Abstract
Low-level jets (LLJs) over the Great Plains are well-known for their importance in transporting moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and forming precipitation in the Central US. However, the impact of irrigation practice on LLJs is rarely studied. To understand the irrigation impact on the Great Plains LLJs, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is employed with and without an irrigation scheme. The simulated wind fields are evaluated against the observed wind from the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) as well as the North America Regional Reanalysis dataset. The results show that adding irrigation improves the simulated wind, especially at altitudes below 800 hPa. Irrigation reduces the LLJ frequency over the Great Plains, mainly by reducing the intense LLJ frequency. The reduced LLJ frequency is caused by the irrigation-induced weakening of meridional wind. The favorable conditions for LLJs have been identified by examining the mechanism associated with LLJs: a ridge-like pattern with weak and calm synoptic-scale conditions in the mid-levels and a strong west–east temperature gradient at lower levels that promote meridional winds. Irrigation-induced cooling leads to a baroclinic pattern with high pressure at lower altitudes over the irrigation region and low pressure in the mid- and upper levels in the downstream region, resulting in a northerly component that hinders the formation of LLJs. Low-level surface cooling also decreases the west–east temperature gradient and hence weakens the thermal wind forcing. The irrigation-induced mid-level low and weaker west–east temperature gradient are responsible for the reduced meridional winds and the reduced LLJ frequencies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arcand S, Luo L, Zhong S, Pei L, Bian X, Winkler JA (2019) Modeled changes to the Great Plains low-level jet under a realistic irrigation application. Atmos SciLett 20(3):e888–e910. https://doi.org/10.1002/asl.888
Berg LK, Riihimaki LD, Qian Y, Yan H, Huang M (2015) The low-level jet over the southern great plains determined from observations and reanalyses and its impact on moisture transport. J Clim 28(17):6682–6706. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00719.1
Blackadar AK (1957) Boundary layer wind maxima and their significance for the growth of nocturnal inversions. Bull Amer Meteor Soc. https://doi.org/10.2307/26245463
Bonner WD (1968) Climatology of the low-level jet. Mon Wea Rev
Burrows DA, Ferguson CR, Campbell M, Xia G, Bosart L (2019) An objective classification and analysis of upper-level coupling to the Great Plains low-level jet over the twentieth century. J Climate 32:7127–7152. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-18-0891.1
Chen F, Mitchell K, Schaake J, Xue Y, Pan H-L, Koren V, Duan QY, Ek M, Betts A (1996) Modeling of land surface evaporation by four schemes and comparison with FIFE observations. J Geophys Res 101(D3):7251–7268. https://doi.org/10.1029/95JD02165
Chen R, Tomassini L (2015) The Role of Moisture in Summertime Low-Level Jet Formation and Associated Rainfall over the East Asian Monsoon Region. J Atmos Sci 72(10):3871–3890. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-15-0064.1
Daly C, Halbleib M, Smith JI, Gibson WP, Doggett MK, Taylor GH, Curtis J, Pasteris PP (2008) Physiographically sensitive mapping of climatological temperature and precipitation across the conterminous United States. Int J Climatol 28:2031–2064. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1688
Doubler DL, Winkler JA, Bian X, Walters CK, Zhong S (2015) An NARR-Derived Climatology of Southerly and Northerly Low-Level Jets over North America and Coastal Environs. J Appl Meteor Climatol 54(7):1596–1619. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-14-0311.1
Fast JD, McCorcle MD (1990) A Two-Dimensional Numerical Sensitivity Study of the Great Plains Low-Level Jet. Mon Wea Rev 118(1):151–164. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1990)118%3c0151:ATDNSS%3e2.0.CO;2
Feng Z, Leung LR, Hagos S, Houze RA, Burleyson CD, Balaguru K (2016) More frequent intense and long-lived storms dominate the springtime trend in central US rainfall. Nature Commun 7(1):511. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13429
Helfand HM, Schubert SD (1995) Climatology of the Simulated Great Plains Low-Level Jet and Its Contribution to the Continental Moisture Budget of the United States. J Climate 8(4):784–806. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1995)008%3c0784:COTSGP%3e2.0.CO;2
Higgins RW, Yao Y, Yarosh ES, Janowiak JE, Janowiak JE, Mo KC (1997) Influence of the Great Plains Low-Level Jet on Summertime Precipitation and Moisture Transport over the Central United States. J Climate 10(3):481–507. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1997)010%3c0481:IOTGPL%3e2.0.CO;2
Holton JR (1967) The diurnal boundary layer wind oscillation above sloping terrain. Tellus 19(2):200–205. https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v19i2.9766
Huber D, Mechem D, Brunsell N (2014) The Effects of Great Plains Irrigation on the Surface Energy Balance, Regional Circulation, and Precipitation. Climate 2:103–128. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli2020103
Iacono MJ, Delamere JS, Mlawer EJ, Shephard MW, Clough SA, Collins WD (2008) Radiative forcing by long-lived greenhouse gases: Calculations with the AER radiative transfer models. J Res Geophys. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JD009944
Jensen MP et al (2016) The Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E). Bull Amer Meteor Soc 97(9):1667–1686. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-14-00228.1
Jiang X, Lau N-C, Held IM, Ploshay JJ, Jiang X, Ploshay JJ (2007) Mechanisms of the Great Plains Low-Level Jet as Simulated in an AGCM. AMS 64(2):532–547. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS3847.1
Li LZX (2006) Atmospheric GCM response to an idealized anomaly of the Mediterranean sea surface temperature. Clim Dyn 27(5):543–552. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-006-0152-6
Mesinger F et al (2006) North American Regional Reanalysis. Bull Amer Meteor Soc 87(3):343–360. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-87-3-343
Michael MD (1988) Simulation of surface-moisture effects on the great plains low-level jet. Mon Wea Rev 116(9):1705. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1988)116<1705:SOSMEO>2.0.CO;2
Mo KC, Paegle JN, Higgins RW (1997) Atmospheric processes associated with summer floods and droughts in the central United States. Am Meterol Soc 10(12):3028–3046. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1997)010%3c3028:APAWSF%3e2.0.CO;2
Nakanishi M, Niino H (2006) An Improved Mellor-Yamada Level-3 Model: Its Numerical Stability and Application to a Regional Prediction of Advection Fog. Boundary Layer Meteorol 119(2):397–407. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-005-9030-8
Parish TR (2017) On the Forcing of the Summertime Great Plains Low-Level Jet. J Atmos Sci 74(12):3937–3953. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-17-0059.1
Qian Y, Huang M, Yang B, Berg LK (2013) A Modeling Study of Irrigation Effects on Surface Fluxes and Land-Air-Cloud Interactions in the Southern Great Plains. J Hydrometeor 14:700–721. https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-12-0134.1
Shapiro A, Fedorovich E, Rahimi S (2016) A Unified Theory for the Great Plains Nocturnal Low-Level Jet. J Atmos Sci 73(8):3037–3057. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-15-0307.1
Siebert S, Henrich V, Frenken K, Burke J (2013) Update of the digital global map of irrigation areas to version 5, lap.uni-bonn.de
Song J, Liao K, Coulter RL, Lesht BM, Song J, Liao K, Coulter RL, Lesht BM (2005) Climatology of the Low-Level Jet at the Southern Great Plains Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiments Site. J Appl Meteorol 44(10):1593–1606. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAM2294.1
Stensrud DJ (1996) Importance of Low-Level Jets to Climate: A Review. J Clim 9(8):1698–1711. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1996)009%3c1698:IOLLJT%3e2.0.CO;2
Thompson G, Field PR, Rasmussen RM, Hall WD (2008) Explicit Forecasts of Winter Precipitation Using an Improved Bulk Microphysics Scheme Part II: Implementation of a New Snow Parameterization. Mon Wea Rev 136(12):5095–5115. https://doi.org/10.1175/2008MWR2387.1
Uccellini LW, Johnson DR (1979) The Coupling of Upper and Lower Tropospheric Jet Streaks and Implications for the Development of Severe Convective Storms. Mon Wea Rev 107(6):682–703. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1979)107%3c0682:TCOUAL%3e2.0.CO;2
Uccellini LW, Uccellini LW (1980) On the Role of Upper Tropospheric Jet Streaks and Leeside Cyclogenesis in the Development of Low-Level Jets in the Great Plains. Mon Wea Rev 108:1689–1696. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1980)108%3c1689:OTROUT%3e2.0.CO;2
Yang Z, Dominguez F, Zeng X, Hu H, Gupta H, Yang B (2017) Impact of irrigation over the california central valley on regional climate. J. Hydrometeor 18(5):1341–1357. https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-16-0158.1
Yang Z et al (2019) Irrigation Impact on Water and Energy Cycle During Dry Years Over the United States Using Convection-Permitting WRF and a Dynamical Recycling Model. J Geophys Res Atmos 124(21):11220–11241. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD030524
Walters CK, Winkler JA, Husseini S, Keeling R, Nikolic J, Zhong S (2014) Low-Level Jets in the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR): A Comparison with Rawinsonde Observations. J Appl Meteor Climatol 53(9):2093–2113. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-13-0364.1
Wexler H (1961) A Boundary Layer Interpretation of the Low-level Jet. Tellus 13(3):368–378. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2153-3490.1961.tb00098.x
Whiteman CD, Zhong S, Whiteman CD, Bian X (1997) Low-Level Jet Climatology from Enhanced Rawinsonde Observations at a Site in the Southern Great Plains. J Appl Meteorol 36(10):1363–1376. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1997)036%3c1363:LLJCFE%3e2.0.CO;2
Zhong S, Fast JD, Bian X (1996) A case study of the Great Plains low-level jet using wind profiler network data and a high-resolution mesoscale model. Mon Wea Rev 124(5):785–806. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1996)124%3c0785:ACSOTG%3e2.0.CO;2
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the Atmospheric System Research (ASR) Program via Grant KP1701000/57131. The research used computational resources from National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a U.S. DOE Office of Science User Facility operated under Contract DE-AC02-05CH11231. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated for DOE by Battelle Memorial Institute under Contract DE-A06-76RLO 1830.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yang, Z., Qian, Y., Liu, Y. et al. Understanding irrigation impacts on low-level jets over the Great Plains. Clim Dyn 55, 925–943 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-020-05301-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-020-05301-7