On the Definition of Extreme Evaporation Events

Abstract

Even though evaporation is a crucial component of the energy and water cycles, its extremes remain largely unexplored. To address this gap, this study introduces a statistical framework defining Extreme Evaporation Events (ExEvEs). We investigate their characteristics over Czechia, a country in Central Europe with increasing evaporation and examine their seasonal correlation with radiation and/or precipitation—the main drivers of land evaporation. Despite their statistical definition, ExEvEs are shown to have a physical basis, also evident in their onset and termination. We also observe that ExEvEs fluctuate differently than the average evaporation resulting to significant implications for water availability and regional water cycle's acceleration. The proposed event-based framework provides a systematic way to detect, characterize, and analyze evaporation extremes, which helps to improve our understanding of their drivers and impacts.