ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT OF LAND USE CHANGE ON PRECIPITATION SINCE 1900 IN THE KANTO PLAIN

Abstract

 The relationship between land use and meteorological phenomena remains unclear, with exception of a few phenomena. In this study, we used Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) to evaluate the effects of land use data from 1900, 1950, 1976, and 2016 on precipitation phenomena for August 2016 in the Kanto Plain. The result using land use in 2016, when the urban rate was the highest, showed area-averaged precipitation due to the typhoon is decreased about 50 mm than that using in 1900. It’s also showed less frequency of precipitation over 20 mm/h due to typhoon than that using in 1900.Those mean the typhoon external force are decreased by using land use in 2016. The latent heat at the time of typhoon passage did not vary among the land use data, and is considered to be caused by factors such as surface roughness and evaporation.. The observed decrease in typhoon precipitation due to urbanization indicates that land use management may contribute to the reduction of typhoon intensity.