Identifier

etd-11082013-102007

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Geography and Anthropology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

An automated synoptic weather classification system, based on the weather types devised by Robert Muller for Louisiana, is presented in this thesis and an application of the classification system to precipitation variability in Louisiana is demonstrated. The automated classification presented here is a hybrid classification system that uses sea level pressure composites for each Muller weather type as seeds in a correlation procedure to classify daily NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis sea level pressure patterns. The resulting hybrid classification is automated, objective, and has value in describing the surface weather variability in Louisiana. In the second part of this research project, the newly developed hybrid classification system is used to establish relationships between synoptic weather types and precipitation variability in Louisiana. Weather types that produce precipitation in Louisiana are identified and, using linear regression models, the frequency of rainy weather types is used to predict seasonal rainfall for each of the nine Louisiana climate divisions. Averaged among all climate divisions, synoptic weather type frequency accounts for 25% of the interannual precipitation variability in winter, 14% in spring, 19% in summer, and 25% in fall. While the models are better at predicting the decadal scale variability and trends during fall and winter, these results indicate that synoptic frequency alone is insufficient to describe precipitation variability in Louisiana. Future work will need to identify additional predictors. However, the automated hybrid classification system presented in this study can be used for many additional applications in historical and future climate research for Louisiana.

Date

2013

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Secure the entire work for patent and/or proprietary purposes for a period of one year. Student has submitted appropriate documentation which states: During this period the copyright owner also agrees not to exercise her/his ownership rights, including public use in works, without prior authorization from LSU. At the end of the one year period, either we or LSU may request an automatic extension for one additional year. At the end of the one year secure period (or its extension, if such is requested), the work will be released for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Keim, Barry

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.965

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