Moisture sources for precipitation variability over the Arabian Peninsula

Abstract We apply the Lagrangian-based moisture back trajectory method to two reanalysis datasets determine sources for wet season precipitation over Arabian Peninsula, defined as land on Asian continent south of Turkish border and west Iran. To accomplish this, we make use evaporative source region between 65°W–120°E 30°S–60°N, which is divided into twelve sub-regions. Our comparison reanalyses multiple observations allows us validate highlight broad-scale similarities in characteristics, notwithstanding some inconsistencies southwest AP. The results indicate north-to-south spatiotemporal heterogeneity characteristics dominant sources. In north, mainly sourced from midlatitude water bodies, such Mediterranean Caspian Seas. Areas further are dependent transport Western Indian Ocean parts African continent. El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) exhibits an overall positive but sub-seasonally varying influence variability region, with noticeable anomalies all major regions. A significant drying trend exists both partially attribute advection Congo Basin South Atlantic Ocean. However, considerable uncertainty evaporation trends terrestrial warrants additional modeling studies our understanding key processes contributing negative trends.