HR: 11:35h
AN: H12B-06 INVITED    [Abstracts]
TI: The North American Monsoon Experiment (NAME): Progress and challenges in warm season hydroclimate research
AU: * Gochis, D J
EM: gochis@rap.ucar.edu
AF: National Center for Atmospheric Research, 3450 Mitchell Lane, Boulder, CO 80304, United States
AU: Higgins, W
EM: wayne.higgins@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA/NWS/NCEP/Climate Prediction Center, 5200 Auth Road, Camp Springs, MD 20746, United States
AB: The North American Monsoon Experiment (NAME) is a continental-scale process study now in its seventh year that was conceived to directly address the issue of improving predictions of warm season precipitation in North America. Jointly sponsored by Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) and Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) research efforts, NAME has engaged in an international effort to improve understanding and predictions of the coupled ocean-land-atmosphere climate system controlling, in part, the distribution and intensity of warm season rainfall and streamflow across much of southwestern North America. To address these aims, the central theme of NAME has been the strategic development and execution of an internationally- coordinated field observation, data assimilation and model prediction program. Key research findings from a large field campaign conducted during the 2004 summer monsoon document, in an unprecedented manner, the structure and evolution of the regional atmospheric, oceanic and land surface conditions surrounding the Gulf of California in western Mexico and the southwestern U.S. Accomplishment of this scientific advancement involved the contribution and participation of scientists from more than 30 universities, government laboratories and federal agencies from the U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize. Work is now proceeding on transferring improved process understanding into improved predictions at national and regional environmental prediction centers. In addition to basic physical science and prediction research objectives, NAME is also deeply engaged in transferring this improved capacity towards societal applications, particularly the management of water resources in monsoon affected areas. To date, this work has contributed to the assessment of societal vulnerabilities related to monsoon variability and as actively engaging regional stakeholders in improving the use of climate information in water-related decision making.
DE: 1833 Hydroclimatology
DE: 1840 Hydrometeorology
DE: 1843 Land/atmosphere interactions (1218, 1631, 3322)
DE: 3305 Climate change and variability (1616, 1635, 3309, 4215, 4513)
DE: 3354 Precipitation (1854)
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting