@article{fdi:010053022,
  title = {{E}ffects of soil moisture gradients on the path and the intensity of a {W}est {A}frican squall line},
  author = {{W}olters, {D}. and van {H}eerwaarden, {C}. {C}. and de {A}rellano, {J}. {V}. {G}. and {C}appelaere, {B}ernard and {R}amier, {D}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{D}uring the {W}est {A}frican monsoon season, precipitation is strongly coupled to soil moisture availability. {T}his interaction is generally understood as a positive feedback mechanism, and has been considered on very different spatial and temporal scales. {P}ast research has mainly focused on this feedback in terms of the effects on general precipitation patterns, not on a single convective system. {I}n this research, a single squall line is reproduced using the {W}eather {R}esearch and {F}orecasting {A}dvanced {R}esearch ({WRF}-{ARW}) mesoscale weather model. {M}odel results are analyzed and compared with surface and upper-air observations. {A} sensitivity analysis on the influence of soil moisture on the squall line is performed through five numerical experiments. {I}n four experiments, soil moisture is increased or decreased with respect to a control experiment. {T}his is done in two manners: by affecting soil moisture most strongly in the wetter places in the modelled domain and by affecting soil moisture most strongly in the drier places. {M}inor deviations occur in the path of the squall line after modifying soil moisture most strongly in the wetter places. {S}ystematic deviations occur in its path after increasing soil moisture most strongly in the drier places. {A} mechanism is proposed that connects the applied soil moisture modifications to larger-scale flow patterns that determine the path of the squall line. {I}n all five experiments, the precipitation intensity of the squall line strongly declines when the system moves towards western areas with lower soil moisture values. {I}t is concluded that a positive effect of local soil moisture on precipitation intensity in passing squall lines is likely on the considered length-scale of 100 km. {U}ntil now, this mechanism has only been shown for much smaller spatial scales.},
  keywords = {{WRF}-{ARW} ; soil moisture ; squall line ; {W}est-{A}frican monsoon},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{Q}uarterly {J}ournal of the {R}oyal {M}eteorological {S}ociety},
  volume = {136},
  numero = {653},
  pages = {2162--2175},
  ISSN = {0035-9009},
  year = {2010},
  DOI = {10.1002/qj.712},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010053022},
}