Makhasana et al. (2026) Understanding Land-Atmosphere Interactions During Coupling Whiplash Events

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

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrometeorology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-02-24
• Authors: Payal Makhasana, Joseph A. Santanello, Patricia M. Lawston-Parker, Joshua K. Roundy
• DOI: 10.1175/jhm-d-24-0171.1

Research Groups

Not specified in the abstract.

Short Summary

This study investigates the role of Land-Atmosphere (L-A) interactions in driving hydrometeorological whiplash events, characterized by abrupt dry-to-wet and wet-to-dry transitions. It identifies that lower atmospheric moisture availability is critical for whiplash intensity, while convective potential responds to seasonal thermal changes, revealing distinct L-A feedback mechanisms and global high-risk regions.

Objective

• To examine the role of Land-Atmosphere (L-A) interactions in driving whiplash events (abrupt transitions between dry and wet conditions) across different regions and seasons.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global assessment, identifying high-risk hotspots in North America, Europe, southern Africa, southern Asia, and South America.
• Temporal Scale: Seasonal and multi-seasonal analysis to capture variability in dry-to-wet and wet-to-dry transitions.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Convective Triggering Potential - Humidity Index (CTP-HI) framework.
• Data sources: Not specified in the abstract.

Main Results

• Moisture availability in the lower atmosphere (Humidity Index, HI) is a critical driver of whiplash intensity.
• Convective potential (CTP) is more responsive to seasonal and thermal variability, particularly during warmer periods.
• Global high-risk hotspots for frequent and intense whiplash events include North America, Europe, and localized areas across southern Africa, southern Asia, and South America.
• High-risk regions exhibit dual vulnerability: rapid moisture loss during wet-to-dry (WD) events due to positive feedback, and limited recovery during dry-to-wet (DW) events driven by suppressed evaporation.
• Low-risk regions demonstrate stronger recovery capacity and more moderated transitions.

Contributions

• Improves understanding of whiplash dynamics by revealing distinct L-A feedback mechanisms and transition patterns.
• Highlights global regions most susceptible to extreme hydrometeorological shifts.
• Provides a valuable basis for enhancing predictive models and guiding mitigation strategies in highly stressed areas.

Funding

Not specified in the abstract.

Citation

@article{Makhasana2026Understanding,
  author = {Makhasana, Payal and Santanello, Joseph A. and Lawston-Parker, Patricia M. and Roundy, Joshua K.},
  title = {Understanding Land-Atmosphere Interactions During Coupling Whiplash Events},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrometeorology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1175/jhm-d-24-0171.1},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1175/jhm-d-24-0171.1}
}