Title: Moisture Sources of Precipitation in the Great Lakes Region: Climatology and Recent Changes

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [3];  [1]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland WA USA
  2. Environmental Science Division Argonne National Laboratory Lemont IL USA, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geospatial Engineering Michigan Technological University Houghton MI USA
  3. Environmental Science Division Argonne National Laboratory Lemont IL USA
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Abstract Given the critical role of precipitation on hydroclimate, we quantified the contributions of moisture source regions to precipitation in the Great Lakes Region (GLR) using multiple reanalysis data sets. Results show that the Great Plains (GPs) and the GLR itself are the primary sources of moisture. The moisture sources for the double peaks in the GLR precipitation that occur in June and September are identified, which is caused by a shift in the peak timing of moisture contribution from the GLR and GPs. In particular, moisture from the GPs contributes more to the heavy precipitation, while moisture from the GLR contributes more to the light precipitation. We also found a statistically significant ( p  < 0.05) increasing trend in the moisture contribution from the mid‐Pacific, caused by an intensified zonal moisture transport from the mid‐Pacific through changes in atmospheric circulation.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357; AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1959383
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-170910; e2022GL100682
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 50; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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