Reply to comment by Ben-Zvi,A., D. Rosenfeld and A. Givati on the paper: Levin,Z., N. Halfon and P. Alpert, “Reassessment of rain experiments and operations in Israel including synoptic considerations,” Atmos. Res. 97, 513–525. DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2010.06.011

Levin et al. (2010; hereafter LHA) (Levin, Z., Halfon, N., Alpert, P., 2010. Reassessment of rain experiments and operations in Israel including synoptic considerations. Atmos. Res. 97, 513–525. DOI:10.1016/j.atmosres.2010.06.011.), reanalyzed the results of the operational seeding in northern Israel between 1975 and 2007 and the preceding Israel 2 cloud seeding experiment (1969–1975) and concluded that there is no net increase in precipitation over the target areas. Our analysis revealed that a synoptic bias during Israel 2 is one of the reasons for the apparent positive effect of seeding in the northern target area and the negative effect in the southern area both of which disappeared in the following experiment in the south (Israel 3; 1975–1995) and the operational seeding in the north.Ben-Zvi et al. (2010;hereafter BRG) criticized our paper primarily on the ground that we did not consider the positive results of Israel 1 experiment (1960–1967). It should be noted that in Israel 1 different seeding lines were used from those in both Israel 2 and the operational period. In addition, its raw data is not accessible anymore for reanalysis. Furthermore, Israel 2 had been designed as a confirmatory cross-over experiment to Israel 1 and failed to reproduce its promising results with double ratio (DR) of ~ 1.00, namely, zero rainfall enhancements. The same DR values were also found in Israel 3 and in the operational seeding. Therefore, because of the differences in the two experiments, the lack of access to the raw data and the disappointing results of the confirmatory experiment, we decided to concentrate our analysis on the more recent seeding activities.The attempt by BRG to explain the reduction of the DR to ~ 1.00 in the operational seeding period by the suppression due to pollution have been disproved by Alpert et al., 2008, Alpert et al., 2009 and also fail to explain the sharp decline of the target/control ratio right at the beginning of the operational seeding period when the lucky draw in this area came to its end (see LHA).     

Effect of extreme rainfall events on the water resources of the Jordan River

As a response to climate change, shifting rainfall trends including increased multi-year droughts and an escalation in extreme rainfall events are expected in the Middle East. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential impact of these shifting trends on stream flow in the Jordan River and its tributaries. We use a non-homogeneous hidden Markov model to generate artificial daily rainfall simulations which capture independently shifting trends of increased droughts and escalated extreme. These simulations are then used as input into a hydrological model calibrated for the upper catchments of the Jordan River to compare the impact on stream flow and water resources between the different rainfall scenarios. We compare the predicted baseflow and surface flow components of the tested watersheds, and find that while an increase in extreme rainfall events increases the intensity and frequency of surface flow, the over all flow to the Jordan River, and the characteristics of the baseflow in the Jordan River system is not largely impacted. In addition, though it has been suggested that in the case of a multi-year drought the karstic nature of the aquifer might lead to more intense, non-linear reductions in stream flow, here we quantify and show the conditions when annual stream flow reduce linearly with rainfall, and when these relations will become non-linear.     

Signatures of the NAO in the atmospheric circulation during wet winter months over the Mediterranean region

Summary Positive trend of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during last several decades was also accompanied by a positive trend of the East Atlantic Western Russia (EAWR) pattern. Decline of the Mediterranean precipitation during the period has also been noted. The precipitation decline over the western part of the region has been linked to the positive trend of the NAO. Explanation for the precipitation decline over the eastern Mediterranean by the role of the EAWR trend has also been suggested. An evaluation of the hypothesis is performed in the current study. A methodology for the determination of the characterizing typical low troposphere circulation during wet-months large-scale correlation-circulation patterns is suggested. The large-scale circulation patterns for three target areas over the northwestern, north-eastern, and southeastern Mediterranean regions are constructed separately for the low and high phase periods of the teleconnection regimes. According to the results, the precipitation decline over the Mediterranean region during the last several decades of the past century is explained by the positive trend of the EAWR, which in its turn was induced by that of the NAO. The trends have lead to the changes in the typical for the wet periods of the year low-troposphere circulation regimes associated with a decline in the water vapor transport from Atlantic.     

Synergism of upper-level potential vorticity and mountains in Genoa lee cyclogenesis – A numerical study

Summary The interaction of topography and upper-level potential vorticity (PV) anomaly in intensive case of Alpine lee cyclogenesis (3–6 March 1982) is investigated. The factor separation method is used in conjunction with the PV inversion technique to isolate individual roles of topography and upper-level PV as well as their synergic nonlinear effect. The application of the factor separation method allows to separate low and upper tropospheric dynamics in the real case of lee cyclogenesis and to estimate quantitatively the pure and interactive contributions of topography and upper tropospheric PV anomaly to the pressure deepening in the lee of the Alps. The PV-topography interactive effect was found to be strong and comparable to the pure PV advection contribution. It is shown that the synergic contribution is responsible for the dipole structure oriented exactly as predicted by theory and as found in the observations. The “pure” topography contribution is small during the “trigger” phase but becomes strongly cyclolytic (i.e., assisting cyclone decay) in the second phase of the lee development. Superposition of the pressure change patterns produced by the two factors along with their interaction, results in a strong deepening in the right location. The joint cyclogenetic action is proposed as the explanation for the fast pressure fall during the “trigger” phase. Received July 31, 2000/Revised June 4, 2001     

Satellite Image Classification Method Using the Dempster–Shafer Approach

In this paper the problem of the supervised classification of satellite images is considered. A new image classification method focused on application under conditions when the training sample is (in particular, considerably) contaminated is proposed. The method is based on using the Dempster–Shafer evidence theory and is applicable both for hyperspectral and multispectral satellite images. Problems of organizing the supervised classification process and content of its constitutive procedures are presented. The developed method has been implemented algorithmically and in software. Results obtained in the classification of hyperspectral images by the proposed method testify to its efficiency.

     

Red Sea Trough/cyclone development — Numerical investigation

Summary A case of development of a meridionally oriented Red Sea Trough (RST) system and its intensification over the Eastern Mediterranean (EM) region during the ALPEX1982 3–5 March period, is investigated. The MM4 mesoscale model of Penn State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research was first applied for a large scale investigation of the processes. The relative roles of the different acting factors, i.e., terrain, latent heat release and the surface fluxes were calculated employing the factor separation method. Topography and sensible heat flux were found to be the dominant ones.The high resolution non-hydrostatic RAMS 3a model of Colorado State University with nested grids of 100 and 20 km illustrated the finer details of the cyclogenetic processes in the mountainous area of the Abyssinean Highlands, Ethiopia, and the Arabian peninsula, where initiation of the trough took place.Results of the factor separation showed that the topography blocking acted as a cyclolytic factor, preventing the process of the northward trough propagation. The situation changed only after about 30 h of the simulation, when the trough already propagated into the EM area after intensification of the mid-tropospheric westerlies over the central part of the Red Sea area. Starting from this time, terrain was acting as one of two major cyclogenetic factors. The second local effect also working as a cyclogenetic one was the sensible heat flux. Its role was especially important after 36 h of the simulations when strong winds over the sea area caused more active heat transfer from the sea surface to the atmosphere.With 7 Figures     

Temperature and surface pressure anomalies in Israel and the North Atlantic Oscillation

Summary Teleconnections associated with changing patterns of temperature and pressure anomalies over Israel during the second half of the 20th century are investigated. Relatively high, statistically significant, correlation coefficients of −0.8 and +0.9 were found between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Index anomalies and smoothed (5 year running mean) cool season temperature and surface pressure anomalies in Israel, respectively. A relatively high positive correlation, (r = 0.8) was also found between the NAO Index anomalies and smoothed geopotential height of the 1000 hPa pressure level, during the cool season at Bet Dagan radiosonde station located on the Israel Mediterranean coastal plain. Correlation coefficients between NAO Index anomalies and the higher standard pressure levels, 850 and 700 hPa, decrease gradually and become negative (not statistically significant) for the 500 hPa level. Received January 25, 2000/Revised March 6, 2001     

Climatic Variations In The Moisture and Instability Patterns Of The Atmospheric Boundary Layer On The East Mediterranean Coastal Plain Of Israel

A long-term record (1964–1995) of radiosonde data observed atthe Bet-Dagan aerological station of the Israel Meteorological Service was analyzed to detect possible temporal trends in moisture content and instability of the atmospheric boundary layer. Bet-Dagan issituated in the central part of the south-east Mediterranean coastal plain. During this period surface characteristics in this region have changed drastically due to changes in land use, i.e., urbanization, development of irrigated agriculture and afforestation. The analysis of the radiosonde data reveals a clearly defined, statistically significant, increasing trend in the moisture content, mainly during summer. The stability of the surface layer, characterized by the bulk Richardson Number, shows adecreasing trend since the early 1960s. Relationships between these trends, land-use modifications and possible influence of large-scale influence are discussed.     

An increase of early rains in Southern Israel following land-use change?

The October rains (at the onset of the rainy season that extends to April) in southern Israel have steeply increased in the last quarter century relative to the prior two decades. A less pronounced, but appreciable, increase is noted for the rest of the rainy season. This apparent reversal of desertification is attributed here to land use changes. Afforestation, increased cultivation and limitations on grazing after the establishment of the State of Israel resulted in an increased vegetation cover over the inherently high-albedo soils in this region (an area of 10⁴ km²). The changes are shown in a July 1985 Landsat image of the area.The increase in precipitation is specifically attributed to intensification of the dynamical processes of convection and advection resulting from plant-induced enhancement of thedaytime sensible heat flux from the generally dry surface. This enhancement results both from the reduced surface albedo and the reduced soil heat flux (reduced day-to-night heat storage in the soil) in October when insolation is strong. Stronger daytime convection can lead to penetration of the inversions capping the planetary boundary layer (which are weaker in October than in summer) while strengthened advection (sea breeze) can provide moist air from the warm Mediterranean Sea. This suggested mechanism is consistent with previous studies showing that the autumn rains in southern Israel exhibit convective mesoscale characteristics and occur predominantly in the daytime. However, other causes, such as a shift in the synoptic-scale circulation, cannot be ruled out at this stage.