Land-atmosphere coupling amplifies hot extremes over China

Climate extremes, such as extreme hot temperatures and heat waves, can have dramatic societal, economic, and ecological consequences. China has experienced remarkable interannual and decadal changes in hot extremes during the last several decades. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible for changes in the hot extremes over China have not been clearly identified. In this study, we investigate the role of land-atmosphere coupling for hot days and heat waves during summer over China using two long-term Weather Research and Forecasting model simulations with and without interactive soil moisture. Results indicate that land-atmosphere coupling mainly amplifies hot extremes over China. In particular, significant amplifying effects appear over most of eastern and southwestern China. Over these areas, land-atmosphere coupling generally accounts for 30%–70% of the numbers of hot days and heat waves. This study highlights the critical importance of land-atmosphere interactions for the occurrence of hot extremes over China.