Contenido de Vapor de Agua sobre el sur de Sudamérica

MOIRA DOYLE

Florianópolis, Brasil

Congreso; XIV Congreso Brasilero de Meteorología; 2006

Sociedad Brasilera de Meteorología - SBMET

A statistical study of water vapor content in the lower layer of the atmosphere and its distribution over southern South America is performed considering two gridded data sets. Specific humidity from NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Project is vertically integrated between surface and 700 hPa and compared with precipitable water in the same layer obtained from satellite and radiosonde observations merged in the NASA Water Vapor Project (NVAP) data set. The analysis is carried out for the 1988 - 1992 period. Monthly maps are presented pointing out the mean behavior of both variables during the year. Error indicators such as the root mean square error and bias are calculated. On the spatial scale they highlight regions where differences between both data sets are greatest. In general these errors are small and there is a good agreement between both variables. The highest Andes area and the surrounding region is where the most significant differences are found. The temporal comparison of both fields, on a daily basis, indicate that NCEP reanalysis are consistent with observations.