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Multilayer soil moisture deficit amplifies drought impacts on global ecosystems

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Our global analysis of multi-source, multilayer soil moisture datasets shows that droughts become particularly damaging when moisture deficits occur simultaneously throughout the soil profile, eliminating vertical hydrological buffering. These vertically compound droughts have intensified across much of the globe and pose a growing threat to carbon uptake in forests and croplands.

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Fig. 1: Vertical evolution of soil drought.

Subjects

  • Climate-change ecology
  • Hydrology

References

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This is a summary of: Gu, X. et al. Multilayer soil moisture depletion intensifies drought impacts on global ecosystems. Nat. Geosci. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-026-02083-1 (2026).

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Multilayer soil moisture deficit amplifies drought impacts on global ecosystems.
Nat. Geosci. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-026-02082-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-026-02082-2

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