Developing fragility functions for aquaculture rafts and eelgrass in the case of the 2011 Great East Japan tsunami Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/nhess-18-145-2018 10 January 2018 We developed fragility functions of aquaculture rafts and eelgrass based on damage data and numerical simulation of the 2011 Great East Japan tsunami. These fragility functions explain damage characteristics of both items against tsunami flow velocity. By understanding these characteristics, damage estimation and loss assessment as well as marine/fishery disaster mitigation plan and management in other areas of the world from future tsunamis can be implemented. Read more
New insights for mesospheric OH: multi-quantum vibrational relaxation as a driver for non-local thermodynamic equilibrium Annales Geophysicae DOI 10.5194/angeo-36-13-2018 9 January 2018 The question of whether mesospheric rotational population distributions of vibrationally excited OH are in equilibrium with the local kinetic temperature has been debated over several decades. We examine the relationship of multi-quantum relaxation pathways with the behavior exhibited by OH(v) rotational population distributions and find that the effective rotational temperatures of mesospheric OH(v) deviate from local thermodynamic equilibrium for all observed vibrational levels. Read more
Invited perspectives: Hydrological perspectives on precipitation intensity-duration thresholds for landslide initiation: proposing hydro-meteorological thresholds Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/nhess-18-31-2018 4 January 2018 The vast majority of shallow landslides and debris flows are precipitation initiated and predicted using historical landslides plotted versus observed precipitation information. However, this approach has severe limitations. This is partly due to the fact that it is not precipitation that initiates a landslide or debris flow but rather the hydrological dynamics in the soil and slope. We propose to include hydrological information in the regional hydro-meteorological hazard assessment. Read more
The UKC2 regional coupled environmental prediction system Geoscientific Model Development DOI 10.5194/gmd-11-1-2018 3 January 2018 In the real world the atmosphere, oceans and land surface are closely interconnected, and yet prediction systems tend to treat them in isolation. Those feedbacks are often illustrated in natural hazards, such as when strong winds lead to large waves and coastal damage, or when prolonged rainfall leads to saturated ground and high flowing rivers. For the first time, we have attempted to represent some of the feedbacks between sky, sea and land within a high-resolution forecast system for the UK. Read more
Synergy between land use and climate change increases future fire risk in Amazon forests Earth System Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esd-8-1237-2017 20 December 2017 Fires damage large areas of eastern Amazon forests when ignitions from human activity coincide with droughts, while more humid central and western regions are less affected. Here, we use a fire model to estimate that fire activity could increase by an order of magnitude without climate mitigation. Our results show that avoiding further agricultural expansion can limit fire ignitions but that tackling climate change is essential to insulate the interior Amazon through the 21st century. Read more
The SPACE 1.0 model: a Landlab component for 2-D calculation of sediment transport, bedrock erosion, and landscape evolution Geoscientific Model Development DOI 10.5194/gmd-10-4577-2017 18 December 2017 Rivers control the movement of sediment and nutrients across Earth’s surface. Understanding how rivers change through time is important for mitigating natural hazards and predicting Earth’s response to climate change. We develop a new computer model for predicting how rivers cut through sediment and rock. Our model is designed to be joined with models of flooding, landslides, vegetation change, and other factors to provide a comprehensive toolbox for predicting changes to the landscape. SPACE 1.0 model: a Landlab component for 2-D calculation of sediment transport, bedrock erosion, and landscape evolution">Read more
Designing a network of critical zone observatories to explore the living skin of the terrestrial Earth Earth Surface Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esurf-5-841-2017 18 December 2017 The layer known as the critical zone extends from the tree tops to the groundwater. This zone varies globally as a function of land use, climate, and geology. Energy and materials input from the land surface downward impact the subsurface landscape of water, gas, weathered material, and biota – at the same time that differences at depth also impact the superficial landscape. Scientists are designing observatories to understand the critical zone and how it will evolve in the future. Read more
First tomographic observations of gravity waves by the infrared limb imager GLORIA Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-17-14937-2017 18 December 2017 Using the infrared limb imager GLORIA, the 3-D structure of mesoscale gravity waves in the lower stratosphere was measured for the first time, allowing for a complete 3-D characterization of the waves. This enables the precise determination of the sources of the waves in the mountain regions of Iceland with backward ray tracing. Forward ray tracing shows oblique propagation, an effect generally neglected in global atmospheric models. GLORIA">Read more
In situ nuclear magnetic resonance response of permafrost and active layer soil in boreal and tundra ecosystems The Cryosphere DOI 10.5194/tc-11-2943-2017 14 December 2017 Geophysical methods have wide applications to permafrost studies. We show that borehole nuclear magnetic resonance is a valuable geophysical tool to rapidly characterize the liquid water content and unfrozen pore space in warm permafrost through simulation and field study. This technique is also sensitive to the ice nucleation process in situ. This method, which is applicable in a variety of soil types, can be used for single observations or for time-lapse monitoring of permafrost changes. Read more
Continuous measurement of air–water gas exchange by underwater eddy covariance Biogeosciences DOI 10.5194/bg-14-5595-2017 11 December 2017 We use the aquatic eddy covariance technique – developed first for benthic O2flux measurements – right below the air–water interface (~ 4 cm) to determine gas exchange rates and coefficients. This use of the technique is particularly useful in studies of gas exchange and its dynamics and controls. The approach can thus help reduce the recognized problem of large uncertainties linked to gas exchange estimates in traditional aquatic ecosystem studies. Read more
