Intensifying Hydroclimate Whiplash From a 3D Perspective

Abstract Understanding the consecutive occurrence of hydroclimate whiplash (HCW) extremes is critical for assessing global climate risks. However, most studies have focused on individual points or pixel scales, which fails to reveal the joint evolution of the extreme events over space and time, leading to potential underestimation. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal evolution of contiguous HCW extremes globally from 1982 to 2015 from a 3D perspective (latitude × longitude × time). Results show that global HCW extremes have been averagely underestimated by 20% in frequency and nearly half in affected areas using pixel‐level analysis compared to the 3D scanning approach. The contiguous HCW extremes are dominated by drying events with higher transition velocity and frequency, while wet‐dominant HCW extremes have significantly increased in frequency from 1982 to 2015. Spatially, monsoon regions in the Western Pacific exhibit the highest comprehensive magnitude of contiguous HCW extremes with high transition velocity and frequency. Increased precipitation plays a crucial role in the changes of global contiguous HCW extremes, while variations in vegetation coverage also significantly contribute to the intensification of these extremes.