The role of the atmosphere in the hydrologic Cycle

Benton, George S.; Blackburn, Robert T.; Snead, Vernon O.

doi:10.1029/tr031i001p00061

Cited by 61 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The data on the Amazon are based on ECMWF ERA-15 as reported in Eltahir and Brass (1994). The data of the Mississippi are based on observations reported in Benton et al (1950). The data for the Nile Basin are based on the mean RACMO results 1995 to 2000.…”

Section: Total Nile Basin Water Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is noteworthy that in the literature one may find different values of precipitation recycling over these basins, depending on data used, formula applied and size of the basin. In general, for the Amazon the value of β varies between 24 to 50%, while in the Mississippi it varies between 10 to 47% (Benton et al, 1950;Trenberth, 1999;Eltahir and Brass, 1994;Brubaker et al, 1993;Bosilovich et al, 2002). Using the mean annual data of Fig.…”

Section: Total Nile Basin Water Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Hydroclimatology of the Nile: results from a regional climate model

Mohamed

Hurk

Savenije

et al. 2005

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. This paper presents the result of the regional coupled climatic and hydrologic model of the Nile Basin. For the first time the interaction between the climatic processes and the hydrological processes on the land surface have been fully coupled. The hydrological model is driven by the rainfall and the energy available for evaporation generated in the climate model, and the runoff generated in the catchment is again routed over the wetlands of the Nile to supply moisture for atmospheric feedback. The results obtained are quite satisfactory given the extremely low runoff coefficients in the catchment.The paper presents the validation results over the subbasins: Blue Nile, White Nile, Atbara river, the Sudd swamps, and the Main Nile for the period 1995 to 2000. Observational datasets were used to evaluate the model results including radiation, precipitation, runoff and evaporation data. The evaporation data were derived from satellite images over a major part of the Upper Nile. Limitations in both the observational data and the model are discussed. It is concluded that the model provides a sound representation of the regional water cycle over the Nile. The sources of atmospheric moisture to the basin, and location of convergence/divergence fields could be accurately illustrated. The model is used to describe the regional water cycle in the Nile basin in terms of atmospheric fluxes, land surface fluxes and land surface-climate feedbacks. The monthly moisture recycling ratio (i.e. locally generated/total precipitation) over the Nile varies between 8 and 14%, with an annual mean of 11%, which implies that 89% of the Nile water resources originates from outside the basin physical boundaries. The monthly precipitation efficiency varies between 12 and 53%, and the annual mean is 28%. The mean annual result of the Nile regional water cycle is compared to that of the Amazon and the Mississippi basins.Correspondence to: Y. A. Mohamed (yasir1@unesco-ihe.org)

show abstract

Section: Total Nile Basin Water Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Total Nile Basin Water Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

Hydroclimatology of the Nile: results from a regional climate model

Mohamed

Hurk

Savenije

et al. 2005

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The data on the Amazon are based on ECMWF ERA-15 given by Eltahir and Bras [1996]. The data of the Mississippi are based on balloon and radiosonde observations given in Benton et al [1950]. The data for the Nile Basin are based on the mean CTL results in 1995 to 2000.…”

Section: Impact On Moisture Recyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the Sudd wetland on the Nile hydroclimatology

Mohamed

Hurk

Savenije

et al. 2005

Water Resources Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

[1] Large evaporation occurs over the Sudd wetland, a huge swamp located on the upper Nile. Historically, water resources planners have had the intention to reduce the Sudd evaporation by shortcut channels (e.g., Jonglei canal). The question is: What is the effect of draining the Sudd wetland on the regional water cycle and on the Nile water flow? A regional climate model has been applied to the Nile Basin, with a special modification to include routing of the Nile flood over the Sudd. The impact of the wetland on the Nile hydroclimatology has been studied by comparing two model scenarios: the present climatology and a drained Sudd scenario. The results indicate that draining the entire Sudd has negligible impact on the regional water cycle owing to the relatively small area covered by the wetland. The runoff gain would then be up to $36 Gm 3 yr À1 . However, the impact on the microclimate is large. The relative humidity will drop by 30-40% during the dry season, and temperature will rise by 4°-6°C. The impact during the wet season is small.

show abstract

“…In the course of an analysis of the role of the atmosphere in the hydrologic cycle [1], the authors had occasion to study the source of precipitation at Huntington, West Virginia, for the year 1946. Huntington has the particular advantage of being situated away from the influence of the Great Lakes but far enough from the Gulf to ensure frequent occurrence of both MT and cP air masses.…”

Section: A Comparison Of Precipitation From Maritime and Continental Airmentioning

confidence: 99%