Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH, cilt.336, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Recent studies have shown that the global temperatures are rising dramatically affecting the water and energy balances in the atmosphere, in turn, altering the precipitation regime and evaporative processes. These changes may cause aridification that can be estimated by the Aridity Index (AI), the ratio between the Precipitation (P) and Reference Evapotranspiration (ET0). High-resolution P and ET0 datasets are essential for accurate estimation of AI, as both variables exhibit strong spatial variability in topographically and climatically diverse regions. In this study, aridification in Europe is examined during the 1950-2024 period using the recently available ERA5Land high-resolution climate reanalysis dataset, and it is integrated and bias-corrected with ground observations. The analysis covers three consecutive 25-year intervals to evaluate temporal shifts in aridity with particular emphasis on the quantitative contributions from P and ET0. Land classifications based on AI thresholds are also applied following the UNEP criteria, to examine both the temporal evolution and spatial distribution of humid, sub-humid, semi-arid, and arid zones. In addition to a domain-wide assessment, the analysis also investigates trends across distinct elevation bands and disaggregates findings at the national scale. This study provides one of the most comprehensive assessments of recent European aridification, demonstrating a clear acceleration and a fundamental shift toward evapotranspiration-driven aridification in the twenty-first century across large parts of the continent. Although aridification may be unavoidable in the near future, the fine resolution analysis presented herein provides a scientific basis for identifying vulnerable regions and development of targeted adaptation strategies.