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

Nico Wunderling (), Frederik Wolf, Obbe A. Tuinenburg and Arie Staal ()
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Nico Wunderling: Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact, Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association
Frederik Wolf: Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact, Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association
Obbe A. Tuinenburg: Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University
Arie Staal: Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: 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). We conclude that Earth’s moisture recycling hubs are characterized by specific topologies shaping heterogeneous effects of land-use changes and climatic warming on precipitation patterns.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34229-1

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