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The rainfall-no rainfall transition in a coupled land-convective atmosphere system

Publication ,  Journal Article
Konings, AG; Katul, GG; Porporato, A
Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
July 1, 2010

A one-dimensional representation of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) depth is coupled to a soil moisture bucket model to dynamically explore the relative roles of surface and free atmospheric conditions on convective precipitation occurrence and resulting soil moisture states. This occurrence is taken to depend on the crossing of the ABL height and the lifting condensation level in the presence of pure convective instability. If rainfall occurs (unrealistically) whenever these conditions are met, and free atmospheric conditions are constant, the resulting system state evolves towards a limit cycle with precipitation every day or every few days, or to a completely dry state. The free atmospheric humidity profile has a larger effect on determining the stationary soil moisture state than the temperature profile. The effect of dry air entrainment on surface energy partitioning decreases soil moisture sensitivity to free atmospheric conditions. © 2010 by the American Geophysical Union.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Geophysical Research Letters

DOI

ISSN

0094-8276

Publication Date

July 1, 2010

Volume

37

Issue

14

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
 

Citation

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Konings, A. G., Katul, G. G., & Porporato, A. (2010). The rainfall-no rainfall transition in a coupled land-convective atmosphere system. Geophysical Research Letters, 37(14). https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GL043967
Konings, A. G., G. G. Katul, and A. Porporato. “The rainfall-no rainfall transition in a coupled land-convective atmosphere system.” Geophysical Research Letters 37, no. 14 (July 1, 2010). https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GL043967.
Konings AG, Katul GG, Porporato A. The rainfall-no rainfall transition in a coupled land-convective atmosphere system. Geophysical Research Letters. 2010 Jul 1;37(14).
Konings, A. G., et al. “The rainfall-no rainfall transition in a coupled land-convective atmosphere system.” Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 37, no. 14, July 2010. Scopus, doi:10.1029/2010GL043967.
Konings AG, Katul GG, Porporato A. The rainfall-no rainfall transition in a coupled land-convective atmosphere system. Geophysical Research Letters. 2010 Jul 1;37(14).
Journal cover image

Published In

Geophysical Research Letters

DOI

ISSN

0094-8276

Publication Date

July 1, 2010

Volume

37

Issue

14

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences