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Consistency Between Tropical Divergent Circulations from Reanalysis Data Sets and Satellite-Derived Precipitation, Radiation, and Surface FluxesLarge-scale divergent circulations are part of the atmospheric dynamic response to diabatic heating from condensation, radiative processes, and surface heat fluxes. Vertical motion and the associated divergent wind is thus intimately tied to the hydrologic cycle and the global heat balance. Vertical motions are recovered diagnostically from reanalyses and, as such, are subject to shortcommings in model physics, numerics, and data availability. We use several Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Earth Observation System (EOS) data sets derived from satellite data to assess interannual divergent flow anomalies in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), and GSFC Data Assimilation Office (DAO) analyses. Among the data sets are monthly, 2.5 degree gridded precipitation (Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) and Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I-based)), Top or the atmosphere (TOA) radiative fluxes from ERBS, surface radiative fluxes from the SRB project, and surface latent and sensible flux estimates from SSM/I. These data sets can be considered as independent of the reanalysis fields. We focus largely on the period 1987-1989 encompassing a strong El Nino / la Nina couplet. Consequently we emphasize interannual changes as well as climatological aspects of the reanalyses. In the processes of this study we use simple integral constraints enforced through the satellite-derived data sets to derive corrections to the divergent circulation produced from the reanalyses. We examine the implications of these corrections in describing how perturbations to the tropical heat balance evolve during a warm / cool couplet. In particular the perturbations to the planetary scale water vapor transport, and the resulting changes in TOA and surface radiative fluxes are considered.
Document ID
19990078573
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Robertson, Franklin R.
(Global Hydrology and Climate Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Roads, John
(Scripps Institution of Oceanography La Jolla, CA United States)
McCaul, Eugene W.
(Universities Space Research Association Huntsville, AL United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1999
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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