EGU24-20683, updated on 11 Mar 2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20683
EGU General Assembly 2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Understanding the Amazon's Atmospheric Hydrology: Insights from ERA5 Data and Directional Transport Analysis 

Karel Aldrin Sanchez Hernandez1, Gerald Augusto Corzo Perez2, German Ricardo Santos Granados1, Juan Manuel Gacharna Gonzalez1, Carlos Alfredo Tami Riveros1, Guillermo Hernandez Torres1, Gustavo Herran3, Diego Gutierrez3, and Fabio Rubiano3
Karel Aldrin Sanchez Hernandez et al.
  • 1Universidad Escuela Colombiana de Ingenieria Julio Garavito, Posgrados, Bogotá, Colombia. (karel.sanchez@mail.escuelaing.edu.co)
  • 2IHE Deflt, Institute for Water Education, Hydroinformatics, Delft, The Netherlands. (g.corzo@un-ihe.org )
  • 3Empresa de Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia. (gherran@acueducto.com.co)

The atmospheric dynamics of the Amazon, critical for global environmental stability, have faced increasing influence from numerous El Niño and La Niña events in recent decades. While reanalysis data has incorporated these events through models and measurements, the intricate mechanics of spatial and temporal water vapor transport remain unclear. In this study, we present a preliminary analysis of these dynamics, utilizing over twenty years of ERA5 monthly data over atmospheric layer. Our investigation was constructed on two primary scales, each offering unique insights. The first scale aims to replicate and validate the system's seasonality concerning the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), those patterns allow evaluating some patterns and its effects in land hydrological process observed along the basin integrating specific methods and models to clarify how the seasonality was replicated and validated. On the second scale, we delve into smaller hydrological sub-units of the Amazon, identifying their contribution to water recycling, and net fluxes across the basin boundaries. We provide an innovative estimation of transport paths using a 4 cardinal directional approach (brubaker box scheme modified) that makes possible identificate, analyse and understanding, water sources and sinks and its relevance in the normal hydrological production and synergically systems 

The findings indicate the system's relatively stable dynamics in terms of water vapor sources and altitudinal variation across atmospheric layers. Our methodology introduces a novel framework for calculating comprehensive trajectories of water vapor transport from a hybrid lagrangian-eulerian approach, significantly enhancing our understanding of the Amazon's hydrological cycle from an atmospheric perspective. 

To provide more precision, we specify that the stability observed in the system pertains to water vapor sources and altitudinal variation. These stable dynamics contribute valuable insights into the intricate water vapor transport mechanisms in the Amazon. Additionally, we highlight the implications of our findings for future research in understanding how to create alternatives to mitigate some impacts of El Niño and La Niña events on the Amazon's atmospheric dynamics. 

How to cite: Sanchez Hernandez, K. A., Corzo Perez, G. A., Santos Granados, G. R., Gacharna Gonzalez, J. M., Tami Riveros, C. A., Hernandez Torres, G., Herran, G., Gutierrez, D., and Rubiano, F.: Understanding the Amazon's Atmospheric Hydrology: Insights from ERA5 Data and Directional Transport Analysis , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-20683, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20683, 2024.

Corresponding supplementary materials formerly uploaded have been withdrawn.