Zhang et al. (2026) Strong latitudinal contrasts in global wet/dry patterns since the Last Glacial Maximum and under future warming

Identification

• Journal: Communications Earth & Environment
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-10-03
• Authors: Zhansen Zhang, Yu Li, Yuxin Zhang, Simin Peng, Mingjun Gao
• DOI: 10.1038/s43247-026-04078-7

Research Groups

• Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
• School of Geographic Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, China.
• Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education, School of Geography and Environmental Science, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China.

Short Summary

This study reconstructs global wet/dry evolution since the Last Glacial Maximum using a combination of virtual lake-water-balance and precipitation-minus-evaporation simulations with 191 palaeoclimate records. The results show strong latitudinal contrasts in moisture changes over the past 21,000 years, with high northern latitudes becoming progressively wetter from the LGM to the pre-industrial period.

Objective

• Investigate the spatial patterns of moisture change since the Last Glacial Maximum and their implications for future warming.
• Identify the dominant controls on wet-dry evolution across different latitude bands.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global, with a focus on latitudinal variations in moisture changes.
• Temporal Scale: 21,000 years, from the Last Glacial Maximum to the pre-industrial period.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: PMIP4 simulations (16 models) and TraCE-21ka transient simulation.
• Data sources: Palaeoclimate records (191), including lake-level changes, speleothem δ18O records, and other proxy evidence.

Main Results

• Strong latitudinal contrasts in moisture changes over the past 21,000 years, with high northern latitudes becoming progressively wetter from the LGM to the pre-industrial period.
• Low-latitude monsoon regions tend to be wetter during warm intervals and correspond to monsoon-dominated regions defined by modern precipitation climatology.
• Changes in precipitation and evaporation are primary factors controlling wet-dry patterns in mid- and low-latitude regions, whereas the influence of runoff is relatively limited.

Contributions

• This study provides a comprehensive reconstruction of global wet/dry evolution since the Last Glacial Maximum, highlighting the importance of latitudinal variations in moisture changes.
• The results have implications for understanding future hydroclimatic change under warming conditions and improving climate projections.

Funding

• Not specified.

Citation

@article{Zhang2026Strong,
  author = {Zhang, Zhansen and Li, Yu and Zhang, Yuxin and Peng, Simin and Gao, Mingjun},
  title = {Strong latitudinal contrasts in global wet/dry patterns since the Last Glacial Maximum and under future warming},
  journal = {Communications Earth & Environment},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1038/s43247-026-04078-7},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-04078-7}
}