Current changes in the tropical hydrological cycle, including water vapour and precipitation, are
presented over the period 1979-2008 based on a diverse suite of observational datasets and
atmosphere-only climate models. Models capture the observed variability in tropical moisture while
reanalyses cannot. Observed variability in precipitation is highly dependent upon the satellite
instruments employed and only cursory agreement with model simulations, primarily relating to the
interannual variability associated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation. All datasets display a positive
relationship between precipitation and surface temperature but with a large spread. The tendency for
wet, ascending regions to become wetter at the expense of dry, descending regimes is in general
reproduced. Finally, the frequency of extreme precipitation is shown to rise with warming in the
observations and for the model ensemble mean but with large spread in the model simulations. The
influence of the Earth’s radiative energy balance in relation to changes in the tropical water cycle are
discusse
Is data on this page outdated, violates copyrights or anything else? Report the problem now and we will take corresponding actions after reviewing your request.