Diagnostic Studies of Growing Season Rainfall Fluctuations in Central North America

这个为期三年的研究项目旨在扩展和扩大一个项目，该项目正在处理由落基山脉和阿巴拉契亚山脉，墨西哥湾沿岸和加拿大约55°N的地区的生长季节（5月至8月）降雨。迄今为止的基本目标是：(i)确定1949- 1980年降雨变化的特征空间格局；（ii）量化“局部”气候系统过程/条件（发生在研究区域上方和附近的过程/条件——水蒸气的发生和供应，对流层提供抬升的倾向）对三个案例研究年（1975年、1976年、1979年）降水模式的影响。指数将(a)扩展和补充上述降雨分析；(b)完成及整合上述“本地”个案研究调查；(c)启动对该地区生长期降雨变化的更广泛的气候系统原因的调查。这项研究很重要，因为它试图在更多全球气候特征和强迫的背景下理解区域气候变率。

This three-year research project seeks to extend and broaden a program that is dealing with the growing season (May-August) rainfall of the region bounded by the Rocky and Appalachian mountains, the Gulf Coast, and approximately 55 N in Canada. The fundamental goals to date have been to: (i) identify the characteristic spatial patterns of rainfall variation for 1949- 80; and (ii) quantify the "local" climate system processes/conditions (those occurring over and adjacent to study region -- water vapor occurrence and supply, troposphere's predisposition to provide uplift) contributing to the contrasting rainfall patterns of three case study years (1975, 1976, 1979). The PIs will (a) extend and complement the aforementioned rainfall analyses; (b) complete and integrate the above "local" case study investigations; and (c) initiate inquiry into the wider climate system causes of the region's growing season rainfall variations. This research is important because it seeks to understand regional climate variability in the context of more global climate features and forcing.