Journal article
Deciphering key processes controlling rainfall isotopic variability during extreme tropical cyclones
Nature communications, Vol.10(1), pp.4321-10
09/20/2019
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/107612
PMCID: PMC6754435
PMID: 31541090
Abstract
The Mesoamerican and Caribbean (MAC) region is characterized by tropical cyclones (TCs), strong El Niño-Southern Oscillation events, and climate variability that bring unique hazards to socio-ecological systems. Here we report the first characterization of the isotopic evolution of a TC (Hurricane Otto, 2016) in the MAC region. We use long-term daily rainfall isotopes from Costa Rica and event-based sampling of Hurricanes Irma and Maria (2017), to underpin the dynamical drivers of TC isotope ratios. During Hurricane Otto, rainfall exhibited a large isotopic range, comparable to the annual isotopic cycle. As Hurricane Otto organized into a Category 3, rapid isotopic depletion coupled with a decrease in
d
-excess indicates efficient isotopic fractionation within ~200 km SW of the warm core. Our results shed light on key processes governing rainfall isotope ratios in the MAC region during continental and maritime TC tracks, with applications to the interpretation of paleo-hydroclimate across the tropics.
“Reconstruction of precipitation variability from oxygen isotopes in the Mesoamerican and Caribbean region is made difficult by the occurrence of tropical cyclones. Here, the isotopic evolution of a tropical cyclone is studied in detail which helps disentangle the key processes governing rainfall isotope variability in the region.”
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Details
- Title
- Deciphering key processes controlling rainfall isotopic variability during extreme tropical cyclones
- Creators
- Ricardo Sánchez-Murillo - Heredia, 86-3000 Costa RicaAna M Durán-Quesada - San José, 11501-2060 Costa RicaGermain Esquivel-Hernández - Heredia, 86-3000 Costa RicaDaniela Rojas-Cantillano - HIDROCEC, Universidad Nacional, Liberia, 50101 Costa RicaChristian Birkel - San José, 2060 Costa RicaKristen Welsh - Nassau, N-4912 BahamasMinerva Sánchez-Llull - Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Cienfuegos, AP 5 CubaCarlos M Alonso-Hernández - Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Cienfuegos, AP 5 CubaDoerthe Tetzlaff - Aberdeen, AB24 3UE UKChris Soulsby - Aberdeen, AB24 3UE UKJan Boll - Pullman, WA 99164-2910 USANaoyuki Kurita - Nagoya, 464-8601 JapanKim M Cobb - Atlanta, GA 30332-0340 USA
- Publication Details
- Nature communications, Vol.10(1), pp.4321-10
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group UK; London
- Identifiers
- 99900548575201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article