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Tuesday, November 28, 2017. 12:00PM. Webinar: Hydrometeorology in the Red Sea region: An analysis based on observations and climate downscaling simulations. Shannon Davis, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Sponsored by NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research. More information here.

The complex terrain surrounding the Red Sea has a profound influence on atmospheric circulation and global climate processes. Based on in situ observations and Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model climate downscaled NCEP-FNL simulations, an analysis of the regional atmospheric dynamics and hydrologic cycle is performed.  We advance that seasonal gap wind jets (the Tokar Gap Jet in particular) and a vigorous year-round land-sea-breeze-cycle (LSBC) frequently enhance lateral moisture fluxes above basin. The influence of the gap wind jets are tied to large scale dynamics such as the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), and the onset of the summer Indian Ocean monsoons. The LSBC, in contrast, is enhanced by local topographic elements and sharp gradients in the sensible heat fluxes throughout the year. The LSBC and the gap wind jets both contribute to mesoscale storm development above the Red Sea and its surrounding regions.