Network motifs shape distinct functioning of Earth’s moisture recycling hubs

Nico Wunderling; Frederik Wolf; Obbe Tuinenburg; Arie Staal

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-34229-1

Network motifs shape distinct functioning of Earth’s moisture recycling hubs

Nico Wunderling^*, Frederik Wolf, Obbe Tuinenburg, Arie Staal^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Earth's hydrological cycle critically depends on the atmospheric moisture flows connecting evaporation to precipitation. Here, we convert a decade of reanalysis-based moisture simulations into a high-resolution global directed network of spatial moisture provisions. We reveal global and local network structures that offer a new view of the global hydrological cycle. We identify four terrestrial moisture recycling hubs: the Amazon Basin, the Congo Rainforest, South Asia and the Indonesian Archipelago. Network motifs reveal contrasting functioning of these regions, where the Amazon strongly relies on directed connections (feed-forward loops) for moisture redistribution and the other hubs on reciprocal moisture connections (zero loops and neighboring loops). Earth's moisture recycling hubs are characterized by specific topologies shaping heterogeneous effects of land-use changes and climatic warming on precipitation patterns.

Original language	English
Article number	6574
Pages (from-to)	1-26
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-34229-1
Publication status	Published - Nov 2022

Keywords

climate-change ecology
ecological networks
hydrology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/s41467-022-34229-1Licence: CC BY

Network motifsFinal published version, 2.94 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{f536caafe488493592c98ec817025e62,

title = "Network motifs shape distinct functioning of Earth{\textquoteright}s moisture recycling hubs",

abstract = "Earth's hydrological cycle critically depends on the atmospheric moisture flows connecting evaporation to precipitation. Here, we convert a decade of reanalysis-based moisture simulations into a high-resolution global directed network of spatial moisture provisions. We reveal global and local network structures that offer a new view of the global hydrological cycle. We identify four terrestrial moisture recycling hubs: the Amazon Basin, the Congo Rainforest, South Asia and the Indonesian Archipelago. Network motifs reveal contrasting functioning of these regions, where the Amazon strongly relies on directed connections (feed-forward loops) for moisture redistribution and the other hubs on reciprocal moisture connections (zero loops and neighboring loops). Earth's moisture recycling hubs are characterized by specific topologies shaping heterogeneous effects of land-use changes and climatic warming on precipitation patterns.",

keywords = "climate-change ecology, ecological networks, hydrology",

author = "Nico Wunderling and Frederik Wolf and Obbe Tuinenburg and Arie Staal",

year = "2022",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1038/s41467-022-34229-1",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

pages = "1--26",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "Nature Research",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Network motifs shape distinct functioning of Earth’s moisture recycling hubs

AU - Wunderling, Nico

AU - Wolf, Frederik

AU - Tuinenburg, Obbe

AU - Staal, Arie

PY - 2022/11

Y1 - 2022/11

N2 - Earth's hydrological cycle critically depends on the atmospheric moisture flows connecting evaporation to precipitation. Here, we convert a decade of reanalysis-based moisture simulations into a high-resolution global directed network of spatial moisture provisions. We reveal global and local network structures that offer a new view of the global hydrological cycle. We identify four terrestrial moisture recycling hubs: the Amazon Basin, the Congo Rainforest, South Asia and the Indonesian Archipelago. Network motifs reveal contrasting functioning of these regions, where the Amazon strongly relies on directed connections (feed-forward loops) for moisture redistribution and the other hubs on reciprocal moisture connections (zero loops and neighboring loops). Earth's moisture recycling hubs are characterized by specific topologies shaping heterogeneous effects of land-use changes and climatic warming on precipitation patterns.

AB - Earth's hydrological cycle critically depends on the atmospheric moisture flows connecting evaporation to precipitation. Here, we convert a decade of reanalysis-based moisture simulations into a high-resolution global directed network of spatial moisture provisions. We reveal global and local network structures that offer a new view of the global hydrological cycle. We identify four terrestrial moisture recycling hubs: the Amazon Basin, the Congo Rainforest, South Asia and the Indonesian Archipelago. Network motifs reveal contrasting functioning of these regions, where the Amazon strongly relies on directed connections (feed-forward loops) for moisture redistribution and the other hubs on reciprocal moisture connections (zero loops and neighboring loops). Earth's moisture recycling hubs are characterized by specific topologies shaping heterogeneous effects of land-use changes and climatic warming on precipitation patterns.

KW - climate-change ecology

KW - ecological networks

KW - hydrology

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-022-34229-1

DO - 10.1038/s41467-022-34229-1

M3 - Article

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 13

SP - 1

EP - 26

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 6574

ER -

Network motifs shape distinct functioning of Earth’s moisture recycling hubs

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this