Accelerated soil drying linked to increasing evaporative demand in wet regions
Abstract The rapid decline in soil water affects water resources, plant physiology, and agricultural development. However, the changes in soil drying rate and associated climatic mechanisms behind such changes remain poorly understood. Here, we find that wet regions have witnessed a significant incr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-12-01
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| Series: | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00531-y |
| _version_ | 1797398068657651712 |
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| author | Yamin Qing Shuo Wang Zong-Liang Yang Pierre Gentine Boen Zhang Jagger Alexander |
| author_facet | Yamin Qing Shuo Wang Zong-Liang Yang Pierre Gentine Boen Zhang Jagger Alexander |
| author_sort | Yamin Qing |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The rapid decline in soil water affects water resources, plant physiology, and agricultural development. However, the changes in soil drying rate and associated climatic mechanisms behind such changes remain poorly understood. Here, we find that wet regions have witnessed a significant increasing trend in the soil drying rate during 1980−2020, with an average increase of 6.01 − 9.90% per decade, whereas there is no consistent trend in dry regions. We also identify a near-linear relationship between the annual soil drying rate and its influencing factors associated with atmospheric aridity and high temperatures. Further, enhanced evapotranspiration by atmospheric aridity and high temperatures is the dominant factor increasing the soil drying rate in wet regions. Our results highlight the accelerated soil drying in the recent four decades in wet regions, which implies an increased risk of rapidly developing droughts, posing a serious challenge for the adaptability of ecosystems and agriculture to rapid drying. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:20:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-41e8126b552c42c58e919dd5417630f2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2397-3722 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:20:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-41e8126b552c42c58e919dd5417630f22023-12-10T12:12:52ZengNature Portfolionpj Climate and Atmospheric Science2397-37222023-12-016111010.1038/s41612-023-00531-yAccelerated soil drying linked to increasing evaporative demand in wet regionsYamin Qing0Shuo Wang1Zong-Liang Yang2Pierre Gentine3Boen Zhang4Jagger Alexander5Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, Research Institute for Land and Space, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, Research Institute for Land and Space, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Geological Sciences, The John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at AustinDepartment of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia UniversityDepartment of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, Research Institute for Land and Space, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Geological Sciences, The John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at AustinAbstract The rapid decline in soil water affects water resources, plant physiology, and agricultural development. However, the changes in soil drying rate and associated climatic mechanisms behind such changes remain poorly understood. Here, we find that wet regions have witnessed a significant increasing trend in the soil drying rate during 1980−2020, with an average increase of 6.01 − 9.90% per decade, whereas there is no consistent trend in dry regions. We also identify a near-linear relationship between the annual soil drying rate and its influencing factors associated with atmospheric aridity and high temperatures. Further, enhanced evapotranspiration by atmospheric aridity and high temperatures is the dominant factor increasing the soil drying rate in wet regions. Our results highlight the accelerated soil drying in the recent four decades in wet regions, which implies an increased risk of rapidly developing droughts, posing a serious challenge for the adaptability of ecosystems and agriculture to rapid drying.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00531-y |
| spellingShingle | Yamin Qing Shuo Wang Zong-Liang Yang Pierre Gentine Boen Zhang Jagger Alexander Accelerated soil drying linked to increasing evaporative demand in wet regions npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| title | Accelerated soil drying linked to increasing evaporative demand in wet regions |
| title_full | Accelerated soil drying linked to increasing evaporative demand in wet regions |
| title_fullStr | Accelerated soil drying linked to increasing evaporative demand in wet regions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Accelerated soil drying linked to increasing evaporative demand in wet regions |
| title_short | Accelerated soil drying linked to increasing evaporative demand in wet regions |
| title_sort | accelerated soil drying linked to increasing evaporative demand in wet regions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00531-y |
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