Present-day greenhouse gases could cause more frequent and longer Dust Bowl heatwaves

Tim Cowan (), Sabine Undorf, Gabriele C. Hegerl, Luke J. Harrington and Friederike E. L. Otto
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Tim Cowan: University of Southern Queensland
Sabine Undorf: University of Edinburgh
Gabriele C. Hegerl: University of Edinburgh
Luke J. Harrington: University of Oxford
Friederike E. L. Otto: University of Oxford

Nature Climate Change, 2020, vol. 10, issue 6, 505-510

Abstract: Abstract Substantial warming occurred across North America, Europe and the Arctic over the early twentieth century1, including an increase in global drought2, that was partially forced by rising greenhouse gases (GHGs)3. The period included the 1930s Dust Bowl drought4–7 across North America’s Great Plains that caused widespread crop failures4,8, large dust storms9 and considerable out-migration10. This coincided with the central United States experiencing its hottest summers of the twentieth century11,12 in 1934 and 1936, with over 40 heatwave days and maximum temperatures surpassing 44 °C at some locations13,14. Here we use a large-ensemble regional modelling framework to show that GHG increases caused slightly enhanced heatwave activity over the eastern United States during 1934 and 1936. Instead of asking how a present-day heatwave would behave in a world without climate warming, we ask how these 1930s heatwaves would behave with present-day GHGs. Heatwave activity in similarly rare events would be much larger under today’s atmospheric GHG forcing and the return period of a 1-in-100-year heatwave summer (as observed in 1936) would be reduced to about 1-in-40 years. A key driver of the increasing heatwave activity and intensity is reduced evaporative cooling and increased sensible heating during dry springs and summers.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41558-020-0771-7

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