Evaporation enhancement drives the European water-budget deficit during multi-year droughts

Abstract - 20  % to - 40  % less than what expected from precipitation deficits. The magnitude of this exacerbation is two to three times larger for basins located in dry regions than for basins in wet regions, and is qualitatively correlated with an increase in annual evaporation during droughts, in the order of + 11  % and + 33  % over basins characterized by energy-limited and water-limited evaporation regimes, respectively. Thus, enhanced atmospheric and vegetation demand for moisture during dry periods induces a nonlinear precipitation-runoff relationship for low-flow regimes, which results in an unexpectedly large decrease in runoff during periods of already low water availability. Forecasting onset, magnitude, and duration of these drops in runoff have paramount societal and ecological implications, especially in a warming climate, given their supporting role for safeguarding water, food, and energy. The outcome that water basins are prone to this exacerbation of runoff deficit for various climates and evaporation regimes makes further understanding of its patterns of predictability an urgent priority for water-resource planning and management in a warming and drier climate.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Evaporation enhancement drives the European water-budget deficit during multi-year droughts ; volume:26 ; number:6 ; year:2022 ; pages:1527-1543 ; extent:17 ; Hydrology and earth system sciences ; 26, Heft 6 (2022), 1527-1543 (gesamt 17)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Massari, Christian ; Avanzi, Francesco ; Bruno, Giulia ; Gabellani, Simone ; Penna, Daniele ; Camici, Stefania

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/hess-26-1527-2022
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022032404152354359830
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:34 AM CEST