Drastic increase in the magnitude of very rare summer-mean vapor pressure deficit extremes.

ABSTRACT: Summers with extremely high vapor pressure deficit contribute to crop losses, ecosystem damages, and wildfires. Here, we identify very rare summer vapor pressure deficit extremes globally in reanalysis data and climate model simulations, and quantify the contributions of temperature and atmospheric moisture anomalies to their intensity. The simulations agree with reanalysis data regarding these physical characteristics of historic vapor pressure deficit extremes, and show a +33/+28% increase in their intensity in the northern/southern mid-latitudes over this century. About half of this drastic increase in the magnitude of extreme vapor pressure deficit anomalies is due to climate warming, since this quantity depends exponentially on temperature. Further contributing factors are increasing

SUBMITTER: Hermann M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11327300 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature