Abstract
By means of a simple general circulation model of the northern hemisphere the interaction of atmospheric and hydrologic processes during droughts will be analyzed at continental scale. It will be shown by numerical solutions of this model that the mechanism leading to droughts is a non-linear positive feedback mechanism in the sense that it feeds on itself. Imposing a temperature wave over western USA for a short period on the order of few months induces geophysical conditions in that region which tend to reduce the hydrologic water storage for a period on the order of years. The mechanisms for returning to the climatological average conditions of water storage (drought recovery period) will be investigated.
Keywords
Simplified general circulation model (GCM), numerical simulations of drought
Date of this Version
6-21-2011