Seasonal partitioning of precipitation between streamflow and evapotranspiration, inferred from end-member splitting analysis Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-24-17-2020 17 January 2020 Perhaps the oldest question in hydrology is “Where does water go when it rains?”. Here we present a new way to measure how the terrestrial water cycle partitions precipitation into its two ultimate fates: “green water” that is evaporated or transpired back to the atmosphere and “blue water” that is discharged to stream channels. Our analysis may help in gauging the vulnerability of both water resources and terrestrial ecosystems to changes in rainfall patterns. Read more
Two types of North American droughts related to different atmospheric circulation patterns Climate of the Past DOI 10.5194/cp-15-2053-2019 17 January 2020 The western USA is frequently affected by multiannual summer droughts. They can be separated into two groups with distinct spatial patterns. This study analyzes the atmospheric circulation during multiannual droughts in a new 3-D climate reconstruction. We confirm two distinct drought types differing with respect to atmospheric circulation as well as sea surface temperatures. Our results suggest that both the Pacific and the extratropical North Atlantic region affect North American droughts. Read more
Effectiveness of landscape decontamination following the Fukushima nuclear accident: a review SOIL DOI 10.5194/soil-5-333-2019 30 December 2019 The Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in March 2011 resulted in the contamination of Japanese landscapes with radioactive fallout. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the decontamination strategies and their potential effectiveness in Japan. Overall, we believe it is important to synthesise the remediation lessons learnt following the FDNPP nuclear accident, which could be fundamental if radioactive fallout occurred somewhere on Earth in the future. Read more
Generation of Rossby waves off the Cape Verde Peninsula: the role of the coastline Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-15-1667-2019 30 December 2019 In December 2002 and January 2003 satellite observations of chlorophyll showed a wavelike pattern with a wavelength of about 750 km south-west of the Cape Verde Peninsula. Such a pattern suggests the existence of a locally generated Rossby wave which slowly propagated westward. To verify this hypothesis a numerical study based on a simple model has been conducted. The numerical results are completed by an analytical study which evaluates the potential impact of the coastline shape. Read more
Ice-nucleating particle versus ice crystal number concentrationin altocumulus and cirrus layers embedded in Saharan dust:a closure study Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-19-15087-2019 30 December 2019 For the first time, a closure study of the relationship between the ice-nucleating particle concentration (INPC) and ice crystal number concentration (ICNC) in altocumulus and cirrus layers, solely based on ground-based active remote sensing, is presented. The closure studies were conducted in Cyprus. A focus was on altocumulus and cirrus layers which developed in pronounced Saharan dust layers. The closure studies show that heterogeneous ice nucleation can play a dominant role in ice formation. Read more
Understanding snow bedform formation by adding sintering to a cellular automata model The Cryosphere DOI 10.5194/tc-13-3239-2019 17 December 2019 Snow surfaces, under the action of wind, form beautiful shapes such as waves and dunes. This study is the first ever study to simulate these shapes using a state-of-the-art numerical modelling tool. While these beautiful and ephemeral shapes on snow surfaces are fascinating from a purely aesthetic point of view, they are also critical in regulating the transfer of heat and mass between the atmosphere and snowpacks, thus being of huge importance to the Earth system. Read more
A comparative assessment of the uncertainties of global surface ocean CO2 estimates using a machine-learning ensemble (CSIR-ML6 version 2019a) – have we hit the wall? Geoscientific Model Development DOI 10.5194/gmd-12-5113-2019 17 December 2019 The ocean plays a vital role in mitigating climate change by taking up atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Historically sparse ship-based measurements of surface ocean CO2make direct estimates of CO2exchange changes unreliable. We introduce a machine-learning ensemble approach to fill these observational gaps. Our method performs incrementally better relative to past methods, leading to our hypothesis that we are perhaps reaching the limitation of machine-learning algorithms’ capability. Read more
On the seasonal variation in observed size distributions in northern Europe and their changes with decreasing anthropogenic emissions in Europe: climatology and trend analysis based on 17 years of data from Aspvreten, Sweden Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-19-14849-2019 17 December 2019 In this study we explore 17 years of aerosol number size distribution data (10–390 nm) observed at Aspvreten (58.8° N, 17.4° E, 25 m a.s.l.). The station, located in northern Europe, is representative of rural background conditions. The study focused on identifying trends in aerosol number size distribution properties. The study shows that total number has decreased by 30 % and aerosol submicron mass by 50 % on average. Observed trends vary strongly with both season and particle size. Read more
Stepwise chemical abrasion–isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry with trace element analysis of microfractured Hadean zircon Geochronology DOI 10.5194/gchron-1-85-2019 17 December 2019 The oldest known minerals on Earth are Hadean (> 4.0 Ga) zircons from the Jack Hills, Australia. We present the first application to such Hadean zircons of stepwise chemical abrasion–isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry with trace element analysis (stepwise CA-ID-TIMS-TEA). We examine the evolution in the U–Pb age and trace element chemistry of zircon domains accessed by successive chemical abrasion steps in the context of the geologic history of the Jack Hills zircons. Read more
Societal breakdown as an emergent property of large-scale behavioural models of land use change Earth System Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esd-10-809-2019 10 December 2019 Concerns are growing that human activity will lead to social and environmental breakdown, but it is hard to anticipate when and where such breakdowns might occur. We developed a new model of land management decisions in Europe to explore possible future changes and found that decision-making that takes into account social and environmental conditions can produce unexpected outcomes that include societal breakdown in challenging conditions. Read more
