Urbanization-induced squeeze effect reshapes dry–wet abrupt alternations in Chinese cities

Urbanization-induced squeeze effect reshapes dry–wet abrupt alternations in Chinese cities | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Urbanization-induced squeeze effect reshapes dry–wet abrupt alternations in Chinese cities Nengcheng Chen, Shuzhe Huang, Yuan Gan, Chao Wang, Siqi Wang, and 6 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6898629/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Rapid urbanization substantially alters hydrometeorological extremes, yet its effects on compound dry-wet abrupt alternation (DWAA) remain poorly understood. Here we present the first multi-scale analysis of urbanization effects on DWAA across Chinese cities by integrating high-resolution observations, model simulations, and future projections. We reveal a pronounced urbanization-induced “squeeze” effect in approximately 35% of cities, whereby urbanization simultaneously accelerates transitions and amplifies severity of both dry-to-wet and wet-to-dry alternations. Pixel-scale analysis demonstrates that 50-95% of intra-urban areas experience this “squeeze” effect, with strongest impacts at rapidly expanding fringes. Weather Research and Forecasting simulations further attribute these changes to coupled atmospheric-surface modifications, including enhanced urban heat/dry island and boundary layer dynamics. Under future scenarios, exposed urban populations increase nearly twofold, with DWAA transitions compressed by 14.11% and severity intensified by 48.94% by 2100. These findings demand fundamental reconceptualization of targeted urban water management strategies for compressed hydroclimatic timescales and amplified compound extremes. Earth and environmental sciences/Natural hazards Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences/Environmental impact Earth and environmental sciences/Climate sciences Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryMaterials.docx Urbanization-induced squeeze effect reshapes dry–wet abrupt alternations in Chinese cities Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6898629","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":481491898,"identity":"c0aec3bd-3a88-40b6-8637-4fcbae039aa6","order_by":0,"name":"Nengcheng 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