Recommended citation: Ernst, J., Sori, R., Stojanovic, M., Vázquez, M., Pérez-Alarcón, A. (2024). Effects of the western Mediterranean oscillation in the moisture transport from the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean: implications on precipitation patterns over the Iberian Peninsula. XXXVI Jornadas Científicas de la Asociación Meteorológica Española . Cadiz, Spain, 13-15 March 2024. [PDF]

Abstract

In this study, we characterize the moisture transport from the Mediterranean Sea (MS) and the North Atlantic Ocean (NATL) that contributes to the precipitation over Europe, and particularly the Iberian Peninsula, during WeMO positive (WeMO+) and negative (WeMO-) phases. The Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model (FLEXPART) was employed to track forward in time the air masses residing over the oceanic basins and compute their contribution to precipitation over Europe. Our findings confirmed, in agreement with previous studies, that precipitation increases over the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula during WeMO-, and the opposite occurs during the positive phase. The Lagrangian experiment also indicated that the WeMO- increased the moisture contribution from the MS to precipitation over the southeast of Spain, and the western south coast of France, Corsica and Sardinia. In contrast, decreased towards the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Under positive WeMO the opposite pattern is observed.