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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Extreme weather and societal impacts in the eastern Mediterranean
Earth system dynamics : ESD, Vol.13, pp.749-777
11/Apr/2022
Abstract
Gaining a holistic understanding of extreme weather, from its physical drivers to its impacts on society and ecosystems, is key to supporting future risk reduction and preparedness measures. Here, we provide an overview of the state of the art, knowledge gaps and key open questions in the study of extreme weather events over the vulnerable eastern Mediterranean. This region is situated in a transition zone between subtropical and mid-latitude climates. The large-scale atmospheric circulation and its interaction with regional synoptic systems (i.e., Cyprus Lows, Red Sea Troughs, Persian Troughs, “Sharav” Lows) and high-pressure systems mainly govern extreme weather. Complex orographic features further play an important role in the generation of extreme weather. Most extreme weather events, including heavy precipitation, cold spells, floods and windstorms, are associated with Cyprus Lows or active Red Sea Troughs, whereas heat waves are related with either Persian Troughs and sub-tropical high-pressure systems in summer or the Sharav Low during springtime. In future decades, heat waves and droughts are projected to significantly increase in both frequency and intensity. Changes in heavy precipitation may vary in sign and magnitude depending on the scale, severity and region of interest. There are still relatively large uncertainties concerning the physical understanding and the projected changes of cold spells, windstorms and compound extremes, as these types of events received comparatively little attention in the literature. We further identify knowledge gaps that relate to the societal impacts of extreme weather. These gaps mainly relate to the effects extreme weather may have on mortality, morbidity and infrastructure in the eastern Mediterranean. Research is currently limited in this context, and we recommend strengthening the database of analyzed case studies. We trust that this can only be suitably accomplished by inter-disciplinary and international regional collaboration (in spite of political unrest).
Details
- Title
- Extreme weather and societal impacts in the eastern Mediterranean
- Creators
- Assaf Hochman (Corresponding Author) - Hebrew University of JerusalemFrancesco Marra - Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and ClimateGabriele Messori - Stockholm UniversityJoaquim G. Pinto - Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologyShira Raveh-Rubin - 972WIS_INST___99Yizhak Yosef - 972WIS_INST___4039032e-1087-4e30-b2df-cb789f5e5c49Georgios Zittis - Cyprus Institute
- Resource Type
- Journal article; Review
- Publication Details
- Earth system dynamics : ESD, Vol.13, pp.749-777; 11/Apr/2022
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-749-2022
- Grant note
- The authors acknowledge the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting for making the ERA5 reanalysis freely available. We further acknowledge the Climatic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia for making high-resolution observations freely available. This study is part of the cooperation in the international virtual institute DESERVE (Dead Sea Research Venue). This work is a contribution to the hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment (HyMex) and COST MEDCYCLONES: European Network for Mediterranean Cyclones in weather and climate. Assaf Hochman is grateful for technical support provided by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Financial support This research has been supported by the German Helmholtz Association (“Changing Earth” program) in the case of Assaf Hochman. Joaquim G. Pinto was supported by the AXA Research Fund. Gabriele Messori received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement no. 948309, CENÆ Project). Francesco Marra was partly supported by the National Research Council of Italy and by the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC). Georgios Zittis was supported by the EMME-CARE project, which has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (grant no. 856612) and matching co-funding from the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. The article processing charges for this open-access publication were covered by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
- Record Identifier
- 993356959703596
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