Articles | Volume 17, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-319-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-319-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
10 Apr 2026
Research article |
| 10 Apr 2026
| 10 Apr 2026
Energetics of monsoons and deserts: role of surface albedo vs water vapor feedback
Chetankumar Jalihal
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany
Department of Climate Change, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, 502285, Telangana, India
Uwe Mikolajewicz
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany
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We developed a global ocean biogeochemical model with a zoom on the Benguela upwelling system. We show that the high spatial resolution is necessary to capture long-term trends of oxygen of the recent past. The regional anthropogenic carbon uptake over the last century is lower than compared to a coarser resolution ocean model as used in Earth system models. This suggests that, at least for some regions, the changes projected by these Earth system models are associated with high uncertainty.
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Short summary
Differences in surface albedo and large-scale circulation are often considered to drive the contrasts between monsoons and deserts. However, using a radiation-circulation framework, we find that large-scale circulation serves primarily as a trigger for this contrast. It is the radiative feedbacks from water vapor and clouds, rather than surface albedo, that amplify the contrast between these climates.
Differences in surface albedo and large-scale circulation are often considered to drive the...
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