Open AccessRegional downscaling for stable water isotopes: A case study of an atmospheric river event
Author(s) -
Yoshimura Kei,
Kanamitsu Masao,
Dettinger Michael
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2010jd014032
Subject(s) - precipitation , environmental science , advection , atmospheric sciences , downscaling , water vapor , atmosphere (unit) , climatology , geology , meteorology , physics , thermodynamics
In this paper an isotope‐incorporated regional model is developed and utilized for simulations of an atmospheric river event that occurred in March 2005. A set of sensitivity experiments and comparisons with observations confirm that the kinetic isotopic exchange between falling droplets and ambient water vapor below the cloud base was mostly responsible for the initial enrichment and subsequent rapid drop of the deuterium abundance in precipitation observed during the event even under humid conditions. According to the budget analysis the increase in isotopic composition during the latter half of the event was primarily due to horizontal advection. The contribution of condensation from different atmospheric heights to the ground precipitation was not reflected in the precipitation isotopes.