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Intraseasonal non-stationarity of the leading modes of atmospheric moisture over Europe during summer

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Abstract

A gridded monthly precipitable water (PW) data for 1979–2007 from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis are used to investigate summertime interannual PW variability over Europe and its relation to the key climate parameters in the region. During summer season the first EOF mode of PW, explaining 27–41% of its total variance, demonstrates significant month-to-month changes in its structure, thus, implying its essential non-stationarity. The second EOF mode of PW is also non-stationary during the summer season. In contrast to precipitation, both leading modes of PW are not associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), as well as with other regional teleconnections, suggesting relatively minor role of the atmospheric dynamics in atmospheric moisture variability over Europe during summer season. Analysis of links between leading EOF modes of regional PW and air temperature (AT) has revealed a strong link between PW and AT over Europe, persisting during entire summer season. Locally, these links imply that positive (negative) AT anomalies result in enhanced (decreased) PW over particular region. Revealed links between leading modes of PW and AT highlight important role of thermodynamics in summertime PW variability over Europe. Detected relatively weak and unstable links between leading modes of PW and precipitation over Europe were somewhat expected since in contrast to atmospheric moisture, regional precipitation variability is largely driven by the atmospheric dynamics (particularly, the NAO).

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science under the Federal Focal Program “World Ocean” (contract No. 01.420.1.2.0001), Russian Academy of Sciences Research Program “Fundamental problems of Oceanology” and by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research grant 09-05-00794-a. The NCEP data were extracted from NOAA-CIRES Climate Diagnostics Center. Discussions with Sergey Gulev and Richard Allan are appreciated. The manuscript was significantly improved by the constructive comments of the two anonymous reviewers.

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  1. P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, RAS 36, Nakhimovsky Ave, 117997, Moscow, Russia

    Igor I. Zveryaev & Irina A. Rudeva

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  1. Igor I. Zveryaev
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  2. Irina A. Rudeva
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Correspondence to Igor I. Zveryaev.

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Zveryaev, I.I., Rudeva, I.A. Intraseasonal non-stationarity of the leading modes of atmospheric moisture over Europe during summer. Clim Dyn 36, 83–95 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-009-0701-x

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