Ideas and perspectives: on the emission of amines from terrestrial vegetation in the context of new atmospheric particle formation Biogeosciences DOI 10.5194/bg-12-3225-2015 3 June 2015 In this article we summarise recent science which shows how airborne amines, specifically methylamines (MAs), play a key role in new atmospheric particle formation (NPF) by stabilising small molecule clusters. Read more
Snowfall in the Himalayas: an uncertain future from a little-known past The Cryosphere DOI 10.5194/tc-9-1147-2015 2 June 2015 Snow and ice provide large amounts of meltwater to the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. In this study we show that climate change will reduce the amount of snow falling in the Himalayas, Hindu Kush and Karakoram substantially. The limited number of observations in remote upper-level terrain makes it difficult to get a complete overview of the situation today, but our results indicate that by 2071–2100 snowfall may be reduced by 30–70% with the strongest anthropogenic forcing scenario. Read more
Reliable, robust and realistic: the three R’s of next-generation land-surface modelling Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-15-5987-2015 29 May 2015 Land surface models (LSMs) describe how carbon and water fluxes react to environmental change. They are key component of climate models, yet they differ enormously. Many perform poorly, despite having many parameters. We outline a development strategy emphasizing robustness, reliability and realism, none of which is guaranteed by complexity alone. We propose multiple constraints, benchmarking and data assimilation, and representing unresolved processes stochastically, as tools in this endeavour. Read more
Modelling glacier change in the Everest region, Nepal Himalaya The Cryosphere DOI 10.5194/tc-9-1105-2015 27 May 2015 A glacier mass balance and redistribution model that integrates field observations and downscaled climate fields is developed to examine glacier sensitivity to future climate in the Everest region of Nepal. The modelled sensitivity of glaciers to future climate change is high, and glacier mass loss is sustained through the 21st century for both middle- and high-emission scenarios. Projected temperature increases will expose large glacier areas to melt and reduce snow accumulations. Read more
Local and regional scale measurements of CH4, δ13CH4, and C2H6 in the Uintah Basin using a mobile stable isotope analyzer Atmospheric Measurement Techniques DOI 10.5194/amtd-8-4859-2015 13 May 2015 We describe an innovative instrument based on cavity ring down spectroscopy that analyzes the stable isotopes of methane in the ambient atmosphere. This instrument was used to study atmospheric emissions from oil and gas extraction activities in the Uintah Basin in Utah. These measurements suggest that 86 ± 7% of the total emissions in the basin are from natural gas production. The easy field deployment of this instrument can enable similar regional attribution studies across the world. Read more
Oceanic and atmospheric forcing of Larsen C Ice-Shelf thinning The Cryosphere DOI 10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015 13 May 2015 Antarctic Peninsula ice shelves have collapsed in recent decades. The surface of Larsen C Ice Shelf is lowering, but the cause of this has not been understood. This study uses eight radar surveys to show that the lowering is caused by both ice loss and a loss of air from the ice shelf’s snowpack. At least two different processes are causing the lowering. The stability of Larsen C may be at risk from an ungrounding of Bawden Ice Rise or ice-front retreat past a ‘compressive arch’ in strain rates. Read more
The GAMDAM glacier inventory: a quality-controlled inventory of Asian glaciers The Cryosphere DOI 10.5194/tc-9-849-2015 6 May 2015 We present a new glacier inventory for high-mountain Asia named Glacier Area Mapping for Discharge from the Asian Mountains (GAMDAM). Glacier outlines were delineated manually using 356 Landsat ETM+ scenes in 226 path-row sets from the period 1999–2003, in conjunction with a digital elevation model and high-resolution Google EarthTM imagery. Our GAMDAM Glacier Inventory includes 87,084 glaciers covering a total area of 91,263 ± 13,689 km2 throughout high-mountain Asia. Read more
Open ocean dead zones in the tropical North Atlantic Ocean Biogeosciences DOI 10.5194/bg-12-2597-2015 30 April 2015 This study is the first report of the formation of dead zones in the open ocean. A combination of multiple ocean observing system elements (mooring, floats, satellites, ships) allowed us to reconstruct the generation of the dead zones and to connect the formation to enhanced respiration within mesoscale ocean eddies. The dead zones present specific threats to the ecosystem, such as the interruption of the diurnal migration of zooplankters. Read more
Storm type effects on super Clausius–Clapeyron scaling of intense rainstorm properties with air temperature Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-19-1753-2015 16 April 2015 We present an empirical study of the rates of increase in precipitation intensity with air temperature using high-resolution 10 min precipitation records in Switzerland. We estimated the scaling rates for lightning (convective) and non-lightning event subsets and show that scaling rates are between 7 and 14%/C for convective rain and that mixing of storm types exaggerates the relations to air temperature. Doubled CC rates reported by other studies are an exception in our data set. Read more
Field survey report and satellite image interpretation of the 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/nhess-15-805-2015 10 April 2015 Super Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Eastern Visayas islands of the Philippines on 8 November 2013. The International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, deployed several teams for damage recognition, relief support and collaboration with regard to this event. In this paper, we summarize the rapid damage assessment from satellite imagery conducted days after the event and report on the inundation measurements and damage surveyed in the field. Read more
