Cienciaes.com: Transport of humidity, precipitation and droughts. We spoke with Luis Gimeno and José Carlos Fernández.

2024-02-27 16:20:26

We live on a unique planet, rich in water, a resource that, although present in other places in the Solar System, is only found on Earth in its three physical states on the surface: solid, liquid and gaseous. These states exchange in a continuous and dynamic process that extends across the globe, creating an ideal environment for life to flourish.

The sun, with its heat, plays a crucial role in this process. It heats masses of water in rivers, lakes and oceans, causing the water to evaporate and turn into steam. This water vapor, as it rises, cools, condensing to form clouds. Under the right conditions, these clouds release their contents back to the surface in the form of precipitation, either rain or snow. This is the foundation of the hydrological cycle, an essential mechanism that not only supports countless ecosystems, but also plays a significant role in regulating the climate and the occurrence of weather events, including some extremes such as droughts and floods.

Within this context, researchers such as José Carlos Fernández and Luis Gimeno, from the University of Vigo, are dedicated to the study of variations in moisture transport and its relationship with droughts in a context of climate change. His research delves into how alterations in the hydrological cycle, exacerbated by global warming, can influence the frequency and intensity of these extreme events, highlighting the interconnection between hydrological processes and contemporary environmental challenges.

Luis Gimeno-Sotelo is a doctoral student and explains in “Talking with Scientists” the results of an article published in Nature Water, a work that sheds light on how the deficit in the transport of atmospheric moisture can be a key factor behind droughts . Research shows that the probability of drought increases significantly in areas with a marked deficit in atmospheric moisture, especially in critical regions such as east-central North America, southeastern South America, and eastern Europe. This finding underscores the importance of understanding moisture transport mechanisms to predict and mitigate droughts.

José C. Fernández-Álvarez, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vigo and the University of Havana, talks about his research, published in Nature Communications. His work delves into how climate warming could alter atmospheric moisture transport, particularly in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. The results project an increase in humidity from the North Atlantic that could intensify precipitation in eastern North America and the British Isles, while humidity from the Mediterranean could favor rain in southern and western Europe. These changes highlight how global warming can reconfigure precipitation patterns and thereby influence regional hydrological cycles.

One of the most direct responses of the hydrological cycle to climate change is the increase in the water vapor content in the atmosphere, with an estimated increase of 6 to 7% for each degree of global warming. This fundamental thermodynamic change suggests that even modest increases in global temperature can have amplified effects on precipitation patterns and the intensity of extreme weather events, including droughts and floods.

The research carried out by scientists such as Fernández-Álvarez and Gimeno-Sotelo is crucial to our understanding of the hydrological cycle in a changing world. By deciphering how climate change affects moisture transport and precipitation patterns, we can improve our adaptation and mitigation strategies, ensuring more sustainable management of water resources. This includes not only preparation for extreme events, but also long-term planning for water conservation and water security.

We invite you to listen to:

Luis Gimeno Sotelo is a doctoral student at the Mariña Research Center, Environmental Physics Laboratory, University of Vigo, Ourense, Spain.

José Carlos Fernández Álvarez Postdoctoral researcher at the Mariña Research Center of the University of Vigo, also attached to the Department of Meteorology, Higher Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences, University of Havana, Havana, Cuba

References:

Gimeno-Sotelo, L., Sorí, R., Nieto, R. et al. Unravel the origin of the atmospheric moisture deficit that leads to droughts. Nat Water (2024).

Fernández-Álvarez, JC, Pérez-Alarcón, A., Eiras-Barca, J. et al. Projected changes in atmospheric moisture transport contributions associated with climate warming in the North Atlantic. Nat Comuna 14, 6476 (2023).