Modelling the hydrometeorological response to changing lengthscales of deforestation in the Amazon

Abstract:

Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between remotely sensed hydrometeors and land cover patterns of deforestation in Rôndonia, Brazil. Enhanced convection and precipitation preferentially develop over forested land, while shallow non-precipitating clouds preferentially form over deforested land. Numerical weather simulations (WRF-ARW) conditioned on topography and land-cover are used to elucidate the physical mechanisms of these mesoscale phenomena. Both remotely sensed land-cover products (MODIS, USGS) and modeled future conservation scenarios of deforestation (LBA-ECO LC-14) are used to capture the hydrologic response to changing length scales and heterogeneity that may be expected in the region. Analysis of the modeled forest, non-forest, and forest-edge precipitation fractions and cloud fractions corroborate previous findings and illustrate how future deforestation practices may further influence the hydroclimate of the region. Furthermore, the physical pathways are revealed by comparing simulated surface temperatures, turbulent heat fluxes, circulation patterns, convective energy, and static stability.