Changes in Precipitation Extremes in the Hawaiian Islands in a Warming Climate
Chu P, Chen YR, Schroeder TA. 2010. Changes in Precipitation Extremes in the Hawaiian Islands in a Warming Climate. Journal of Climate. 23(18):4881–4900
For the first time, trends of five climate change indices related to extreme precipitation events in the Hawaiian Islands are investigated using daily observational records from the 1950s to 2007. Four indices [simple daily intensity index (SDII), total number of day with precipitation greater than or equal to 25.4mm (R25), annual maximum consecutive 5-day precipitation amount (R5d), and the fraction of annual total precipitation from events exceeding the 1961-90 95th percentile (R95p)]describe the intensity (SDII), frequency (R25), and magnitude (R5d and R95p) of precipitation extremes, and the fifth index [consecutive dry days (CDD)] describes drought conditions. The annual probability density functions (PDFs) of precipitation indices for two epochs are analyzed. Since the 1980s, there has been a change in the types of precipitation intensity, resulting in more frequent light precipitation and less frequent moderate and heavy precipitation intensity. The other three precipitation-related indices (R25, R5d, and R95p) demonstrate a shift toward the left of the distribution over time, suggesting shorter annual number of days with intense precipitation and smaller consecutive 5-day precipitation amounts and smaller fraction of annual precipitation due to events exceeding the 1961--90 95th percentile in the recent epoch relative to the first epoch. The changes of PDF distribution for SDII, R25, R5d, and CDD are significant at the 5% level according to a two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Chu, Pao-Shin; Chen, Ying; Schroeder, Thomas
- Units
- NRSS
- Keywords
- Climate Change, El Nino, Hawaiian Islands, Precipitation Indices