Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 6.6. Modeled annual
precipitation averaged for 1985
through 1999 (mm). The contour
interval is 200 mm, but 100 mm
if smaller than 400 mm, and
300 mm if larger than 1,000 mm
(from Bromwich et al., 2001 , by
permission of AGU).
describes vertical motion which is important with respect to both synoptic-scale and
orographic precipitation). It was driven by ECMWF data. Figure 6.6 shows the field
of modeled annual precipitation for Greenland and the surrounding region averaged
for the years 1985 through 1999. The modeled precipitation captures the general
features seen in Figure 6.5 . In particular, it reproduces the low amounts over the
central ice sheet and the high values along the southeast coast. Aspects of accumula-
tion over Greenland will be further examined in Chapter 8 .
6.1.4
Precipitation Frequency and Phase
“Present weather” codes that represent part of the synoptic reports in the ICOADS
data base were used by Serreze, Maslanik, and Key ( 1997 ) to examine the charac-
teristics of precipitation frequency and phase (solid, liquid, mixed) over the Arctic
Ocean. Figure 6.7 gives a feel for the contrasts between January and July precipita-
tion frequency and phase. These maps bin ICOADS reports from 1950-1999 into a
very coarse grid cell array. Over the central Arctic Ocean, the ICOADS records are
primarily from the NP stations. Precipitation frequency represents the percent of
all ICOADS observations for which any precipitation was observed. Similarly, the
Search WWH ::




Custom Search