Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Precipitation Recycling: Moisture Sources over Europe using ERA-40 Data

B. Bisselink Department of Hydrology and Geo-Environmental Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Search for other papers by B. Bisselink in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
and
A. J. Dolman Department of Hydrology and Geo-Environmental Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Search for other papers by A. J. Dolman in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Print Publication:
01 Oct 2008
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/2008JHM962.1
Page(s):
1073–1083
Restricted access

Abstract

Atmospheric moisture within a region is supplied by both local evaporation and advected from external sources. The contribution of local evaporation in a region to the precipitation in the same region is defined as “precipitation recycling.” Precipitation recycling helps in defining the role of land–atmosphere interactions in regional climate. A dynamic precipitation recycling model, which includes the moisture storage term, has been applied to calculate summer variability of the precipitation recycling over Europe based on 40-yr European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re-Analysis (ERA-40) data. Time series for three subregions in Europe (central Europe, the Balkans, and Spain) are obtained to analyze the variability in recycling and to compare the potential in the subregions for interactions between land surface and atmospheric processes. In addition, the recycled precipitation and recycling ratios are linked to several components of the water vapor balance equation [precipitation, evaporation, precipitation minus evaporation (P − E), and moisture transport]. It is found that precipitation recycling is large in dry summers for central Europe, while the opposite is true for the Balkans. Large precipitation recycling is determined in relation with weak moisture transport and high evaporation rates in central Europe. This occurs for dry summers. For the Balkans, precipitation recycling is large in wet summers when moisture transport is weak, and P − E and evaporation are large. Here, the recycling process intensifies the hydrological cycle due to a positive feedback via convective precipitation and therefore the amount of recycled precipitation is larger. For Spain, recycling is also larger when moisture transport is weak, but other correlations are not found. For regions such as central Europe in dry summers and the Balkans in wet summers, which are susceptible to land–atmosphere interactions, future climate and/or land use can have an impact on the regional climate conditions due to changes in evaporation.

Corresponding author address: B. Bisselink, Hydrology and Geo-Environmental Sciences, VU University, Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, Netherlands. Email: berny.bisselink@falw.vu.nl

Abstract

Atmospheric moisture within a region is supplied by both local evaporation and advected from external sources. The contribution of local evaporation in a region to the precipitation in the same region is defined as “precipitation recycling.” Precipitation recycling helps in defining the role of land–atmosphere interactions in regional climate. A dynamic precipitation recycling model, which includes the moisture storage term, has been applied to calculate summer variability of the precipitation recycling over Europe based on 40-yr European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re-Analysis (ERA-40) data. Time series for three subregions in Europe (central Europe, the Balkans, and Spain) are obtained to analyze the variability in recycling and to compare the potential in the subregions for interactions between land surface and atmospheric processes. In addition, the recycled precipitation and recycling ratios are linked to several components of the water vapor balance equation [precipitation, evaporation, precipitation minus evaporation (P − E), and moisture transport]. It is found that precipitation recycling is large in dry summers for central Europe, while the opposite is true for the Balkans. Large precipitation recycling is determined in relation with weak moisture transport and high evaporation rates in central Europe. This occurs for dry summers. For the Balkans, precipitation recycling is large in wet summers when moisture transport is weak, and P − E and evaporation are large. Here, the recycling process intensifies the hydrological cycle due to a positive feedback via convective precipitation and therefore the amount of recycled precipitation is larger. For Spain, recycling is also larger when moisture transport is weak, but other correlations are not found. For regions such as central Europe in dry summers and the Balkans in wet summers, which are susceptible to land–atmosphere interactions, future climate and/or land use can have an impact on the regional climate conditions due to changes in evaporation.

Corresponding author address: B. Bisselink, Hydrology and Geo-Environmental Sciences, VU University, Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, Netherlands. Email: berny.bisselink@falw.vu.nl

Save
Cover Journal of Hydrometeorology
Journal of Hydrometeorology

  • Bosilovich, M. G., and Schubert S. D. , 2001: Precipitation recycling over the central United States diagnosed from the GEOS-1 Data Assimilation System. J. Hydrometeor., 2 , 26–35.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Brubaker, K. L., Entekahabi D. , and Eagleson P. S. , 1993: Estimation of precipitation recycling. J. Climate, 6 , 1077–1089.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Budyko, M. I., 1974: Climate and Life. Academic Press, 508 pp.

  • Dominguez, F., Kumar P. , Liang X. , and Ting M. , 2006: Impact of atmospheric moisture storage on precipitation recycling. J. Climate, 19 , 1513–1530.

  • Draper, C., and Mills G. , 2005: The water cycle in a dry environment: Initial results of the Murray–Darling Basin GEWEX Catchment-Scale Experiment. Fifth Int. Scientific Conf. on the Global Energy and Water Cycle, Costa Mesa, CA, GEWEX. [Available online at http://www.gewex.org/5thGEWEXConf_C.Draper.pdf.].

  • Eltahir, E. A. B., and Bras R. L. , 1994: Precipitation recycling in the Amazon basin. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 120 , 861–880.

  • Eltahir, E. A. B., and Bras R. L. , 1996: Precipitation recycling. Rev. Geophys., 34 , 367–378.

  • Gregory, D., Morcrette J. J. , Jakob C. , Beljaars A. C. M. , and Stockdale T. , 2000: Revision of convection, radiation and cloud schemes in the ECMWF Integrated Forecasting System. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 126 , 1685–1710.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Hagemann, S., Arpe K. , Bengtsson L. , and Kirchner I. , 2002: Validation of precipitation from ERA40 and an ECHAM4.5 simulation nudged with ERA40 data. Workshop on Reanalysis, ERA-40 Project Report Series, Vol. 3, ECMWF, Reading, United Kingdom, 211–227.

  • Kanamitsu, M., and Saha S. , 1996: Systematic tendency errors in budget calculations. Mon. Wea. Rev., 124 , 1145–1160.

  • Koster, R. D., and Coauthors, 2004: Regions of strong coupling between soil moisture and precipitation. Science, 305 , 1138–1140.

  • Schär, C., Lüthi D. , Beyerle U. , and Heise E. , 1999: The soil–precipitation feedback: A process study with a regional climate model. J. Climate, 12 , 722–741.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Schär, C., Vidale P. L. , Lüthi D. , Frei C. , Häberli C. , Liniger M. , and Appenzeller C. , 2004: The role of increasing temperature variability in European summer heat waves. Nature, 427 , 332–336.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Seneviratne, S. I., Lüthi D. , Litschi M. , and Schär C. , 2006: Land–atmosphere coupling and climate change in Europe. Nature, 443 , 205–209.

  • Trenberth, K. E., 1999: Atmospheric moisture recycling: Role of advection and local evaporation. J. Climate, 12 , 1368–1381.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Trigo, R. M., and DaCamara C. , 2000: Circulation weather types and their impact on the precipitation regime in Portugal. J. Climatol., 20 , 1559–1581.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Uppala, S. M., and Coauthors, 2005: The ERA-40 reanalysis. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 131 , 2961–3012.

  • van den Hurk, B. J. J. M., Viterbo P. , Beljaars A. C. M. , and Betts A. K. , 2000: Offline validation of the ERA40 surface scheme. ECMWF Tech. Memo. 295, 42 pp.

  • Viterbo, P., and Beljaars A. C. M. , 1995: An improved land surface parameterization scheme in the ECMWF model and its validation. J. Climate, 8 , 2716–2748.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Zangvil, A., Portis D. H. , and Lamb P. , 2004: Investigation of the large-scale atmospheric moisture field over the midwestern United States in relation to summer precipitation. Part II: Recycling of local evapotranspiration and association with soil moisture and crop yields. J. Climate, 17 , 3283–3301.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 1052 559 6
PDF Downloads 404 101 7