Seasonal Variation in Precipitation Patterns to the Global Ocean: An Analysis of the GPCP Version 2 Data Set
An analysis of temporal and spatial variation of oceanic precipitation was conducted on the GPCP version two data set. While the precipitation patterns observed are generally similar to the previous climatologies, new features and greater detail of global precipitation were revealed from out analysis of the GPCP data set. High precipitation waw observed in the inter-tropical convergence zone, the South Pacific convergence zone, and the storm tracks in the North Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Low precipitation was observe in the Polar regions and in the subtropics of the East Pacific, East Atlantic, and the Southeast and Northwest Indian Ocean. The spatial coverage of these high and low precipitation regions changed thruough the year. A strong seasonal cycle or precipitation was observed for the Northern and the Southern Hemispheres and for each ocean basin. Global precipitation also varied significantly with both latitude and longitude, with a latitudinal maximum at 56 degrees South, 39 degrees South, 4 degrees South, 6 degrees North, 39 degrees North, and 56 degress North, and a longitudinal maxiumum over each ocean. The seasonal varying precipitation patterns are a foundation for evaluating the effect of wet deposition on ocean circulation, flux of chemical species, and its effect on marine ecosystems.