Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-612
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-612
17 Aug 2022
 | 17 Aug 2022

Local moisture recycling across the globe

Jolanda Theeuwen, Arie Staal, Obbe Tuinenburg, Bert Hamelers, and Stefan Dekker

Abstract. Changes in evaporation over land affect terrestrial precipitation via atmospheric moisture recycling and consequently freshwater availability. Although global moisture recycling at regional and continental scales are relatively well understood, the patterns and drivers of local moisture recycling remain unknown. For the first time, we calculate the local moisture recycling ratio (LMR), defined as the fraction of evaporated moisture that rains out within approximately 50 km from its source, and identify its drivers over land globally. We derive seasonal and annual LMR from multi-year (2008–2017) monthly averaged atmospheric moisture connections at a scale of 0.5° obtained from a Lagrangian atmospheric moisture tracking model. We find that, annually, on average 1.6 % of evaporated moisture returns as rainfall locally, but with large temporal and spatial variability, where LMR peaks in summer and over wet and mountainous regions. We identify wetness, orography, latitude, and convective available potential energy as drivers of LMR, indicating a crucial role for convection. Our results can be used to study impacts of evaporation changes on local precipitation, with widespread implications for, for example, regreening and water management.

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

04 Apr 2023
Local moisture recycling across the globe
Jolanda J. E. Theeuwen, Arie Staal, Obbe A. Tuinenburg, Bert V. M. Hamelers, and Stefan C. Dekker
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 1457–1476, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1457-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1457-2023, 2023
Short summary

Jolanda Theeuwen et al.

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • CC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-612', Ruud van der Ent, 24 Aug 2022
    • CC2: 'Reply on CC1', Ruud van der Ent, 24 Aug 2022
    • AC1: 'Reply on CC1', Jolanda Theeuwen, 16 Sep 2022
      • CC3: 'Reply on AC1', Ruud van der Ent, 12 Oct 2022
        • AC4: 'Reply on CC3', Jolanda Theeuwen, 18 Oct 2022
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-612', Anonymous Referee #1, 15 Sep 2022
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC1', Jolanda Theeuwen, 06 Oct 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-612', Patrick Keys, 16 Sep 2022
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Jolanda Theeuwen, 04 Oct 2022

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • CC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-612', Ruud van der Ent, 24 Aug 2022
    • CC2: 'Reply on CC1', Ruud van der Ent, 24 Aug 2022
    • AC1: 'Reply on CC1', Jolanda Theeuwen, 16 Sep 2022
      • CC3: 'Reply on AC1', Ruud van der Ent, 12 Oct 2022
        • AC4: 'Reply on CC3', Jolanda Theeuwen, 18 Oct 2022
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-612', Anonymous Referee #1, 15 Sep 2022
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC1', Jolanda Theeuwen, 06 Oct 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-612', Patrick Keys, 16 Sep 2022
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Jolanda Theeuwen, 04 Oct 2022

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Publish subject to revisions (further review by editor and referees) (19 Oct 2022) by Alexander Gruber
AR by Jolanda Theeuwen on behalf of the Authors (18 Jan 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (20 Jan 2023) by Alexander Gruber
RR by Ruud van der Ent (17 Feb 2023)
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (17 Feb 2023)
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (23 Feb 2023) by Alexander Gruber
AR by Jolanda Theeuwen on behalf of the Authors (02 Mar 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (09 Mar 2023) by Alexander Gruber
AR by Jolanda Theeuwen on behalf of the Authors (14 Mar 2023)  Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

04 Apr 2023
Local moisture recycling across the globe
Jolanda J. E. Theeuwen, Arie Staal, Obbe A. Tuinenburg, Bert V. M. Hamelers, and Stefan C. Dekker
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 1457–1476, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1457-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1457-2023, 2023
Short summary

Jolanda Theeuwen et al.

Jolanda Theeuwen et al.

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The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.

Short summary
Evaporation changes over land affect rainfall over land through moisture recycling. We calculated the local moisture recycling ratio globally, which describes the fraction of evaporated moisture that rains out within approx. 50 km of its source location. This recycling peaks in summer, and over wet and elevated regions. Local moisture recycling gives insight into the local impacts of evaporation changes and can be used to study the influence of regreening on local rainfall.