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Process‐Based Analysis of the Added Value of Dynamical Downscaling Over Central Africa
Author(s) -
Tamoffo Alain T.,
Dosio Alessandro,
Vondou Derbetini A.,
Sonkoué Denis
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2020gl089702
Subject(s) - downscaling , precipitation , environmental science , climatology , moisture , atmospheric circulation , representation (politics) , flux (metallurgy) , atmospheric sciences , general circulation model , meteorology , climate change , geography , geology , chemistry , oceanography , politics , political science , law , organic chemistry
In this study, nine global climate models (GCMs) and corresponding downscaled runs by means of the regional climate model (RCM) RCA4 are used to investigate added value (AV) in precipitation and its some drivers over Central Africa (CA). By employing a process‐based analysis approach, we intercompare abilities of RCM to those of driving GCMs in representing the total atmospheric moisture flux convergence (TMFC), moisture transport, and African Easterly Jets (AEJs). Results indicate that simulations with highest AVs in the precipitation climatology also show improvements in the representation of the TMFC and AEJs. Degraded precipitation due to the downscaling is associated with deterioration of at least two of three analyzed mechanisms, and sometimes there is inconsistent AVs between precipitation and related drivers. This sustains that a realistic representation of the moisture transport and atmospheric circulation is of great importance for the correct simulation of present (and, consequently, future) precipitation over CA.