Zhang et al. (2026) Observed Land Surface Influence on Atmospheric Heat and Moisture Profiles During Interstorms

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

Identification

• Journal: Water Resources Research
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-01
• Authors: Michelle S. Zhang, David D. Turner, Dara Entekhabi
• DOI: 10.1029/2025wr043166

Research Groups

• University of Oklahoma, Department of Meteorology
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL)

Short Summary

This study uses ground-based passive remote sensing and in-situ observations to investigate the physical mechanisms linking land surface processes to boundary layer development during interstorm soil moisture drydown events. The results provide observational evidence of the influence of soil moisture on short-term weather forecasting skill.

Objective

• Investigate the relationship between land-atmospheric feedbacks, boundary layer development, and precipitation using observational data

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: U.S. Southern Great Plains region (specifically, the area surrounding the University of Oklahoma's research facilities)
• Temporal Scale: 9 warm seasons (2016–2024), with a focus on interstorm soil moisture drydown events

Methodology and Data

• Models used: None (observational study using ground-based passive remote sensing and in-situ observations)
• Data sources: Ground-based passive remote sensing, in-situ observations, and satellite data (for comparison purposes)

Main Results

• During interstorm drydowns, the atmospheric column follows a consistent pattern of moisture increase within the boundary layer, peaking near its top, and declining rapidly above.
• Drydowns that shift toward evaporation produce stronger and deeper thermodynamic responses than cases dominated by sensible heating.
• Moisture is accumulated faster within the boundary layer during shorter drydowns, with longer drydowns representing slower, moisture-limited growth.

Contributions

• This study provides observational evidence of the influence of soil moisture on short-term weather forecasting skill, offering a process-level benchmark for evaluating coupled land-atmospheric representations in models.
• The results highlight the importance of considering land surface processes in boundary layer development and precipitation prediction.

Funding

• National Science Foundation (NSF) grant #1745806: "Understanding Land-Atmosphere Interactions in the Southern Great Plains"
• NOAA Climate Program Office (CPO) grant #NA18OAR4310294: "Advancing Predictions of Weather and Climate Extremes"

Citation

@article{Zhang2026Observed,
  author = {Zhang, Michelle S. and Turner, David D. and Entekhabi, Dara},
  title = {Observed Land Surface Influence on Atmospheric Heat and Moisture Profiles During Interstorms},
  journal = {Water Resources Research},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2025wr043166},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025wr043166}
}