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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • monsoon
  • extreme precipitation
  • Mexico

Index Terms

  • Hydrology: Extreme events
  • Atmospheric Processes: Climate change and variability
  • Atmospheric Processes: Land/atmosphere interactions
  • Atmospheric Processes: Ocean/atmosphere interactions
  • Geodesy and Gravity: Global change from geodesy

Abstract

Extreme precipitation trends associated with tropical cyclones in the core of the North American monsoon

Tereza Cavazos

Department of Physical Oceanography, CICESE, Ensenada, B. C., Mexico

C. Turrent

Department of Physical Oceanography, CICESE, Ensenada, B. C., Mexico

D. P. Lettenmaier

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

We estimate trends of extreme daily precipitation (P95 > 95th percentile) events in the core of the North American monsoon region in Northwest Mexico during JJAS of 1961–1998. The intensity and seasonal contribution of P95 show significant upward linear trends in the mountain sites, which appear to be related to an increased contribution from heavy precipitation derived from tropical cyclones (TCs). Frequency of P95, total monsoon precipitation, and P95 in coastal stations did not change significantly. TC-derived P95 events are associated with SST anomalies similar to weak La Niña conditions in the eastern Equatorial Pacific, SSTs > 28.5°C in the Caribbean Sea, and strong land-sea thermal contrast over Northwest Mexico and the U.S. Southwest two weeks prior to their onset.

Received 27 August 2008; accepted 10 October 2008; published 12 November 2008.

Citation: Cavazos, T., C. Turrent, and D. P. Lettenmaier (2008), Extreme precipitation trends associated with tropical cyclones in the core of the North American monsoon, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L21703, doi:10.1029/2008GL035832.

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