Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 6.2.
Distribution of precipitation measuring stations north of 40°N with at least
ten years of record for the 1960-1989 period, based on blending various data sets (by
the authors).
convergence. Along the coasts of Scandinavian and eastern Greenland, precipitation
is enhanced by orographic uplift of moist airmasses. The decrease in precipitation
poleward toward the Kara Sea manifests the poleward decay of the primary North
Atlantic cyclone track. The other area of high precipitation is along the Pacific side,
which is associated with the northern end of the East Asian storm track, and oro-
graphic uplift.
By April, the primary cyclone tracks have weakened, and there is a decline in
precipitation in the Atlantic sector and on the Pacific side of the Arctic as compared
with January. Precipitation over northern Canada, Alaska, eastern Eurasia, and the
central Arctic Ocean is still quite low. As seen in the July field, the precipitation
pattern for summer is quite different. Although the primary storm tracks are weak-
est at this time, the highest Arctic totals are still generally found in the Atlantic
and Pacific sectors. However, precipitation is at its annual maximum over most
