Exploring the interplay between observed warming, atmospheric circulation, and soil–atmosphere feedbacks on heatwaves in a temperate mountain region
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: . This study investigates the exceptional heatwaves of 2022 in the Pyrenees, focusing on their physical drivers and environmental influences. The June heatwave was advective in nature, with stronger mountain-induced circulations resulting in heterogeneous temperature anomalies, while the July event had subsiding and weaker atmospheric flow, leading to more uniform temperatures. The interplay of the synoptic circulation with the complex topography, or the pre-existing soil moisture deficits, played an important role in driving the spatial variability of temperature anomalies in the heatwaves and contributed significantly to their regional amplification. In addition, human-induced climate change has exacerbated these extreme weather phenomena, with more intense heatwaves in the recent period (1986–2021) compared with the past (1950–1985). This research contributes to a more realistic assessment of the impact of climate change on heatwaves in mountain regions.
Authors: Marc Lemus-Canovas, Sergi Gonzalez-Herrero, Laura Trapero, Anna Albalat, Damian Insua-Costa, Martin Senande-Rivera, Gonzalo Miguez-Macho
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,553
Funder: Xunta de Galicia
Award: G4726600011
OpenAlex ID: W4412920103