Researchers report that although increases in atmospheric water vapor can strengthen extreme precipitation events at the rate of water vapor increase, latent heating associated with water phase changes can strengthen the ascent of air and amplify moisture-driven increase in extreme precipitation by up to a factor of two, as demonstrated by a modeling study of a 2015 extreme precipitation event in Texas.
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Article #18-00357: "Dynamic amplification of extreme precipitation sensitivity," by Ji Nie, Adam H. Sobel, Daniel A. Shaevitz, and Shuguang Wang.
MEDIA CONTACT: Ji Nie, Peking University, Beijing, CHINA; e-mail: < jinie@pku.edu.cn >
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences