Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
HESS
Articles | Volume 29, issue 5
Articles | Volume 29, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1395-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1395-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 29, issue 5
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
17 Mar 2025
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 17 Mar 2025

Meteorological ingredients of heavy precipitation and subsequent lake-filling episodes in the northwestern Sahara

Joëlle C. Rieder, Franziska Aemisegger, Elad Dente, and Moshe Armon

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Editorial statement
This paper is the first to present a mechanism for greening of the Sahara that relies on westerlies intensity as the primary mechanism. This mechanism, which is based on cutting edge analysis and observations, has the potential to move the 30 year-long debate on African Humid Period forward. This interdisciplinary study joins several fields, including climatology, paleoclimate, remote sensing, and hydrology.
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Short summary
The Sahara was wetter in the past and may become wetter in the future. Lake remnants are evidence of the desert’s wetter past. If the Sahara gets wetter in the future, these lakes may serve as a water resource. However, it is unclear how these lakes get filled and how moisture is carried into the desert and converted into rain in the first place. Therefore, we examine processes currently leading to the filling of a dry lake in the Sahara, which can help assess future water availability.
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