An optimal path threshold method for rigorously identifying extreme climate events
The frequent occurrence of extreme hydroclimate events has a significant impact on ecosystems and socio-economic systems. However, intercomparisons of extreme events are often hampered by inconsistent definitions and standardizations for different types of events. Here we introduce the Optimal Path...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adae24 |
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| author | Bingjie Zhao Christopher Horvat Huilin Gao |
| author_facet | Bingjie Zhao Christopher Horvat Huilin Gao |
| author_sort | Bingjie Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The frequent occurrence of extreme hydroclimate events has a significant impact on ecosystems and socio-economic systems. However, intercomparisons of extreme events are often hampered by inconsistent definitions and standardizations for different types of events. Here we introduce the Optimal Path Threshold (OPT) method, a dynamic programming-based approach that adaptively determines optimal thresholds for defining extreme events at specific severity levels. Two case studies demonstrate its applicability. The first case study presents a long-term comparison of air heatwaves and lake heatwaves in Lake Mead. The algorithm adaptively selects thresholds to identify a comparable number of events at various severity levels. The second case study examines compound hot, dry, and windy events in California, exploring threshold selection for multivariable extremes and investigating their potential relationship with wildfires. The OPT method proves effective for adaptably and objectively analyzing complex and multifactorial extreme events. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8c39f0ab36c14cfc9a1bb2e9ebb5cd08 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-8c39f0ab36c14cfc9a1bb2e9ebb5cd082025-02-04T08:22:53ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262025-01-0120202404810.1088/1748-9326/adae24An optimal path threshold method for rigorously identifying extreme climate eventsBingjie Zhao0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0195-2030Christopher Horvat1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6512-0335Huilin Gao2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7009-8005Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University , Providence, RI, United States of AmericaDepartment of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University , Providence, RI, United States of AmericaZachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University , College Station, TX, United States of AmericaThe frequent occurrence of extreme hydroclimate events has a significant impact on ecosystems and socio-economic systems. However, intercomparisons of extreme events are often hampered by inconsistent definitions and standardizations for different types of events. Here we introduce the Optimal Path Threshold (OPT) method, a dynamic programming-based approach that adaptively determines optimal thresholds for defining extreme events at specific severity levels. Two case studies demonstrate its applicability. The first case study presents a long-term comparison of air heatwaves and lake heatwaves in Lake Mead. The algorithm adaptively selects thresholds to identify a comparable number of events at various severity levels. The second case study examines compound hot, dry, and windy events in California, exploring threshold selection for multivariable extremes and investigating their potential relationship with wildfires. The OPT method proves effective for adaptably and objectively analyzing complex and multifactorial extreme events.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adae24climate changeextreme eventsheatwave |
| spellingShingle | Bingjie Zhao Christopher Horvat Huilin Gao An optimal path threshold method for rigorously identifying extreme climate events Environmental Research Letters climate change extreme events heatwave |
| title | An optimal path threshold method for rigorously identifying extreme climate events |
| title_full | An optimal path threshold method for rigorously identifying extreme climate events |
| title_fullStr | An optimal path threshold method for rigorously identifying extreme climate events |
| title_full_unstemmed | An optimal path threshold method for rigorously identifying extreme climate events |
| title_short | An optimal path threshold method for rigorously identifying extreme climate events |
| title_sort | optimal path threshold method for rigorously identifying extreme climate events |
| topic | climate change extreme events heatwave |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adae24 |
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