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Summarizing the state of the terrestrial biosphere in few dimensions

To closely monitor the state of our planet, we require systems that can monitor
the observation of many different properties at the same time. We create
indicators that resemble the behavior of many different simultaneous
observations. We apply the method to create indicators representing the
Earth’s biosphere. The indicators show a productivity gradient and a water
gradient. The resulting indicators can detect a large number of changes and
extremes in the Earth system.

Intercomparison of wind observations from the European Space Agency’s Aeolus satellite mission and the ALADIN Airborne Demonstrator

This work reports on the first airborne validation campaign of ESA’s Earth Explorer mission Aeolus, conducted in central Europe during the commissioning phase in November 2018. After presenting the methodology used to compare the data sets from the satellite, the airborne wind lidar and the ECWMF model, the wind results from the underflights performed are analyzed and discussed, providing a first assessment of the accuracy and precision of the preliminary Aeolus wind data.

The acidity of atmospheric particles and clouds

Acid rain is recognized for its impacts on human health and ecosystems, and programs to mitigate these effects have had implications for atmospheric acidity. Historical measurements indicate that cloud and fog droplet acidity has changed in recent decades in response to controls on emissions from human activity, while the limited trend data for suspended particles indicate acidity may be relatively constant. This review synthesizes knowledge on the acidity of atmospheric particles and clouds.

Drainage divide networks – Part 2: Response to perturbations

Drainage divides are believed to provide clues about divide migration and the instability of landscapes. Here, we present a novel approach to extract drainage divides from digital elevation models and to order them in a drainage divide network. We present our approach by studying natural and artificial landscapes generated with a landscape evolution model and disturbed to induce divide migration.

The benefits to climate science of including early-career scientists asreviewers

Early-career scientists (ECSs) are rarely invited to act as peer reviewers. Participating in a group peer review of the IPCC Special Report on Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, PhD students spent more time reviewing than more established scientists and provided a similar proportion of substantive comments. By soliciting and including ECSs in peer review, the scientific community would reduce the burden on more established scientists and may improve the quality of that process.

Brief communication: Residence time of energy in the atmosphere

We deduce that after a global thermal perturbation, the Earth’s
atmosphere would need about a couple of months to come back to equilibrium.

Drainage divide networks – Part 1: Identification and ordering in digital elevation models

Drainage divides are believed to provide clues about divide migration and the instability of landscapes. Here, we present a novel approach to extract drainage divides from digital elevation models and to order them in a drainage divide network. We present our approach by studying natural and artificial landscapes generated with a landscape evolution model and disturbed to induce divide migration.

Authigenic formation of Ca–Mg carbonates in the shallow alkaline LakeNeusiedl, Austria

Dolomite (CaMg(CO ₃ ) ₂ ) is supersaturated in many aquatic settings (e.g., seawater) on modern Earth but does not precipitate directly from the fluid, a fact known as the dolomite problem. The widely acknowledged concept of dolomite precipitation involves microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) and anoxic conditions as important drivers. In contrast, results from Lake Neusiedl support an alternative concept of Ca–Mg carbonate precipitation under aerobic and alkaline conditions.

Oxygen and sulfur mass-independent isotopic signatures in black crusts: thecomplementary negative Δ33S reservoir of sulfate aerosols?

Given their critical impact on radiative forcing, sulfate aerosols have been extensively studied using their isotope signatures (δ ³⁴ S, ∆ ³³ S, ∆ ³⁶ S, δ ¹⁸ O, and ∆ ¹⁷ O). A striking observation is that ∆ ³³ S > 0 ‰, implying a missing reservoir in the sulfur cycle. Here, we measured ∆ ³³ S < 0 ‰ in black crust sulfates (i.e., formed on carbonate walls) that must therefore result from distinct chemical pathway(s) compared to sulfate aerosols, and they may well represent this complementary reservoir.

Surface water and groundwater: unifying conceptualization and quantification of the two “water worlds”

We present a blueprint for a unified modelling framework to quantify chemical transport in both surface water and groundwater systems. There has been extensive debate over recent decades, particularly in the surface water literature, about how to explain and account for long travel times of chemical species that are distinct from water flow (rainfall-runoff) travel times. We suggest a powerful modelling framework known to be robust and effective from the field of groundwater hydrology.

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