Recent changes in the South America low-level jet

Abstract

The South America Low-level Jet (SALLJ) is a climatological feature with a critical role in the spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation in South America. While previous studies have focused on the mechanisms and variability of the SALLJ in the central Andes (i.e., southeast Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay), the occurrence of the low-level jet in the eastern slopes of the northern Andes (i.e., northeast Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela) and its linkages to the central region have not been previously explored. This study shows that the SALLJ in the northern branch exceeds 10 m s−1 during September–February and the frequency can be as high as in the central region. Moreover, the SALLJ can occur simultaneously or separately in both regions. When the SALLJ is active only in the northern branch, wind speeds are very low from Bolivia towards southeast South America (SESA) and precipitation is significantly reduced (1–4 mm day−1) from climatology. In contrast, precipitation increases over eastern Bolivia by 2–4 mm day−1. Composites suggest that the SALLJ northern branch is forced by a large-scale circulation pattern with the enhancement of the North Atlantic Subtropical High driving northeasterly winds over the northern Andes. Further analysis shows that the frequency and intensity of the SALLJ in the northern Andes has substantially increased in the last 39 years.