Soil Moisture-Cloud-Precipitation Feedback in the Lower Atmosphere From Functional Decomposition of Satellite Observations

Gao, Yifu; Guilloteau, Clément; Foufoula‐Georgiou, Efi; Xu, Chonggang; Sun, Xiaoming; Vrugt, Jasper A.

doi:10.1029/2024gl110347

Title: Soil Moisture-Cloud-Precipitation Feedback in the Lower Atmosphere From Functional Decomposition of Satellite Observations

Journal Article · 20 November 2024 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gl110347 · OSTI ID:2478575

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Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States)
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

The feedback of topsoil moisture (SM) content on convective clouds and precipitation is not well understood and represented in the current generation of weather and climate models. Here, we use functional decomposition of satellite-derived SM and cloud vertical profiles (CVP) to quantify the relationship between SM and the vertical distribution of cloud water in the central US. High-dimensional model representation is used to disentangle the contributions of SM and other land-surface and atmospheric variables to the CVP. Results show that the sign and strength of the SM-cloud-precipitation feedback varies with cloud height and time lag and displays a large spatial variability. Positive anomalies in antecedent 7-hr SM and land-surface temperature enhance cloud reflectivity up to 4 dBZ in the lower atmosphere about 1–3 km above the surface. Our approach presents new insights into the SM-cloud-precipitation feedback and aids in the diagnosis of land-atmosphere interactions simulated by weather and climate models.

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Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001

OSTI ID:: 2478575

Report Number(s):: LA-UR--24-30275

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 22 Vol. 51; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Earth Sciences
United States
hydroclimatology
land-atmosphere interaction
precipitation
soil moisture

Title: Soil Moisture-Cloud-Precipitation Feedback in the Lower Atmosphere From Functional Decomposition of Satellite Observations

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