The Hydrological Cycle Laboratory (HCL) of the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology was established in 2013. It addresses multiple challenges of the hydrological cycle in the northern extratropics with a focus on Northern Eurasia. The overarching science question that the Lab founders have put forward is: What are the major processes that control changes in the terrestrial hydrological cycle (HC) in the northern extratropics, in Northern Eurasia in particular, and what are the consequences of these changes? In other words we address hydrological cycle as a multidisciplinary problem crosscutting ocean evaporation, atmospheric moisture transport, continental precipitation and land hydrology viewed on both global and regional scales.
We will present the results of the lab after the first year of the project term. These are focused on the major project work packages, such as ocean diabatic moisture sources, role of cyclones in the moisture transports, hydrological processes, including land-sea interactions and changes in extreme precipitation. In particular we will show climate variability in ocean evaporation over the North Atlantic, changes in cyclone trajectories, climate evolution of the character of precipitation and land hydrological processes. These results will be considered in the context of climate impacts on the society and economy. Also we will demonstrate the laboratory infrastructure established during the first year and will present the outlook for the mid-term and long-term future.