EarthRef.org Reference Database (ERR)
Development and Maintenance by the EarthRef.org Database Team

Detailed Reference Information
Koster et al. 2003
Koster, R.D., Suarez, M.J., Higgins, R.W. and Van den Dool, H.M. (2003). Observational evidence that soil moisture variations affect precipitation. Geophysical Research Letters 30: doi: 10.1029/2002GL016571. issn: 0094-8276.

Land-atmosphere feedback, by which precipitation-induced soil moisture anomalies affect subsequent precipitation, may be an important element of Earth's climate system, but its very existence has never been demonstrated conclusively at regional to continental scales. Evidence for the feedback is sought in a 50-yearobservational precipitation dataset covering the United States. The precipitation variance and autocorrelation fields are characterized by features that agree (in structure, though not in magnitude) with those produced by an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM). Because the model-generated features are known to result from land-atmosphere feedback alone, the observed features are suggestive of the existence of feedback in nature.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Hydrology, Evapotranspiration, Hydrology, Hydroclimatology, Hydrology, Soil moisture, Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics, Land/atmosphere interactions, Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics, Precipitation
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009-1277
USA
1-202-462-6900
1-202-328-0566
service@agu.org
Click to clear formClick to return to previous pageClick to submit