The 2018–2020 Multi‐Year Drought Sets a New Benchmark in Europe
Abstract During the period 2018–2020, Europe experienced a series of hot and dry weather conditions with significant socioeconomic and environmental consequences. Yet, the extremity of these multi‐year dry conditions is not recognized. Here, we provide a comprehensive spatio‐temporal assessment of t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Earth's Future |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002394 |
| _version_ | 1818000693896675328 |
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| author | Oldrich Rakovec Luis Samaniego Vittal Hari Yannis Markonis Vojtěch Moravec Stephan Thober Martin Hanel Rohini Kumar |
| author_facet | Oldrich Rakovec Luis Samaniego Vittal Hari Yannis Markonis Vojtěch Moravec Stephan Thober Martin Hanel Rohini Kumar |
| author_sort | Oldrich Rakovec |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract During the period 2018–2020, Europe experienced a series of hot and dry weather conditions with significant socioeconomic and environmental consequences. Yet, the extremity of these multi‐year dry conditions is not recognized. Here, we provide a comprehensive spatio‐temporal assessment of the drought hazard over Europe by benchmarking past exceptional events during the period from 1766 to 2020. We identified the 2018–2020 drought event as a new benchmark having an unprecedented intensity that persisted for more than 2 years, exhibiting a mean areal coverage of 35.6% and an average duration of 12.2 months. What makes this event truly exceptional compared with past events is its near‐surface air temperature anomaly reaching +2.8 K, which constitutes a further evidence that the ongoing global warming is exacerbating present drought events. Furthermore, future events based on climate model simulations Coupled Model Intercomparison Project v5 suggest that Europe should be prepared for events of comparable intensity as the 2018–2020 event but with durations longer than any of those experienced in the last 250 years. Our study thus emphasizes the urgent need for adaption and mitigation strategies to cope with such multi‐year drought events across Europe. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T03:24:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fd629009996048f1a1670386026e64f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2328-4277 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T03:24:59Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth's Future |
| spelling | doaj.art-fd629009996048f1a1670386026e64f62022-12-22T02:15:12ZengWileyEarth's Future2328-42772022-03-01103n/an/a10.1029/2021EF002394The 2018–2020 Multi‐Year Drought Sets a New Benchmark in EuropeOldrich Rakovec0Luis Samaniego1Vittal Hari2Yannis Markonis3Vojtěch Moravec4Stephan Thober5Martin Hanel6Rohini Kumar7UFZ‐Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig GermanyUFZ‐Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig GermanyUFZ‐Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig GermanyFaculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Praha‐Suchdol Czech RepublicFaculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Praha‐Suchdol Czech RepublicUFZ‐Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig GermanyFaculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Praha‐Suchdol Czech RepublicUFZ‐Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig GermanyAbstract During the period 2018–2020, Europe experienced a series of hot and dry weather conditions with significant socioeconomic and environmental consequences. Yet, the extremity of these multi‐year dry conditions is not recognized. Here, we provide a comprehensive spatio‐temporal assessment of the drought hazard over Europe by benchmarking past exceptional events during the period from 1766 to 2020. We identified the 2018–2020 drought event as a new benchmark having an unprecedented intensity that persisted for more than 2 years, exhibiting a mean areal coverage of 35.6% and an average duration of 12.2 months. What makes this event truly exceptional compared with past events is its near‐surface air temperature anomaly reaching +2.8 K, which constitutes a further evidence that the ongoing global warming is exacerbating present drought events. Furthermore, future events based on climate model simulations Coupled Model Intercomparison Project v5 suggest that Europe should be prepared for events of comparable intensity as the 2018–2020 event but with durations longer than any of those experienced in the last 250 years. Our study thus emphasizes the urgent need for adaption and mitigation strategies to cope with such multi‐year drought events across Europe.https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002394droughtsoil moistureEuropeclimate projectionscrop yieldCMIP5 |
| spellingShingle | Oldrich Rakovec Luis Samaniego Vittal Hari Yannis Markonis Vojtěch Moravec Stephan Thober Martin Hanel Rohini Kumar The 2018–2020 Multi‐Year Drought Sets a New Benchmark in Europe Earth's Future drought soil moisture Europe climate projections crop yield CMIP5 |
| title | The 2018–2020 Multi‐Year Drought Sets a New Benchmark in Europe |
| title_full | The 2018–2020 Multi‐Year Drought Sets a New Benchmark in Europe |
| title_fullStr | The 2018–2020 Multi‐Year Drought Sets a New Benchmark in Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | The 2018–2020 Multi‐Year Drought Sets a New Benchmark in Europe |
| title_short | The 2018–2020 Multi‐Year Drought Sets a New Benchmark in Europe |
| title_sort | 2018 2020 multi year drought sets a new benchmark in europe |
| topic | drought soil moisture Europe climate projections crop yield CMIP5 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002394 |
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