El Nino-La Nina cycle and recent trends in continental evaporation

D.G. Miralles, M.J. van den Berg, J.H. Gash, R.M. Parinussa, R.A.M. Jeu, H.E. Beck, T.R.H. Holmes, C. Jimenez, N.E.C. Verhoest, W.A. Dorigo, A.J. Teuling, A.J. Dolman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

289 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The hydrological cycle is expected to intensify in response to global warming(1-3). Yet, little unequivocal evidence of such an acceleration has been found on a global scale(4-6). This holds in particular for terrestrial evaporation, the crucial return flow of water from land to atmosphere(7). Here we use satellite observations to reveal that continental evaporation has increased in northern latitudes, at rates consistent with expectations derived from temperature trends. However, at the global scale, the dynamics of the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) have dominated the multi-decadal variability. During El Nino, limitations in terrestrial moisture supply result in vegetation water stress and reduced evaporation in eastern and central Australia, southern Africa and eastern South America. The opposite situation occurs during La Nina. Our results suggest that recent multi-year declines in global average continental evaporation(8,9) reflect transitions to El Nino conditions, and are not the consequence of a persistent reorganization of the terrestrial water cycle. Future changes in continental evaporation will be determined by the response of ENSO to changes in global radiative forcing, which still remains highly uncertain(10,11).
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)122-126
JournalNature Climate Change
Volume4
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014

Keywords

  • global water cycle
  • precipitation
  • climate
  • variability
  • ocean
  • intensification
  • avhrr
  • modis

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