The influence of atmospheric circulation types on regional patterns of precipitation in Marmara (NW Turkey)

In this study, regional patterns of precipitation in Marmara are described for the first time by means of Ward’s hierarchical cluster analysis. Daily values of winter precipitation data based on 19 meteorological stations were used for the period from 1960 to 2012. Five clusters of coherent zones we...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Theoretical and applied climatology 2017-02, Vol.127 (3-4), p.563-572
Main Authors: Baltacı, H., Kındap, T., Ünal, A., Karaca, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Aquatic Pollution
Atmosphere
Atmospheric circulation
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Atmospheric research
Atmospheric Sciences
Climatology
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Marine
Original Paper
Precipitation
Rain
Studies
Waste Water Technology
Water Management
Water Pollution Control
Weather
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Summary:In this study, regional patterns of precipitation in Marmara are described for the first time by means of Ward’s hierarchical cluster analysis. Daily values of winter precipitation data based on 19 meteorological stations were used for the period from 1960 to 2012. Five clusters of coherent zones were determined, namely Black Sea-Marmara, Black Sea, Marmara, Thrace, and Aegean sub-regions. To investigate the prevailing atmospheric circulation types (CTs) that cause precipitation occurrence and intensity in these five different rainfall sub-basins, objective Lamb weather type (LWT) methodology was applied to National Centers of Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) reanalysis of daily mean sea level pressure (MSLP) data. Precipitation occurrence suggested that wet CTs (i.e. N, NE, NW, and C) offer a high chance of precipitation in all sub-regions. For the eastern (western) part of the region, the high probability of rainfall occurrence is shown under the influence of E (SE, S, SW) atmospheric CTs. In terms of precipitation intensity, N and C CTs had the highest positive gradients in all the sub-basins of the Marmara. In addition, although Marmara and Black Sea sub-regions have the highest daily rainfall potential during NE types, high daily rainfall totals are recorded in all sub-regions except the Black Sea during NW types.
ISSN:0177-798X
1434-4483
DOI:10.1007/s00704-015-1653-1