Title
Evidencing decadal and interdecadal hydroclimatic variability over the Central Andes
Date Issued
14 September 2016
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Publisher(s)
Institute of Physics
Abstract
In this study we identified a significant low frequency variability (8 to 20 years) that characterizes the hydroclimatology over the Central Andes. Decadal-interdecadal variability is related to the central-western Pacific Ocean (R 2 = 0.50) and the zonal wind at 200 hPa above the Central Andes (R 2 = 0.66). These two oceanic-atmospheric variables have a dominant decadal-interdecadal variability, and there is a strong relationship between them at a low frequency time scale (R 2 = 0.66). During warming decades in the central-western Pacific Ocean, westerlies are intensified at 200 hPa above the Central Andes, which produce decadal periods of hydrological deficit over this region. In contrast, when the central-western Pacific Ocean is cooler than usual, easterly anomalies prevail over the Central Andes, which are associated with decades of positive hydrological anomalies over this region. Our results indicate that impacts of El Niǹo on hydrology over the Central Andes could be influenced by the low frequency variability documented in this study.
Volume
11
Issue
9
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Oceanografía, Hidrología, Recursos hídricos Meteorología y ciencias atmosféricas Investigación climática
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84992146706
Source
Environmental Research Letters
ISSN of the container
17489326
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus