Estimation of Natural Variability and Detection of Anthropogenic Signal in Summertime Precipitation over South America

We use a coupled model to estimate the natural variability of summertime rainfall over South America and to determine the time horizon when anthropogenic forcing will start having an effect on it. We use a combination of three experiments: preindustrial, 20th century, and the projected changes under...

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Main Authors: Stefanie Talento, Marcelo Barreiro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Advances in Meteorology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/725343
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author Stefanie Talento
Marcelo Barreiro
author_facet Stefanie Talento
Marcelo Barreiro
author_sort Stefanie Talento
collection DOAJ
description We use a coupled model to estimate the natural variability of summertime rainfall over South America and to determine the time horizon when anthropogenic forcing will start having an effect on it. We use a combination of three experiments: preindustrial, 20th century, and the projected changes under A1B scenario. The first empirical orthogonal function of rainfall in December–February is used to characterize summertime variability. The model can display two different regimes of natural variability of this mode. In one regime, there is a strong coupling between the South Atlantic convergence zone (SACZ) and the Atlantic Ocean. In the other regime, the SACZ is dominated by internal atmospheric variability. The detection of the impact of anthropogenic forcing is calculated comparing the probability density functions (pdfs) of the preindustrial run with the one under the A1B scenario. We found that the detection strongly depends on the pdf used to characterize internal climate variability. If the pdf of the mode with coupling between the SACZ and the Atlantic Ocean is used, the anthropogenic influence is felt very early within the future scenario (in less than 30 years). On the contrary, with the pdf that characterizes an SACZ dominated by internal atmospheric variability, the forcing is detected only several (almost 50) years into the scenario.
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spelling doaj-art-aafc422763b74f91a0aff09833b32ad52025-02-03T01:32:39ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93091687-93172012-01-01201210.1155/2012/725343725343Estimation of Natural Variability and Detection of Anthropogenic Signal in Summertime Precipitation over South AmericaStefanie Talento0Marcelo Barreiro1Unidad de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, UruguayUnidad de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, UruguayWe use a coupled model to estimate the natural variability of summertime rainfall over South America and to determine the time horizon when anthropogenic forcing will start having an effect on it. We use a combination of three experiments: preindustrial, 20th century, and the projected changes under A1B scenario. The first empirical orthogonal function of rainfall in December–February is used to characterize summertime variability. The model can display two different regimes of natural variability of this mode. In one regime, there is a strong coupling between the South Atlantic convergence zone (SACZ) and the Atlantic Ocean. In the other regime, the SACZ is dominated by internal atmospheric variability. The detection of the impact of anthropogenic forcing is calculated comparing the probability density functions (pdfs) of the preindustrial run with the one under the A1B scenario. We found that the detection strongly depends on the pdf used to characterize internal climate variability. If the pdf of the mode with coupling between the SACZ and the Atlantic Ocean is used, the anthropogenic influence is felt very early within the future scenario (in less than 30 years). On the contrary, with the pdf that characterizes an SACZ dominated by internal atmospheric variability, the forcing is detected only several (almost 50) years into the scenario.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/725343
spellingShingle Stefanie Talento
Marcelo Barreiro
Estimation of Natural Variability and Detection of Anthropogenic Signal in Summertime Precipitation over South America
Advances in Meteorology
title Estimation of Natural Variability and Detection of Anthropogenic Signal in Summertime Precipitation over South America
title_full Estimation of Natural Variability and Detection of Anthropogenic Signal in Summertime Precipitation over South America
title_fullStr Estimation of Natural Variability and Detection of Anthropogenic Signal in Summertime Precipitation over South America
title_full_unstemmed Estimation of Natural Variability and Detection of Anthropogenic Signal in Summertime Precipitation over South America
title_short Estimation of Natural Variability and Detection of Anthropogenic Signal in Summertime Precipitation over South America
title_sort estimation of natural variability and detection of anthropogenic signal in summertime precipitation over south america
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/725343
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