On the Sunday before the EMS AM starts we organize a moisture tracking workshop to get acquainted with the concept and tools to determine the sources of precipitation (i.e. where the moisture that rained out originally evaporated). Or reverse, determine where evaporation will eventually lead to precipitation. Moisture tracking is a popular tool that can be applied in the field of hydro- and synoptic meteorology to quantify and understand the processes driving (extreme) precipitation, but is also relevant to understand land-atmosphere feedbacks and the impact of land-use changes on the water cycle.

The workshop will start with a short introduction on the concept, explaining the methods, and the involved uncertainties. Then, it is time for hands-on practice by simulating some moisture sources yourself choosing from two options: 1) determining the sources of the extreme precipitation case over western Europe in July 2021 that we prepare or 2) select an extreme precipitation case or evaporation region of your interest and perform a case study of interest during the workshop. For the latter, make sure you download the ERA5 data for your case before the workshop (we will provide you with instructions).

After the workshop you will be able to determine moisture sources for your own interest and apply it in your own research niche.