학술논문

Increase in ocean-onto-land droughts and their drivers under anthropogenic climate change
Document Type
article
Source
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, Vol 6, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2023)
Subject
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Meteorology. Climatology
QC851-999
Language
English
ISSN
2397-3722
Abstract
Abstract Ocean-onto-land droughts (OTLDs)—i.e., droughts originating over the oceans and migrating onto land—are a recently identified phenomenon with severe natural and human impacts. However, the influence of anthropogenic emissions on past and future changes in OTLDs and their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, using precipitation-minus-evaporation deficits to identify global OTLDs, we find OTLDs have intensified due to anthropogenic climate change during the past 60 years. Under a future high-emissions scenario, the OTLDs would become more frequent (+39.68%), persistent (+54.25%), widespread (+448.92%), and severe (+612.78%) globally. Intensified OTLDs are associated with reduced moisture transport driven by subtropical anticyclones in the northern hemisphere and complex circulation patterns in the southern hemisphere. The reduction in moisture transport during OTLDs is mainly caused by the atmospheric thermodynamic responses to human-induced global warming. Our results underscore the importance of improving understanding of this type of drought and adopting climate mitigation measures.