Influence of atmospheric patterns on soil moisture dynamics in Europe

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157537
• Publication Date: 2022-07-22T02:52:50Z
• Authors: Laura Almendra-Ma...; José Martínez-Fer...; María Piles; Ángel González-Za...; Pilar Benito-Verdugo; Jaime Gaona
• Keywords: Atmospheric Circulation; Water cycle

Soil moisture (SM) plays a key role in the water cycle, and its variability is intimately linked to coupled land-atmosphere processes. Having good knowledge of soil-atmospheric interactions thus essential assess impact climate change on SM; however, many aspects how energy exchanges occur soil-atmosphere continuum are still uncertain. In particular, it known that atmospheric circulation patterns influence conditions over Europe but their SM has only rarely been studied. This study provides insight into soil dynamics Europe, where an increase temperature agricultural droughts expected as change. To do so, we analysed North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Arctic (AO), El Niño Southern (ENSO) European SM, including lagged responses, for period 1991–2020 at monthly scale. Two methods have used: correlation analysis more sophisticated causality approach using PCMCI (PC method combined with momentary conditional independence (MCI) test). series from two different databases were considered: hydrological model LISFLOOD reanalysis dataset ERA5-Land. The results showed significant, predominantly negative relationships NAO AO almost all no significant relation ENSO. With analysis, similar obtained AO; revealed clear ENSO influencing delayed response one-to-two months central northwest Europe. this work highlight there causal relations between main modes interannual oscillations variations underlining importance accounting global circulations current changes regional water-related