20 JUN 2025 (FRI) 15:00-15:15

GEOG HKU
22 hours ago
1 min read

HKU GEOGRAPHY: Monthly Research Talks

Soil Moisture Impacts on Land Carbon Cycle: Learning from Observations and Models

Date: 20 JUN 2025 (Friday)

Time: 15:00-15:15 (HKT)

Via Zoom: https://hku.zoom.us/j/98300713382?pwd=dGdqelhpWUwyOENmTUJyalVKemtHQT09

(No registration required)

Abstract:

Soil moisture (SM) drought is emerging as an increasingly important threat to land ecosystem. On the one hand, SM deficit will directly limit plant photosynthesis and transpiration. On the other hand, SM can also influence atmosphere vapor and heat by modulating water and energy fluxes on land, then impacting land ecosystem in an indirect way. From the perspective of observations, we utilize ground measurements of global atmospheric CO2 growth rate, satellite observations solar-induced fluorescence, etc. to disengage some critical process, patterns and changes of water-carbon coupling under climate change. From the perspective of models, we utilize several factorial ESM experiments, including the Global Land–Atmosphere Coupling Experiment (GLACE), Land Use Model Intercomparison Project (LUMIP), etc. to disengage the role of SM for land carbon cycle in terms of short-term variability and long-term mean. In short, we clearly enhance confidence in the critical role of water cycle feedback in regulating the global net land carbon sink.