Variability of Evaporation and Precipitation over the Ocean from Satellite Data

• Published in: Izvestiya. Atmospheric and oceanic physics 2017-12, Vol.53 (9), p.934-944
• Main Authors: Malinin, V. N., Gordeeva, S. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accuracy; Archives & records; Climatology; Components; Data; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Estimates; Evaporation; Exchanging; Geophysics/Geodesy; Global sea level; Interannual variability; Moisture; Oceans; Precipitation; Satellite data; Satellites; Sea level; Stydying Atmosphere and Oceans from Space; Systematic errors; Time series; Trends; Variability; Wind
• ISSN: 0001-4338; 1555-628X
• DOI: 10.1134/S0001433817090195

HOAPS-3 and PMWC satellite archives for 1988–2008 are used to estimate moisture-exchange components between the ocean and atmosphere (evaporation, precipitation, and the difference between them or effective evaporation). Moisture-exchange components for the entire World Ocean and for the North Atlantic Ocean within 30°–60° N are calculated. A strong overestimation of the global values of effective evaporation by HOAPS data (mainly caused by a decrease in precipitation) is shown. In the interannual variability of effective evaporation, there is clearly an overestimated positive trend, which contradicts the real increase in the Global Sea Level. Large systematic errors in moisture-exchange components are revealed for the North Atlantic water area. According to HOAPS data, there is a significant underestimation of evaporation and effective evaporation. According to PMWC data, the amount of precipitation is significantly overestimated and evaporation is underestimated. As a consequence, effective evaporation becomes negative, which is impossible. Low accuracy in the estimation of moisture-exchange components and the need to improve old estimates and develop new evaporation and precipitation databases based on satellite data are noted.