Work

Compound marine heatwaves and atmospheric boundary layer jets drive enhanced coastal precipitation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Heavy coastal precipitation is traditionally attributed to atmospheric dynamics, but the influence of co-occurring oceanic thermal extremes remains largely unexplored. Using satellite observations and reanalysis data from 1998 to 2023 over the South China Sea (SCS), we investigate the synergistic impacts of marine heatwaves (MHWs) and atmospheric boundary layer jets (BLJs). We reveal a compound effect: when MHWs and BLJs co-occur, regional coastal precipitation increases by 51.9% relative to climatology, more than doubling the 21.0% increase during pure BLJ events. Moist static energy (MSE) diagnostics demonstrate that MHWs act as a thermodynamic catalyst, enhancing surface evaporation by 20%-30% and boosting low-level atmospheric latent energy. The concurrent BLJ functions as a dynamic conveyor, rapidly transporting this excess moisture landward to fuel heavy coastal rainfall. These results imply that assessing coastal precipitation from atmospheric dynamics alone may largely underestimate the rainfall response when marine heatwaves are present, a coupling set to strengthen as the ocean warms.

Source: npj Climate and Atmospheric Science

DOI: 10.1038/s41612-026-01571-w

Authors: Xinyi Cao, Lixin Qu, Yu Du, Xinyi Wang, Lei Zhou, Jiabao Guo, Zhendong Hu, Lei Peng

Institutions: Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sun Yat-sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Chengdu University of Information Technology

Language: English

Topic: Climate variability and models

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,590

OpenAlex ID: W7222966496

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