New research shows that wild swings from severe drought to heavy rains are becoming more common with climate change in many parts of the world, and that feedback loops from the land itself are likely contributing to the trend.

Researchers discovered the land-based feedback loops with the relatively new technique of causality analysis, a statistical technique that can help determine if one factor is directly responsible for another happening

The new research, particularly the discovery of the land-based mechanisms, can be used to help increase the accuracy of predictive climate models as well as well as help communities prepare for swings between drought and heavy rain conditions, he said.