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Interannual Variability in the Meridional Transport of Water VaporThe zonal-mean meridional transport of water vapor across the globe is evaluated using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP-NCAR) reanalysis for 1948-97. The shape of the meridional profile of the climatological mean transport closely resembles that of previous mean climate descriptions, but values tend to be notably larger than in climatologies derived from radiosonde-only-based analyses. The unprecedented length of the NCEP-NCAR dataset invites a focus on interannual variations in the zonal-mean moisture transport, and these results for northern winter are highlighted here. Although interannual variability in the transport is typically small at most latitudes, a significant ENSO signal is present, marked by a strengthening of water vapor transports over much of the winter hemisphere during warm events. Because of an increase in tropical sea surface temperatures and in the frequency of warm events relative to cold events in the latter half of the 50-yr record, this interannual signal projects onto an overall trend toward enhanced meridional moisture transports in the global hydrological cycle.
Document ID
20020011036
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Cohen, Judah L.
(Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. Lexington, MA United States)
Salstein, David A.
(Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. Lexington, MA United States)
Rosen, Richard D.
(Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. Lexington, MA United States)
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 2000
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Hydrometeorology
Publisher: American Meteorological Society
Volume: 1
Subject Category
Environment Pollution
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS5-98179
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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