High spatial resolution imaging of methane and other trace gases with the airborne Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES) Atmospheric Measurement Techniques DOI 10.5194/amt-9-2393-2016 1 June 2016 Using data from a new airborne Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES) instrument, we present a technique for the detection and wide-area mapping of emission plumes of methane and other atmospheric trace gas species over challenging and diverse environmental conditions with high spatial resolution, that permits direct attribution to sources in complex environments. Read more
Will a perfect model agree with perfect observations? The impact of spatial sampling Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-16-6335-2016 24 May 2016 We show that evaluating global aerosol model data with observations of very different spatial scales (200 vs. 10 km) can lead to large discrepancies, solely due to different spatial sampling. Strategies for reducing these sampling errors are developed and tested using a set of high-resolution model simulations. Read more
Retrieving atmospheric turbulence information from regular commercial aircraft using Mode-S and ADS-B Atmospheric Measurement Techniques DOI 10.5194/amt-9-2253-2016 23 May 2016 This paper is presenting a feasibility study focused on methods of estimating the turbulence intensity based on a class of navigational messages routinely broadcast by the commercial aircraft (known as ADS-B and Mode-S). Using this kind of information could have potentially significant impact on aviation safety. Three methods have been investigated. ADS-B">Read more
Investigating the impact of land-use land-cover change on Indian summer monsoon daily rainfall and temperature during 1951–2005 using a regional climate model Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-20-1765-2016 10 May 2016 Regional climate model (RegCM4) simulations demonstrate that part of the observed decrease in moderate rainfall events during the summer monsoon season over central India from 1951 to 2005 is attributed to anthropogenically induced land-use land-cover change (LULCC). LULCC also partly explains the observed warming trend in the daily mean and maximum temperatures over India. This study demonstrates the importance of LULCC in the context of regional climate change over India. Read more
Alluvial plain dynamics in the southern Amazonian foreland basin Earth System Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esd-7-453-2016 10 May 2016 This paper analyses the behaviour of 12 tributaries of the Río Mamoré and their influence on alluvial plain dynamics. These rivers are extremely active: between 1984 and 2014, 7 of these 12 rivers underwent a total of 41 crevasses and 29 avulsions. Most of the sedimentary load of these rivers is deposited on the alluvial plains before they reach the Mamoré. Crevasses and avulsions are not controlled by ENSO cycles, but rather are the result of intrabasinal processes. Read more
Bayesian statistical ionospheric tomography improved by incorporating ionosonde measurements Atmospheric Measurement Techniques DOI 10.5194/amt-9-1859-2016 28 April 2016 We validate 2-D ionospheric tomography reconstructions against EISCAT incoherent scatter radar measurements. The method is based on Bayesian statistical inversion. We employ ionosonde measurements for the choice of the prior distribution parameters and use a sparse matrix approximation for the computations. This results in a computationally efficient tomography algorithm with clear probabilistic interpretation. We find that ionosonde measurements improve the reconstruction significantly. Read more
Mapping turbulent diffusivity associated with oceanic internal lee waves offshore Costa Rica Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-12-601-2016 26 April 2016 Lee waves play a significant role in ocean mixing but are difficult to study with traditional casts, moorings, and tows due to their stationary nature and limited spatial extent. We develop a new method to estimate turbulent diffusivity from seismic data and find elevated levels of turbulence associated with lee waves in the mid-water and around the seafloor that are 5 times greater than surrounding waters and 50 times greater than open-ocean diffusivities. Read more
A Late Pleistocene sea level stack Climate of the Past DOI 10.5194/cp-12-1079-2016 26 April 2016 This study presents an average of seven Late Pleistocene sea level records, which improves the signal-to-noise ratio for estimates of sea level change during glacial cycles of the past 800 000 years. Read more
Revolutions in energy input and material cycling in Earth history and human history Earth System Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esd-7-353-2016 22 April 2016 We identify six past revolutions in energy input and material cycling in Earth and human history. We find that human energy use has now reached a magnitude comparable to the biosphere, and conclude that a prospective sustainability revolution will require scaling up new solar energy technologies and the development of much more efficient material recycling systems. Our work was inspired by recognising the connections between Earth system science and industrial ecology at the “LOOPS” workshop. Read more
Differential climate impacts for policy-relevant limits to global warming: the case of 1.5 ∘C and 2 ∘C Earth System Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esd-7-327-2016 21 April 2016 We present for the first time a comprehensive assessment of key climate impacts for the policy relevant warming levels of 1.5 °C and 2 °C above pre-industrial levels. We report substantial impact differences in intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, regional water availability and agricultural yields, sea-level rise and risk of coral reef loss. The increase in climate impacts is particularly pronounced in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Read more
