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- Title
Intensification in the Wettest Days to 50 Percent of Annual Precipitation (WD50) Across Europe.
- Authors
Goffin, Benjamin D.; Kansara, Prakrut; Lakshmi, Venkataraman
- Abstract
Due to global warming, precipitation extremes are becoming more frequent and more severe, further exacerbating the uneven distribution of daily precipitation. In this study, we explored how many days in a year it takes to get to a certain amount of the precipitation that falls annually. We analyzed daily precipitation from gridded observations across the European continent and found that it generally took 22 to 34 of the wettest days to contribute to 50% of yearly totals (WD50). We found various degrees of alignment between gridded observations and ground measurements. Building on this, we examined changes in WD50 and detected widespread shifts toward fewer days in WD50 between the periods of 1950–1985 and 1986–2021. In addition, about one quarter of the European land also exhibited significant, decreasing trends in WD50 over the last 7 decades. Overall, this work showed an intensification of annual precipitation regimes. Plain Language Summary: In a changing climate, the European continent is getting heavier rainfall events and longer, more frequent dryspells. As such, the wettest days in a year make up for more and more of the total precipitation that falls annually. In this study, we analyzed various precipitation records and determined that throughout most parts of Europe, 50% of annual precipitation falls over just 22 to 34 of the wettest days. We examined potential changes over the period of 1950–2021, and found that in many European countries, it takes fewer and fewer days to reach 50% of annual precipitation. With precipitation regimes getting faster‐paced, water availability could become further stressed across the agricultural, hydropower, ecological, and urban sectors. Key Points: Large floods are caused by peak rainfall events, which contribute disproportionately to annual precipitation as measured by the number of Wettest Days to 50% of yearly totals (WD50)WD50 was calculated for gridded observations to capture heterogeneous patterns across Europe in support of water management (e.g., Sustainable Development Goal #6)We also detected robust changes toward fewer days in WD50 between 1950–1985 and 1986–2021, indicating an intensification of hydrological processes in Europe
- Subjects
EUROPE; WATER supply; GLOBAL warming; WATER management; LINGUISTIC change; RAINFALL; AGRICULTURE; PRECIPITATION gauges
- Publication
Geophysical Research Letters, 2024, Vol 51, Issue 3, p1
- ISSN
0094-8276
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2023GL107403