Teleconnections of soil moisture and rainfall during the 1993 midwest summer flood

• Published in: Geophysical research letters Vol. 29; no. 18; pp. 12-1 - 12-4
• Main Authors: Pal, Jeremy S., Eltahir, Elfatih A. B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Geophysical Union 01.09.2002; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Hydroclimatology; Hydrology; Land/atmosphere interactions; Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics; Precipitation; USA, Midwest; North America
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1029/2002GL014815

Here, we investigate the role of spring soil moisture distribution during the 1993 summer flood in North America. A series of idealized numerical experiments are performed using a regional climate model with different soil moisture conditions. It is concluded that the abnormally dry conditions in the Southwest may be partially responsible for the meridional location of the intense flooding in the Upper Midwest. Furthermore, the abnormally wet soil moisture conditions in the Midwest are likely to be partially responsible for the flood's persistence and large magnitude, but not for its spatial location. These impacts are initiated via processes involving the local energy and water budgets and then propagated to the surrounding regions through the large scale dynamics. Depending on the location, soil moisture anomalies over relatively small regions can significantly alter rainfall both locally and in surrounding regions.