Articles | Volume 23, issue 15
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5461-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-23-5461-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
07 Aug 2026
Research article |
| 07 Aug 2026
| 07 Aug 2026
Improved model predictions of carbon and water fluxes by including drought legacy effects
Yitong Yao
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Yi Yin
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Jeffrey D. Wood
School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
Christian Frankenberg
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
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Short summary
Droughts can leave lasting "scars" that slow down recovery long after the rain returns. In this study, we found that models assuming plants recover immediately after drought performed poorly, while those allowing only partial recovery matched real observations much better. Accounting for these delayed recovery processes will make land surface models more accurate in predicting carbon and water cycles under future droughts.
Droughts can leave lasting "scars" that slow down recovery long after the rain returns. In this...
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