Moisture Budget and Air-Sea Interaction Associated with Atmospheric Rivers in the Northeast Pacific: Observations and Climate Model Simulations

该项目的主要目标是评估全球气候模式模拟的东北太平洋大气河流(ARs)的结构和机制及其对美国天气的影响，并了解造成模拟系统误差的物理过程。将对卫星观测和再分析产品进行分析，包括计算与ARS有关的综合海表面温度、海气通量和水分收支。还将调查厄尔尼诺南方涛动和马登朱利安涛动等低频变化对ARs的影响。将进行全球气候模式模拟的相互比较，包括AR模拟的评估和双热带辐合带(ITCZ)问题通过AR活动对美国西海岸降水的影响。这项研究将包括用规定的海表面温度(SST)进行大气耦合模式实验，其中包括与双重(ITCZ)问题有关的错误SST场。最后，我们将利用海洋耦合模拟实验来检验与ARS相关的上层海洋过程，这些过程可能会影响SST和海气水汽通量。这项研究将对ARS这一向美国西部提供降水的重要模式有所启示。因此，加强对ARS的了解具有重要的社会影响和益处。

The primary goal of this project is to evaluate the structure and mechanism of atmospheric rivers (ARs) in the northeast Pacific and their impacts on U.S. weather simulated by global climate models, and understand the physical processes responsible for the systematic errors in the simulations. An analysis of satellite observations and reanalysis products including computation of composite sea surface temperature, air-sea fluxes and moisture budget associated with ARs will be undertaken. An examination of the impact of low frequency variability such as El Nino Southern Oscillation and Madden Julian Oscillation on ARs will also be investigated. An intercomparison of global climate model simulation, including the evaluation of AR simulations and the impact of the double Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) problem on precipitation along the U.S. West Coast through AR activity will be performed. The research will include conducting atmospheric coupled model experiments with prescribed sea surface temperatures (SST), which include the erroneous SST field associated with the double (ITCZ) problem. Finally upper ocean processes associated with ARs that could influence SST and air-sea fluxes of moisture using ocean coupled modeling experiments will be examined.This research will shed insights into ARs that are an important mode of providing precipitation to the western US. Enhanced understanding of ARs thus has important societal impacts and benefits.