Human-induced intensification of terrestrial water cycle in dry regions of the globe

Anthropogenic climate change (ACC) intensifies the global terrestrial water cycle (TWC) by increasing annual total precipitation (PRCPTOT) over land. This study reveals that PRCPTOT increases in dry regions are twice as fast as in wet regions (1961–2018). This faster increase is projected to continue with future warming. The findings are explained by faster warming, higher precipitation response rates, and stronger moisture transport in dry regions under ACC. Detection and attribution analyses show that excluding dry regions removes the ACC signal from the global PRCPTOT increase. The intensified TWC in dry regions may have both positive and negative impacts, potentially alleviating water scarcity while increasing flood risks.

Yansong Guan, Xihui Gu, Louise J. Slater, Xueying Li, Jianfeng Li, Lunche Wang, Xiongpeng Tang, Dongdong Kong, Xiang Zhang