10:45 AM - 12:15 PM
[HCG23-P04] Soil moisture feedbacks and drought-related impacts over Africa
For ecosystems and society, soil dryness and high vapor pressure deficit can be disastrous. The study demonstrates how important soil moisture feedbacks are in causing concurrent soil drought. Without the feedback of soil moisture to air temperature and humidity, atmospheric aridity is much less frequent and intense. Under various circumstances, soil moisture can also influence precipitation to increase soil moisture deficits, which may provide serious dangers to ecosystem services and human well-being in the future. The study area included Africa, one of the most drought-prone regions in the world for the current climate period using GLACE-CMIP5.