Atmospheric Rivers Impacting Northern California Exhibit a Quasi‐Decadal Frequency
Abstract
Periods of water surplus and deficit in Northern California follow a pronounced quasi‐decadal cycle. This cycle is largely driven by the frequency of atmospheric rivers (ARs), affecting the region’s wet and dry periods. Our analyses demonstrate that the quasi‐decadal cycle of AR frequency relies on moisture transport associated with the position and intensity of the Aleutian Low. In observations, the Aleutian Low is shown to covary with tropical Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies. A modeling experiment, which incorporates ocean observations from the equatorial Pacific into the fully coupled climate model, provides support that the quasi‐decadal cycle of the Aleutian Low is forced by the tropical Pacific. Subsequently, the tropical Pacific modulates the wet season moisture transport toward California on decadal time scales, affecting AR frequency. These results provide metrics for improving interannual‐to‐decadal prediction of AR activity, which drives hydrological cycles in Northern California.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Aug 10, 2021
- Source ID
- 10.1029/2020jd034196
Entities
People
- Jacob Stuivenvolt Allen
- Simon Wang
- Yoshimitsu Chikamoto
- Zachary F. Johnson
Organizations
- National Chung Hsing University
- National Science Foundation
- Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program
- United States Bureau of Reclamation
- United States Department of Energy
- Utah State University