A CNU research team led by Professor Jeong Ji-hoon successfully investigated the mechanism behind the rapid increase in the simultaneous occurrence of heatwave and drought in East Asia based on historical climate restoration data using tree rings and ground modeling results in the Northern Hemisphere.

The results of this study were published in the internationally renowned journal Science on November 27th.

This research was led by Professor Jeong (Faculty of Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences) as corresponding author and Peng Zhang, a postdoctoral researcher, who is the first author. Other institutions involved with the joint research team include the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Utah State University, University of Tokyo, Gothenburg University, and Peking University.

 

The international joint research team used tree ring data to restore the data of soil moisture and the frequency of heat waves in the interior of East Asia, and found that the summer climate in this region is rapidly changing and increasingly hot and dry at an unprecedented level.

This is a phenomenon that occurs as moisture in the soil continuously decreases as moisture evaporation on the surface increases due to global warming. The lack of moisture in the soil heats the atmosphere even more when a heat wave occurs and amplifies the intensity of heat waves by inducing high pressure, and this situation triggers a positive climate feedback action that makes the soil dry again.

“Climate feedback” refers to the interactions that occur in the process of climate change. The amplification of the original process is called positive (+) feedback and the reduction is called negative (-) feedback.

The research team warned, "This climate change has been unprecedentedly strong and sudden in the past 260 years. In East Asia, irreversible climate change may have already begun."
Professor Jeong said, "The rapid climate change is strong in semi-arid Mongolia and northern regions of China, but our country can never be safe. Actually, in August 2016, the Korean Peninsula was choked for almost three weeks because a heat wave was in effect due to a heat wave drought in the interior of East Asia."

Professor Jeong is currently the head of the Meteorological Administration-CNU Drought Special Features Research Center and has been studying changes in drought patterns due to climate change and long-term prediction.

This study has been conducted by the Meteorological Administration-CNU Drought Special Features Research Center and was supported by the Korea Meteorological Industry and Technology Institute, and the Meteorological Administration of Korea.