Similarities and Differences in the Mechanisms Causing the European Summer Heatwaves in 2003, 2010, and 2018

Abstract The mechanisms causing European heatwaves in recent years, particularly their differences among several heatwaves, are poorly understood. Here atmospheric circulation anomalies and soil moisture‐temperature coupling during the summer 2018 heatwave are comprehensively examined and compared w...

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Main Authors: Xuebang Liu, Bin He, Lanlan Guo, Ling Huang, Deliang Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-04-01
Series:Earth's Future
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EF001386
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author Xuebang Liu
Bin He
Lanlan Guo
Ling Huang
Deliang Chen
author_facet Xuebang Liu
Bin He
Lanlan Guo
Ling Huang
Deliang Chen
author_sort Xuebang Liu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The mechanisms causing European heatwaves in recent years, particularly their differences among several heatwaves, are poorly understood. Here atmospheric circulation anomalies and soil moisture‐temperature coupling during the summer 2018 heatwave are comprehensively examined and compared with the 2003 and 2010 heatwaves using ERA5 reanalysis, model simulations, and eddy covariance flux measurements. We show that the 2018 heatwave successively affected northern and central Europe, and the peak temperature in Finland and northwest Russia broke historical records of the past 40 years. Although three heatwaves were all initially triggered by atmospheric circulation anomalies, the strong moisture‐temperature coupling were found to further strengthen the 2003 and 2010 heatwaves. This coupling was also strong in central Europe during 2018 heatwave, but was weak in the northern European center of the heatwaves. The high temperature in 2018 was mainly due to increases in the amount of net surface radiation caused by the clear skies associated with reduced precipitation. Furthermore, we also find that land cover plays a critical role in determining the occurrence and strength of soil moisture‐temperature coupling. Cropland/grassland depletes soil moisture more readily than forests, thereby triggering a more rapid release of sensible fluxes as observed during 2018 heatwave.
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spelling doaj.art-c7aa3486cd4145a99ede5d4646e61e752022-12-22T00:53:57ZengWileyEarth's Future2328-42772020-04-0184n/an/a10.1029/2019EF001386Similarities and Differences in the Mechanisms Causing the European Summer Heatwaves in 2003, 2010, and 2018Xuebang Liu0Bin He1Lanlan Guo2Ling Huang3Deliang Chen4State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Global Change and Earth System Science Beijing Normal University Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Global Change and Earth System Science Beijing Normal University Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, School of Geography Beijing Normal University Beijing ChinaCollege of Urban and Environmental Sciences Peking University Beijing ChinaDepartment of Earth Sciences University of Gothenburg Gothenburg SwedenAbstract The mechanisms causing European heatwaves in recent years, particularly their differences among several heatwaves, are poorly understood. Here atmospheric circulation anomalies and soil moisture‐temperature coupling during the summer 2018 heatwave are comprehensively examined and compared with the 2003 and 2010 heatwaves using ERA5 reanalysis, model simulations, and eddy covariance flux measurements. We show that the 2018 heatwave successively affected northern and central Europe, and the peak temperature in Finland and northwest Russia broke historical records of the past 40 years. Although three heatwaves were all initially triggered by atmospheric circulation anomalies, the strong moisture‐temperature coupling were found to further strengthen the 2003 and 2010 heatwaves. This coupling was also strong in central Europe during 2018 heatwave, but was weak in the northern European center of the heatwaves. The high temperature in 2018 was mainly due to increases in the amount of net surface radiation caused by the clear skies associated with reduced precipitation. Furthermore, we also find that land cover plays a critical role in determining the occurrence and strength of soil moisture‐temperature coupling. Cropland/grassland depletes soil moisture more readily than forests, thereby triggering a more rapid release of sensible fluxes as observed during 2018 heatwave.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EF001386Europe heatwave, atmospheric circulation, soil moisture‐temperature coupling, land cover2018
spellingShingle Xuebang Liu
Bin He
Lanlan Guo
Ling Huang
Deliang Chen
Similarities and Differences in the Mechanisms Causing the European Summer Heatwaves in 2003, 2010, and 2018
Earth's Future
Europe heatwave, atmospheric circulation, soil moisture‐temperature coupling, land cover
2018
title Similarities and Differences in the Mechanisms Causing the European Summer Heatwaves in 2003, 2010, and 2018
title_full Similarities and Differences in the Mechanisms Causing the European Summer Heatwaves in 2003, 2010, and 2018
title_fullStr Similarities and Differences in the Mechanisms Causing the European Summer Heatwaves in 2003, 2010, and 2018
title_full_unstemmed Similarities and Differences in the Mechanisms Causing the European Summer Heatwaves in 2003, 2010, and 2018
title_short Similarities and Differences in the Mechanisms Causing the European Summer Heatwaves in 2003, 2010, and 2018
title_sort similarities and differences in the mechanisms causing the european summer heatwaves in 2003 2010 and 2018
topic Europe heatwave, atmospheric circulation, soil moisture‐temperature coupling, land cover
2018
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EF001386
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AT binhe similaritiesanddifferencesinthemechanismscausingtheeuropeansummerheatwavesin20032010and2018
AT lanlanguo similaritiesanddifferencesinthemechanismscausingtheeuropeansummerheatwavesin20032010and2018
AT linghuang similaritiesanddifferencesinthemechanismscausingtheeuropeansummerheatwavesin20032010and2018
AT deliangchen similaritiesanddifferencesinthemechanismscausingtheeuropeansummerheatwavesin20032010and2018