Large scale moisture flux characteristics of the mediterranean basin and their relationships with drier and wetter climate conditions
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Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Access Rights
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
Abstract
Large scale moisture flux analysis was carried out for the Mediterranean Basin in order to increase our understanding of the larger scale atmospheric controls on moisture flux convergence that are related to drier and wetter conditions. The seasonal moisture budget (precipitation minus evaporation) was calculated using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis data for the period 1949-2012. Results of the analysis show that the displacements of prevailing atmospheric action centres located over the subtropical mid-east Atlantic (i.e. Azores high) and the north-east Atlantic (i.e. sub-polar or Iceland low) to the north and to south, respectively, generally determine the wet or dry conditions over the Mediterranean Basin. In winter, the eddy fluxes originating from the mid-Atlantic propagate over Europe providing wet conditions in western and central Europe. The contribution of eddies to the moisture budget weaken in summer for the Mediterranean Basin, because of weaker and less frequent frontal activities in general.
Description
Keywords
Atmospheric moisture budget, Convergence, Wet and dry, drought, Teleconnections, Mediterranean basin, North-Atlantic Oscillation, Geopotential Height Fields, Water-Budget, Ncep-Ncar, Precipitation, Variability, Summer, Turkey, Sea, Temperature
Journal or Series
Climate Dynamics
WoS Q Value
Q1
Scopus Q Value
Q1
Volume
45
Issue
45637
