RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES AND PRECIPITATION ACROSS TURKEY
Due to their semi-arid climate and continued population growth, the major climate regions of Turkey are vulnerable to shifts in precipitation patterns and the associated cycles of groundwater availability. Previous analyses of rainfall data from stations throughout the country have revealed pronounc...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.570.6967 http://weather.ou.edu/~bbarrett/ccme_manuscript_barrett.pdf |
| Summary: | Due to their semi-arid climate and continued population growth, the major climate regions of Turkey are vulnerable to shifts in precipitation patterns and the associated cycles of groundwater availability. Previous analyses of rainfall data from stations throughout the country have revealed pronounced seasonality and inter-annual variability[1]. Cyclone track and frequency, proximity to the sea, local and regional orographic features, strength of anticyclonic flow, equatorward penetration of polar fronts, stage of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation, and strength and placement of 700 hPa height anomalies have all been shown to directly impact the quantity and distribution of precipitation[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]. Kadioğlu et al.[7] examined the regional variability of mean seasonal total precipitation and found that each region exhibited its own rainfall regime, especially in the high plateaus and rugged mountainous areas of Anatolia. Taha et al.[8] and Martyn[9] found that most climate regions in Turkey were characterized by aridity and continentality, and thus they concluded that the influence of the surrounding Mediterranean and Black seas was restricted. However, because of the modulating influence of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies on many of the factors identified by the above authors, it is important to re-examine its role. This study seeks to build on the Taha et al.[8] and Martyn[9] studies by identifying and examining the relationship between SST anomalies (from NCEP/NCAR reanalyses) in the Mediterranean and Black seas and rainfall in selected sites across Turkey (from the Turkish State Meteorological Agency). Pearson correlations coefficients will be computed and tested for significance. By isolating the relationship between SST anomalies and rainfall, community planning decisions can be made based on anticipated SST variation and subsequent rainfall expectations. |
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