| Intermittency and its non-universal signature in rainfall scaling functions still impose
limitations on the modeling of precipitation across different temporal and spatial scales.
Whether rainfall intermittency can be considered (and modeled) as a dynamical phenomenon
connected with the precipitation generation mechanism or a predominantly stochastic process
remains in fact an open question.
Fat-tail probability distributions and red-noise spectra were found characterizing the
rainfall process over a wide range of scales and climatic regimes – in analogy with some
classical non-linear systems displaying “dynamical” intermittency. However, stochastic
processes with infinite degrees of freedom can likewise generate signals with alternating
persistent laminar periods and highly bursting phases.
This talk explores the dynamical-stochastic dichotomy of precipitation, by presenting
some recent advancement in the description of temporal rainfall intermittency. We focus on
the connection between intermittency and the rainfall generation process, as well as the
dependence of intermittency statistics on different climatic regimes, with particular emphasis
on arid and semi-arid climates, where intermittency and convection are the main hallmark of
the rainfall regime. |