Mechanisms for the Climatological Characteristics and Interannual Variations of the Guinea Coast Precipitation: Early Summer West African Monsoon
This study presents the climatological characteristics and physical mechanisms of Guinea Coast precipitation in June. Traditionally, the low-tropospheric air temperature and equivalent potential temperature (<inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow>...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/11/4/396 |
| _version_ | 1797570474940563456 |
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| author | Jun-Hyeok Son Kyong-Hwan Seo |
| author_facet | Jun-Hyeok Son Kyong-Hwan Seo |
| author_sort | Jun-Hyeok Son |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study presents the climatological characteristics and physical mechanisms of Guinea Coast precipitation in June. Traditionally, the low-tropospheric air temperature and equivalent potential temperature (<inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi>θ</mi> <mi>e</mi> </msub> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>) play crucial roles in the generation of monsoon precipitation through the following mechanisms: 1. Near-surface atmospheric front, depicted by steep <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <msub> <mi>θ</mi> <mi>e</mi> </msub> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi mathvariant="normal">y</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>, corresponds to the vertical motion in the lower troposphere. 2. Strong easterly wind in the middle troposphere (600–500 hPa), generated by a steep <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi>T</mi> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi mathvariant="normal">y</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> near the surface at 12° N, induces a positive vorticity to the south and vertical motion over the Guinea Coast (~5° N). Meanwhile, the strong Guinea Coastal precipitation, in association with the interannual variability, is mainly determined by the sea-surface temperature (SST) anomaly in the eastern equatorial Atlantic Ocean. In years of warm SST in the eastern equatorial Atlantic, <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <msub> <mi>θ</mi> <mi>e</mi> </msub> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi mathvariant="normal">y</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> in the lower troposphere is less pronounced than in normal years. However, the atmospheric buoyancy (moist static instability) increases, owing to a strong vertical <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi>θ</mi> <mi>e</mi> </msub> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> gradient (<inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <msub> <mi>θ</mi> <mi>e</mi> </msub> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi mathvariant="normal">p</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>) arising from the increase in moisture and warm temperature in the lower troposphere over the warm SST area. Consequently, the eastern equatorial Atlantic warm SST modulates the Guinea Coastal thermodynamic structure, causing deep convection that increases precipitation south of the Guinea Coast. Forced by the eastern equatorial Atlantic warm SST anomaly, the strong precipitation and corresponding atmospheric structures are successfully simulated from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory global atmosphere model 2.1. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:26:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-63759be9b7134b79956226baf6bdeda2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:26:06Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-63759be9b7134b79956226baf6bdeda22023-11-19T21:48:02ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332020-04-0111439610.3390/atmos11040396Mechanisms for the Climatological Characteristics and Interannual Variations of the Guinea Coast Precipitation: Early Summer West African MonsoonJun-Hyeok Son0Kyong-Hwan Seo1Research Center for Climate Science, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, KoreaResearch Center for Climate Science, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, KoreaThis study presents the climatological characteristics and physical mechanisms of Guinea Coast precipitation in June. Traditionally, the low-tropospheric air temperature and equivalent potential temperature (<inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi>θ</mi> <mi>e</mi> </msub> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>) play crucial roles in the generation of monsoon precipitation through the following mechanisms: 1. Near-surface atmospheric front, depicted by steep <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <msub> <mi>θ</mi> <mi>e</mi> </msub> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi mathvariant="normal">y</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>, corresponds to the vertical motion in the lower troposphere. 2. Strong easterly wind in the middle troposphere (600–500 hPa), generated by a steep <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi>T</mi> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi mathvariant="normal">y</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> near the surface at 12° N, induces a positive vorticity to the south and vertical motion over the Guinea Coast (~5° N). Meanwhile, the strong Guinea Coastal precipitation, in association with the interannual variability, is mainly determined by the sea-surface temperature (SST) anomaly in the eastern equatorial Atlantic Ocean. In years of warm SST in the eastern equatorial Atlantic, <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <msub> <mi>θ</mi> <mi>e</mi> </msub> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi mathvariant="normal">y</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> in the lower troposphere is less pronounced than in normal years. However, the atmospheric buoyancy (moist static instability) increases, owing to a strong vertical <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi>θ</mi> <mi>e</mi> </msub> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> gradient (<inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <msub> <mi>θ</mi> <mi>e</mi> </msub> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi mathvariant="normal">p</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>) arising from the increase in moisture and warm temperature in the lower troposphere over the warm SST area. Consequently, the eastern equatorial Atlantic warm SST modulates the Guinea Coastal thermodynamic structure, causing deep convection that increases precipitation south of the Guinea Coast. Forced by the eastern equatorial Atlantic warm SST anomaly, the strong precipitation and corresponding atmospheric structures are successfully simulated from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory global atmosphere model 2.1.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/11/4/396West African monsoonGuinea Coastal precipitationinterannual variationequivalent potential temperaturefront |
| spellingShingle | Jun-Hyeok Son Kyong-Hwan Seo Mechanisms for the Climatological Characteristics and Interannual Variations of the Guinea Coast Precipitation: Early Summer West African Monsoon Atmosphere West African monsoon Guinea Coastal precipitation interannual variation equivalent potential temperature front |
| title | Mechanisms for the Climatological Characteristics and Interannual Variations of the Guinea Coast Precipitation: Early Summer West African Monsoon |
| title_full | Mechanisms for the Climatological Characteristics and Interannual Variations of the Guinea Coast Precipitation: Early Summer West African Monsoon |
| title_fullStr | Mechanisms for the Climatological Characteristics and Interannual Variations of the Guinea Coast Precipitation: Early Summer West African Monsoon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mechanisms for the Climatological Characteristics and Interannual Variations of the Guinea Coast Precipitation: Early Summer West African Monsoon |
| title_short | Mechanisms for the Climatological Characteristics and Interannual Variations of the Guinea Coast Precipitation: Early Summer West African Monsoon |
| title_sort | mechanisms for the climatological characteristics and interannual variations of the guinea coast precipitation early summer west african monsoon |
| topic | West African monsoon Guinea Coastal precipitation interannual variation equivalent potential temperature front |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/11/4/396 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT junhyeokson mechanismsfortheclimatologicalcharacteristicsandinterannualvariationsoftheguineacoastprecipitationearlysummerwestafricanmonsoon AT kyonghwanseo mechanismsfortheclimatologicalcharacteristicsandinterannualvariationsoftheguineacoastprecipitationearlysummerwestafricanmonsoon |