Browsing by Author "Villalobos-Puma, Elver"
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Item Restricted Atmospheric black carbon observations and its valley-mountain dynamics: Eastern cordillera of the central Andes of Peru(Elsevier, 2024-08-15) Villalobos-Puma, Elver; Suárez Salas, Luis; Gillardoni, Stefania; Zubieta Barragán, Ricardo; Martínez Castro, Daniel; Miranda-Corzo, Andrea; Bonasoni, Paolo; Silva Vidal, YaminaGlacial bodies in the Peruvian Andes Mountains store and supply freshwater to hundreds of thousands of people in central Peru. Atmospheric black carbon (BC) is known to accelerate melting of snow and ice, in addition to contributing to air pollution and the health of people. Currently there is limited understanding on the sources and temporal variability of BC in valley and mountain environments in Peru. To address this problem, this study combined surface observations of BC collected during 2022–2023 with WRF model simulations and HYSPLIT trajectories to analyze the dispersion and sources of BC in valley and high elevation environments and the associated local atmospheric circulations. Results show high BC concentrations are associated with the valley-mountain wind system that occurs on both sides of the Huaytapallana mountain range. A pronounced circulation occurs on the western slopes of Huaytapallana when concentrations of BC increase during daylight hours, which transports atmospheric pollutants from cities in the Mantaro River Valley to the Huaytapallana mountain range. Low concentrations of BC are associated with circulations from the east that are channeled by the pronounced ravines of the Andes-Amazon transition. On average, during the season of highest BC concentrations (July–November), the relative contributions of fossil fuels are dominant to biomass burning at the valley observatory and are slightly lower at the Huaytapallana observatory. These results demonstrate the need to promote mitigation actions to reduce emissions of BC and air pollution associated with forest fires and local anthropogenic activity.Item Open Access Dynamic atmospheric mechanisms associated with the diurnal cycle of hydrometeors and precipitation in the Andes–Amazon transition zone of central Peru during the summer season(Springer, 2024-04-04) Villalobos-Puma, Elver; Morales, Annareli; Martinez-Castro, Daniel; Valdivia Prado, Jairo Michael; Lavado-Casimiro, Waldo; Santiago, AlexzanderThe diurnal cycle of total hydrometeor availability and its associated patterns of atmospheric circulation is studied over a connected Andes–Amazon (A–A) system in the central region of Peru during the summer season. Surface precipitation depends on the amount of hydrometeors that occur in the atmosphere and its atmospheric dynamics. Hydrometeors and the precipitation efficiency index were estimated using radar of the core satellite of the GPM system (N-GPM) for the period 2014–2022. The atmospheric dynamics were analyzed using the regional Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. According to the results, the Andes mountain range produces precipitation at a surface level more efficiently during the afternoon and early evening hours (12–19 LT) due to the convergence of the thermal mesoscale circulations transporting moisture fluxes from the east and west. Both generate convective multicells along the Andes mountain range. The circulation from the west intensifies during the day, causing the displacement of the chain of convective multicells towards the east and producing hydrometeors and intense precipitations in the inter-Andean valleys. The A–A transition zone is more efficient in producing precipitation during the early hours of the day (00–07 LT) due to an increase in the northern circulation associated with the low-level jets and a change in the magnitude of the horizontal winds. Northerly winds enter the A–A transition zone with increased intensity and leave with reduced intensity. This mechanism is driven by the effect of the topographical barrier and the masses of cold air located in high areas on the eastern flank of the Andes. These factors generate significant updrafts and, therefore, the formation of storm clouds with high concentrations of hydrometeors and precipitation on the surface.Item Open Access Hailstorm events in the Central Andes of Peru: insights from historical data and radar microphysics(European Geosciences Union, 2024-04-18) Valdivia Prado, Jairo Michael; Flores-Rojas, José Luis; Prado, Josep J.; Guizado, David; Villalobos-Puma, Elver; Callañaupa, Stephany; Silva Vidal, YaminaHailstorms, while fascinating from a meteorological perspective, pose significant risks to communities, agriculture, and infrastructure. In regions such as the Central Andes of Peru, the characteristics and frequency of these extreme weather events remain largely uncharted. This study fills this gap by investigating the historical frequency and vertical structure of hailstorms in this region. We analyzed historical hailstorm records dating back to 1958 alongside 4 years of observations (2017–2021) from the Parsivel2 disdrometer and a cloud-profiling radar MIRA35c. Our findings indicate a trend of decreasing hail frequency (−0.5 events per decade). However, the p value of 0.07 suggests the need for further investigation, particularly in relation to environmental changes and reporting methods. The results show that hailstorms predominantly occur during the austral summer months, with peak frequency in December, and are most common during the afternoon and early evening hours. The analysis of radar variables such as reflectivity, radial velocity, spectral width, and linear depolarization ratio (LDR) reveals distinct vertical profiles for hail events. Two case studies highlight the diversity in the radar measurements of hailstorms, underscoring the complexity of accurate hail detection. This study suggests the need for refining the Parsivel2 algorithm and further understanding its classification of hydrometeors. Additionally, the limitations of conventional radar variables for hail detection are discussed, recommending the use of LDR and Doppler spectrum analysis for future research. Our findings lay the groundwork for the development of more efficient hail detection algorithms and improved understanding of hailstorms in the Central Andes of Peru.Item Restricted Summertime precipitation extremes and the influence of atmospheric flows on the western slopes of the southern Andes of Perú(Royal Meteorological Society, 2022-09-19) Villalobos-Puma, Elver; Flores Rojas, José Luis; Martínez Castro, Daniel; Morales, Annareli; Lavado-Casimiro, Waldo; Mosquera Vásquez, Kobi Alberto; Silva Vidal, YaminaAlthough climatologically dry, the western slopes of the southern Andes of Peru (WSA) can experience precipitation extremes (PEs) during the summer (December–February) resulting in great economic and human losses. Generally, WSA has a positive upslope gradient in precipitation, meaning more rain falls at higher elevations, but observations have shown this gradient can become negative with higher rainfall near the coastal cities. In this study we analyse 2000–2019 regional atmospheric patterns associated with different upslope precipitation gradients and PEs in WSA using principal component analysis methods and surface station observations. Results show important changes in the atmospheric circulation patterns during the occurrence of PE events. A prevailing pattern of negative southerly wind anomalies and regional warming of the southeastern Pacific Ocean leads to significant increases in moisture along the coast of WSA. Eastern moisture flows associated with the presence of the Bolivian High are observed at upper levels of the atmosphere and transport water vapour from the Amazon to the western side of the Andes. Additionally, there is a blocking effect aloft in response to an intense gradient of geopotential height that attenuates the easterly circulations. These large-scale mechanisms act to concentrate high precipitable water amounts and high levels of convective available potential energy in the troposphere which favours the vertical velocities essential to trigger PEs. These results increase our knowledge of the large-scale characteristics of PEs to help with forecasting these impactful events and protecting the more than 1.8 million people living in WSA.