Recent Precipitation Trends in Southern South America East of the Andes: An Indication of Climatic Variability

2000 ◽  
pp. 187-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Barros ◽  
Maria Elizabeth Castañeda ◽  
Moira Doyle
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Precipitation Trends

Temperate Forests of the Southern Andean Region

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas T. Veblen
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Temperate Forests ◽  
High Latitudes ◽  
Andean Region ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Evergreen Conifers

Although most of the continent of South America is characterized by tropical vegetation, south of the tropic of Capricorn there is a full range of temperate-latitude vegetation types including Mediterranean-type sclerophyll shrublands, grasslands, steppe, xeric woodlands, deciduous forests, and temperate rain forests. Southward along the west coast of South America the vast Atacama desert gives way to the Mediterranean-type shrublands and woodlands of central Chile, and then to increasingly wet forests all the way to Tierra del Fuego at 55°S. To the east of the Andes, these forests are bordered by the vast Patagonian steppe of bunch grasses and short shrubs. The focus of this chapter is on the region of temperate forests occurring along the western side of the southernmost part of South America, south of 33°S. The forests of the southern Andean region, including the coastal mountains as well as the Andes, are presently surrounded by physiognomically and taxonomically distinct vegetation types and have long been isolated from other forest regions. Although small in comparison with the extent of temperate forests of the Northern Hemisphere, this region is one of the largest areas of temperate forest in the Southern Hemisphere and is rich in endemic species. For readers familiar with temperate forests of the Northern Hemisphere, it is difficult to place the temper temperate forests of southern South America into a comparable ecological framework owing both to important differences in the histories of the biotas and to contrasts between the broad climatic patterns of the two hemispheres. There is no forest biome in the Southern Hemisphere that is comparable to the boreal forests of the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The boreal forests of the latter are dominated by evergreen conifers of needle-leaved trees, mostly in the Pinaceae family, and occur in an extremely continental climate. In contrast, at high latitudes in southern South America, forests are dominated mostly by broadleaved trees such as the southern beech genus (Nothofagus). Evergreen conifers with needle or scaleleaves (from families other than the Pinaceae) are a relatively minor component of these forests.

scholarly journals Comparison of 20th century and pre-industrial climate over South America in regional model simulations

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1599-1620 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Wagner ◽  
I. Fast ◽  
F. Kaspar
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Regional Model ◽  
Andes Mountains ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
The Andes

Abstract. In this study, we assess how the anthropogenically induced increase in greenhouse gas concentrations affects the climate of central and southern South America. We utilise two regional climate simulations for present day (PD) and pre-industrial (PI) times. These simulations are compared to historical reconstructions in order to investigate the driving processes responsible for climatic changes between the different periods. The regional climate model is validated against observations for both re-analysis data and GCM-driven regional simulations for the second half of the 20th century. Model biases are also taken into account for the interpretation of the model results. The added value of the regional simulation over global-scale modelling relates to a better representation of hydrological processes that are particularly evident in the proximity of the Andes Mountains. Climatic differences between the simulated PD minus PI period agree qualitatively well with proxy-based temperature reconstructions, albeit the regional model overestimates the amplitude of the temperature increase. For precipitation the most important changes between the PD and PI simulation relate to a dipole pattern along the Andes Mountains with increased precipitation over the southern parts and reduced precipitation over the central parts. Here only a few regions show robust similarity with studies based on empirical evidence. However, from a dynamical point-of-view, atmospheric circulation changes related to an increase in high-latitude zonal wind speed simulated by the regional climate model are consistent with numerical modelling studies addressing changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. Our results indicate that besides the direct effect of greenhouse gas changes, large-scale changes in atmospheric circulation and sea surface temperatures also exert an influence on temperature and precipitation changes in southern South America. These combined changes in turn affect the relationship between climate and atmospheric circulation between PD and PI times and should be considered for the statistical reconstruction of climate indices calibrated within present-day climate data.

Size and Locomotion in Teratorns (Aves: Teratornithidae)

The Auk ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 100 (2) ◽  
pp. 390-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth E. Campbell ◽  
Eduardo P. Tonni
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
New World ◽  
Pelvic Girdle ◽  
Andes Mountains ◽  
New Method ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Westerly Winds

Abstract The extinct family Teratornithidae contains the world's largest known flying birds. A new method of determining body weights of extinct birds, based on the size of their tibiotarsi, facilitates the estimation of the wing dimensions of these giant birds. An analysis of the bones of the teratorn wing shows that they closely resemble those of condors, suggesting that teratorns flew in a manner similar to these large New World vultures. The bones of the pelvic girdle and hindlimbs indicate that teratorns were probably agile on the ground, though better adapted for walking and stalking than running. We estimate that the largest teratorn, Argentavis magnificens, weighed 80 kg and had a wingspan of 6-8 m. It probably became airborne by spreading its huge wings into the strong, continuous, westerly winds that blew across southern South America before the elevation of the Andes Mountains and, once aloft, flew in the manner of condors.

Darwin the geologist in southern South America

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Dott ◽  
Ian W. D. Dalziel
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Charles Darwin ◽  
Lateral Compression ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Andean Cordillera ◽  
Marine Terraces ◽  
Four Books ◽  
Geological Map

Charles Darwin was a reputable geologist before he achieved biological fame. Most of his geological research was accomplished in southern South America during the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle (1831–1836). Afterward he published four books and several articles about geology and coral atolls and became active in the Geological Society of London. We have followed Darwin's footsteps during our own researches and have been very impressed with his keen observations and inferences. He made some mistakes, however, such as appealing to iceberg rafting to explain erratic boulders and to inundations of the sea to carve valleys. Darwin prepared an important hand-colored geological map of southern South America, which for unknown reasons he did not publish. The distributions of seven map units are shown. These were described in his books wherein he also documented multiple elevated marine terraces on both coasts of South America. While exploring the Andean Cordillera in central Chile and Argentina, he discovered two fossil forests. Darwin developed a tectonic theory involving vertical uplift of the entire continent, which was greatest in the Andes where magma leaked up from a hypothetical subterranean sea of magma to form volcanoes and earthquakes. The theory had little impact and was soon eclipsed by theories involving lateral compression of strata. His and other contemporary theories suffered from a lack of knowledge about the earth's interior. Finally with modern plate tectonic theory involving intense lateral compression across the Andean Cordillera we can explain satisfactorily the geology so carefully documented by Darwin.

Bomarea rinconii (Alstroemeriaceae), a new species from the Talamanca Mountains in Chiriqui Province, Panama

Phytotaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
DANIEL ADOLFO CÁCERES GONZÁLEZ
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
South America ◽  
Greater Antilles ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
The Andes ◽  
A New Species

Bomarea Mirbel (1804: 71; Alstroemeriaceae) includes 122 species (Govaerts 2013) and is divided into four subgenera (Hofreiter & Tillich 2002): Baccata (five species), Bomarea (ca. seventy species), Sphaerine(twelve species) and Wichuraea (eighteen species). Bomarea is distributed from Mexico and the Greater Antilles to southern South America (Gereau 1994). The centre of distribution of the genus is along the Andes from Colombia to Bolivia (Hofreiter 2008).

scholarly journals Lymnaea viatrix and Lymnaea columella in the neotropical region: a distributional outline

1982 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Lobato Paraense
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
South America ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Neotropical Region ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
Negro River ◽  
The Andes ◽  
The Guianas ◽  
Northeastern Argentina

A review of lymnaeid samples collected by the author from 106 localities in Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panamá, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay andBrazil showed that one of them (from Ecuador) belonged to Lymnaea cousini Jousseaume, 1887, and all the others to either L. viatrix Orbigny, 1835 or l. columella Say, 1817. The ranges of L. viatrix and L. columella overlap in Middle America, and in northern and southern South America (Venezuela-Colombia-Ecuador and northeastern Argentina-Uruguay-southernmost Brazil, respectively). L. viatrix was the only species found in Peru west of the Andes and in Chile, and is supposed to have migrated eastward to Argentina via the Negro river basin. The range of L. columella in South America is discontinuous. The species has been recorded from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador and, east of the Andes, from latitudes 15º S (central-west Brazil) to 35º S (La Plata, Argentina). Such a gap may be attributed to either introduction from the northern into the southern area, or migration along the unsampled region on the eastern side of the Andes, or extinction in the now vacant area. No lymnaeids have been found so far in Brazil north of latitude 15º S and in the Guianas.

Atmospheric Circulation and Climatic Variability

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
René D. Garreaud ◽  
Patricio Aceituno
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
The West ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Weather And Climate ◽  
Atmospheric Phenomena

Regional variations in South America’s weather and climate reflect the atmospheric circulation over the continent and adjacent oceans, involving mean climatic conditions and regular cycles, as well as their variability on timescales ranging from less than a few months to longer than a year. Rather than surveying mean climatic conditions and variability over different parts of South America, as provided by Schwerdtfeger and Landsberg (1976) and Hobbs et al. (1998), this chapter presents a physical understanding of the atmospheric phenomena and precipitation patterns that explain the continent’s weather and climate. These atmospheric phenomena are strongly affected by the topographic features and vegetation patterns over the continent, as well as by the slowly varying boundary conditions provided by the adjacent oceans. The diverse patterns of weather, climate, and climatic variability over South America, including tropical, subtropical, and midlatitude features, arise from the long meridional span of the continent, from north of the equator south to 55°S. The Andes cordillera, running continuously along the west coast of the continent, reaches elevations in excess of 4 km from the equator to about 40°S and, therefore, represents a formidable obstacle for tropospheric flow. As shown later, the Andes not only acts as a “climatic wall” with dry conditions to the west and moist conditions to the east in the subtropics (the pattern is reversed in midlatitudes), but it also fosters tropical-extratropical interactions, especially along its eastern side. The Brazilian plateau also tends to block the low-level circulation over subtropical South America. Another important feature is the large area of continental landmass at low latitudes (10°N–20°S), conducive to the development of intense convective activity that supports the world’s largest rain forest in the Amazon basin. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation phenomenon, rooted in the ocean-atmosphere system of the tropical Pacific, has a direct strong influence over most of tropical and subtropical South America. Similarly, sea surface temperature anomalies over the Atlantic Ocean have a profound impact on the climate and weather along the eastern coast of the continent. In this section we describe the long-term annual and monthly mean fields of several meteorological variables.

scholarly journals Physalaemus cicada Bokermann, 1966 (Anura: Leiuperidae): Distribution extension with new south limit and geographic distribution map

Check List ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 859
Author(s):  
Antônio Meira Linares ◽  
Humberto Espírito Santo de Mello
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
New South ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Distribution Map ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Minas Gerais State ◽  
Belo Horizonte

The genus Physalaemus is distributed east of the Andes, from northern to southern South America. Physalaemus cicada is a terrestrial species with wide distribution, found mainly in the Caatinga domain, but also in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest. Herein we present a distribution extension with a new southernmost record for the species in Minas Gerais state (municipality of Belo Horizonte), as well as a geographic distribution map.

scholarly journals Impacts of Atmospheric Rivers on Precipitation in Southern South America

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 1671-1687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximiliano Viale ◽  
Raúl Valenzuela ◽  
René D. Garreaud ◽  
F. Martin Ralph
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Detection Algorithm ◽  
Water Vapor Transport ◽  
The South ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
Atmospheric Rivers ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Hourly Data ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This study quantifies the impact of atmospheric rivers (ARs) on precipitation in southern South America. An AR detection algorithm was developed based on integrated water vapor transport (IVT) from 6-hourly CFSR reanalysis data over a 16-yr period (2001–16). AR landfalls were linked to precipitation using a comprehensive observing network that spanned large variations in terrain along and across the Andes from 27° to 55°S, including some sites with hourly data. Along the Pacific (west) coast, AR landfalls are most frequent between 38° and 50°S, averaging 35–40 days yr−1. This decreases rapidly to the south and north of this maximum, as well as to the east of the Andes. Landfalling ARs are more frequent in winter/spring (summer/fall) to the north (south) of ~43°S. ARs contribute 45%–60% of the annual precipitation in subtropical Chile (37°–32°S) and 40%–55% along the midlatitude west coast (37°–47°S). These values significantly exceed those in western North America, likely due to the Andes being taller. In subtropical and midlatitude regions, roughly half of all events with top-quartile precipitation rates occur under AR conditions. Median daily and hourly precipitation in ARs is 2–3 times that of other storms. The results of this study extend knowledge of the key roles of ARs on precipitation, weather, and climate in the South American region. They enable comparisons with other areas globally, provide context for specific events, and support local nowcasting and forecasting.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document