RESEARCH

Soil moisture-evapotranspiration coupling

When sufficient energy is available, evapotranspiration becomes highly sensitive to soil moisture variations. However, this relationship can be modified by concurrent changes in land use and land cover, vegetation dynamics, and other co-varying environmental factors. We investigate how these interactions evolve under ongoing climate change.

Weather and climate extremes

Variations in soil moisture influence how available energy is partitioned into sensible and latent heat fluxes, leading to changes in near-surface temperature and humidity. We examine how these coupled land–atmosphere processes contribute to the formation and amplification of weather and climate extremes, including heatwaves, thirstwaves, droughts, floods, compound events, cascading events, and weather whiplash events.

Analysis: You-Chen Shih

Precipitation and water resources

In a warming climate, precipitation is projected to increase by about 2–4% per degree of temperature rise. However, this increase is not expected to be distributed evenly. Combined with the projected increase in the number of rain-free days, this may raise the likelihood of both droughts and floods occurring in the same regions. Such unevenness may further exacerbate disparities in water availability and access. Understanding these imbalances is essential for improving water resource management and strengthening climate resilience.

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