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Land-atmosphere coupling speeds up flash drought onset
1Key Laboratory of Hydrometeorological Disaster Mechanism and Warning of Ministry of Water Resources, Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, Jiangsu, China; School of Hydrology and Water Resources, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, Jiangsu, China.
The Science of the Total Environment
|August 20, 2022
Summary
Flash drought, a rapid and destructive event, is accelerated by land-atmosphere interactions. This process intensifies atmospheric drying and suppresses precipitation, increasing drought onset speed.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric Science
- Climate Science
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Flash drought is a severe weather phenomenon characterized by rapid onset and high destructiveness.
- Understanding the mechanisms driving flash drought onset is crucial for early warning systems and mitigation efforts.
- Existing research has not fully elucidated the specific processes that distinguish flash drought from conventional drought conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the rapid onset of flash drought in China.
- To compare the differences in atmospheric conditions during flash drought onset versus conventional dry spells.
- To quantify the roles of precipitation deficits and evapotranspiration in accelerating flash drought onset.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 42-year reanalysis data for China.
- Compared convective triggering potential and atmospheric humidity indices between flash drought and conventional dry conditions.
- Analyzed the influence of land-atmosphere coupling on precipitation and evapotranspiration.
Main Results:
- Dry land-atmosphere coupling accelerates flash drought onset by suppressing precipitation and increasing evapotranspiration.
- Increased sensible heat transport intensifies atmospheric heating, enhancing the lifting condensation level deficit and inhibiting convective precipitation.
- Atmospheric drying increases evapotranspiration demand, reduces soil moisture, and creates a positive feedback loop that maintains rapid drought onset.
Conclusions:
- Land-atmosphere coupling is a critical factor in accelerating flash drought onset.
- While precipitation deficits are the primary driver, increased evapotranspiration significantly contributes to the speed of onset, particularly in regions like South China.
- Findings provide valuable insights for improving flash drought diagnosis and prediction models.
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