Precipitationshed

In meteorology, a precipitationshed is the upwind ocean and land surface that contributes evaporation to a given, downwind location's precipitation. The concept has been described as an "atmospheric watershed".^[1] The concept itself rests on a broad foundation of scholarly work examining the evaporative sources of rainfall.^[2][3][4] Since its formal definition, the precipitationshed has become an element in water security studies,^[5] examinations of sustainability,^[6] and mentioned as a potentially useful tool for examining vulnerability of rainfall dependent ecosystems.^[7]

Overview of a precipitationshed

Concept

In an effort to conceptualize the recycling of evaporation from a specific location to the spatially explicit region that receives this moisture, the precipitationshed concept was expanded to the evaporationshed. This expanded concept has been highlighted as particularly useful for providing a spatially explicit region for examining the impacts of significant land-use change, such as deforestation, irrigation, or agricultural intensification.^[8][9]

See also

• Water cycle
• Moisture recycling
• Line Gordon