Zita et al. (2026) Revisiting climate extremes in South America and their modulation by oceanic teleconnections

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

Identification

• Journal: Climate Dynamics
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-28
• Authors: Lormido Ernesto Zita, Flavio Justino, Carlos Diego Gurjão
• DOI: 10.1007/s00382-026-08351-5

Research Groups

• Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo (IFUSP)
• Laboratório de Meteorologia e Clima da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (LMC-UFRGS)

Short Summary

This study investigates the spatiotemporal patterns of climate extremes in South America and explores the influence of oceanic modes on these patterns using daily MERGE and SAMeT data from 2000 to 2024. The results highlight the dominant role of ENSO in modulating climate variability across the region.

Objective

• Investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of climate extremes in South America and their relationship with oceanic modes.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Continental scale, focusing on South America.
• Temporal Scale: Daily to interdecadal timescales (2000–2024).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: MERGE and SAMeT datasets for daily climate data.
• Data sources: Satellite and reanalysis data.

Main Results

• A north-central precipitation gradient in South America linked to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
• Dry spell maxima over central-eastern Brazil, with notable exceptions in southern Chile and northeastern Argentina/western southern Brazil.
• Widespread warming with increasing tropical nights northward and higher frost frequency southward.
• Observed changes during 2000–2024 suggest drying tendencies in central-eastern South America and wetting in the northwest.

Contributions

• This study provides a comprehensive understanding of climate extremes in South America and their relationship with oceanic modes, highlighting the need for mode-aware, region-specific climate services across the continent.
• The results underscore the dominant role of ENSO in modulating climate variability in South America, providing new insights into the complex interactions between oceanic modes and regional climate patterns.

Funding

• This research was funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) under grant number 305.131/2020-6.
• The study also received support from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) through grant number 2019/07293-7.

Citation

@article{Zita2026Revisiting,
  author = {Zita, Lormido Ernesto and Justino, Flavio and Gurjão, Carlos Diego},
  title = {Revisiting climate extremes in South America and their modulation by oceanic teleconnections},
  journal = {Climate Dynamics},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1007/s00382-026-08351-5},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-026-08351-5}
}