Ciencias de la Tierra Sólida
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Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Hidrosfera y Cambio Climático
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Impacto de la Geofísica en el Desarrollo Sostenible
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Instrumentación Geofísica y Desarrollo Tecnológico
Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Hidrosfera y Cambio Climático
Ciencias de la Tierra Sólida
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Enlaces de Referencias
Extreme Droughts in the Peruvian Amazon Region (2000–2024)
(MDPI, 2025-06-10) Martínez Castro, Daniel; Takahashi, Ken; Espinoza, Jhan Carlo; Vichot-Llano, Alejandro; Octavio Andrade, Miguel; Silva Vidal, Yamina
Droughts in the Amazon region are expected to increase in frequency and intensity, which would negatively affect the tropical forest, leading to a positive climate–forest feedback loop that could potentially result in the collapse of this ecosystem. In this study, extreme drought conditions were identified in the Peruvian Amazon region for the period 2000–2024 using the maximum cumulative water deficit (MCWD) index, which is related to the tropical forest water stress. The ERA5, CHIRPS, and MSWEP datasets were used to estimate precipitation, while ERA5 data were used for evapotranspiration. This study focuses on the specificities of droughts and the differences across study areas. Six study areas were specified, three of them located in the Loreto department (northern Peruvian Amazon), another centered in Moyobamba city (western Peruvian Amazon), another in Ucayali, in the central Peruvian Amazon, and the other in Madre de Dios (southern Peruvian Amazon). It was found that the drought events are more frequent and intense in the central and southern regions of the basin. Based on the combined effect of the regional severity of the drought and its spatial extent, estimated from averaging across study areas and precipitation datasets, we identified the hydrological years of 2023-24, 2022-23, 2009-10, and 2004-05 as extreme droughts and 2015-16 and 2006-07 as moderate droughts.
Surface energy exchanges and stability conditions associated with convective intense rainfall events on the central Andes of Peru
(Elsevier, 2025-06-15) Flores Rojas, José Luis; Guizado-Vidal, David A.; Valdivia Prado, Jairo Michael; Silva Vidal, Yamina; Villalobos-Puma, Elver; Suárez Salas, Luis; Mata-Adauto, Zenón; Abi Karam, Hugo
This study presents an in-depth analysis of precipitation patterns, surface energy balance (SEB) components, and atmospheric vertical gradients (AVG) in the Huancayo Geophysical Observatory (HYGO) situated in an agricultural region inside the Mantaro valley within the central Andes of Peru, utilizing data from January 2018 to April 2022 and climatic-scale data from 1965 to 2018. Our findings reveal distinct daily and seasonal precipitation patterns, with peak occurrences in the late afternoon and early evening hours, and a pronounced seasonal variation aligning with dry and rainy periods. Analysis of 21 intense precipitation events linked to convective activity offers crucial insights for weather forecasting and disaster preparedness. These events were identified using in situ gauge pluviometers, the MIRA-35c vertical profiler radar and GPM-IMERG rainfall products. The turbulent energy fluxes: sensible (Qₕ) and latent (Qₑ) were estimated using the aerodynamic flux-gradient method and the ground heat flux to the surface was estimated with the scheme of Foken and Napo. Moreover, the study evaluates the efficacy of the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) model in analyzing turbulent energy fluxes during these events. A comparison with the bulk aerodynamic method indicated underestimations and overestimations by the ARPS model in predicting Qₕ and Qₑ, respectively, necessitating focused calibration and updates in satellite-derived data. Key observations include significant increases in Qe and horizontal momentum flux (𝜏) before convective precipitation events, marking them as potential precursor variables. Additionally, notable decreases in water vapor mixing ratio vertical gradient (WMVG) and Richardson number (RIN), along with increases in horizontal wind gradient (HWVG), suggest changes in surface moisture fluxes and boundary layer dynamics, crucial for convective rainfall initiation. This comprehensive analysis underscores the importance of understanding atmospheric dynamics for improved prediction and preparedness strategies in the face of climatic variability.
A nationwide dataset of stable isotopes in meteoric and terrestrial water across Peru
(Springer, 2025-07-12) Romero, Carol; Apaéstegui Campos, James Emiliano
Water Stable Isotopes (δ18O, δ2H) are valuable tools for tracing sources and interactions in the water cycle, providing important information dedicated to understanding physical mechanisms related to global climate. Despite their significance, the topic of isotopic research in South America has been hindered by limited data. To address this gap, we launched a national-level water stable isotope dataset covering different water sources in Peru (WSI-PeruDB). The dataset contains curated in-house data and incorporates previously published records from various locations collected between 2000 and 2021. The WSIPeruDB dataset is composed of 489 water collection sites and allows a comprehensive use of the dataset by implementing standardized metadata templates containing essential geographical information such as latitude, longitude, and altitude (from sea level to 5000 m a.s.l), and sampling information such as sample type (e.g. groundwater, precipitation, river, spring, and others) and sampling frequency (e.g. biweekly, daily, monthly). The WSIPeruDB dataset is publicly available on Zenodo, facilitating access and use for the scientific community.
Influence of local topographic structures on the atmospheric mechanisms related to the Andean-Amazon rainiest zone
(Elsevier, 2025-03-16) Gutierrez-Villarreal, Ricardo A.; Junquas, Clémentine; Espinoza, Jhan Carlo; Baby, Patrice; Armijos Cardenas, Elisa Natalia
The Andes-Amazon transition region features critically important ecological services on the local, regional and global scales. This region is among the rainiest zones in the world, with rainfall rates of up to 7000 mm/year. However, the physical mechanisms leading to the existence of these “precipitation hotspots” remain poorly known. Here, we attempt to disentangle the controlling atmospheric mechanisms exerted by local topographic structures that started to uplift about 5–10 million years ago in response to the Nazca Ridge subduction, in the vicinity of the Quincemil hotspot, the most intense of them. We first use the Weather Research and Forecasting model to conduct sensitivity tests to planetary boundary layer parameterizations at 5 km horizontal grid spacing during the austral summer of 2012–13. After finding the most suitable configuration in terms of the diurnal cycle of rainfall intensity and extent, we further perform topographic sensitivity tests by reducing the Fitzcarrald Arch lowlands and, on top of it, by removing the Camisea mountain. The Fitzcarrald Arch deflects moisture flux towards Quincemil, while the Camisea mountain induces local vortical circulations that increase moisture transport, convergence and rainfall over Quincemil, ultimately controlling its location and intensity by up to 40 %. When reducing the height of the Andes in half, we find that it sustains the development of precipitation hotspots, accounting for up to 60 % of rainfall, by providing a mechanical forcing to increase regional-scale moisture fluxes. Such mechanisms dominate during nighttime, when rainfall peaks in the region, and might explain the existence of the rainiest zone in the Andes-Amazon transition.
Multi-time scale analysis of the water level minima in Lake Titicaca over the past 103 years
(Frontiers Media, 2025-05-06) Sulca Jota, Juan Carlos; Vuille, Mathias; Takahashi, Ken; Roundy, Paul; Dong, Bo; Mayta, Victor; Tacza, Jose; Apaéstegui Campos, James Emiliano
Lowest events in Lake Titicaca’s water level (LTWL) significantly impact local ecosystems and the drinking water supply in Peru and Bolivia. However, the hydroclimatic mechanisms driving extreme lake-level lowstands remain poorly understood. To investigate these low lake-level events, we analyzed detrended monthly LTWL anomalies, sea Surface temperature (SST) datasets covering the period 1921–2023. ERA5 reanalysis covers the period 1940–2023. A multiple linear regression model was developed to compute detrended LTWL anomalies, excluding multidecadal and residual components. Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) índices were also analyzed for the same period. Results indicate that 25% of all LTWL minima events have a short duration of <5 months, while the remaining 75% of all events have a long duration of more than 9 months, respectively. All long-lived LTWL minima events are associated with reduced moisture flow from the Amazon basin toward Lake Titicaca, but the large-scale forcing varies with the phase change of the decadal component in the 11–15 years band of the PDO (PDO11–15 years). Under warm PDO11–15 years phases, LTWL minima are driven by an enhanced South American low-level jet (SALLJ) caused by warm SST anomalies over the eastern Pacific Ocean. Warm SST anomalies over tropical North Atlantic and central Pacific cold events, which reinforce the cold PDO11–15 years phases, driving long-lived LTWL minima through the reduction of SALLJ. Conversely, long-lived LTWL minima events under neutral PDO11–15 years phases are caused by westerly flow anomalies confined to the Peruvian Altiplano. Therefore, PDO and IPO do not drive long-lived LTWL minima events because their relationship does not remain consistent over time. In conclusion, long-lived LTWL minima events exhibit a regional nature and are not driven by the PDO or IPO, as LTWL shows no consistent relationship with these decadal SST modes over time.