Red Sea Trough flood events in the Negev, Israel (1964–2007)

Shentsis, Isabella; Laronne, Jonathan B.; Alpert, Pinhas

doi:10.1080/02626667.2011.636922

Cited by 28 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Another synoptic atmospheric feature at lower tropospheric levels that affect the weather in the Middle East is the RST (e.g., Awad & Almazroui, 2016;de Vries et al, 2016de Vries et al, , 2013Krichak et al, 1997aKrichak et al, , 1997bKrichak et al, 2012;Tsvieli & Zangvil, 2005;, and references therein). The RST systems are classified as nonactive, associated with hot and dry weather conditions, and active, associated with heavy precipitation and flash flooding in the Middle East (e.g., de Vries et al, 2013;Krichak et al, 2012;Shentsis et al, 2012;Tsvieli & Zangvil, 2005. Typically, the RST develops in autumn but can also occur in spring and winter (Awad & Almazroui, 2016;de Vries et al, 2016de Vries et al, , 2013.…”

Section: Large-scale Slp Pattern During Westward Wind Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaporative Implications of Dry‐Air Outbreaks Over the Northern Red Sea

2019

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We investigate the impacts of westward wind events on the Red Sea evaporation using the 35‐year second Modern‐Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications reanalysis and a 2‐year‐long record of in situ observations from a heavily instrumented air‐sea interaction mooring. These events are common during boreal winter, and their effects are similar to cold‐air outbreaks that occur in midpolar and subpolar latitudes. They cause extreme heat loss from the sea, which is dominated by latent heat fluxes. Different from cold‐air outbreaks, the intensified heat loss is due to the low relative humidity as we show through latent heat flux decomposition. Rainfall is negligible during these events, and we refer to them as dry‐air outbreaks. We also investigate the general atmospheric circulation pattern that favors their occurrence, which is associated with an intensified Arabian High at the north‐central portion of the Arabian Peninsula—a feature that seems to be an extension of the Siberian High. The analyses reveal that the westward winds over the northern Red Sea and the winter Shamal winds in the Persian Gulf are very likely to be part of the same subsynoptic‐scale feature. The second Modern‐Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications reanalysis indicates that the occurrence of westward wind events over the northern Red Sea has grown from 1980 to 2015, especially the frequency of large‐scale events, the cause of which is to be investigated. We hypothesize that dry‐air outbreaks may induce surface water mass transformation in the surface Red Sea Eastern Boundary Current and could represent a significant process for the oceanic thermohaline‐driven overturning circulation.

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Section: Large-scale Slp Pattern During Westward Wind Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaporative Implications of Dry‐Air Outbreaks Over the Northern Red Sea

2019

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“…For example, Shentsis et al . [] mentions for the October 2004 event a historical maximum in peak discharge at a station in the Negev desert with a 100 year return period.…”

Section: Precipitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Climatological studies show that the ARST is a rare weather phenomenon that can occur in late autumn and to a lesser incidence in early winter and spring [ Kahana et al ., ; Krichak et al ., ; Shentsis et al ., ]. Dayan et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[4] Climatological studies show that the ARST is a rare weather phenomenon that can occur in late autumn and to a lesser incidence in early winter and spring [Kahana et al, 2002;Krichak et al, 2012;Shentsis et al, 2012]. Dayan et al [2001] explain the ARST preference for autumn by coinciding favorable latitudinal positions of the African Monsoon and the subtropical jet (STJ) stream.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Extreme precipitation events in the Middle East: Dynamics of the Active Red Sea Trough

et al. 2013

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[1] The Active Red Sea Trough (ARST) is an infrequent weather phenomenon that is associated with extreme precipitation, flash floods, and severe societal impacts in the Middle East (ME). Using reanalysis (ERA-Interim) and observational precipitation (Aphrodite and stations) data, we investigate its underlying dynamics, geographical extent, and seasonality. Twelve ARST events affecting the Levant have the same dynamical characteristics as those associated with a major flood in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) on 25 November 2009. Hence, the Jeddah flooding was caused by an ARST, which implies that ARSTs can affect a much larger part of the ME than previously assumed. We present an ARST concept involving six dynamical factors: (1) a low-level trough; the Red Sea Trough (RST), (2) an anticyclone over the Arabian Peninsula; the Arabian Anticyclone (AA), (3) a transient midlatitude upper trough, (4) an intensified subtropical jet stream, (5) moisture transport pathways, and (6) strong ascent resulting from tropospheric instability and the synoptic-scale dynamical forcing. We explain the ARST as the interaction of a persistent stationary wave in the tropical easterlies (i.e., the RST) with a superimposed amplifying Rossby wave, resulting in northward propagating moist air masses over the Red Sea. Our findings emphasize the relevance of the AA, causing moisture transport from the Arabian and Red Seas. The particular topography in the Red Sea region and associated low-level circulation makes the ARST unique among tropical-extratropical interactions. The ARST seasonality is explained by the large-scale circulation and in particular the seasonal cycle of the semipermanent quasi-stationary RST and AA.

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“…Mean annual rainfall in the study area varies from c. 350 mm in the vicinity of Hebron in the northwest to c. 130 mm near the town of Arad to the east. Rainfall results from either widespread low intensity frontal storms that move eastwards from the Mediterranean, or from localized high intensity convective storms associated with low-pressure troughs that develop over the Red Sea (Sharon and Kutiel, 1986;Kidron and Pick, 2000;Kahana et al, 2002;Shentsis et al, 2011). Over much of the region, potential evapotranspiration exceeds 2000 mm yr -1 (Meirovich et al, 1998).…”

Section: Field Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

The bed morphology of upland single‐thread channels in semi‐arid environments: evidence of repeating bedforms and their wider implications for gravel‐bed rivers

Powell

Laronne

Reid

et al. 2012

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Single‐thread, gravel‐bed streams of moderate slope in the northern Negev are characterized by three channel units: bars exhibit steeper than average slopes and poorly sorted mixtures of small–medium cobbles and coarse–very coarse pebbles; flats are associated with more gentle slopes and well‐sorted medium–fine pebbles and granules; and transitional units have intermediate slopes and grain size. In general, all three units are planar, span the full channel width and have well‐defined boundaries. Bars and flats are more common than the transitional units and alternate downstream for distances of several hundred metres, forming sequences that are reminiscent of the riffle–pool structure commonly observed in humid‐temperate gravel‐bed rivers. A notable contrast is the absence of significant bed relief: bars lack crests and flats lack depressions. The relative lack of bed relief in bar–flat sequences is attributed to the high rate of sediment supply from the sparsely vegetated hillslopes which promotes the infilling of depressions and to the erosion of crests under conditions of intense transport. This reduction of bed relief lowers channel roughness, which in turn increases flow velocity and, therefore, the ability of the channel to transmit the large sediment loads it receives. Although our analyses pertain to a semi‐arid river system, the results have wider implications for understanding the adjustment of channel bedform to high sediment loads in other fluvial environments. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Red Sea Trough flood events in the Negev, Israel (1964–2007)

Cited by 28 publications

References 14 publications

Evaporative Implications of Dry‐Air Outbreaks Over the Northern Red Sea

Evaporative Implications of Dry‐Air Outbreaks Over the Northern Red Sea

Extreme precipitation events in the Middle East: Dynamics of the Active Red Sea Trough

The bed morphology of upland single‐thread channels in semi‐arid environments: evidence of repeating bedforms and their wider implications for gravel‐bed rivers

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