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.

Impact of strong El Niño events on river discharge in South America

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Deppner ◽  
Bedartha Goswami
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Missing Data ◽  
South America ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Missing Values ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Enso Events ◽  
Streamflow Data ◽  
The Impact

<p>The impact of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on rivers are well known, but most existing studies involving streamflow data are severely limited by data coverage. Time series of gauging stations fade in and out over time, which makes hydrological large scale and long time analysis or studies of rarely occurring extreme events challenging. Here, we use a machine learning approach to infer missing streamflow data based on temporal correlations of stations with missing values to others with data. By using 346 stations, from the “Global Streamflow Indices and Metadata archive” (GSIM), that initially cover the 40 year timespan in conjunction with Gaussian processes we were able to extend our data by estimating missing data for an additional 646 stations, allowing us to include a total of 992 stations. We then investigate the impact of the 6 strongest El Niño (EN) events on rivers in South America between 1960 and 2000. Our analysis shows a strong correlation between ENSO events and extreme river dynamics in the southeast of Brazil, Carribean South America and parts of the Amazon basin. Furthermore we see a peak in the number of stations showing maximum river discharge all over Brazil during the EN of 1982/83 which has been linked to severe floods in the east of Brazil, parts of Uruguay and Paraguay. However EN events in other years with similar intensity did not evoke floods with such magnitude and therefore the additional drivers of the 1982/83  floods need further investigation. By using machine learning methods to infer data for gauging stations with missing data we were able to extend our data by almost three-fold, revealing a possible heavier and spatially larger impact of the 1982/83 EN on South America's hydrology than indicated in literature.</p>

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.

scholarly journals Pachira insignis (wild chestnut).

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiola Areces-Berazain
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
West Indies ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
The West ◽  
Shade Tree

Abstract Pachira insignis is a tree native to the Amazon basin in South America. It is cultivated in the region as an ornamental shade tree and has been introduced for this purpose in the West Indies. It has been listed as invasive only in Dominican Republic (Kairo et al., 2003; Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, 2012; Randall, 2012).

scholarly journals El Niño effects on rainfall in South America: comparison with rainfalls in india and other parts of the world

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 35-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. Kane
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Western Coast ◽  
Central Brazil ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Almost All

Abstract. As a finer classification of El Niños, ENSOW were defined as years when El Niño (EN) existed on the Peru coast, Southern Oscillation Index SOI (Tahiti minus Darwin pressure) was negative (SO), and Pacific SST anomalies were positive (W). Further, Unambiguous ENSOW were defined as years when SO and W occurred in the middle of the calendar year, while Ambiguous ENSOW were defined as years when SO and W occurred in the earlier or later part of the calendar year (not in the middle). In contrast with India and some other regions where Unambiguous ENSOW were associated predominantly with droughts, in the case of South America, the association was mixed. In Chile on the western coast and Uruguay etc. on the eastern coast, the major effect was of excessive rains. In Argentina and central Brazil, the effects were unclear. In Amazon, the effects were not at all uniform, and were different (droughts or excess rains) or even absent in regions only a few hundred kilometers away from each other. Even in Peru-Ecuador, the effects were clear only in the coastal regions. In the interior and in the Andes, the effects were obscure. In NE Brazil, El Niños have been popularly known to be causing severe droughts. The fact is that during 1871–1998, there were 52 El Niño events, out of which 31 were associated with droughts in NE Brazil, while 21 had no association. The reason is that besides El Niños, another major factor affecting NE Brazil is the influx of moisture from the Atlantic. In some years, warmer Atlantic in conjunction with westward winds can bring moisture to NE Brazil, nullifying the drought effects of El Niños. A curious feature at almost all locations is the occurrence of extreme events (high floods or severe droughts) in some years, apparently without any El Niño or La Niña events. This possibility should always be borne in mind.

Capturing the influence of ENSO on land surface variables for Tropical South America

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina M. Estupinan-Suarez ◽  
Alexander Brenning ◽  
Fabian Gans ◽  
Guido Kraemer ◽  
Carlos A. Sierra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Tropical South America

<p>The response of tropical vegetation to El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is considered a main driver of global annual atmospheric CO2 concentrations at inter-annual time scales. ENSO warm and cold phases, El Niño and La Niña respectively, cause contrasting climatic conditions along tropical South America. While some regions experience wetter conditions during El Niño, such as  the Pacific coast, others regions such as the Amazon are exposed to warmer and drier climates. Besides this spatial variation, the biospheric response also differs between ENSO type and intensity, overruling of local conditions and ecosystems types. Due to this complexity, there is a lack of understanding on what ecosystems and regions are systematically affected by ENSO and how biospheric variables respond. Here, we analysed the Northern region of tropical South America covering tropical savannas, forests, and mountainous ecosystems in several countries. To do this, we assessed different land surface (e.g. GPP, NDVI,  FPAR, LST) and climate data streams compiled in the regional Earth System Data Lab (ESDL, https://www.earthsystemdatalab.net/) at 1 km and 10 km pixel size from 2001 to 2015. We applied Isomap, a non-linear dimensionality reduction method in the time domain for high dimensional dynamical systems. Our analysis was constrained to the fourth order continental basins and dominant land cover types. Land use change pixels were disregarded. Further, a comparison of ENSO indexes was conducted among basins. We found that isomap components  are able to capture the biosphere variability related to ENSO in basins that have been historically affected such as Magdalena-Cauca valleys and the Caribbean region. Implementation of non-linear methods increases our understanding of ENSO impacts spatially in regions where events intensity and frequency is increasing, and effective ecosystems management is urgent.</p>

Extreme Summer Convection in South America

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (14) ◽  
pp. 3761-3791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrike Romatschke ◽  
Robert A. Houze
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ◽  
Central Andes ◽  
South Atlantic Convergence Zone ◽  
Reanalysis Data ◽  
The North ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Environmental Prediction

Abstract Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) and National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) reanalysis data are used to indicate mechanisms responsible for extreme summer convection over South America. The three-dimensional reflectivity field is analyzed to define three types of extreme echo, deep convective cores, wide convective cores, and broad stratiform regions. The location and timing of these echoes are sensitive to midlatitude synoptic disturbances crossing the Andes. At the leading edges of these disturbances the nocturnal South American low-level jet (SALLJ) transports moisture along the eastern edge of the Andes from the tropical to the subtropical part of the continent. Where the SALLJ rises over lower but steep mountains on the east side of the southern central Andes, deep and wide convective cores are triggered in the evening. When the SALLJ withdraws to the north as the disturbance passes, nocturnal triggering occurs in the northeastern foothills of the central Andes. Extreme convection over the Amazon basin takes the form of broad stratiform regions that evolve from systems with wide convective cores moving into the center of the region from both the southwest and northeast. The systems from the northeast form at the northeast coast and are likely squall lines. Along the coast of the Brazilian Highlands, diurnal/topographic forcing leads to daytime maxima of deep convective cores followed a few hours later by wide convective cores. Wide convective cores and broad stratiform regions form in the South Atlantic convergence zone (SACZ) with a diurnal cycle related to continental heating.

scholarly journals The drought of the century in the Amazon Basin: an analysis of the regional variation of rainfall in South America in 1926

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Earle Williams ◽  
Alaor Dall' Antonia ◽  
Vitoria Dall' Antonia ◽  
Jorge Mathias de Almeida ◽  
Francisco Suarez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Regional Variation ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Rainfall Anomaly ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
The West ◽  
East West ◽  
Extreme El Niño ◽  
Tropical South America

The most severe drought in tropical South America during the 20th century occurred in 1926. This extreme El Nino year is further documented anecdotally, in an update of the river stage observations at Manaus, and in annual rainfall records. The annual rainfall anomaly is an east-west dipole over tropical South America, with drought to the west over the Amazon basin whose discharge is documented at Manaus, and with a surplus to the east and including the Nordeste region of Brazil. Speculations about a role for aerosol in aggravating the drought are discussed.

scholarly journals Warm Winter Storms in Central Chile

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1515-1534 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Garreaud
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Moisture Flux ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
The West ◽  
Winter Storms ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
Warm Winter ◽  
Freezing Level ◽  
The Andes

Abstract Central Chile is a densely populated region along the west coast of subtropical South America (30°–36°S), limited to the east by the Andes. Precipitation is concentrated in austral winter, mostly associated with the passage of cold fronts. The freezing level over central Chile is typically between 1500 and 2500 m when precipitation is present. In about a third of the cases, however, precipitation occurs accompanied by warm temperatures and freezing levels above 3000 m, leading to a sizeable increment in the pluvial area of Andean basins and setting the stage for hydrometeorological hazards. Here, warm winter storms in central Chile are studied, including a statistical description of their occurrence and an estimate of their hydrological impacts. Remote-sensed data and high-resolution reanalysis are used to explore the synoptic-scale environment of a typical case, generalized later by a compositing analysis. The structure of warm storms is also contrasted with that of the more recurrent cold cases. Precipitation during warm events occurs in the warm sector of a slow-moving cold front because of the intense moisture flux against the mountains in connection with a land-falling atmospheric river. This is in turn driven by a strong zonal jet aloft and reduced mechanical blocking upstream of the Andes. On a broader scale, a key element is the presence of a slowly moving anticyclone over the south Pacific, fostering advection of cold air into midlatitudes. The intense and persistent zonal jet stretches a moist-air corridor from the central Pacific to the west coast of South America.

scholarly journals Eastern Patagonia Seasonal Precipitation: Influence of Southern Hemisphere Circulation and Links with Subtropical South American Precipitation

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (19) ◽  
pp. 6781-6795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Laura Berman ◽  
Gabriel Silvestri ◽  
Rosa Compagnucci
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
South American ◽  
Seasonal Precipitation ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Four Seasons ◽  
Westerly Flow ◽  
Continental Area ◽  
Frontal Systems

Abstract Some aspects of the seasonal precipitation over eastern Patagonia, the southernmost area of South America east of the Andes Cordillera, are examined in this paper. Results indicate that the central-north areas, the southern continental region, and the southernmost islands are three independent regions of seasonal precipitation, and that each of them is associated with specific patterns of atmospheric circulation. Precipitation over the central-north region is significantly related to the precipitation over a wide area of southern South America east of the Andes during the four seasons. Enhanced (reduced) precipitation over this area is associated with weakened (intensified) westerly flow in the region. Precipitation over the southern continental area has a close connection with the dipolar pattern of precipitation over subtropical South America during spring, summer, and autumn. The anomalies of atmospheric circulation at low and upper levels associated with the subtropical dipole are also able to modulate the intensity of the westerlies over the south of eastern Patagonia, affecting the regional precipitation. Precipitation over the islands of the southernmost part of eastern Patagonia is connected with subtropical precipitation in summer and winter. The activity of frontal systems associated with migratory perturbations moving to the east along the Southern Hemisphere storm tracks modulates the variability of seasonal precipitation over this region.

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