Streamflow Intensification Driven by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) in the Atrato River Basin, Northwestern Colombia

Abstract

[EN] The impact of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) on the variations in the streamflow in the Atrato River Basin (ARB) during the 1965-2016 period was analyzed here by considering the cold (1965-1994) and warm (1995-2015) phases of this oscillation. The mean streamflow increased after 1994 (AMO phase change). This increase is related to the strengthening of the zonal gradients of the sea surface temperature (SST) and sea level pressure (SLP) between the tropical central Pacific and the tropical Atlantic after 1994 (warm AMO phase). These gradients contributed to strengthen the Walker cell related upward movement over northern and northwestern South America, in particular during November-December (ND). Consistently, the frequency (R20 mm) and intensity (SDII) of extreme daily rainfall events increased during the 1995-2015 period. Our results show a connection between the AMO and the increase in the streamflow in the ARB during the last five decades. These results contribute to the studies of resilience and climate adaptation in the region.