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South American Climate Variability and Change: Remote and Regional Forcing Processes

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Past Climate Variability in South America and Surrounding Regions

Part of the book series: Developments in Paleoenvironmental Research ((DPER,volume 14))

Abstract

Physical processes that lead to variations in South American climate are discussed. Basic features of the present day South American climatology are presented from modern observations, including a survey of the most prominent circulation and precipitation features and a decomposition of the continental-scale moisture balance, to provide a foundation for considering variability. Our current understanding of regional and remote forcing of South American climate and its variability, with references to Holocene and LGM climate, are reviewed with reference to how the South American monsoon and other features of today’s climate operate. The purpose is to support the interpretation of the geological proxy data and a process-based understanding of the paleoclimate record of Holocene and LGM climate variations of the South American climate.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Since this is the balance for the atmospheric column, runoff does not appear in the equation; the redistribution of water on the surface would be accounted for in the evaporation term.

  2. 2.

    Reanalysis products are not pure observations, but a blend of observed and modelled fields. Considering the variables in Eq. 8.1, precipitation, evaporation, and specific humidity from this reanalysis product are modelled quantities, while winds are the observed values. In certain densely-observed regions such as the U.S., reanalyses that use observed precipitation and specific humidity are being produced, but the accurate observation of evaporation and its assimilation into reanalysis products is currently not done.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Kerry H. Cook

  2. Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C1100, 78712, Austin, TX, USA

    Kerry H. Cook

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  1. Kerry H. Cook
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Correspondence to Kerry H. Cook .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. IRD, CEA-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191, France

    Francoise Vimeux

  2. L'Institut de Recherché pour le, CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence, 13545, France

    Florence Sylvestre

  3. IRD, CEA-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191, France

    Myriam Khodri

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Cook, K.H. (2009). South American Climate Variability and Change: Remote and Regional Forcing Processes. In: Vimeux, F., Sylvestre, F., Khodri, M. (eds) Past Climate Variability in South America and Surrounding Regions. Developments in Paleoenvironmental Research, vol 14. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2672-9_8

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