Reviews and syntheses: expanding the global coverage of gross primary production and net community production measurements using Biogeochemical-Argo floats Biogeosciences DOI 10.5194/bg-21-13-2024 27 December 2023 This paper provides an overview of the capacity to expand the global coverage of marine primary production estimates using autonomous ocean-going instruments, called Biogeochemical-Argo floats. We review existing approaches to quantifying primary production using floats, provide examples of the current implementation of the methods, and offer insights into how they can be better exploited. This paper is timely, given the ongoing expansion of the Biogeochemical-Argo array. Read more
Cost estimation for the monitoring instrumentation of landslide early warning systems Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/nhess-23-3913-2023 25 December 2023 A new approach for the deployment of landslide early warning systems (LEWSs) is proposed. We combine data-driven landslide susceptibility mapping and population maps to identify exposed locations. We estimate the cost of monitoring sensors and demonstrate that LEWSs could be installed with a budget ranging from EUR 5 to EUR 41 per person in Medellín, Colombia. We provide recommendations for stakeholders and outline the challenges and opportunities for successful LEWS implementation. Read more
The Framework for Assessing Changes To Sea-level (FACTS) v1.0: a platform for characterizing parametric and structural uncertainty in future global, relative, and extreme sea-level change Geoscientific Model Development DOI 10.5194/gmd-16-7461-2023 22 December 2023 Future sea-level rise projections exhibit multiple forms of uncertainty, all of which must be considered by scientific assessments intended to inform decision-making. The Framework for Assessing Changes To Sea-level (FACTS) is a new software package intended to support assessments of global mean, regional, and extreme sea-level rise. An early version of FACTS supported the development of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report sea-level projections. Read more
The Indonesian Throughflow circulation under solar geoengineering Earth System Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esd-14-1317-2023 20 December 2023 The Indonesia Throughflow is an important pathway connecting the Pacific and Indian oceans and is part of a wind-driven circulation that is expected to reduce under greenhouse gas forcing. Solar dimming and sulfate aerosol injection geoengineering may reverse this effect. But stratospheric sulfate aerosols affect winds more than simply ``shading the sun’‘; they cause a reduction in water transport similar to that we simulate for a scenario with unabated greenhouse gas emissions. Read more
Drivers controlling black carbon temporal variability in the lower troposphere of the European Arctic Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-23-15589-2023 18 December 2023 Models still fail in reproducing black carbon (BC) temporal variability in the Arctic. Analysis of equivalent BC concentrations in the European Arctic shows that BC seasonal variability is modulated by the efficiency of removal by precipitation during transport towards high latitudes. Short-term variability is controlled by synoptic-scale circulation patterns. The advection of warm air from lower latitudes is an effective pollution transport pathway during summer. Read more
Uncertainty assessment of satellite remote-sensing-based evapotranspiration estimates: a systematic review of methods and gaps Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-27-4505-2023 15 December 2023 Satellite data are increasingly used to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) or the amount of water moving from plants, soils, and water bodies into the atmosphere over large areas. Uncertainties from various sources affect the accuracy of these calculations. This study reviews the methods to assess the uncertainties of such ET estimations. It provides specific recommendations for a comprehensive assessment that assists in the potential uses of these data for research, monitoring, and management. Read more
Paul J. Crutzen – a pioneer in Earth system science and a founding member of the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-23-15445-2023 13 December 2023 Paul J. Crutzen was a pioneer in atmospheric sciences and a kind-hearted, humorous person with empathy for the private lives of his colleagues and students. He made fundamental scientific contributions to a wide range of scientific topics in all parts of the atmosphere. Paul was among the founders of the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. His work will continue to be a guide for generations of scientists and environmental policymakers to come. Read more
Opinion: Tropical cirrus – from micro-scale processes to climate-scale impacts Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-23-15413-2023 11 December 2023 Tropical cirrus clouds are essential for climate, but our understanding of these clouds is limited due to their dependence on a wide range of small- and large-scale climate processes. In this opinion paper, we review recent advances in the study of tropical cirrus clouds, point out remaining open questions, and suggest ways to resolve them. Read more
Climate intervention using marine cloud brightening (MCB) compared with stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) in the UKESM1 climate model Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-23-15305-2023 8 December 2023 The difficulties in ameliorating global warming and the associated climate change via conventional mitigation are well documented, with all climate model scenarios exceeding 1.5 °C above the pre-industrial level in the near future. There is therefore a growing interest in geoengineering to reflect a greater proportion of sunlight back to space and offset some of the global warming. We use a state-of-the-art Earth-system model to investigate two of the most prominent geoengineering strategies. Read more
Results of a long-term international comparison of greenhouse gas and isotope measurements at the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Observatory in Alert, Nunavut, Canada Atmospheric Measurement Techniques DOI 10.5194/amt-16-5909-2023 6 December 2023 Network compatibility is important for inferring greenhouse gas fluxes at global or regional scales. This study is the first assessment of the measurement agreement among seven individual programs within the World Meteorological Organization community. It compares co-located flask air measurements at the Alert Observatory in Canada over a 17-year period. The results provide stronger confidence in the uncertainty estimation while using those datasets in various data interpretation applications. Read more
