报告题目：Examination of Water Vapor Characteristics during the 2013 Colorado Flood

报 告 人：Dr. Junhong Wang

单 位：University at Albany, State University of New York

时 间：2016年7月28日上午10:00

地 点：大气所40号楼319会议室

　During September 9-16, 2013, the Front Range region of Colorado experienced heavy rainfall which resulted in severe flooding. Precipitation totals during the event exceeded 450 mm in Boulder, Colorado, 9 lives were lost, and damages to public and private properties were estimated to be over $2 billion. This study analyzes the characteristics of water vapor surrounding the event, including the abnormality of total column water vapor, the sources of moisture, and the relationship between water vapor and precipitation characteristics. It was found that the atmosphere was very near saturation during the duration of the event and monthly-averaged precipitable water (PW) was 30% higher than climatology for September of 2013. The frequency distribution for the first half of September of 2013 was reverse-lognormal, which confirmed that the atmosphere was near saturation during the event. Moisture fluxed into the Front Range region from both the eastern Tropical Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico and the intensity of the flux was controlled by the strength of a cutoff low over the southwestern United States and a subtropical anticyclone over the southeastern United States. Precipitation began when PW rose between 2 and 3 standard deviations above the long-term mean. However, PW did not appear to contribute to precipitation intensity throughout the event.

* Currently at COSMIC, UCAR, Boulder, CO

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