Robust spring drying in the southwestern U. S. and seasonal migration of wet/dry patterns in a warmer climate | Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)

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Citation
Tags

HERO ID

4322197

Reference Type

Journal Article

Title

Robust spring drying in the southwestern U. S. and seasonal migration of wet/dry patterns in a warmer climate

Author(s)

Gao, Y; Leung, LR; Lu, J; Liu, Y; Huang, M; Qian, Yun

Year

2014

Is Peer Reviewed?

Yes

Journal

Geophysical Research Letters
ISSN: 0094-8276
EISSN: 1944-8007

Volume

Issue

Page Numbers

1745-1751

DOI

10.1002/2014GL059562

Web of Science Id

WOS:000333578800055

Abstract

This study compares climate simulations over North America produced by a regional climate model with the driving global climate simulations as well as a multimodel ensemble of global climate simulations to investigate robust changes in water availability (precipitation (P)-evapotranspiration (E)). A robust spring-drying signal across multiple models is identified in the Southwest that results from a decrease in P and an increase in E in the future. In the boreal winter and summer, the prominent changes in P-E are associated with a north-south dipole pattern, while in spring, the prominent changes in P-E appear as an east-west dipole pattern. The progression of the north-south and east-west dipole patterns through the seasons manifests clearly as a seasonal clockwise migration of wet/dry patterns, which is a robust feature of water availability changes in North America consistent across regional and global climate simulations.

Keywords

climate change; water availability; regional climate simulations; global climate simulations