Soil Moisture-Cloud-Precipitation Feedback in the Lower Atmosphere From Functional Decomposition of Satellite Observations.

ABSTRACT: The feedback of topsoil moisture (SM) content on convective clouds and precipitation is not well understood and represented in the current generation of weather and climate models. Here, we use functional decomposition of satellite-derived SM and cloud vertical profiles (CVP) to quantify the relationship between SM and the vertical distribution of cloud water in the central US. High-dimensional model representation is used to disentangle the contributions of SM and other land-surface and atmospheric variables to the CVP. Results show that the sign and strength of the SM-cloud-precipitation feedback varies with cloud height and time lag and displays a large spatial variability. Positive anomalies in antecedent 7-hr SM and land-surface temperature enhance cloud reflectivity up to 4 dBZ in th

SUBMITTER: Gao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11582353 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature