Impacts of Climate Change and Land Use on the Southwestern United States

Review of Variability in the North American Monsoon

Height Patterns Associated with Wet and Dry Arizona Summer

Figure 4. Height patterns associated with the 5 wettest and driest summers in Arizona. The solid contour lines (lines of geopotential height, greater heights signifies higher pressure) are associated with the wet summers (northerly shift) , while a southerly shift are associated with dry Arizona summers. The northward displacement of the subtropical ridge apparently brings more tropical influence to Arizona and hence greater summer rains.

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