Articles | Volume 20, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1155-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1155-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
30 Mar 2023
Research article |
| 30 Mar 2023
| 30 Mar 2023
Meteorological history of low-forest-greenness events in Europe in 2002–2022
Mauro Hermann
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science (IAC), ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Matthias Röthlisberger
Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science (IAC), ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Arthur Gessler
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems (ITES), ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Andreas Rigling
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems (ITES), ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Cornelius Senf
Department of Life Science Systems, Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
Thomas Wohlgemuth
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
Heini Wernli
Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science (IAC), ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Related authors
Timo Schmid, Valentina Radić, Andrew Tedstone, James M. Lea, Stephen Brough, and Mauro Hermann
The Cryosphere, 17, 3933–3954, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3933-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3933-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The Greenland Ice Sheet contributes strongly to sea level rise in the warming climate. One process that can affect the ice sheet's mass balance is short-term ice speed-up events. These can be caused by high melting or rainfall as the water flows underneath the glacier and allows for faster sliding. In this study we found three main weather patterns that cause such ice speed-up events on the Russell Glacier in southwest Greenland and analyzed how they induce local melting and ice accelerations.
Mauro Hermann, Lukas Papritz, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 1, 497–518, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-497-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-497-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We find, by tracing backward in time, that air masses causing extensive melt of the Greenland Ice Sheet originate from further south and lower altitudes than usual. Their exceptional warmth further arises due to ascent and cloud formation, which is special compared to near-surface heat waves in the midlatitudes or the central Arctic. The atmospheric systems and transport pathways identified here are crucial in understanding and simulating the atmospheric control of the ice sheet in the future.
Katharina Hartmuth, Dominik Büeler, and Heini Wernli
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4111, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4111, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Weather and Climate Dynamics (WCD).
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents three case studies of applying a newly developed method to quantify the uncertainty of the operational ECMWF ensemble in forecasting precipitation and wind extremes associated with Mediterranean cyclones. We find that the cyclones as well as their associated extremes are predicted well for lead times ≤48 h; however, for longer lead times there is large case-to-case variability in the ensemble performance.
Nora Zilibotti, Heini Wernli, and Sebastian Schemm
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3605, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3605, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Weather and Climate Dynamics (WCD).
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the relationship between jet strength and storm track activity in the North Pacific and North Atlantic with a new approach that does not rely on monthly averaging. We find a consistent behaviour in the two basins, with two distinct relationships on seasonal and sub-monthly timescales emerging. This work underlines the importance of separating different timescales of variability to understand the interplay of jet characteristics and storm track activity.
Killian P. Brennan, Michael Sprenger, André Walser, Marco Arpagaus, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 6, 645–668, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-645-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-645-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We studied severe hailstorms that occurred in Switzerland on 28 June 2021 using a weather prediction model to understand how they evolved. We found that the storms moved toward areas with more storm energy. Hailfall was quickly followed by heavy rain. Just before the storms died out, the air feeding them stopped coming from near the ground. We also observed a delay between different types of precipitation forming in the incoming air.
Alba Viana-Soto and Cornelius Senf
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 2373–2404, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-2373-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-2373-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Europe's forests are undergoing complex changes in response to increasing disturbances driven by climate and land use changes. Here, we present the European Forest Disturbance Atlas, a satellite-based approach for mapping annual forest disturbances across continental Europe from 1985 onwards. Maps provide insights into the year of disturbance occurrence, the actual frequency of disturbances, severity and the underlying causal agent, thus contributing to a future monitoring system envisioned for Europe.
Brittany Engle, Ivan Bratoev, Morgan A. Crowley, Yanan Zhu, and Cornelius Senf
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 2249–2276, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-2249-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-2249-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The pan-boreal lightning-ignited wildfire (BoLtFire) dataset spans the entire boreal forest from 2012 to 2022, focusing on fires of at least 200 ha. Developed using a new methodology to match lightning to wildfires in the boreal region, it includes 6902 fires – 4201 in Eurasia and 2701 in North America. BoLtFire provides new opportunities to model the ignition and spread dynamics of boreal wildfires and offers deeper insights into lightning-driven fire activity globally.
Katharina Hartmuth, Heini Wernli, and Lukas Papritz
Weather Clim. Dynam., 6, 505–520, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-505-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-505-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we use large-ensemble climate model simulations to analyze extreme winters in the Barents Sea in a changing climate. We find that variability in both atmospheric processes and sea ice conditions determines the formation of such seasons in the present-day climate. The reduction in sea ice variability results in a decreasing importance of surface boundary conditions in a warmer climate, while the robust link shown for surface weather systems persists.
Franziska Schnyder, Ming Hon Franco Lee, and Heini Wernli
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1724, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1724, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we investigate a particularly long-lived example of a Siberian summer cyclone, which originates during a heat wave in Kazakhstan in July 2021 and propagates into the Arctic, where it leads to heavy precipitation and alters the Arctic tropopause. Although a rare event in current climate, this case reveals how compounding events may be linked by one weather system and portrays a type of cyclone event which is likely to become more frequent in a warmer climate.
Selvakumar Vishnupriya, Michael Sprenger, Hanna Joos, and Heini Wernli
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1731, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1731, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Extratropical cyclones feature rapidly ascending airstreams known as warm conveyor belts, which influence upper-level flow dynamics. This study classifies interactions of warm conveyor belts with the jet stream into four types: no interactions, ridges, blocks, and tropospheric cutoffs. We use reanalysis data to show that the interaction type depends more on the structure of the ambient flow than on the WCB properties, which improves the understanding of extratropical flow variability.
Nicolai Krieger, Heini Wernli, Michael Sprenger, and Christian Kühnlein
Weather Clim. Dynam., 6, 447–469, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-447-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-447-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the Laseyer, a local windstorm in a narrow Swiss valley characterized by strong southeasterly winds during northwesterly ambient flow. Using large-eddy simulations (LESs) with 30 m grid spacing, this is the first study to reveal that the extreme gusts in the valley are caused by an amplifying interplay of two recirculation regions. Modifying terrain and ambient wind conditions affects the windstorm's intensity and highlights the importance of topographic details in LES.
Killian P. Brennan, Iris Thurnherr, Michael Sprenger, and Heini Wernli
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-918, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-918, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Hailstorms can cause severe damage to homes, crops, and infrastructure. Using high-resolution climate simulations, we tracked thousands of hailstorms across Europe to study future changes. Large hail will become more frequent, hail-covered areas will expand, and extreme hail combined with heavy rain will double. These shifts could increase risks for communities and businesses, highlighting the need for better preparedness and adaptation.
Hanin Binder and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 6, 151–170, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-151-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-151-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents a systematic analysis of frequency anomalies and characteristics of extratropical cyclones during extremely wet, dry, windy, and calm winter and summer seasons in the extratropics based on 1050 years of present-day climate simulations. We show that anomalies in cyclone frequency, intensity, and stationarity are crucial to the occurrence of many extreme seasons and that these anomaly patterns exhibit substantial regional and seasonal variability.
Stefano Ubbiali, Christian Kühnlein, Christoph Schär, Linda Schlemmer, Thomas C. Schulthess, Michael Staneker, and Heini Wernli
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 529–546, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-529-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-529-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We explore a high-level programming model for porting numerical weather prediction (NWP) model codes to graphics processing units (GPUs). We present a Python rewrite with the domain-specific library GT4Py (GridTools for Python) of two renowned cloud microphysics schemes and the associated tangent-linear and adjoint algorithms. We find excellent portability, competitive GPU performance, robust execution on diverse computing architectures, and enhanced code maintainability and user productivity.
Stephanie Mayer, Martin Hendrick, Adrien Michel, Bettina Richter, Jürg Schweizer, Heini Wernli, and Alec van Herwijnen
The Cryosphere, 18, 5495–5517, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5495-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5495-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding the impact of climate change on snow avalanche activity is crucial for safeguarding lives and infrastructure. Here, we project changes in avalanche activity in the Swiss Alps throughout the 21st century. Our findings reveal elevation-dependent patterns of change, indicating a decrease in dry-snow avalanches alongside an increase in wet-snow avalanches at elevations above the current treeline. These results underscore the necessity to revisit measures for avalanche risk mitigation.
Heini Wernli and Suzanne L. Gray
Weather Clim. Dynam., 5, 1299–1408, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-1299-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-1299-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The science of extratropical dynamics has reached a new level where the interplay of dry dynamics with effects of latent heating in clouds and other diabatic processes is considered central to the field. This review documents how research about the role of diabatic processes evolved over more than a century; it highlights that progress relied essentially on the integration of theory, field campaigns, novel diagnostics, and numerical modelling, and it outlines avenues for future research.
Ellina Agayar, Franziska Aemisegger, Moshe Armon, Alexander Scherrmann, and Heini Wernli
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 2441–2459, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-2441-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-2441-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents the results of a climatological investigation of extreme precipitation events (EPEs) in Ukraine for the period 1979–2019. During all seasons EPEs are associated with pronounced upper-level potential vorticity (PV) anomalies. In addition, we find distinct seasonal and regional differences in moisture sources. Several extreme precipitation cases demonstrate the importance of these processes, complemented by a detailed synoptic analysis.
Luise J. Fischer, David N. Bresch, Dominik Büeler, Christian M. Grams, Matthias Röthlisberger, and Heini Wernli
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1253, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1253, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Atmospheric flows over the North Atlantic can be meaningfully classified into weather regimes, and climate simulations suggest that the regime frequencies might change in the future. We provide a quantitative framework that helps assessing whether these regime frequency changes are relevant for understanding climate change signals in precipitation. At least in our example application, this is not the case, i.e., regime frequency changes explain little of the projected precipitation changes.
Katharina Heitmann, Michael Sprenger, Hanin Binder, Heini Wernli, and Hanna Joos
Weather Clim. Dynam., 5, 537–557, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-537-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-537-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Warm conveyor belts (WCBs) are coherently ascending air streams that occur in extratropical cyclones where they form precipitation and often affect the large-scale flow. We quantified the key characteristics and impacts of WCBs and linked them to different phases in the cyclone life cycle and to different WCB branches. A climatology of these metrics revealed that WCBs are most intense during cyclone intensification and that the cyclonic and anticyclonic WCB branches show distinct differences.
Alexander Scherrmann, Heini Wernli, and Emmanouil Flaounas
Weather Clim. Dynam., 5, 419–438, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-419-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-419-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We show that the formation of Mediterranean cyclones follows the presence of cyclones over the North Atlantic. The distinct regions of cyclone activity in the Mediterranean in the different seasons can be linked to the atmospheric state, in particular the position of the polar jet over the North Atlantic. With this we now better understand the processes that lead to the formation of Mediterranean cyclones. We used a novel simulation framework in which we directly show and probe this connection.
Belinda Hotz, Lukas Papritz, and Matthias Röthlisberger
Weather Clim. Dynam., 5, 323–343, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-323-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-323-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Analysing the vertical structure of temperature anomalies of recent record-breaking heatwaves reveals a complex four-dimensional interplay of anticyclone–heatwave interactions, with vertically strongly varying advective, adiabatic, and diabatic contributions to the respective temperature anomalies. The heatwaves featured bottom-heavy positive temperature anomalies, extending throughout the troposphere.
Esther S. Breuninger, Julie Tolu, Iris Thurnherr, Franziska Aemisegger, Aryeh Feinberg, Sylvain Bouchet, Jeroen E. Sonke, Véronique Pont, Heini Wernli, and Lenny H. E. Winkel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2491–2510, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2491-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2491-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Atmospheric deposition is an important source of selenium (Se) and other health-relevant trace elements in surface environments. We found that the variability in elemental concentrations in atmospheric deposition reflects not only changes in emission sources but also weather conditions during atmospheric removal. Depending on the sources and if Se is derived more locally or from further away, the Se forms can be different, affecting the bioavailability of Se atmospherically supplied to soils.
Julian F. Quinting, Christian M. Grams, Edmund Kar-Man Chang, Stephan Pfahl, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 5, 65–85, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-65-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-65-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Research in the last few decades has revealed that rapidly ascending airstreams in extratropical cyclones have an important effect on the evolution of downstream weather and predictability. In this study, we show that the occurrence of these airstreams over the North Pacific is modulated by tropical convection. Depending on the modulation, known atmospheric circulation patterns evolve quite differently, which may affect extended-range predictions in the Atlantic–European region.
Sebastian Schemm and Matthias Röthlisberger
Weather Clim. Dynam., 5, 43–63, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-43-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-43-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Climate change has started to weaken atmospheric circulation during summer in the Northern Hemisphere. However, there is low agreement on the processes underlying changes in, for example, the stationarity of weather patterns or the seasonality of the jet response to warming. This study examines changes during summertime in an idealised setting and confirms some important changes in hemisphere-wide wave and jet characteristics under warming.
Leonie Villiger, Marina Dütsch, Sandrine Bony, Marie Lothon, Stephan Pfahl, Heini Wernli, Pierre-Etienne Brilouet, Patrick Chazette, Pierre Coutris, Julien Delanoë, Cyrille Flamant, Alfons Schwarzenboeck, Martin Werner, and Franziska Aemisegger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14643–14672, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14643-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14643-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study evaluates three numerical simulations performed with an isotope-enabled weather forecast model and investigates the coupling between shallow trade-wind cumulus clouds and atmospheric circulations on different scales. We show that the simulations reproduce key characteristics of shallow trade-wind clouds as observed during the field experiment EUREC4A and that the spatial distribution of stable-water-vapour isotopes is shaped by the overturning circulation associated with these clouds.
Elena De La Torre Castro, Tina Jurkat-Witschas, Armin Afchine, Volker Grewe, Valerian Hahn, Simon Kirschler, Martina Krämer, Johannes Lucke, Nicole Spelten, Heini Wernli, Martin Zöger, and Christiane Voigt
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13167–13189, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13167-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13167-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we show the differences in the microphysical properties between high-latitude (HL) cirrus and mid-latitude (ML) cirrus over the Arctic, North Atlantic, and central Europe during summer. The in situ measurements are combined with backward trajectories to investigate the influence of the region on cloud formation. We show that HL cirrus are characterized by a lower concentration of larger ice crystals when compared to ML cirrus.
Timo Schmid, Valentina Radić, Andrew Tedstone, James M. Lea, Stephen Brough, and Mauro Hermann
The Cryosphere, 17, 3933–3954, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3933-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3933-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The Greenland Ice Sheet contributes strongly to sea level rise in the warming climate. One process that can affect the ice sheet's mass balance is short-term ice speed-up events. These can be caused by high melting or rainfall as the water flows underneath the glacier and allows for faster sliding. In this study we found three main weather patterns that cause such ice speed-up events on the Russell Glacier in southwest Greenland and analyzed how they induce local melting and ice accelerations.
Mark J. Rodwell and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 4, 591–615, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-591-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-591-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Midlatitude storms and their downstream impacts have a major impact on society, yet their prediction is especially prone to uncertainty. While this can never be fully eliminated, we find that the initial rate of growth of uncertainty varies for a range of forecast models. Examination of the model of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) suggests ways in which uncertainty growth could be reduced, leading to sharper and more reliable forecasts over the first few days.
Alexander Scherrmann, Heini Wernli, and Emmanouil Flaounas
Weather Clim. Dynam., 4, 157–173, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-157-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-157-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the dynamical origin of the lower-atmospheric potential vorticity (PV; linked to the intensity of cyclones) in Mediterranean cyclones. We quantify the contribution of the cyclone and the environment by tracing PV backward in time and space and linking it to the track of the cyclone. We find that the lower-tropospheric PV is produced shortly before the cyclone's stage of highest intensity. We investigate the driving processes and use a global dataset and a process-resolving one.
Hanna Joos, Michael Sprenger, Hanin Binder, Urs Beyerle, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 4, 133–155, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-133-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-133-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Warm conveyor belts (WCBs) are strongly ascending, cloud- and precipitation-forming airstreams in extratropical cyclones. In this study we assess their representation in a climate simulation and their changes under global warming. They become moister, become more intense, and reach higher altitudes in a future climate, implying that they potentially have an increased impact on the mid-latitude flow.
Andreas Schäfler, Michael Sprenger, Heini Wernli, Andreas Fix, and Martin Wirth
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 999–1018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-999-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-999-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, airborne lidar profile measurements of H2O and O3 across a midlatitude jet stream are combined with analyses in tracer–trace space and backward trajectories. We highlight that transport and mixing processes in the history of the observed air masses are governed by interacting tropospheric weather systems on synoptic timescales. We show that these weather systems play a key role in the high variability of the paired H2O and O3 distributions near the tropopause.
Hanin Binder, Hanna Joos, Michael Sprenger, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 4, 19–37, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-19-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-19-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Warm conveyor belts (WCBs) are the main cloud- and precipitation-producing airstreams in extratropical cyclones. The latent heat release that occurs during cloud formation often contributes to the intensification of the associated cyclone. Based on the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble coupled climate simulations, we show that WCBs and associated latent heating will become stronger in a future climate and be even more important for explosive cyclone intensification than in the present.
Adrian Ringenbach, Peter Bebi, Perry Bartelt, Andreas Rigling, Marc Christen, Yves Bühler, Andreas Stoffel, and Andrin Caviezel
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 1303–1319, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1303-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1303-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The presented automatic deadwood generator (ADG) allows us to consider deadwood in rockfall simulations in unprecedented detail. Besides three-dimensional fresh deadwood cones, we include old woody debris in rockfall simulations based on a higher compaction rate and lower energy absorption thresholds. Simulations including different deadwood states indicate that a 10-year-old deadwood pile has a higher protective capacity than a pre-storm forest stand.
S. Mubashshir Ali, Matthias Röthlisberger, Tess Parker, Kai Kornhuber, and Olivia Martius
Weather Clim. Dynam., 3, 1139–1156, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-1139-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-1139-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Persistent weather can lead to extreme weather conditions. One such atmospheric flow pattern, termed recurrent Rossby wave packets (RRWPs), has been shown to increase persistent weather in the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we show that RRWPs are also an important feature in the Southern Hemisphere. We evaluate the role of RRWPs during south-eastern Australian heatwaves and find that they help to persist the heatwaves by forming upper-level high-pressure systems over south-eastern Australia.
Adrian Ringenbach, Elia Stihl, Yves Bühler, Peter Bebi, Perry Bartelt, Andreas Rigling, Marc Christen, Guang Lu, Andreas Stoffel, Martin Kistler, Sandro Degonda, Kevin Simmler, Daniel Mader, and Andrin Caviezel
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2433–2443, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2433-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2433-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Forests have a recognized braking effect on rockfalls. The impact of lying deadwood, however, is mainly neglected. We conducted 1 : 1-scale rockfall experiments in three different states of a spruce forest to fill this knowledge gap: the original forest, the forest including lying deadwood and the cleared area. The deposition points clearly show that deadwood has a protective effect. We reproduced those experimental results numerically, considering three-dimensional cones to be deadwood.
Matthias Röthlisberger, Barbara Scherrer, Andries Jan de Vries, and Raphael Portmann
Weather Clim. Dynam., 3, 733–754, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-733-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-733-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We examine the palette of synoptic storylines accompanying unusually long wet spells in Europe. Thereby, we identify a hitherto not documented mechanism for generating long wet spells which involves recurrent Rossby wave breaking and subsequent cutoff replenishment. Understanding the synoptic processes behind long wet spells is relevant in light of projected changes in wet spell characteristics as it is a prerequisite for evaluating climate models with regard to such events.
Andries Jan de Vries, Franziska Aemisegger, Stephan Pfahl, and Heini Wernli
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 8863–8895, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8863-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8863-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The Earth's water cycle contains the common H2O molecule but also the less abundant, heavier HDO. We use their different physical properties to study tropical ice clouds in model simulations of the West African monsoon. Isotope signals reveal different processes through which ice clouds form and decay in deep-convective and widespread cirrus. Previously observed variations in upper-tropospheric vapour isotopes are explained by microphysical processes in convective updraughts and downdraughts.
Philipp Zschenderlein and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 3, 391–411, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-391-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-391-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Precipitation and temperature are two of the most important variables describing our weather and climate. The relationship between these variables has been studied extensively; however, the role of specific weather systems in shaping this relationship has not been analysed yet. We therefore analyse whether intense precipitation occurs on warmer or on colder days and identify the relevant weather systems. In general, weather systems strongly influence this relationship, especially in winter.
Jan Clemens, Felix Ploeger, Paul Konopka, Raphael Portmann, Michael Sprenger, and Heini Wernli
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 3841–3860, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-3841-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-3841-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Highly polluted air flows from the surface to higher levels of the atmosphere during the Asian summer monsoon. At high levels, the air is trapped within eddies. Here, we study how air masses can leave the eddy within its cutoff, how they distribute, and how their chemical composition changes. We found evidence for transport from the eddy to higher latitudes over the North Pacific and even Alaska. During transport, trace gas concentrations within cutoffs changed gradually, showing steady mixing.
Katharina Hartmuth, Maxi Boettcher, Heini Wernli, and Lukas Papritz
Weather Clim. Dynam., 3, 89–111, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-89-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-89-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we introduce a novel method to objectively define and identify extreme Arctic seasons based on different surface variables. We find that such seasons are resulting from various combinations of unusual seasonal conditions. The occurrence or absence of different atmospheric processes strongly affects the character of extreme Arctic seasons. Further, changes in sea ice and sea surface temperature can strongly influence the formation of such a season in distinct regions.
Leonie Villiger, Heini Wernli, Maxi Boettcher, Martin Hagen, and Franziska Aemisegger
Weather Clim. Dynam., 3, 59–88, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-59-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-59-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The coupling between the large-scale atmospheric circulation and the clouds in the trade-wind region is complex and not yet fully understood. In this study, the formation pathway of two anomalous cloud layers over Barbados during the field campaign EUREC4A is described. The two case studies highlight the influence of remote weather systems on the local environmental conditions in Barbados.
Philipp Zschenderlein and Heini Wernli
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2021-396, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2021-396, 2022
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
In early January 2021, Spain was affected by two extreme events – an unusually long cold spell and a heavy snowfall event associated with extratropical cyclone Filomena. In the study, we analyse the synoptic-dynamic development of the two extreme events. Cold air from the north was advected towards Spain and between 07 and 10 January, cyclone Filomena was responsible for major parts of the snowfall event. During this event, temperature and moisture contrasts accross Spain were very high.
Roman Attinger, Elisa Spreitzer, Maxi Boettcher, Heini Wernli, and Hanna Joos
Weather Clim. Dynam., 2, 1073–1091, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-1073-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-1073-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Diabatic processes affect the development of extratropical cyclones. This work provides a systematic assessment of the diabatic processes that modify potential vorticity (PV) in model simulations. PV is primarily produced by condensation and convection. Given favorable environmental conditions, long-wave radiative cooling and turbulence become the primary process at the cold and warm fronts, respectively. Turbulence and long-wave radiative heating produce negative PV anomalies at the fronts.
Fabienne Dahinden, Franziska Aemisegger, Heini Wernli, Matthias Schneider, Christopher J. Diekmann, Benjamin Ertl, Peter Knippertz, Martin Werner, and Stephan Pfahl
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 16319–16347, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16319-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16319-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We use high-resolution numerical isotope modelling and Lagrangian backward trajectories to identify moisture transport pathways and governing physical and dynamical processes that affect the free-tropospheric humidity and isotopic variability over the eastern subtropical North Atlantic. Furthermore, we conduct a thorough isotope modelling validation with aircraft and remote-sensing observations of water vapour isotopes.
Cornelius Senf and Rupert Seidl
Biogeosciences, 18, 5223–5230, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5223-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5223-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Europe was affected by an extreme drought in 2018. We show that this drought has increased forest disturbances across Europe, especially central and eastern Europe. Disturbance levels observed 2018–2020 were the highest on record for 30 years. Increased forest disturbances were correlated with low moisture and high atmospheric water demand. The unprecedented impacts of the 2018 drought on forest disturbances demonstrate an urgent need to adapt Europe’s forests to a hotter and drier future.
Raphael Portmann, Michael Sprenger, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 2, 507–534, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-507-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-507-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We explore the three-dimensional life cycle of cyclonic structures
(so-called PV cutoffs) near the tropopause. PV cutoffs are frequent weather systems in the extratropics that lead to high-impact weather. However, many unknowns exist regarding their evolution. We present a new method to track PV cutoffs as 3D objects in reanalysis data by following air parcels along the flow. We study the climatological life cycles of PV cutoffs in detail and propose a classification into three types.
Iris Thurnherr, Katharina Hartmuth, Lukas Jansing, Josué Gehring, Maxi Boettcher, Irina Gorodetskaya, Martin Werner, Heini Wernli, and Franziska Aemisegger
Weather Clim. Dynam., 2, 331–357, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-331-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-331-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Extratropical cyclones are important for the transport of moisture from low to high latitudes. In this study, we investigate how the isotopic composition of water vapour is affected by horizontal temperature advection associated with extratropical cyclones using measurements and modelling. It is shown that air–sea moisture fluxes induced by this horizontal temperature advection lead to the strong variability observed in the isotopic composition of water vapour in the marine boundary layer.
Maxi Boettcher, Andreas Schäfler, Michael Sprenger, Harald Sodemann, Stefan Kaufmann, Christiane Voigt, Hans Schlager, Donato Summa, Paolo Di Girolamo, Daniele Nerini, Urs Germann, and Heini Wernli
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 5477–5498, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-5477-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-5477-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Warm conveyor belts (WCBs) are important airstreams in extratropical cyclones, often leading to the formation of intense precipitation. We present a case study that involves aircraft, lidar and radar observations of water and clouds in a WCB ascending from western Europe across the Alps towards the Baltic Sea during the field campaigns HyMeX and T-NAWDEX-Falcon in October 2012. A probabilistic trajectory measure and an airborne tracer experiment were used to confirm the long pathway of the WCB.
Franziska Aemisegger, Raphaela Vogel, Pascal Graf, Fabienne Dahinden, Leonie Villiger, Friedhelm Jansen, Sandrine Bony, Bjorn Stevens, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 2, 281–309, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-281-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-281-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The interaction of clouds in the trade wind region with the atmospheric flow is complex and at the heart of uncertainties associated with climate projections. In this study, a natural tracer of atmospheric circulation is used to establish a link between air originating from dry regions of the midlatitudes and the occurrence of specific cloud patterns. Two pathways involving transport within midlatitude weather systems are identified, by which air is brought into the trades within 5–10 d.
Annika Oertel, Michael Sprenger, Hanna Joos, Maxi Boettcher, Heike Konow, Martin Hagen, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 2, 89–110, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-89-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-89-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Convection embedded in the stratiform cloud band of strongly ascending airstreams in extratropical cyclones (so-called warm conveyor belts) can influence not only surface precipitation but also the
upper-tropospheric potential vorticity (PV) and waveguide. The comparison of intense vs. moderate embedded convection shows that its strength alone is not a reliable measure for upper-tropospheric PV modification. Instead, characteristics of the ambient flow co-determine its dynamical significance.
Emmanouil Flaounas, Matthias Röthlisberger, Maxi Boettcher, Michael Sprenger, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 2, 71–88, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-71-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-71-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In this study we identify the wettest seasons globally and address their meteorological characteristics. We show that in different regions the wettest seasons occur in different times of the year and result from either unusually high frequencies of wet days and/or daily extremes. These high frequencies can be largely attributed to four specific weather systems, especially cyclones. Our analysis uses a thoroughly explained, novel methodology that could also be applied to climate models.
Sebastian Schemm, Heini Wernli, and Hanin Binder
Weather Clim. Dynam., 2, 55–69, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-55-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-55-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
North Pacific cyclone intensities are reduced in winter, which is in contrast to North Atlantic cyclones and unexpected from the high available growth potential in winter. We investigate this intensity suppression from a cyclone life-cycle perspective and show that in winter Kuroshio cyclones propagate away from the region where they can grow more quickly, East China Sea cyclones are not relevant before spring, and Kamchatka cyclones grow in a region of reduced growth potential.
Stefan Rüdisühli, Michael Sprenger, David Leutwyler, Christoph Schär, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 1, 675–699, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-675-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-675-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Most precipitation over Europe is linked to low-pressure systems, cold fronts, warm fronts, or high-pressure systems. Based on a massive computer simulation able to resolve thunderstorms, we quantify in detail how much precipitation these weather systems produced during 2000–2008. We find distinct seasonal and regional differences, such as fronts precipitating a lot in fall and winter over the North Atlantic but high-pressure systems mostly in summer over the continent by way of thunderstorms.
Raphael Portmann, Juan Jesús González-Alemán, Michael Sprenger, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 1, 597–615, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-597-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-597-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
In September 2018 an intense Mediterranean cyclone with structural similarities to a hurricane, a so-called medicane, caused severe damage in Greece. Its development was uncertain, even just a few days in advance. The reason for this was uncertainties in the jet stream over the North Atlantic 3 d prior to cyclogenesis that propagated into the Mediterranean. They led to an uncertain position of the upper-level disturbance and, as a result, of the position and thermal structure of the cyclone.
Hanin Binder, Maxi Boettcher, Hanna Joos, Michael Sprenger, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 1, 577–595, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-577-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-577-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Warm conveyor belts (WCBs) are important cloud- and
precipitation-producing airstreams in extratropical cyclones. By combining satellite observations with model data from a new reanalysis dataset, this study provides detailed observational insight into the vertical cloud structure of WCBs. We find that the reanalyses essentially capture the observed cloud pattern, but the observations reveal mesoscale structures not resolved by the temporally and spatially much coarser-resolution model data.
Mauro Hermann, Lukas Papritz, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 1, 497–518, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-497-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-497-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We find, by tracing backward in time, that air masses causing extensive melt of the Greenland Ice Sheet originate from further south and lower altitudes than usual. Their exceptional warmth further arises due to ascent and cloud formation, which is special compared to near-surface heat waves in the midlatitudes or the central Arctic. The atmospheric systems and transport pathways identified here are crucial in understanding and simulating the atmospheric control of the ice sheet in the future.
Cited articles
Ali, S. M., Martius, O., and Röthlisberger, M.: Recurrent Rossby wave packets
modulate the persistence of dry and wet spells across the globe, Geophys.
Res. Lett., 48, e2020GL091452, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091452, 2021. a
Allen, C. D., Macalady, A. K., Chenchouni, H., Bachelet, D., McDowell, N.,
Vennetier, M., Kitzberger, T., Rigling, A., Breshears, D. D., Hogg, E. T.,
Gonzalez, P., Fensham, R., Zhang, Z., Castro, J., Demidova, N., Lim, J.-H.,
Allard, G., Running, S. W., Semerci, A., and Cobb, N.: A global overview of
drought and heat-induced tree mortality reveals emerging climate change risks
for forests, For. Ecol. Manag., 259, 660–684,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.09.001, 2010. a
Allen, C. D., Breshears, D. D., and McDowell, N. G.: On underestimation of
global vulnerability to tree mortality and forest die-off from hotter drought
in the Anthropocene, Ecosphere, 6, 129, https://doi.org/10.1890/ES15-00203.1, 2015. a, b
Anderegg, W. R. L., Schwalm, C., Biondi, F., Camarero, J. J., Koch, G., Litvak,
M., Ogle, K., Shaw, J. D., Shevliakova, E., Williams, A. P., Wolf, A., Ziaco,
E., and Pacala, S.: Pervasive drought legacies in forest ecosystems and their
implications for carbon cycle models, Science, 349, 528–532,
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aab1833, 2015. a, b
Anderegg, W. R. L., Trugman, A. T., Badgley, G., Konings, A. G., and Shaw, J.:
Divergent forest sensitivity to repeated extreme droughts, Nat. Clim. Change,
10, 1091–1095, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-00919-1, 2020. a, b
Anyamba, A. and Tucker, C. J.: Historical perspective of AVHRR NDVI and
vegetation drought monitoring, in: Remote Sensing of Drought: Innovative
Monitoring Approaches, edited by: Wardlow, B. D., Anderson, M. C., and Verdin,
J. P., CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, Florida, USA,
23–50, 2012. a, b
Bascietto, M., Bajocco, S., Mazzenga, F., and Matteucci, G.: Assessing spring
frost effects on beech forests in Central Apennines from remotely-sensed
data, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 248, 240–250,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2017.10.007, 2018. a
Bastos, A., Ciais, P., Park, T., Zscheischler, J., Yue, C., Barichivich, J.,
Myneni, R. B., Peng, S., Piao, S., and Zhu, Z.: Was the extreme Northern
Hemisphere greening in 2015 predictable?, Environ. Res. Lett., 12, 044016,
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa67b5, 2017. a
Bastos, A., Ciais, P., Friedlingstein, P., Sitch, S., Pongratz, J., Fan, L.,
Wigneron, J. P., Weber, U., Reichstein, M., Fu, Z., Anthoni, P., Arneth, A.,
Haverd, V., Jain, A. K., Joetzjer, E., Knauer, J., Lienert, S., Loughran, T.,
McGuire, P. C., Tian, H., Viovy, N., and Zaehle, S.: Direct and seasonal
legacy effects of the 2018 heat wave and drought on European ecosystem
productivity, Sci. Adv., 6, eaba2724, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aba2724,
2020a. a, b, c
Bastos, A., Fu, Z., Ciais, P., Friedlingstein, P., Sitch, S., Pongratz, J.,
Weber, U., Reichstein, M., Anthoni, P., Arneth, A., Haverd, V., Jain, A.,
Joetzjer, E., Knauer, J., Lienert, S., Loughran, T., McGuire, P. C.,
Obermeier, W., Padrón, R. S., Shi, H., Tian, H., Viovy, N., and Zaehle, S.:
Impacts of extreme summers on European ecosystems: a comparative analysis of
2003, 2010 and 2018, Philos. T. Roy. Soc. B, 375, 20190507,
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0507, 2020b. a
Biedermann, P. H., Müller, J., Grégoire, J.-C., Gruppe, A., Hagge, J.,
Hammerbacher, A., Hofstetter, R. W., Kandasamy, D., Kolarik, M., Kostovcik,
M., Krokene, P., Sallé, A., Six, D. L., Turrini, T., Vanderpool, D.,
Wingfield, M. J., and Bässler, C.: Bark beetle population dynamics in the
Anthropocene: challenges and solutions, Trends Ecol. Evol., 34, 914–924,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2019.06.002, 2019. a
Bigler, C. and Vitasse, Y.: Premature leaf discoloration of European deciduous
trees is caused by drought and heat in late spring and cold spells in early
fall, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 307, 108492,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108492, 2021. a
Bose, A. K., Gessler, A., Bolte, A., Bottero, A., Buras, A., Cailleret, M.,
Camarero, J. J., Haeni, M., Hereş, A., Hevia, A., Lévesque, M., Linares,
J. C., Martinez‐Vilalta, J., Matías, L., Menzel, A., Sánchez‐Salguero,
R., Saurer, M., Vennetier, M., Ziche, D., and Rigling, A.: Growth and
resilience responses of Scots pine to extreme droughts across Europe depend
on predrought growth conditions, Glob. Chang. Biol., 26, 4521–4537,
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15153, 2020. a, b
Bose, A. K., Scherrer, D., Camarero, J. J., Ziche, D., Babst, F., Bigler, C.,
Bolte, A., Dorado-Liñán, I., Etzold, S., Fonti, P., Forrester, D. I.,
Gavinet, J., Gazol, A., de Andrés, E. G., Karger, D. N., Lebourgeois, F.,
Lévesque, M., Martínez-Sancho, E., Menzel, A., Neuwirth, B., Nicolas, M.,
Sanders, T. G., Scharnweber, T., Schröder, J., Zweifel, R., Gessler, A., and
Rigling, A.: Climate sensitivity and drought seasonality determine
post-drought growth recovery of Quercus petraea and Quercus robur in Europe,
Sci. Total Environ., 784, 147222, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147222,
2021. a
Brodribb, T. J., Powers, J., Cochard, H., and Choat, B.: Hanging by a thread?
Forests and drought, Science, 368, 261–266, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat7631,
2020. a, b, c
Buras, A., Schunk, C., Zeiträg, C., Herrmann, C., Kaiser, L., Lemme, H.,
Straub, C., Taeger, S., Gößwein, S., Klemmt, H.-J., and Menzel, A.: Are
Scots pine forest edges particularly prone to drought-induced mortality?,
Environ. Res. Lett., 13, 025001, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aaa0b4, 2018. a
Camarero, J. J., Álvaro Rubio-Cuadrado, and Gazol, A.: Climate windows of
intra-annual growth and post-drought recovery in Mediterranean trees, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 308–309, 108606, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108606,
2021. a
Ciais, P., Reichstein, M., Viovy, N., Granier, A., Ogée, J., Allard, V.,
Aubinet, M., Buchmann, N., Bernhofer, C., Carrara, A., Chevallier, F.,
Noblet, N. D., Friend, A. D., Friedlingstein, P., Grünwald, T., Heinesch,
B., Keronen, P., Knohl, A., Krinner, G., Loustau, D., Manca, G., Matteucci,
G., Miglietta, F., Ourcival, J. M., Papale, D., Pilegaard, K., Rambal, S.,
Seufert, G., Soussana, J. F., Sanz, M. J., Schulze, E. D., Vesala, T., and
Valentini, R.: Europe-wide reduction in primary productivity caused by the
heat and drought in 2003, Nature, 437, 529–533, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03972,
2005. a, b
Cindrić, K., Prtenjak, M. T., Herceg-Bulić, I., Mihajlović, D., and
Pasarić, Z.: Analysis of the extraordinary 2011/2012 drought in Croatia,
Theor. Appl. Climatol., 123, 503–522, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-014-1368-8, 2016. a
Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service: Europe’s summer wildfire
emissions highest in 15 years,
https://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/europes-summer-wildfire-emissions-highest-15-years,
last access: 21 October 2022. a
Copernicus Climate Change Service, Climate Data Store: ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1940 to present, [data set], https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/cdsapp##!/dataset/reanalysis-era5-pressure-levels?tab=form (last access: 27 November 2022), 2018. a
Didan, K.: MOD13Q1 MODIS/Terra Vegetation Indices 16-Day L3 Global 250m SIN
Grid V006, https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD13Q1.006, 2015. a
EFFIS: EFFIS Estimates for European Union,
https://effis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/apps/effis.statistics/estimates,
last access: 21 October 2022. a
Etzold, S., Wunder, J., Braun, S., Rohner, B., Bigler, C., Abegg, M., and
Rigling, A.: Mortalität von Waldbäumen: Ursache und Trends, in: Wald im
Klimawandel. Grundlagen für Adaptationsstrategien, edited by: Pluess, A. R.,
Augustin, S., and Brang, P., Haupt Verlag, Bern, Stuttgart,
Wien, 177–197, 2016. a
Etzold, S., Ziemińska, K., Rohner, B., Bottero, A., Bose, A. K., Ruehr, N. K.,
Zingg, A., and Rigling, A.: One century of forest monitoring data in
Switzerland reveals species- and site-specific trends of climate-induced tree
mortality, Front. Plant Sci., 10, 307, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00307, 2019. a
Feichtinger, L. M., Eilmann, B., Buchmann, N., and Rigling, A.: Growth
adjustments of conifers to drought and to century-long irrigation, For. Ecol.
Manage., 334, 96–105, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2014.08.008, 2014. a
Feichtinger, L. M., Eilmann, B., Buchmann, N., and Rigling, A.: Trait-specific
responses of Scots pine to irrigation on a short vs long time scale, Tree
Physiol., 35, 160–171, https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpu114, 2015. a
Fischer, E. M., Seneviratne, S. I., Vidale, P. L., Lüthi, D., and Schär, C.:
Soil moisture-atmosphere interactions during the 2003 European summer heat
wave, J. Climate, 20, 5081–5099, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI4288.1, 2007. a
Forzieri, G., Girardello, M., Ceccherini, G., Spinoni, J., Feyen, L., Hartmann,
H., Beck, P. S. A., Camps-Valls, G., Chirici, G., Mauri, A., and Cescatti,
A.: Emergent vulnerability to climate-driven disturbances in European
forests, Nat. Commun., 12, 1081, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21399-7, 2021. a
Frei, E. R., Gossner, M. M., Vitasse, Y., Queloz, V., Dubach, V., Gessler, A.,
Ginzler, C., Hagedorn, F., Meusburger, K., Moor, M., Vives, E. S., Rigling,
A., Uitentuis, I., von Arx, G., and Wohlgemuth, T.: European beech dieback
after premature leaf senescence during the 2018 drought in northern
Switzerland, Plant Biol., 24, 1132–1145, https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.13467, 2022. a
Gessler, A., Bottero, A., Marshall, J., and Arend, M.: The way back: recovery
of trees from drought and its implication for acclimation, New Phytol., 228,
1704–1709, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.16703, 2020. a
Gouveia, C., Trigo, R. M., and DaCamara, C. C.: Drought and vegetation stress monitoring in Portugal using satellite data, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 9, 185–195, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-9-185-2009, 2009. a
Grossiord, C., Granier, A., Ratcliffe, S., Bouriaud, O., Bruelheide, H.,
Checko, E., Forrester, D. I., Dawud, S. M., Finer, L., Pollastrini, M.,
Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Valladares, F., Bonal, D., and Gessler, A.: Tree
diversity does not always improve resistance of forest ecosystems to drought,
P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 111, 14812–14815,
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1411970111, 2014. a
Grossiord, C., Buckley, T. N., Cernusak, L. A., Novick, K. A., Poulter, B.,
Siegwolf, R. T., Sperry, J. S., and McDowell, N. G.: Plant responses to
rising vapor pressure deficit, New Phytol., 226, 1550–1566,
https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.16485, 2020. a
Hansen, M. C., Potapov, P. V., Moore, R., Hancher, M., Turubanova, S. A.,
Tyukavina, A., Thau, D., Stehman, S. V., Goetz, S. J., Loveland, T. R.,
Kommareddy, A., Egorov, A., Chini, L., Justice, C. O., and Townshend, J.
R. G.: High-resolution global maps of 21st-century forest cover change,
Science, 342, 850–853, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1244693, 2013. a
Harpold, A. A., Molotch, N. P., Musselman, K. N., Bales, R. C., Kirchner,
P. B., Litvak, M., and Brooks, P. D.: Soil moisture response to snowmelt
timing in mixed-conifer subalpine forests, Hydrol. Process., 29, 2782–2798,
https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10400, 2015. a
Hersbach, H., Bell, B., Berrisford, P., Hirahara, S., Horányi, A.,
Muñoz-Sabater, J., Nicolas, J., Peubey, C., Radu, R., Schepers, D., Simmons,
A., Soci, C., Abdalla, S., Abellan, X., Balsamo, G., Bechtold, P., Biavati,
G., Bidlot, J., Bonavita, M., Chiara, G. D., Dahlgren, P., Dee, D.,
Diamantakis, M., Dragani, R., Flemming, J., Forbes, R., Fuentes, M., Geer,
A., Haimberger, L., Healy, S., Hogan, R. J., Hólm, E., Janisková, M.,
Keeley, S., Laloyaux, P., Lopez, P., Lupu, C., Radnoti, G., de Rosnay, P.,
Rozum, I., Vamborg, F., Villaume, S., and Thépaut, J. N.: The ERA5 global
reanalysis, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 146, 1999–2049, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3803,
2020. a
Hermann, M.: Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) based low forest greenness events in Europe in 2002–2022 (1.0), [data set], https://doi.org/20.500.11850/505559, 2022. a
Hlásny, T., Trombik, J., Bošeľa, M., Merganič, J., Marušák, R., Šebeň,
V., Štěpánek, P., Kubišta, J., and Trnka, M.: Climatic drivers of forest
productivity in Central Europe, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 234, 258–273,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2016.12.024, 2017. a
IPCC: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in:
Climate Change 2021, edited by Masson-Delmotte, V., Zhai, P., Pirani, A.,
Connors, S. L., Péan, C., Berger, S., Caud, N., Chen, Y., Goldfarb, L.,
Gomis, M. I., Huang, M., Leitzell, K., Lonnoy, E., Matthews, J. B. R.,
Maycock, T. K., Waterfield, T., Yelekçi, O., Yu, R., and Zhou, B., Cambridge
University Press, https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157896, 2021. a, b
Jakoby, O., Lischke, H., and Wermelinger, B.: Climate change alters elevational
phenology patterns of the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus),
Glob. Chang. Biol., 25, 4048–4063, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14766, 2019. a
Kannenberg, S. A., Novick, K. A., Alexander, M. R., Maxwell, J. T., Moore, D.
J. P., Phillips, R. P., and Anderegg, W. R. L.: Linking drought legacy
effects across scales: From leaves to tree rings to ecosystems, Glob. Chang.
Biol., 25, 2978–2992, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14710, 2019. a
Kennedy, R. E., Yang, Z., and Cohen, W. B.: Detecting trends in forest
disturbance and recovery using yearly Landsat time series: 1. LandTrendr –
Temporal segmentation algorithms, Remote Sens. Environ., 114, 2897–2910,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2010.07.008, 2010. a
Kittl, B.: Drought 2018: Beech trees with early discoloured foliage tend to die
in subsequent years,
https://www.wsl.ch/en/newsseiten/2022/09/drought-2018-beech-trees-with-early-discoloured-foliage-tend-to-die-in-subsequent-years.html,
last access: 25 October 2022. a
McDowell, N. G., Allen, C. D., Anderson-Teixeira, K., Aukema, B. H.,
Bond-Lamberty, B., Chini, L., Clark, J. S., Dietze, M., Grossiord, C.,
Hanbury-Brown, A., Hurtt, G. C., Jackson, R. B., Johnson, D. J., Kueppers,
L., Lichstein, J. W., Ogle, K., Poulter, B., Pugh, T. A. M., Seidl, R.,
Turner, M. G., Uriarte, M., Walker, A. P., and Xu, C.: Pervasive shifts in
forest dynamics in a changing world, Science, 368, eaaz9463,
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaz9463, 2020. a
Meehl, G. A. and Tebaldi, C.: More intense, more frequent, and longer lasting
heat waves in the 21st century, Science, 305, 994–997,
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1098704, 2004. a
Messori, G., Wu, M., Vico, G., and Galfi, V. M.: Atmospheric jet stream
variability reflects vegetation activity in Europe, Agr. Forest Meteorol.,
322, 109008, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2022.109008, 2022. a
Mohr, S., Wilhelm, J., Wandel, J., Kunz, M., Portmann, R., Punge, H. J.,
Schmidberger, M., Quinting, J. F., and Grams, C. M.: The role of large-scale
dynamics in an exceptional sequence of severe thunderstorms in Europe
May–June 2018, Weather Clim. Dynam., 1, 325–348,
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-325-2020, 2020. a
Nagel, T. A., Mikac, S., Dolinar, M., Klopcic, M., Keren, S., Svoboda, M.,
Diaci, J., Boncina, A., and Paulic, V.: The natural disturbance regime in
forests of the Dinaric Mountains: A synthesis of evidence, For. Ecol. Manag.,
388, 29–42, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2016.07.047, 2017. a
Neumann, M., Mues, V., Moreno, A., Hasenauer, H., and Seidl, R.: Climate
variability drives recent tree mortality in Europe, Glob. Chang. Biol., 23,
4788–4797, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13724, 2017. a
Ogaya, R., Liu, D., Barbeta, A., and Peñuelas, J.: Stem mortality and forest
dieback in a 20-years experimental drought in a Mediterranean Holm Oak
forest, Front. For. Glob., 2, 89, https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2019.00089, 2020. a
Orth, R., Zscheischler, J., and Seneviratne, S. I.: Record dry summer in 2015
challenges precipitation projections in Central Europe, Sci. Rep., 6,
28334, 28334, https://doi.org/10.1038/srep28334, 2016. a, b, c
Pausas, J. G. and Ribeiro, E.: The global fire-productivity relationship, Glob.
Ecol. Biogeogr., 22, 728–736, https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12043, 2013. a
Pfahl, S. and Wernli, H.: Quantifying the relevance of atmospheric blocking for
co-located temperature extremes in the Northern Hemisphere on (sub-)daily
time scales, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L12807, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL052261,
2012a. a, b
Pfahl, S. and Wernli, H.: Quantifying the relevance of cyclones for
precipitation extremes, J. Climate, 25, 6770–6780,
https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00705.1, 2012b. a
Rigling, A., Brühlhart, H., Bräker, O. U., Forster, T., and Schweingruber,
F. H.: Effects of irrigation on diameter growth and vertical resin duct
production in Pinus sylvestris L. on dry sites in the central Alps,
Switzerland, For. Ecol. Manag., 175, 285–296,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00136-6, 2003. a
Rigling, A., Bigler, C., Eilmann, B., Feldmeyer-Christe, E., Gimmi, U.,
Ginzler, C., Graf, U., Mayer, P., Vacchiano, G., Weber, P., Wohlgemuth, T.,
Zweifel, R., and Dobbertin, M.: Driving factors of a vegetation shift from
Scots pine to pubescent oak in dry Alpine forests, Glob. Chang. Biol., 19,
229–240, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12038, 2013. a
Rita, A., Camarero, J. J., Nolè, A., Borghetti, M., Brunetti, M., Pergola, N.,
Serio, C., Vicente‐Serrano, S. M., Tramutoli, V., and Ripullone, F.: The
impact of drought spells on forests depends on site conditions: The case of
2017 summer heat wave in southern Europe, Glob. Chang. Biol., 26, 851–863,
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14825, 2020. a
Russo, A., Gouveia, C. M., Dutra, E., Soares, P. M. M., and Trigo, R. M.: The
synergy between drought and extremely hot summers in the Mediterranean,
Environ. Res. Lett., 14, 014011, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aaf09e, 2019. a, b
Röthlisberger, M. and Martius, O.: Quantifying the local effect of Northern
Hemisphere atmospheric blocks on the persistence of summer hot and dry
spells, Geophys. Res. Lett., 46, 10101–10111,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083745, 2019. a
Röthlisberger, M., Pfahl, S., and Martius, O.: Regional-scale jet waviness
modulates the occurrence of midlatitude weather extremes, Geophys. Res.
Lett., 43, 10989–10997, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070944, 2016. a, b
Röthlisberger, M., Sprenger, M., Flaounas, E., Beyerle, U., and Wernli, H.:
The substructure of extremely hot summers in the Northern Hemisphere, Weather
Clim. Dynam., 1, 45–62, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-45-2020, 2020. a
Rüdisühli, S., Sprenger, M., Leutwyler, D., Schär, C., and Wernli, H.:
Attribution of precipitation to cyclones and fronts over Europe in a
kilometer-scale regional climate simulation, Weather Clim. Dynam., 1,
675–699, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-675-2020, 2020. a, b
Salomón, R. L., Peters, R. L., Zweifel, R., Sass-Klaassen, U. G. W.,
Stegehuis, A. I., Smiljanic, M., Poyatos, R., Babst, F., Cienciala, E.,
Fonti, P., Lerink, B. J. W., Lindner, M., Martinez-Vilalta, J., Mencuccini,
M., Nabuurs, G.-J., van der Maaten, E., von Arx, G., Bär, A., Akhmetzyanov,
L., Balanzategui, D., Bellan, M., Bendix, J., Berveiller, D., Blaženec, M.,
Čada, V., Carraro, V., Cecchini, S., Chan, T., Conedera, M., Delpierre, N.,
Delzon, S., Ľubica Ditmarová, Dolezal, J., Dufrêne, E., Edvardsson, J.,
Ehekircher, S., Forner, A., Frouz, J., Ganthaler, A., Gryc, V., Güney, A.,
Heinrich, I., Hentschel, R., Janda, P., Ježík, M., Kahle, H.-P., Knüsel,
S., Krejza, J., Łukasz Kuberski, Kučera, J., Lebourgeois, F., Mikoláš,
M., Matula, R., Mayr, S., Oberhuber, W., Obojes, N., Osborne, B., Paljakka,
T., Plichta, R., Rabbel, I., Rathgeber, C. B. K., Salmon, Y., Saunders, M.,
Scharnweber, T., Sitková, Z., Stangler, D. F., Stereńczak, K., Stojanović,
M., Střelcová, K., Světlík, J., Svoboda, M., Tobin, B., Trotsiuk, V.,
Urban, J., Valladares, F., Vavrčík, H., Vejpustková, M., Walthert, L.,
Wilmking, M., Zin, E., Zou, J., and Steppe, K.: The 2018 European heatwave
led to stem dehydration but not to consistent growth reductions in forests,
Nat. Commun., 13, 28, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27579-9, 2022. a
Santos, J. A., Pfahl, S., Pinto, J. G., and Wernli, H.: Mechanisms underlying
temperature extremes in Iberia: a Lagrangian perspective, Tellus A: Dyn.
Meteorol., 67, 26 032, https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v67.26032, 2015. a, b
Scherrer, D., Bader, M. K.-F., and Körner, C.: Drought-sensitivity ranking of
deciduous tree species based on thermal imaging of forest canopies, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 151, 1632–1640, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2011.06.019, 2011. a
Schubert, S. D., Stewart, R. E., Wang, H., Barlow, M., Berbery, E. H., Cai, W.,
Hoerling, M. P., Kanikicharla, K. K., Koster, R. D., Lyon, B., Mariotti, A.,
Mechoso, C. R., Müller, O. V., Rodriguez-Fonseca, B., Seager, R.,
Seneviratne, S. I., Zhang, L., and Zhou, T.: Global meteorological drought: a
synthesis of current understanding with a focus on SST drivers of
precipitation deficits, J. Climate, 29, 3989–4019,
https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-15-0452.1, 2016. a
Schuldt, B., Buras, A., Arend, M., Vitasse, Y., Beierkuhnlein, C., Damm, A.,
Gharun, M., Grams, T. E., Hauck, M., Hajek, P., Hartmann, H., Hiltbrunner,
E., Hoch, G., Holloway-Phillips, M., Körner, C., Larysch, E., Lübbe, T.,
Nelson, D. B., Rammig, A., Rigling, A., Rose, L., Ruehr, N. K., Schumann, K.,
Weiser, F., Werner, C., Wohlgemuth, T., Zang, C. S., and Kahmen, A.: A first
assessment of the impact of the extreme 2018 summer drought on Central
European forests, Basic Appl. Ecol., 45, 86–103,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2020.04.003, 2020. a, b, c
Schultz, J.: The Ecozones of the World, Springer Berlin Heidelberg,
https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-28527-X, 2005. a, b
Seftigen, K., Frank, D. C., Björklund, J., Babst, F., and Poulter, B.: The
climatic drivers of normalized difference vegetation index and
tree‐ring‐based estimates of forest productivity are spatially coherent
but temporally decoupled in Northern Hemispheric forests, Glob. Ecol.
Biogeogr., 27, 1352–1365, https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12802, 2018. a
Seidl, R., Schelhaas, M.-J., Rammer, W., and Verkerk, P. J.: Increasing forest
disturbances in Europe and their impact on carbon storage, Nat. Clim. Change,
4, 806–810, https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2318, 2014. a
Seidl, R., Thom, D., Kautz, M., Martin-Benito, D., Peltoniemi, M., Vacchiano,
G., Wild, J., Ascoli, D., Petr, M., Honkaniemi, J., Lexer, M. J., Trotsiuk,
V., Mairota, P., Svoboda, M., Fabrika, M., Nagel, T. A., and Reyer, C. P. O.:
Forest disturbances under climate change, Nat. Clim. Change, 7, 395–402,
https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3303, 2017. a, b
Seidl, R., Honkaniemi, J., Aakala, T., Aleinikov, A., Angelstam, P., Bouchard,
M., Boulanger, Y., Burton, P. J., Grandpré, L. D., Gauthier, S., Hansen,
W. D., Jepsen, J. U., Jõgiste, K., Kneeshaw, D. D., Kuuluvainen, T.,
Lisitsyna, O., Makoto, K., Mori, A. S., Pureswaran, D. S., Shorohova, E.,
Shubnitsina, E., Taylor, A. R., Vladimirova, N., Vodde, F., and Senf, C.:
Globally consistent climate sensitivity of natural disturbances across boreal
and temperate forest ecosystems, Ecography, 43, 967–978,
https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04995, 2020. a, b
Seneviratne, S. I., Corti, T., Davin, E. L., Hirschi, M., Jaeger, E. B.,
Lehner, I., Orlowsky, B., and Teuling, A. J.: Investigating soil
moisture–climate interactions in a changing climate: A review, Earth-Sci.
Rev., 99, 125–161, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2010.02.004, 2010. a, b
Senf, C.: Ccorneliussenf/MappingForestDisturbancesEurope 1.0 (1.0), Zenodo, [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3925446, 2020. a
Senf, C. and Seidl, R.: Persistent impacts of the 2018 drought on forest disturbance regimes in Europe, Biogeosciences, 18, 5223–5230, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5223-2021, 2021b. a
Senf, C. and Seidl, R.: Storm and fire disturbances in Europe: Distribution and
trends, Glob. Chang. Biol., 27, 3605–3619, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15679,
2021c. a, b
Senf, C., Buras, A., Zang, C. S., Rammig, A., and Seidl, R.: Excess forest
mortality is consistently linked to drought across Europe, Nat. Commun., 11,
6200, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19924-1, 2020. a, b, c, d
Sommerfeld, A., Senf, C., Buma, B., D’Amato, A. W., Després, T.,
Díaz-Hormazábal, I., Fraver, S., Frelich, L. E., Álvaro G. Gutiérrez,
Hart, S. J., Harvey, B. J., He, H. S., Hlásny, T., Holz, A., Kitzberger, T.,
Kulakowski, D., Lindenmayer, D., Mori, A. S., Müller, J., Paritsis, J.,
Perry, G. L. W., Stephens, S. L., Svoboda, M., Turner, M. G., Veblen, T. T.,
and Seidl, R.: Patterns and drivers of recent disturbances across the
temperate forest biome, Nat. Commun., 9, 4355,
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06788-9, 2018. a
Sousa, P. M., Trigo, R. M., Barriopedro, D., Soares, P. M. M., and Santos,
J. A.: European temperature responses to blocking and ridge regional
patterns, Clim. Dynam., 50, 457–477, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-017-3620-2, 2018. a
Spensberger, C., Madonna, E., Boettcher, M., Grams, C. M., Papritz, L.,
Quinting, J. F., Röthlisberger, M., Sprenger, M., and Zschenderlein, P.:
Dynamics of concurrent and sequential Central European and Scandinavian
heatwaves, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 146, 2998–3013, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3822,
2020. a
Sprenger, M., Fragkoulidis, G., Binder, H., Croci-Maspoli, M., Graf, P., Grams,
C. M., Knippertz, P., Madonna, E., Schemm, S., Škerlak, B., and Wernli, H.:
Global Climatologies of Eulerian and Lagrangian Flow Features based on
ERA-Interim, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 98, 1739–1748,
https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-15-00299.1, 2017. a
Stuart-Haëntjens, E., Boeck, H. J. D., Lemoine, N. P., Mänd, P.,
Kröel-Dulay, G., Schmidt, I. K., Jentsch, A., Stampfli, A., Anderegg, W. R.,
Bahn, M., Kreyling, J., Wohlgemuth, T., Lloret, F., Classen, A. T., Gough,
C. M., and Smith, M. D.: Mean annual precipitation predicts primary
production resistance and resilience to extreme drought, Sci. Total Environ.,
636, 360–366, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.290, 2018. a
Tague, C. L., Moritz, M., and Hanan, E.: The changing water cycle: The
eco‐hydrologic impacts of forest density reduction in Mediterranean
(seasonally dry) regions, WIREs Water, 6, e1350, https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1350,
2019. a
Temperli, C., Bugmann, H., and Elkin, C.: Cross-scale interactions among bark
beetles, climate change, and wind disturbances: a landscape modeling
approach, Ecol. Monogr., 83, 383–402, https://doi.org/10.1890/12-1503.1, 2013. a
Thom, D., Rammer, W., Garstenauer, R., and Seidl, R.: Legacies of past land use have a stronger effect on forest carbon exchange than future climate change in a temperate forest landscape, Biogeosciences, 15, 5699–5713, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5699-2018, 2018. a
Trenberth, K. E., Dai, A., van der Schrier, G., Jones, P. D., Barichivich, J.,
Briffa, K. R., and Sheffield, J.: Global warming and changes in drought, Nat.
Clim. Change, 4, 17–22, https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2067, 2014. a
Trotsiuk, V., Hartig, F., Cailleret, M., Babst, F., Forrester, D. I.,
Baltensweiler, A., Buchmann, N., Bugmann, H., Gessler, A., Gharun, M.,
Minunno, F., Rigling, A., Rohner, B., Stillhard, J., Thürig, E., Waldner,
P., Ferretti, M., Eugster, W., and Schaub, M.: Assessing the response of
forest productivity to climate extremes in Switzerland using model–data
fusion, Glob. Chang. Biol., 26, 2463–2476, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15011, 2020. a
Tucker, C. J.: Red and photographic infrared linear combinations for monitoring
vegetation, Remote Sens. Environ., 8, 127–150,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0034-4257(79)90013-0, 1979. a
Turco, M., von Hardenberg, J., AghaKouchak, A., Llasat, M. C., Provenzale, A.,
and Trigo, R. M.: On the key role of droughts in the dynamics of summer fires
in Mediterranean Europe, Sci. Rep., 7, 81, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-00116-9,
2017. a, b
Vanoni, M., Bugmann, H., Nötzli, M., and Bigler, C.: Quantifying the effects
of drought on abrupt growth decreases of major tree species in Switzerland,
Ecol. Evol., 6, 3555–3570, https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2146, 2016. a
Varol, T. and Ertuğrul, M.: Analysis of the forest fires in the Antalya region
of Turkey using the Keetch–Byram drought index, J. For. Res., 27, 811–819,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-016-0235-0, 2016. a
Vitasse, Y., Bottero, A., Cailleret, M., Bigler, C., Fonti, P., Gessler, A.,
Lévesque, M., Rohner, B., Weber, P., Rigling, A., and Wohlgemuth, T.:
Contrasting resistance and resilience to extreme drought and late spring
frost in five major European tree species, Glob. Chang. Biol., 25,
3781–3792, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14803, 2019. a, b
Wernli, H. and Schwierz, C.: Surface Cyclones in the ERA-40 Dataset
(1958–2001). Part I: Novel Identification Method and Global Climatology, J.
Atmos. Sci., 63, 2486–2507, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS3766.1, 2006. a, b
Williams, A. P., Allen, C. D., Macalady, A. K., Griffin, D., Woodhouse, C. A.,
Meko, D. M., Swetnam, T. W., Rauscher, S. A., Seager, R., Grissino-Mayer,
H. D., Dean, J. S., Cook, E. R., Gangodagamage, C., Cai, M., and McDowell,
N. G.: Temperature as a potent driver of regional forest drought stress and
tree mortality, Nat. Clim. Change, 3, 292–297, https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1693,
2013. a, b
Wolf, G., Brayshaw, D. J., Klingaman, N. P., and Czaja, A.: Quasi‐stationary
waves and their impact on European weather and extreme events, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 144, 2431–2448, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3310, 2018. a
Wolf, S., Eugster, W., Ammann, C., Häni, M., Zielis, S., Hiller, R., Stieger,
J., Imer, D., Merbold, L., and Buchmann, N.: Contrasting response of
grassland versus forest carbon and water fluxes to spring drought in
Switzerland, Environ. Res. Lett., 8, 035007,
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/8/3/035007, 2013. a
Yuan, W., Zheng, Y., Piao, S., Ciais, P., Lombardozzi, D., Wang, Y., Ryu, Y.,
Chen, G., Dong, W., Hu, Z., Jain, A. K., Jiang, C., Kato, E., Li, S.,
Lienert, S., Liu, S., Nabel, J. E., Qin, Z., Quine, T., Sitch, S., Smith,
W. K., Wang, F., Wu, C., Xiao, Z., and Yang, S.: Increased atmospheric vapor
pressure deficit reduces global vegetation growth, Sci. Adv., 5, eaax1396,
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aax1396, 2019. a
Zang, C. S., Buras, A., Esquivel‐Muelbert, A., Jump, A. S., Rigling, A., and
Rammig, A.: Standardized drought indices in ecological research: Why one size
does not fit all, Glob. Chang. Biol., 26, 322–324, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14809,
2020.
a
Zhang, Y., Keenan, T. F., and Zhou, S.: Exacerbated drought impacts on global
ecosystems due to structural overshoot, Nat. Ecol. Evol., 5, 1490–1498,
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01551-8, 2021. a, b, c, d
Zschenderlein, P., Fink, A. H., Pfahl, S., and Wernli, H.: Processes
determining heat waves across different European climates, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 145, 2973–2989, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3599, 2019. a, b, c
Short summary
This study examines the multi-annual meteorological history of low-forest-greenness events in Europe's temperate and Mediterranean biome in 2002–2022. We systematically identify anomalies in temperature, precipitation, and weather systems as event precursors, with noteworthy differences between the two biomes. We also quantify the impact of the most extensive event in 2022 (37 % coverage), underlining the importance of understanding the forest–meteorology interaction in a changing climate.
This study examines the multi-annual meteorological history of low-forest-greenness events in...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint