Diagnosis of Variability and Trends in a Global Precipitation Dataset Using a Physically Motivated Statistical Model

2006 ◽  
Vol 19 (17) ◽  
pp. 4154-4166 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. P. Sapiano ◽  
D. B. Stephenson ◽  
H. J. Grubb ◽  
P. A. Arkin

Abstract A physically motivated statistical model is used to diagnose variability and trends in wintertime (October–March) Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) pentad (5-day mean) precipitation. Quasigeostrophic theory suggests that extratropical precipitation amounts should depend multiplicatively on the pressure gradient, saturation specific humidity, and the meridional temperature gradient. This physical insight has been used to guide the development of a suitable statistical model for precipitation using a mixture of generalized linear models: a logistic model for the binary occurrence of precipitation and a Gamma distribution model for the wet day precipitation amount. The statistical model allows for the investigation of the role of each factor in determining variations and long-term trends. Saturation specific humidity qs has a generally negative effect on global precipitation occurrence and with the tropical wet pentad precipitation amount, but has a positive relationship with the pentad precipitation amount at mid- and high latitudes. The North Atlantic Oscillation, a proxy for the meridional temperature gradient, is also found to have a statistically significant positive effect on precipitation over much of the Atlantic region. Residual time trends in wet pentad precipitation are extremely sensitive to the choice of the wet pentad threshold because of increasing trends in low-amplitude precipitation pentads; too low a choice of threshold can lead to a spurious decreasing trend in wet pentad precipitation amounts. However, for not too small thresholds, it is found that the meridional temperature gradient is an important factor for explaining part of the long-term trend in Atlantic precipitation.

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1349-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Hatzianastassiou ◽  
B. Katsoulis ◽  
J. Pnevmatikos ◽  
V. Antakis

Abstract In this study, the spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation in the broader Greek area is investigated for the 26-yr period 1979–2004 by using monthly mean satellite-based data, with complete spatial coverage, taken from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP). The results show that there exists a clear contrast between the more rainy western Greek area (rainside) and the drier eastern one (rainshadow), whereas there is little precipitation over the islands, particularly in the southern parts. The computed long-term areal mean annual precipitation amount averaged for the study area is equal to P = 639.8 ± 44.8 mm yr−1, showing a decreasing trend of −2.32 mm yr−1 or −60.3 mm over the 26-yr study period, which corresponds to −9.4%. This decrease of precipitation, arising primarily in winter and secondarily in spring, is the result of a decreasing trend from 1979 through the 1980s, against an increase during the 1990s through the early 2000s, followed again by a decrease up to the year 2004. The performed analysis reveals an increasing trend of precipitation in the central and northern parts of the study region, contrary to an identified decreasing trend in the southern parts, which is indicative of threatening desertification processes in those areas in the context of climatic changes in the climatically sensitive Mediterranean basin. In addition, the analysis shows that the precipitation decrease is due to a corresponding decrease of maximum precipitation against rather unchanged minimum precipitation amounts. The analysis indicates that the changing precipitation patterns in the region during winter are significantly anticorrelated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index values, against a positive correlation during summer, highlighting thus the role of large-scale circulation patterns for regional climates. The GPCP precipitation data are satisfactorily correlated with instrumental measurements from 36 stations uniformly distributed over the study area (correlation coefficient R = 0.74 for all stations; R = 0.63–0.91 for individual stations).


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 917
Author(s):  
Helen Chedzey ◽  
W. Paul Menzel ◽  
Mervyn Lynch

A long-term archive of cloud properties (cloud top pressure, CTP; and cloud effective emissivity, ε) determined from High-resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) data is investigated for evidence of regional cloud cover change. In the 17 years between 1985 and 2001, different cloud types are analysed over the Australian region (10° S–45° S, 105° E–160° E) and areas of change in total cloud frequency examined. Total cloud frequency change over the Australian region between two adjacent eight-year time periods (1994 to 2001 minus 1985 to 1992) shows the largest increases (ranges between 6% and 12%) of average HIRS total cloud cover occurring over the offshore regions to the northwest and northeast of the continent. Over land, the largest reduction of average HIRS total cloud frequency is in the southwestern region of Australia (between 2% and 8%). Through central Australia, there is a 2% to 7% increase in average HIRS total cloud frequency when comparing these eight-year periods. This paper examines the regional cloud changes in 17 years over Australia that are embedded in global cloud statistics. Examining total HIRS cloud cover frequency over Australia and comparing two different eight-year time periods, has highlighted notable areas of average change. Preliminary reporting of satellite-derived HIRS cloud products and Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) rainfall products during La Niña seasons between 1985 and 2001 has also been undertaken.


2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (18) ◽  
pp. 6287-6303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuko Okada ◽  
Koji Yamazaki

Abstract The Okinawa baiu (summer rainy season) starts in early May and ends in late June, preceding the baiu in mainland Japan by approximately 1 month. This study investigates the time evolution of the large-scale circulation associated with the Okinawa baiu using 10-yr (1997–2006) climatologies of precipitation and meteorological fields, with particular focus on temperature advection at 500 hPa.The onset of the Okinawa baiu occurs in early May and is followed by an initial peak in precipitation during mid-May. The baiu rainband then moves southeastward, leading to a short break in baiu precipitation during late May. The rainband returns to Okinawa in early June, and a second peak in precipitation occurs during mid-June. The baiu rainband withdraws northward in late June. The mid-May precipitation peak is associated with warm advection at 500 hPa, mainly due to the meridional temperature gradient and the prevailing southerly winds. This warm advection coincides with upward motion near Okinawa; however, the warm advection is insufficient to explain the peak precipitation amount. Enhancement of precipitation by a transient disturbance probably contributes to the peak amount. The break period during late May coincides with the peak of South China Sea monsoon. Warm advection at 500 hPa strengthens again in June because of the strong zonal thermal contrast between the warm Tibetan Plateau and cold Pacific. This warm advection is able to adequately explain both the upward motion and precipitation. These results indicate that the large-scale meteorological characteristics are different during the first and second peaks.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 65-72
Author(s):  
V. N. Shmagol' ◽  
V. L. Yarysh ◽  
S. P. Ivanov ◽  
V. I. Maltsev

<p>The long-term population dynamics of the red deer (<em>Cervus elaphus</em> L.) and European roe deer (<em>Capreolus</em> <em>capreolus</em> L.) at the mountain and forest zone of Crimea during 1980-2017 is presented. Fluctuations in numbers of both species are cyclical and partly synchronous. Period of oscillations in the population of red deer is about 25 years, the average duration of the oscillation period of number of roe deer is 12.3 years. During the fluctuations in the number the increasing and fall in population number of the red deer had been as 26-47 %, and roe deer – as 22-34 %. Basing on the dada obtained we have assumed that together with large-scale cycles of fluctuations in population number of both red deer and roe deer the short cycles of fluctuations in the number of these species with period from 3.5 to 7.5 years take place. Significant differences of the parameters of cyclical fluctuations in the number of roe deer at some sites of the Mountainous Crimea: breaches of synchronicity, as well as significant differences in the duration of cycles are revealed. The greatest deviations from the average values of parameters of long-term dynamics of the number of roe deer in Crimea are noted for groups of this species at two protected areas. At the Crimean Nature Reserve the cycle time of fluctuations of the numbers of roe deer was 18 years. At the Karadag Nature Reserve since 1976 we can see an exponential growth in number of roe deer that is continued up to the present time. By 2016 the number of roe deer reached 750 individuals at a density of 437 animals per 1 thousand ha. Peculiarity of dynamics of number of roe deer at some sites proves the existence in the mountain forest of Crimea several relatively isolated groups of deer. We assumed that "island" location of the Crimean populations of red deer and European roe deer, their relatively little number and influence of permanent extreme factors of both natural and anthropogenic origination have contributed to a mechanism of survival of these populations. The elements of such a mechanism include the following features of long-term dynamics of the population: the reduction in the period of cyclic population fluctuations, while maintaining their amplitude and the appearance of additional small cycles, providing more flexible response of the population to the impact of both negative and positive environmental factors. From the totality of the weather conditions for the Crimean population of roe deer the recurring periods of increases and downs in the annual precipitation amount may have relevance. There was a trend of increase in the roe deer population during periods of increasing annual precipitation.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojtaba Sadeghi ◽  
Phu Nguyen ◽  
Matin Rahnamay Naeini ◽  
Kuolin Hsu ◽  
Dan Braithwaite ◽  
...  

AbstractAccurate long-term global precipitation estimates, especially for heavy precipitation rates, at fine spatial and temporal resolutions is vital for a wide variety of climatological studies. Most of the available operational precipitation estimation datasets provide either high spatial resolution with short-term duration estimates or lower spatial resolution with long-term duration estimates. Furthermore, previous research has stressed that most of the available satellite-based precipitation products show poor performance for capturing extreme events at high temporal resolution. Therefore, there is a need for a precipitation product that reliably detects heavy precipitation rates with fine spatiotemporal resolution and a longer period of record. Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks-Cloud Classification System-Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CCS-CDR) is designed to address these limitations. This dataset provides precipitation estimates at 0.04° spatial and 3-hourly temporal resolutions from 1983 to present over the global domain of 60°S to 60°N. Evaluations of PERSIANN-CCS-CDR and PERSIANN-CDR against gauge and radar observations show the better performance of PERSIANN-CCS-CDR in representing the spatiotemporal resolution, magnitude, and spatial distribution patterns of precipitation, especially for extreme events.


Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 154 (4) ◽  
pp. 1851-1864 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A Woolliams ◽  
Piter Bijma

AbstractTractable forms of predicting rates of inbreeding (ΔF) in selected populations with general indices, nonrandom mating, and overlapping generations were developed, with the principal results assuming a period of equilibrium in the selection process. An existing theorem concerning the relationship between squared long-term genetic contributions and rates of inbreeding was extended to nonrandom mating and to overlapping generations. ΔF was shown to be ~¼(1 − ω) times the expected sum of squared lifetime contributions, where ω is the deviation from Hardy-Weinberg proportions. This relationship cannot be used for prediction since it is based upon observed quantities. Therefore, the relationship was further developed to express ΔF in terms of expected long-term contributions that are conditional on a set of selective advantages that relate the selection processes in two consecutive generations and are predictable quantities. With random mating, if selected family sizes are assumed to be independent Poisson variables then the expected long-term contribution could be substituted for the observed, providing ¼ (since ω = 0) was increased to ½. Established theory was used to provide a correction term to account for deviations from the Poisson assumptions. The equations were successfully applied, using simple linear models, to the problem of predicting ΔF with sib indices in discrete generations since previously published solutions had proved complex.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1701
Author(s):  
Leonardo Bagaglini ◽  
Paolo Sanò ◽  
Daniele Casella ◽  
Elsa Cattani ◽  
Giulia Panegrossi

This paper describes the Passive microwave Neural network Precipitation Retrieval algorithm for climate applications (PNPR-CLIM), developed with funding from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by ECMWF on behalf of the European Union. The algorithm has been designed and developed to exploit the two cross-track scanning microwave radiometers, AMSU-B and MHS, towards the creation of a long-term (2000–2017) global precipitation climate data record (CDR) for the ECMWF Climate Data Store (CDS). The algorithm has been trained on an observational dataset built from one year of MHS and GPM-CO Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) coincident observations. The dataset includes the Fundamental Climate Data Record (FCDR) of AMSU-B and MHS brightness temperatures, provided by the Fidelity and Uncertainty in Climate data records from Earth Observation (FIDUCEO) project, and the DPR-based surface precipitation rate estimates used as reference. The combined use of high quality, calibrated and harmonized long-term input data (provided by the FIDUCEO microwave brightness temperature Fundamental Climate Data Record) with the exploitation of the potential of neural networks (ability to learn and generalize) has made it possible to limit the use of ancillary model-derived environmental variables, thus reducing the model uncertainties’ influence on the PNPR-CLIM, which could compromise the accuracy of the estimates. The PNPR-CLIM estimated precipitation distribution is in good agreement with independent DPR-based estimates. A multiscale assessment of the algorithm’s performance is presented against high quality regional ground-based radar products and global precipitation datasets. The regional and global three-year (2015–2017) verification analysis shows that, despite the simplicity of the algorithm in terms of input variables and processing performance, the quality of PNPR-CLIM outperforms NASA GPROF in terms of rainfall detection, while in terms of rainfall quantification they are comparable. The global analysis evidences weaknesses at higher latitudes and in the winter at mid latitudes, mainly linked to the poorer quality of the precipitation retrieval in cold/dry conditions.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 505
Author(s):  
Yonglan Tang ◽  
Guirong Xu ◽  
Rong Wan ◽  
Xiaofang Wang ◽  
Junchao Wang ◽  
...  

It is an important to study atmospheric thermal and dynamic vertical structures over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and their impact on precipitation by using long-term observation at representative stations. This study exhibits the observational facts of summer precipitation variation on subdiurnal scale and its atmospheric thermal and dynamic vertical structures over the TP with hourly precipitation and intensive soundings in Jiulong during 2013–2020. It is found that precipitation amount and frequency are low in the daytime and high in the nighttime, and hourly precipitation greater than 1 mm mostly occurs at nighttime. Weak precipitation during the daytime may be caused by air advection, and strong precipitation at nighttime may be closely related with air convection. Both humidity and wind speed profiles show obvious fluctuation when precipitation occurs, and the greater the precipitation intensity, the larger the fluctuation. Moreover, the fluctuation of wind speed is small in the morning, large at noon and largest at night, presenting a similar diurnal cycle to that of convective activity over the TP, which is conductive to nighttime precipitation. Additionally, the inverse layer is accompanied by the inverse humidity layer, and wind speed presents multi-peaks distribution in its vertical structure. Both of these are closely related with the underlying surface and topography of Jiulong. More studies on physical mechanism and numerical simulation are necessary for better understanding the atmospheric phenomenon over the TP.


Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1193
Author(s):  
Chuchu Xu ◽  
Mi Yan ◽  
Liang Ning ◽  
Jian Liu

The upper-level jet stream, a narrow band of maximum wind speed in the mid-latitude westerlies, exerts a considerable influence on the global climate by modulating the transport and distribution of momentum, heat and moisture. In this study by using four high-resolution models in the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project phase 3, the changes of position and intensity of the northern hemisphere westerly jet at 200 hPa in summer during the mid-Holocene (MH), as well as the related mechanisms, are investigated. The four models show similar performance on the westerly jet. At the hemispheric scale, the simulated westerly jet has a poleward shift during the MH compared to the preindustrial period. The warming in arctic and cooling in the tropics during the MH are caused by the orbital changes of the earth and the precipitation changes, and it could lead to the weakened meridional temperature gradient and pressure gradient, which might account for the poleward shift of the westerly jet from the thermodynamic perspective. From the dynamic perspective, two maximum centers of eddy kinetic energy are simulated over the North Pacific and North Atlantic with the north deviation, which could cause the northward movement of the westerly jet. The weakening of the jet stream is associated with the change of the Hadley cell and the meridional temperature gradient. The largest weakening is over the Pacific Ocean where both the dynamic and the thermodynamic processes have weakening effects. The smallest weakening is over the Atlantic Ocean, and it is induced by the offset effects of dynamic processes and thermodynamic processes. The weakening over the Eurasia is mainly caused by the dynamic processes.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document