Atmospheric drying across Europe is unprecedented in a pre-industrial context

• Main Authors: Laibao Liu, Ryan S. Padrón Flasher, Elisabet Martínez-Sancho, Flurin Babst, David C. Frank, Arthur Gessler, Ansgar Kahmen, Benjamin Poulter, Sonia I. Seneviratne, Annemiek Stegehuis, Robert Wilson, Laia Andreu-Hayles, Roderick Bale, Zdzislav Bednarz, Tatjana Boettger, Frank Berninger, Ulf Büntgen, Valerie Daux, Isabel Dorado-Liñán, Jan Esper, Michael Friedrich, Mary Gagen, Michael Grabner, Håkan Grudd, Björn Gunnarsson, Emilia Gutiérrez, Polona Hafner, Marika Haupt, Emmi Hilasvouri, Ingo Heinrich, Gerhard Helle, Risto Jalkanen, Högne Jungner, Maarit Kalela-Brundin, Andreas Kessler, Andreas Kirchhefer, Stephan Klesse, Marek Krapiec, Tom Levaničz, Markus Leuenberger, Hans W. Linderholm, Danny McCarroll, Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Slawomira Pawelcyk, Anna Pazdur, Octavi Planells, Rutile Pukiene, Katja T. Rinne-Garmston, Iain Robertson, Antonio Saracino, Matthias Saurer, Gerhard H. Schleser, Kristina Seftigen, Rolf T. W. Siegwolf, Eloni Sonninen, Michel Stievenard, Elzbieta Szychowska-Krapiec, Malgozata Szymaszek, Luigi Todaro, John S. Waterhouse, Martin Weigl-Kuska, Rosmarie Weigt, Rupert Wimmer, Ewan J. Woodley, Adomas Vitas, Giles Young, Neil J. Loader
• Other Authors: Liu, Laibao, Padrón Flasher, Ryan S., Martínez-Sancho, Elisabet, Babst, Flurin, Frank, David C., Gessler, Arthur, Kahmen, Ansgar, Poulter, Benjamin, Seneviratne, Sonia I., Stegehuis, Annemiek, Wilson, Robert, Andreu-Hayles, Laia, Bale, Roderick, Bednarz, Zdzislav, Boettger, Tatjana, Berninger, Frank, Büntgen, Ulf, Daux, Valerie, Dorado-Liñán, Isabel, Esper, Jan, Friedrich, Michael, Gagen, Mary, Grabner, Michael, Grudd, Håkan, Gunnarsson, Björn, Gutiérrez, Emilia, Hafner, Polona, Haupt, Marika, Hilasvouri, Emmi, Heinrich, Ingo, Helle, Gerhard, Jalkanen, Risto, Jungner, Högne, Kalela-Brundin, Maarit, Kessler, Andrea, Kirchhefer, Andrea, Klesse, Stephan, Krapiec, Marek, Levaničz, Tom, Leuenberger, Marku, Linderholm, Hans W., Mccarroll, Danny, Masson-Delmotte, Valerie, Pawelcyk, Slawomira, Pazdur, Anna, Planells, Octavi, Pukiene, Rutile, Rinne-Garmston, Katja T., Robertson, Iain, Saracino, Antonio
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Fennoscandia
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/11563/172315; https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7234

Vapour pressure deficit (VPD) represents the desiccation strength of the atmosphere, fundamentally impacting evapotranspiration, ecosystem functioning and vegetation productivity. Its spatial patterns and long-term changes under natural versus human-induced climate change are poorly understood but are essential for predicting its future ecological and socio-economic effects, e.g., on crop yield, bioclimatic comfort or wildfires. We combine regional reconstructions of pre-industrial summer VPD variability from a European tree-ring oxygen-isotope network with excellent climate sensitivity with observations and Earth System Model simulations. We demonstrate a recent human-induced intensification of atmospheric drying across Europe that exceeds natural variability specifically in the Alps and Pyrenees, but also in western, central and southern Europe. A less distinct increase occurs in Fennoscandia. This VPD increase may cause an enhanced risk of tree mortality, forest decline and yield reductionsevenin the temperate lowland regions of Europe, particularly when considering the extreme drought events in the recent years.