Incremental improvements of 2030 targets insufficient to achieve the Paris Agreement goals Earth System Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esd-11-697-2020 13 August 2020 Current global mitigation ambition in the National Determined Contributions (NDCs) up to 2030 is insufficient to achieve the 1.5 °C long-term temperature limit. As governments are preparing new and updated NDCs for 2020, we address the question of what level of collective ambition is pivotal regarding the Paris Agreement goals. We provide estimates for global mean temperature increase by 2100 for different incremental NDC update scenarios and illustrate climate impacts under those scenarios. Read more
Remote sensing of methane leakage from natural gas and petroleum systems revisited Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-20-9169-2020 13 August 2020 The switch from the use of coal to natural gas or oil for energy generation potentially reduces the impact on global warming due to lower CO 2 emissions with the same energy content. However, this climate benefit is offset by fugitive methane emissions during the production and distribution process. We quantify emission and leakage rates relative to production for several large production regions based on satellite observations to evaluate the climate footprint of the gas and oil industry. Read more
Survival of the Qaidam mega-lake system under mid-Pliocene climates and itsrestoration under future climates Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-24-3835-2020 11 August 2020 During the Pliocene, the Qaidam Basin on the Tibetan Plateau contained a mega-lake system. During the Pleistocene, it disappeared almost completely. Today, hyperarid climates prevail in the low-altitude parts of the basin. This study reveals that today’s mean water balance of the Qaidam Basin is nearly zero and is positive during warmer, less dry years. The results explain how the mega-lake system could survive for a long time in the past and could eventually be restored in the future. Read more
The recent state and variability of the carbonate system of the CanadianArctic Archipelago and adjacent basins in the context of ocean acidification Biogeosciences DOI 10.5194/bg-17-3923-2020 11 August 2020 Ocean acidification is the process by which the oceans are changing due to carbon dioxide emissions from human activities. Studying this process in the Arctic Ocean is essential as this ocean and its ecosystems are more vulnerable to the effects of acidification. Water chemistry measurements made in recent years show that waters in and around the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are considerably affected by this process and show dynamic conditions that might have an impact on local marine organisms. Read more
Impact of environmental changes and land management practices on wheatproduction in India Earth System Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esd-11-641-2020 6 August 2020 Spring wheat, a staple for millions of people in India and the world, is vulnerable to changing environmental and management factors. Using a new spring wheat model, we find that over the 1980–2016 period elevated CO 2 levels, irrigation, and nitrogen fertilizers led to an increase of 30 %, 12 %, and 15 % in countrywide production, respectively. In contrast, rising temperatures have reduced production by 18 %. These effects vary across the country, thereby affecting production at regional scales. Read more
Multidecadal trend analysis of in situ aerosol radiative properties around the world Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-20-8867-2020 6 August 2020 Long-term trends of aerosol radiative properties (52 stations) prove that aerosol load has significantly decreased over the last 20 years. Scattering trends are negative in Europe (EU) and North America (NA), not ss in Asia, and show a mix of positive and negative trends at polar stations. Absorption has mainly negative trends. The single scattering albedo has positive trends in Asia and eastern EU and negative in western EU and NA, leading to a global positive median trend of 0.02 % per year. Read more
Reviewing global estimates of surface reactive nitrogen concentration anddeposition using satellite retrievals Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-20-8641-2020 4 August 2020 Excessive atmospheric reactive nitrogen (N r ) deposition can cause a series of negative effects. Thus, it is necessary to accurately estimate N r deposition to evaluate its impact on the ecosystems and environment. Scientists attempted to estimate surface N r concentration and deposition using satellite retrievals. We give a thorough review of recent advances in estimating surface N r concentration and deposition using satellite retrievals of NO 2 and NH 3 and summarize the existing challenges. Read more
Invited perspectives: The volcanoes of Naples: how can the highest volcanic risk in the world be effectively mitigated? Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/nhess-20-2037-2020 4 August 2020 This paper starts by showing the present low performance of eruption forecasting and then addresses the problem of effectively mitigating the highest volcanic risk in the world, represented by the Naples area (southern Italy). The problem is considered in a highly multidisciplinary way, taking into account the main economic, sociological and urban planning issues. Our study gives precise guidelines to assessing and managing volcanic risk in any densely urbanised area. Read more
Results of the third Marine Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project (MISMIP+) The Cryosphere DOI 10.5194/tc-14-2283-2020 30 July 2020 We present the results of the third Marine Ice Sheet Intercomparison Project (MISMIP+). MISMIP+ is one in a series of exercises that test numerical models of ice sheet flow in simple situations. This particular exercise concentrates on the response of ice sheet models to the thinning of their floating ice shelves, which is of interest because numerical models are currently used to model the response to contemporary and near-future thinning in Antarctic ice shelves. Read more
Spatial database and website for reservoir-triggered seismicity in Brazil Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/nhess-20-2001-2020 30 July 2020 One of the biggest challenges in studying reservoir-triggered seismicity (RTS) is to identify factors that can trigger seismicity. A spatial database and a web viewer were created, gathering the data pertinent to the RTS study. Results were obtained in processing these data; for example, the occurrence of RTS increases with the height of the dam, the minimum limiting volume value is 1 × 10 −4 km 3 for occurrence of RTS, and for geology no correlations were found, among other results. Read more
