An improved precipitation climatology for the Arctic Ocean

Abstract

Bias correction methods from the World Meteorological Organization Solid Precipitation Measurement Intercomparison Project are applied to 31 years of the Arctic Ocean drifting station records. Observation biases of wind-induced gauge undercatch and trace amount of precipitation are corrected on a daily basis. Gauge-measured mean annual precipitation is increased significantly from 150mm to 260mm due to the bias corrections. The seasonal cycle of bias corrected precipitation over the Arctic Ocean is characterized by a minimum in April and a maximum in September; this regime is consistent with other precipitation climatologies for the Arctic Ocean and is also in general agreement with several climate model simulations. The results of this work will have a significant impact on the Arctic fresh water budget, and they will also be useful for validation of global and regional climate models.