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Climate-induced changes in continental-scale soil macroporosity may intensify water cycle.
Daniel R Hirmas1, Daniel Giménez2, Attila Nemes3
1Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA. daniel.hirmas@ucr.edu.
Nature
|September 7, 2018
Summary
Drier climates create more soil macroporosity, impacting water cycles faster than previously thought. These soil changes can significantly alter water conductivity, influencing climate feedbacks.
Area of Science:
- Soil Science
- Hydrology
- Climate Science
Background:
- Soil macropores are critical for water infiltration, nutrient transport, and runoff.
- Macropores, though small in volume, disproportionately influence water movement and the global water cycle.
- Climate impacts soil macropore development, but the speed and scale of these effects are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between climate and soil macroporosity.
- To determine the timescale of climate-induced changes in soil macroporosity.
- To predict the impact of future climate change on soil hydraulic properties.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed the correlation between climate (precipitation) and soil macroporosity.
- Utilized effective porosity as a proxy for macroporosity.
- Modeled changes in saturated soil hydraulic conductivity based on predicted precipitation changes.
Main Results:
- Drier climates result in greater soil macroporosity compared to humid climates.
- Climate-induced macroporosity changes occur over years to decades, faster than previously assumed.
- Projected end-of-century precipitation changes could alter saturated soil hydraulic conductivity by -55% to 34% across US regions.
Conclusions:
- Soil macroporosity is sensitive to rapid climate change.
- Altered soil hydraulic properties due to climate change can create significant land-surface feedbacks.
- These feedbacks may intensify the continental-scale water cycle.
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