American Geophysical Union Become an AGU Member
Subscribe to AGU Journals		 AGU Home AGU Publications

Editor's Highlight

Read Full Article (file size: 892874 bytes)    Cited by

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 34, L20710, doi:10.1029/2007GL031903, 2007

Radar signatures of the urban effect on precipitation distribution: A case study for Atlanta, Georgia

Thomas L. Mote

Climate Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA


Matthew C. Lacke

Climate Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA


J. Marshall Shepherd

Climate Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA


Abstract

Ground-based weather radar from Peachtree City, GA, is used to examine the distribution of summer precipitation in northern Georgia, including metropolitan Atlanta, during June–August of 2002–2006. The study included 194 “synoptically benign” days with a maritime tropical air mass type. Areas in eastern metropolitan Atlanta are shown to have 30% more rainfall during these days than areas west of the city. Both precipitation amount and frequency were enhanced up to 80 km to the east of the urban core of Atlanta. A precipitation maxima northeast of Atlanta occurs near a precipitation anomaly and lightning flash density anomaly identified in previous studies. An hourly analysis of precipitation data demonstrates that the enhanced precipitation on the periphery of the urban core is most evident from 00–05 UTC (19-00 LST). This study is the first to use ground-based radar precipitation estimates in an attempt to quantify the impact of urbanization on precipitation.

Received 4 September 2007; accepted 4 October 2007; published 30 October 2007.

Keywords: urban climatology; precipitation.

Index Terms: 3354 Atmospheric Processes: Precipitation (1854); 3309 Atmospheric Processes: Climatology (1616, 1620, 3305, 4215, 8408); 3314 Atmospheric Processes: Convective processes.

Read Full Article (file size: 892874 bytes)    Cited by

Citation: Mote, T. L., M. C. Lacke, and J. M. Shepherd (2007), Radar signatures of the urban effect on precipitation distribution: A case study for Atlanta, Georgia, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L20710, doi:10.1029/2007GL031903.