Kong et al. (2026) Increases in Compound Drought and Hot Event in the Southwestern Tibetan Plateau and Its Link to Land‐Atmosphere Interactions

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: International Journal of Climatology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-03
• Authors: Xianghui Kong, Aihui Wang, Yue Chen, Yali Zhu, Lu Xia, Xunqiang Bi
• DOI: 10.1002/joc.70502

Research Groups

• Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Department of Atmospheric Science, University of California, Los Angeles

Short Summary

This study investigates the physical mechanisms of compound drought and heatwave events (CDHE) over the Tibetan Plateau, focusing on land-atmosphere interactions in high-elevation areas. The research reveals a positive feedback mechanism amplifying CDHE frequency in southwestern TP.

Objective

• Investigate the role of land-atmosphere interactions in modulating interannual variations of CDHE frequency over the Tibetan Plateau.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: High-elevation regions of the Tibetan Plateau, specifically the southwestern area.
• Temporal Scale: Warm season (May–September) from 1980 to 2018.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not specified in the paper.
• Data sources: Satellite observations, reanalysis data, and ground-based measurements.

Main Results

• High-frequency CDHE occurs in the southwestern TP with a significant increasing trend in CDHE frequency (exceeding 0.5 days per year).
• Strong negative correlation between soil moisture deficit and CDHE frequency.
• Positive geopotential height anomalies and negative specific humidity anomalies during years of persistent SM deficit.
• Divergence in the lower atmosphere and convergence in the upper atmosphere accompanied by subsidence throughout the entire atmospheric column.

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into the physical mechanisms driving CDHEs over high-elevation areas, highlighting a positive feedback mechanism amplifying CDHE frequency through land-atmosphere interactions.
• The findings have implications for understanding the impacts of climate change on water resources and ecosystems in these regions.

Funding

• Not specified in the paper.

Citation

@article{Kong2026Increases,
  author = {Kong, Xianghui and Wang, Aihui and Chen, Yue and Zhu, Yali and Xia, Lu and Bi, Xunqiang},
  title = {Increases in Compound Drought and Hot Event in the Southwestern Tibetan Plateau and Its Link to Land‐Atmosphere Interactions},
  journal = {International Journal of Climatology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1002/joc.70502},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.70502}
}