Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39793051›Full record

ArticleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2025

US Corn Belt enhances regional precipitation recycling.

Zhe Zhang, Cenlin He, Fei Chen, Gonzalo Miguez-Macho, Changhai Liu, Roy Rasmussen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Zhe ZhangAdvanced Study Program, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO 80301.ORCID 0000-0003-3771-240X
Cenlin HeResearch Applications Laboratory, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO 80301.ORCID 0000-0002-7367-2815
Fei ChenDivision of Environment and Sustainability, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), China.ORCID 0000-0003-2573-3828
Gonzalo Miguez-MachoNonlinear Physics Group, Faculty of Physics, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Galicia 15782, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-4259-7883
Changhai LiuResearch Applications Laboratory, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO 80301.ORCID 0000-0003-4730-3116
Roy RasmussenResearch Applications Laboratory, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO 80301.

Funding

NSF (NSF) Advanced Study Program
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Precipitation recycling, where evapotranspiration (ET) from the land surface contributes to precipitation within the same region, is a critical component of the water cycle. This process is especially important for the US Corn Belt, where extensive cropland expansions and irrigation activities have significantly transformed the landscape and affected the regional climate. Previous studies investigating precipitation recycling typically relied on analytical models with simplifying assumptions, overlooking the complex interactions between groundwater hydrology and agricultural management. In this study, we use high-resolution climate models coupled with an explicit water vapor tracer algorithm to quantify the impacts of shallow groundwater, dynamic crop growth, and irrigation on regional precipitation recycling in the US Corn Belt. We find that these coupled groundwater-crop-irrigation processes reduce surface temperatures and increase the growing season precipitation. The increase in precipitation is attributed to a significant enhancement of the precipitation recycling ratio from 14 to 18%. This enhanced precipitation recycling is stronger in a dry year than normal and wet years, depending on both large-scale moisture transport and local ET. Our study underscores the critical role of groundwater hydrology and agricultural management in altering the regional water cycle, with important implications for regional climate predictions and food and water security.

Indexed as

agriculture and irrigationland surface processprecipitation recyclingregional climatewater cycle

Identifiers

PMID39793051
PMCPMC11725895

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.