Advances in Geosciences
www.adv-geosci.net
1680-7340
1680-7359
10
Observation, Prediction and Verification of Precipitation (EGU Session 2006)
2007
10.5194/adgeo-10-39-2007
http://www.adv-geosci.net/10/39/2007/
http://www.adv-geosci.net/10/39/2007/adgeo-10-39-2007.html
http://www.adv-geosci.net/10/39/2007/adgeo-10-39-2007.pdf
39
44
2007-04-26
Atmospheric instability analysis and its relationship to precipitation patterns over the western Iberian Peninsula
S. Queralt
queralt@fis.ucm.es
E. Hernandez
D. Gallego
I. Iturrioz
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
Thermodynamic and dynamic atmospheric stability indices will be analysed in
order to classify the rainfall types occurred in western Iberia and provide
information about the associated meteorological phenomena and preferred
regional instability sources. In this work, instability sources over the
western Iberian Peninsula will be characterised by means of radiosonde
station data and reanalysis data sets from the European Centre for
Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), for the period 1971–2002. Dynamic
stability indices such as the <i><b>Q</b></i> vector divergence (<i>d</i><i><b>Q</b></i>) or the potential
vorticity anomaly in the 330 K isentropic surface (<i>PV</i>) have been calculated
with the aim of establishing different atmospheric stability scenarios.
Furthermore, thermodynamic atmospheric stability contribution has been also
evaluated with Total Totals index (<i>TT</i>) and moisture availability was
inferred from circulation weather types (CWTs). The first results of this
work assess the combined dynamic-thermodynamic preferred conditions,
synoptic situations and humidity sources, leading to precipitation events
over the western Iberian Peninsula and prove the essential role of CWT
patterns on the rainfall genesis.
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