Multi-scale drought and ocean–atmosphere variability in monsoon Asia
Spatially extensive and persistent drought episodes have repeatedly influenced human history, including the ‘Strange Parallels’ drought event in monsoon Asia during the mid-18th century. Here we explore the dynamics of sustained monsoon failure using observed and tree-ring reconstructed drought patt...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/7/074010 |
| _version_ | 1797748759782752256 |
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| author | Manuel Hernandez Caroline C Ummenhofer Kevin J Anchukaitis |
| author_facet | Manuel Hernandez Caroline C Ummenhofer Kevin J Anchukaitis |
| author_sort | Manuel Hernandez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spatially extensive and persistent drought episodes have repeatedly influenced human history, including the ‘Strange Parallels’ drought event in monsoon Asia during the mid-18th century. Here we explore the dynamics of sustained monsoon failure using observed and tree-ring reconstructed drought patterns and a 1300-year pre-industrial community earth system model control run. Both modern observational and climate model drought patterns during years with extremely weakened South Asian monsoon resemble those reconstructed for the Strange Parallels drought. Model analysis reveals that this pattern arises during boreal spring over Southeast Asia, with decreased precipitation and moisture flux, while related summertime climate anomalies are confined to the Indian subcontinent. Years with simulated South Asian drying exhibit canonical El Niño conditions over the Pacific and associated shifts in the Walker circulation. In contrast, multi-year drought periods, resembling those sustained during the Strange Parallels drought, feature anomalous Pacific warming around the dateline, typical of El Niño Modoki events. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:09:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5ba9a71474444d74b33fc9c35da04a02 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:09:27Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-5ba9a71474444d74b33fc9c35da04a022023-08-09T14:11:23ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262015-01-0110707401010.1088/1748-9326/10/7/074010Multi-scale drought and ocean–atmosphere variability in monsoon AsiaManuel Hernandez0Caroline C Ummenhofer1Kevin J Anchukaitis2Department of Geography, Texas A&M University , College Station, TX, USADepartment of Physical Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USADepartment of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USASpatially extensive and persistent drought episodes have repeatedly influenced human history, including the ‘Strange Parallels’ drought event in monsoon Asia during the mid-18th century. Here we explore the dynamics of sustained monsoon failure using observed and tree-ring reconstructed drought patterns and a 1300-year pre-industrial community earth system model control run. Both modern observational and climate model drought patterns during years with extremely weakened South Asian monsoon resemble those reconstructed for the Strange Parallels drought. Model analysis reveals that this pattern arises during boreal spring over Southeast Asia, with decreased precipitation and moisture flux, while related summertime climate anomalies are confined to the Indian subcontinent. Years with simulated South Asian drying exhibit canonical El Niño conditions over the Pacific and associated shifts in the Walker circulation. In contrast, multi-year drought periods, resembling those sustained during the Strange Parallels drought, feature anomalous Pacific warming around the dateline, typical of El Niño Modoki events.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/7/074010South Asian monsoonMonsoon Asia Drought AtlasStrange Parallels droughtEl Niño |
| spellingShingle | Manuel Hernandez Caroline C Ummenhofer Kevin J Anchukaitis Multi-scale drought and ocean–atmosphere variability in monsoon Asia Environmental Research Letters South Asian monsoon Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas Strange Parallels drought El Niño |
| title | Multi-scale drought and ocean–atmosphere variability in monsoon Asia |
| title_full | Multi-scale drought and ocean–atmosphere variability in monsoon Asia |
| title_fullStr | Multi-scale drought and ocean–atmosphere variability in monsoon Asia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multi-scale drought and ocean–atmosphere variability in monsoon Asia |
| title_short | Multi-scale drought and ocean–atmosphere variability in monsoon Asia |
| title_sort | multi scale drought and ocean atmosphere variability in monsoon asia |
| topic | South Asian monsoon Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas Strange Parallels drought El Niño |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/7/074010 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT manuelhernandez multiscaledroughtandoceanatmospherevariabilityinmonsoonasia AT carolinecummenhofer multiscaledroughtandoceanatmospherevariabilityinmonsoonasia AT kevinjanchukaitis multiscaledroughtandoceanatmospherevariabilityinmonsoonasia |