skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Equatorial atmospheric weather regimes: Their structure and role

Abstract

Infrared radiance measurements by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-6) from April 1986 through April 1987 are used to characterize and identify distinct regimes of persistent, large-scale cloudiness patterns over the Amazon Basin. These tropical weather regimes are responsible for the continental-scale atmospheric processes that transport air, trace gases, and heat from the Amazon Basin. The cloud patterns are represented by both scene-scale parameters, such as the cloud-free area and the value of the 'clear sky peak' in a histogram, and textural measures, such as contrast of cloudy area and homogeneity or cloudy area. Correlation analyses of the attribute arrays determined that only 9 of the original 15 cloud pattern descriptors are required for the cluster analyses. Seventy-six percent of the satellite images are classified into 1 of 14 weather regimes which persist for periods that range from 3 to 15 days each. The dominant weather regimes are described by the recurrence and duration of the events, by the rainfall produced and energy released to the tropical atmosphere, and by the composite kinematic and thermodynamic analyses. While the classification analyses identified a range of organized weather conditions in the Amazon Basin, two weather regimes, each occurring in separate seasons, dominatemore » the year. The prominent dry season regime (A) occurs 11 times, persists for 25 percent of the year, produces 81 percent of the dry season rainfall, and 7 percent of the energy export necessary to balance the global heat budget. The prominent wet season regime (B) occurs 8 times, persists for 18 percent of the year, delivers about 30 percent of the wet season rainfall, and 16 percent of the energy export requirement. Because the dry season regime (A) draws nearly half of its water vapor supply from local sources, a vital link may exist between the rainforest ecosystem and the dry season rainfall.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Virginia Univ., Charlottesville, VA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
6459182
Resource Type:
Miscellaneous
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Ph.D. Thesis
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BRAZIL; CLOUD COVER; ENERGY BUDGETS; SOUTH AMERICA; ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION; AIR; METEOROLOGY; RAIN; WATER VAPOR; WEATHER; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; FLUIDS; GASES; LATIN AMERICA; VAPORS; 540110*

Citation Formats

Connors, V S. Equatorial atmospheric weather regimes: Their structure and role. United States: N. p., 1991. Web.
Connors, V S. Equatorial atmospheric weather regimes: Their structure and role. United States.
Connors, V S. 1991. "Equatorial atmospheric weather regimes: Their structure and role". United States.
@article{osti_6459182,
title = {Equatorial atmospheric weather regimes: Their structure and role},
author = {Connors, V S},
abstractNote = {Infrared radiance measurements by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-6) from April 1986 through April 1987 are used to characterize and identify distinct regimes of persistent, large-scale cloudiness patterns over the Amazon Basin. These tropical weather regimes are responsible for the continental-scale atmospheric processes that transport air, trace gases, and heat from the Amazon Basin. The cloud patterns are represented by both scene-scale parameters, such as the cloud-free area and the value of the 'clear sky peak' in a histogram, and textural measures, such as contrast of cloudy area and homogeneity or cloudy area. Correlation analyses of the attribute arrays determined that only 9 of the original 15 cloud pattern descriptors are required for the cluster analyses. Seventy-six percent of the satellite images are classified into 1 of 14 weather regimes which persist for periods that range from 3 to 15 days each. The dominant weather regimes are described by the recurrence and duration of the events, by the rainfall produced and energy released to the tropical atmosphere, and by the composite kinematic and thermodynamic analyses. While the classification analyses identified a range of organized weather conditions in the Amazon Basin, two weather regimes, each occurring in separate seasons, dominate the year. The prominent dry season regime (A) occurs 11 times, persists for 25 percent of the year, produces 81 percent of the dry season rainfall, and 7 percent of the energy export necessary to balance the global heat budget. The prominent wet season regime (B) occurs 8 times, persists for 18 percent of the year, delivers about 30 percent of the wet season rainfall, and 16 percent of the energy export requirement. Because the dry season regime (A) draws nearly half of its water vapor supply from local sources, a vital link may exist between the rainforest ecosystem and the dry season rainfall.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6459182}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991},
month = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991}
}

Miscellaneous:
Other availability
Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that may hold this item.

Save / Share: