Dynamics Of Precipitation In Transition: The Water Source For The Galapagos Archipelago Under Climate Change - Proyecto Darwin

The Gala´Pagos Archipelago Is Known For Its Unique And High Endemic Biodiversity. It Is Listed As A Unesco'S World Heritage Site, World Heritage In Danger (2007), As 'Most Irreplaceable Protected Areas' And A 'Flagship' Area For Conservation And As A 'Priority Ecoregion For Global Conservation'. Climatologically, Gala´Pagos Is Of Great Interest Because Its Location In The Centre Of The Enso Phenomenon, Affecting The Archipelago With Strong Quasi-Periodic Oscillations In Precipitation, Sea Surface And Air Temperatures. The Climate Of The Archipelago Is Non-Understood Because Databases On Climate And Especially On Precipitation Of Gala´Pagos Are Lacking. The Project Will Address The Following Research Questions: 1. What Is The Spatial Extent Of The Garu´A Zone, And How Will This Zone Respond To Intensified Climate Events (E.G. Enso Like) Surrogating Climate Change? 2. What Is The Water Potential Of The Garu´A Zone In Comparison To The Warm Season Convective Rainfall, And How Will Precipitation Change Under More Extreme Climates? 3. How Is The Formation Of Warm Season And Cold Season Garu´A Precipitation Distributed In Space Due To The Complex Interplay Of Topography, Sst And Cross-Scale Atmospheric Circulation Patterns? 4. How And Where Will Climate Change Modify The Cross-Scale Circulation Patterns, And Thus, Formation Of Precipitation?