Wei et al. (2026) Enhanced Surface Coupling but Suppressed Convective Triggering During Humid–Hot Extremes in the Yangtze River Basin, a Major Humid‐Heat Hotspot in China

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

Identification

• Journal: Geophysical Research Letters
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-11-06
• Authors: Jiangfeng Wei, Guojie Wang
• DOI: 10.1029/2026gl125735

Research Groups

Not specified in abstract.

Short Summary

This study investigates land-atmosphere feedbacks driving compound humid-hot extremes in the Yangtze River Basin, revealing that positive feedbacks involving surface processes and a decoupling of convection from cloud development sustain these events.

Objective

• To investigate the land-atmosphere feedbacks that regulate and sustain compound humid-hot extreme events, particularly in the Yangtze River Basin.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Yangtze River Basin (YRB)
• Temporal Scale: Daily resolution, focusing on extreme events over an unspecified period.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not specified; analysis of observational and reanalysis data.
• Data sources: High-resolution observational data, high-resolution reanalysis data.

Main Results

• The Yangtze River Basin (YRB) is identified as a prominent hotspot for humid-hot extremes, with hot-only events being rare.
• Humid-hot extremes are sustained by positive feedbacks including a high-pressure anomaly, suppressed clouds and precipitation, drier soils, enhanced evapotranspiration, and lower relative humidity.
• Land-atmosphere coupling strengthens substantially for near-surface variables, indicating stronger land surface control during these events.
• This enhanced coupling does not extend to cloud development, as elevated lifting condensation levels and reduced relative humidity inhibit cloud formation.
• A decoupling between convection and cloud development allows humid-hot extremes to persist.

Contributions

• Reveals specific positive land-atmosphere feedbacks and a decoupling mechanism (convection vs. cloud development) that sustain humid-hot extremes.
• Highlights the critical role of land surface processes in modulating compound extreme events.
• Provides a foundational understanding for improving the prediction of humid-hot extremes.

Funding

Not specified in abstract.

Citation

@article{Wei2026Enhanced,
  author = {Wei, Jiangfeng and Wang, Guojie},
  title = {Enhanced Surface Coupling but Suppressed Convective Triggering During Humid–Hot Extremes in the Yangtze River Basin, a Major Humid‐Heat Hotspot in China},
  journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2026gl125735},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2026gl125735}
}