El Departamento de Geofísica de la Universidad de Concepción (DGEO), te invitan a participar de este seminario gratuito, y abierto a toda la comunidad, el cual será dictado por Raúl Valenzuela – Ruíz, estudiante de doctorado (PhD) en University of Colorado Boulder (Estados Unidos) e Ingeniero en Recursos Naturales Renovables Universidad de Chile.

Abstract:

Midlatitude coastal areas are inherently exposed to strong horizontal fluxes of water vapor known as atmospheric rivers. When mountains intercept atmospheric rivers, ascent of moisture over the windward slope can produce copious orographic precipitation, not only providing a source of fresh water but also with potential for flooding events.Therefore, understanding the forcing mechanisms of orographic precipitation along coastal mountains is a priority for human activities (e.g. water reservoirs) and forecasting flood disasters. In this talk I will present a case study when a terrain trapped airflow along the coastal mountains of Northern California acted as a virtual orographic barrier, modulating precipitation over the mountains. In addition, I will show preliminary results documenting the relationship between surface precipitation traces, cloud structures, and atmospheric stability along the same coastal mountains.