Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-267
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-267
26 Jan 2026
 | 26 Jan 2026

Benchmarking Conditioners in Liang–Kleeman Information Flow: Application to Land–Atmosphere Interactions

Fareeha Siddique, Daniel Fiifi Tawia Hagan, Guojie Wang, David Docquier, and Stéphane Vannitsem

Abstract. The Liang–Kleeman Information Flow (LKIF) framework has been increasingly used to identify causality in Earth–system dynamics in recent years. Yet, uncertainties remain regarding how the causal graph changes when mediators and confounders (conditioners) are introduced, i.e., divergence between the bivariate and conditioned forms. A controlled synthetic experiment shows that LKIF preserves correct causal directions under hidden confounding, while differences between bivariate and multivariate estimates still occur. We characterize these differences using time–varying LKIF (ΔIF) and introduce several quantifiers, including Mediator Dominance Index, Moderation Gain, Confounding Pressure, and Convergence Rate, to evaluate the contributions of conditioners. This is illustrated in an application to soil moisture (SM) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) couplings with vegetation (Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)). We find that the influence of SM on LAI remains consistently direct and stable, whereas its influence on GPP and that of VPD on vegetation exhibit substantial divergence between bivariate and multivariate estimates. This divergence peaks under compound dry–hot conditions, with VPD and temperature emerging as dominant mediators. These results demonstrate that bivariate and multivariate LKIF can yield markedly different conclusions across time and space, especially under compound environmental stress. This highlights the need for multivariate conditioning when assessing vegetation responses.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

20 Oct 2026
Benchmarking conditioners in Liang–Kleeman Information Flow: application to land–atmosphere interactions in humid forests
Fareeha Siddique, Daniel Fiifi Tawia Hagan, Guojie Wang, David Docquier, and Stéphane Vannitsem
Earth Syst. Dynam., 17, 1551–1572, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-1551-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-1551-2026, 2026
Short summary
Fareeha Siddique, Daniel Fiifi Tawia Hagan, Guojie Wang, David Docquier, and Stéphane Vannitsem

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2026-267', Anonymous Referee #1, 27 Mar 2026
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Daniel Hagan, 30 Apr 2026
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2026-267', Anonymous Referee #2, 10 Apr 2026
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Daniel Hagan, 30 Apr 2026

Peer review completion

AR – Author's response | RR – Referee report | ED – Editor decision | EF – Editorial file upload
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (17 May 2026) by Kira Rehfeld
AR by Daniel Hagan on behalf of the Authors (18 May 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (02 Jun 2026) by Kira Rehfeld
RR by Anonymous Referee #3 (28 Jun 2026)
RR by Anonymous Referee #4 (02 Jul 2026)
RR by Anonymous Referee #5 (11 Jul 2026)
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (22 Jul 2026) by Kira Rehfeld
AR by Daniel Hagan on behalf of the Authors (25 Aug 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (28 Aug 2026) by Kira Rehfeld
RR by Anonymous Referee #4 (08 Sep 2026)
RR by Anonymous Referee #3 (09 Sep 2026)
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (10 Sep 2026) by Kira Rehfeld
AR by Daniel Hagan on behalf of the Authors (14 Sep 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (05 Oct 2026) by Kira Rehfeld
AR by Daniel Hagan on behalf of the Authors (10 Oct 2026)

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2026-267', Anonymous Referee #1, 27 Mar 2026
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Daniel Hagan, 30 Apr 2026
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2026-267', Anonymous Referee #2, 10 Apr 2026
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Daniel Hagan, 30 Apr 2026

Peer review completion

AR – Author's response | RR – Referee report | ED – Editor decision | EF – Editorial file upload
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (17 May 2026) by Kira Rehfeld
AR by Daniel Hagan on behalf of the Authors (18 May 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (02 Jun 2026) by Kira Rehfeld
RR by Anonymous Referee #3 (28 Jun 2026)
RR by Anonymous Referee #4 (02 Jul 2026)
RR by Anonymous Referee #5 (11 Jul 2026)
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (22 Jul 2026) by Kira Rehfeld
AR by Daniel Hagan on behalf of the Authors (25 Aug 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (28 Aug 2026) by Kira Rehfeld
RR by Anonymous Referee #4 (08 Sep 2026)
RR by Anonymous Referee #3 (09 Sep 2026)
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (10 Sep 2026) by Kira Rehfeld
AR by Daniel Hagan on behalf of the Authors (14 Sep 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (05 Oct 2026) by Kira Rehfeld
AR by Daniel Hagan on behalf of the Authors (10 Oct 2026)

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

20 Oct 2026
Benchmarking conditioners in Liang–Kleeman Information Flow: application to land–atmosphere interactions in humid forests
Fareeha Siddique, Daniel Fiifi Tawia Hagan, Guojie Wang, David Docquier, and Stéphane Vannitsem
Earth Syst. Dynam., 17, 1551–1572, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-1551-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-1551-2026, 2026
Short summary
Fareeha Siddique, Daniel Fiifi Tawia Hagan, Guojie Wang, David Docquier, and Stéphane Vannitsem
Fareeha Siddique, Daniel Fiifi Tawia Hagan, Guojie Wang, David Docquier, and Stéphane Vannitsem

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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
Understanding causality in Earth-system processes is challenging because multiple drivers act simultaneously and can distort causal estimates. We develop a diagnostic framework using controlled experiments and real land–atmosphere data to identify when external drivers affect how one variable influences another (via Liang–Kleeman Information Flow). This influence depends on system stress, guiding when multivariate conditioning is necessary.
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