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Aura OMI observations of regional SO2 and NO2 pollution changes from 2005 to 2015

We examine changes in SO2 and NO2 over the world’s most polluted regions during the first decade of Aura OMI observations. Over the eastern US, both NO2 and SO2 levels decreased by 40% and 80%, respectively. OMI confirmed large reductions in SO2 over eastern Europe’s largest coal power plants. The North China Plain has the world’s most severe SO2 pollution, but a decreasing trend been observed since 2011, with a 50% reduction in 2012-2014. India’s SO2 and NO2 levels are growing at a fast pace.

Statistical analysis of magnetotail fast flows and related magnetic disturbances

This study presents an investigation on the occurrence of fast flows in the magnetotail using the complete available data set of the THEMIS spacecraft for the years 2007 to 2015. First, basic statistical findings concerning velocity distributions, occurrence rates, group structures and key features of 16 000 events are presented using Superposed Epoch and Minimum Variance Analysis techniques.

Kinetic isotope effects of ¹³CH₃D + OH and ¹³CH₃D + OH from 278 to 313 K

We present experimental kinetic isotope effects (KIE) for the OH oxidation of CH₃D and ¹³CH₃D and their temperature dependence. Our determination of the ¹³CH₃D+OH KIE is novel and we find no “clumped” isotope effect within the experimental uncertainty.

A multiproxy approach to understanding the “enhanced” flux of organic matter through the oxygen-deficient waters of the Arabian Sea

Drifting sediment traps were deployed in the oxygen-deficient waters of the Arabian Sea, where the sinking flux is less attenuated than in more oxic waters. Six mechanisms that might explain this “enhanced flux” were evaluated using literature and data. In the upper 500m, evidence was found supporting an oxygen effect and/or changes in the efficiency of the microbial loop, including the addition of chemoautotrophic carbon to the sinking flux.

Ideas and perspectives: Holocene thermokarst sediments of the Yedoma permafrost region do not increase the northern peatland carbon pool

We investigate the properties of soils and sediments in a particular and ancient Siberian permafrost landscape. We critically examine statements from a recent study that specific permafrost landforms affected by thawed permafrost (alases) in this region contain very large quantities of peat that previous studies had failed to include because of data set biases. We conclude that there is no evidence to suggest biases in existing data sets or that alas deposits increase the northern peatland pool.

Solar modulation of flood frequency in central Europe during spring and summer on interannual to multi-centennial timescales

Integrating discharge data of the River Ammer back to 1926 and a 5500-year flood layer record from an annually laminated sediment core of the downstream Ammersee allowed investigating changes in the frequency of major floods in Central Europe on interannual to multi-centennial timescales. Significant correlations between flood frequency variations in both archives and changes in the activity of the Sun suggest a solar influence on the frequency of these hydrometeorological extremes.

Stratospheric ozone changes under solar geoengineering: implications for UV exposure and air quality

Various forms of solar radiation management (SRM) have been proposed to counteract man-made climate change. However, all these countermeasures could have unintended side-effects. We add a novel perspective to this discussion by showing how atmospheric ozone changes under solar geoengineering could affect UV exposure and air pollution. This would have implications for human health and ecology. Atmospheric composition changes are therefore important to consider in the evaluation of any SRM scheme.

Ice melt, sea level rise and superstorms: evidence from paleoclimate data, climate modeling, and modern observations that 2 ∘C global warming could be dangerous

We use climate simulations, paleoclimate data and modern observations to infer that continued high fossil fuel emissions will yield cooling of Southern Ocean and North Atlantic surfaces, slowdown and shutdown of SMOC & AMOC, increasingly powerful storms and nonlinear sea level rise reaching several meters in 50-150 years, effects missed in IPCC reports because of omission of ice sheet melt and an insensitivity of most climate models, likely due to excessive ocean mixing.

Coevolution of volcanic catchments in Japan

We derived indices of landscape properties as well as hydrological response and examined their relation with catchment age and climate. We found significant correlation between drainage density and baseflow index with age, but not with climate. We compared our data with data from volcanic catchments in Oregon and could confirm that baseflow index decreases with time, but also discovered that drainage density seems to stabilize after 2M years, after an initial increase due to landscape incision.

Maximum wind radius estimated by the 50 kt radius: improvement of storm surge forecasting over the western North Pacific

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DOI 10.5194/nhess-16-705-2016
11 March 2016

We proposed an Rmax estimation method based on the radius of the 50 knot wind (R50). The data obtained during the passage of strong typhoons by a meteorological station network in the Japanese archipelago enabled us to derive the following simple formula, Rmax = 0.23 R50. The proposed method is expected to increase the reliability of storm surge prediction and contribute to disaster risk management, particularly in the western North Pacific.

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