Tandem heat-wave-drought events across Eurasia amplified by global warming, new study finds
Summers are getting hotter and drier in the Eurasian landmass due to an atmospheric circulation pattern further aggravated by anthropogenic factors. The recent tandem heat-wave-drought events in the region stretching from Eastern Europe to East Asia are unprecedented, as confirmed by a new study that analyzed tree-ring data going back 300 years and climate models.
The shift can have some serious consequences for the environment, affecting wildfires, agriculture, food security, water resources, and ecosystems, note the researchers of this study, published in Science Advances.
Research suggests that temperature and rainfall are closely linked because of how heat and moisture interact in the atmosphere, and this thermodynamic relationship shows up at different periods. Since high temperatures often occur when there's little to no rainfall, it is reasonable to expect that heat waves and droughts can happen concurrently due to their shared dependence on atmospheric conditions.
It has also been observed that such heat-wave-drought compound events are fueled by persistent high-pressure systems that trap more heat and accelerate the evaporation. These processes also play a role in dictating larger atmospheric circulation patterns.
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