Vapor plumes in a tropical wet forest: spotting the invisible evaporation Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-25-619-2021 3 March 2021 Forest evaporation exports a vast amount of water vapor from land ecosystems into the atmosphere. This work describes the formation process of vapor plumes in a tropical wet forest as evidence of evaporation processes happening during rain events. Read more
Low-NO atmospheric oxidation pathways in a polluted megacity Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-21-1613-2021 2 March 2021 The impact of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to the atmosphere on the production of secondary pollutants, such as ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA), is mediated by the concentration of nitric oxide (NO). Polluted urban atmospheres are typically considered to be high-NO” environments, while remote regions such as rainforests, with minimal anthropogenic influences, are considered to be “low NO”. However, our observations from central Beijing show that this simplistic separation of regimes is flawed. Read more
A limited effect of sub-tropical typhoons on phytoplankton dynamics Biogeosciences DOI 10.5194/bg-18-849-2021 1 March 2021 Typhoons are assumed to stimulate primary ocean production through the upward mixing of nutrients into the ocean surface. This assumption is based largely on observations of increased surface chlorophyll concentrations following the passage of typhoons. This surface chlorophyll enhancement, occasionally detected by satellites, is often undetected due to intense cloud coverage. Read more
Volcanoes in video games: the portrayal of volcanoes incommercial off-the-shelf (COTS) video games and their learning potential Geoscience Communication DOI 10.5194/gc-4-11-2021 26 February 2021 Volcanoes are a very common staple in mainstream video games. Particularly within the action–adventure genres, entire missions or even full storylines can require players to traverse an active volcano. Therefore, players can spend a lot of time immersed within the detailed graphics and unknowingly learn about volcanic traits while playing. Read more
Mass accommodation and gas–particle partitioning in secondary organicaerosols: dependence on diffusivity, volatility, particle-phase reactions,and penetration depth Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-21-1565-2021 25 February 2021 Mass accommodation is an essential process for gas–particle partitioning of organic compounds in secondary organic aerosols (SOA). The mass accommodation coefficient is commonly described as the probability of a gas molecule colliding with the surface to enter the particle phase. It is often applied, however, without specifying if and how deep a molecule has to penetrate beneath the surface to be regarded as being incorporated into the condensed phase (adsorption vs. absorption). Read more
A new view of heat wave dynamics and predictability over the easternMediterranean Earth System Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esd-12-133-2021 24 February 2021 Skillful forecasts of extreme weather events have a major socioeconomic relevance. Here, we compare two complementary approaches to diagnose the predictability of extreme weather: recent developments in dynamical systems theory and numerical ensemble weather forecasts. Read more
An overview of the ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and theirintEractionS) project: aerosol–cloud–radiation interactions in the southeastAtlantic basin Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-21-1507-2021 23 February 2021 Southern Africa produces almost a third of the Earth’s biomass burning (BB) aerosol particles, yet the fate of these particles and their influence on regional and global climate is poorly understood. ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS) is a 5-year NASA EVS-2 (Earth Venture Suborbital-2) investigation with three intensive observation periods designed to study key atmospheric processes that determine the climate impacts of these aerosols. Read more
Synchronized spatial shifts of Hadley and Walker circulations Earth System Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esd-12-121-2021 22 February 2021 Here, by examining the spatiotemporal relationship between Hadley and Walker cells in observations and climate model experiments, we demonstrate that the seasonally evolving warm-pool sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the decay phase of an El Niño event generate a meridionally asymmetric Walker circulation response, which couples the zonal and meridional atmospheric overturning circulations. Read more
A revision of the Combined Drought Indicator (CDI)used in the European Drought Observatory (EDO) Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/nhess-21-481-2021 19 February 2021 Building on almost 10 years of expertise and operational application of the Combined Drought Indicator (CDI), which is implemented within the European Commission’s European Drought Observatory (EDO) for the purposes of early warning and monitoring of agricultural droughts in Europe, this paper proposes a revised version of the index. Read more
The transient sensitivity of sea level rise Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-17-181-2021 18 February 2021 Here, we introduce a similar metric for sea level response. We find that future projections estimated on climate model responses fall below extrapolation based on recent observational records.This comparison suggests that the likely upper level of sea level projections in recent IPCC reports would be too low. Read more
