea and their relationship to the Southern Oscillation

Circulation mechanisms related to northeast Brazil rainfall anomalies

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