Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rhawn F. Denniston, Caroline C. Ummenhofer, Kerry Emanuel, Roberto Ingrosso, Francesco S. R. Pausata, Alan D. Wanamaker, Matthew S. Lachniet, Kenneth T. Carr, Yemane Asmerom, Victor J. Polyak, Jonathan Nott, Wei Zhang, Gabriele Villarini, John Cugley, Darren Brooks, David Woods, William F. Humphreys
Summary: A study on stalagmite records in tropical Australia over the past 1500 years reveals the correlation between subtropical cyclone activity and the position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Subtropical cyclones track the ITCZ, and a more southward position enhances rainfall in the subtropics. With increasing anthropogenic warming leading to increased aridity in subtropical regions, subtropical cyclones may play an increasingly important role in Western Australia's moisture budgets.
Article
Geography, Physical
Laura Almaraz-Ruiz, Maria Luisa Machain-Castillo, Abdelfettah Sifeddine, Ana Carolina Ruiz-Fernandez, Joan-Albert Sanchez-Cabeza, Alejandro Rodriguez-Ramirez, Perla Guadalupe Lopez-Mendoza, Mercedes Mendez-Millan, Sandrine Caquineau
Summary: Changes in marine productivity in the Gulf of Tehuantepec over the past five centuries were analyzed through a high-resolution study of diatoms, organic carbon, total nitrogen, Ni/Al, and Cu/Al. The research found that the Little Ice Age (1500-1858 CE) was characterized by cold-water diatoms and high productivity, while the Current Warm Period (1860-present) showed the dominance of warm-water taxa and low productivity values. These changes were influenced by solar irradiance and the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.
Article
Oceanography
Georgia M. Hole, Thomas Rawson, Wesley R. Farnsworth, Anders Schomacker, Olafur Ingolfsson, Marc Macias-Fauria
Summary: The 500-year history of naturally felled driftwood incursion to northern Svalbard reflects regional sea ice conditions and Arctic Ocean circulation. By analyzing provenance and age determinations, researchers gained insights into Arctic Ocean currents and climatic conditions with fine spatial resolution. The study indicates centennial-to decadal-scale shifts in source regions for driftwood incursion to Svalbard, aligning with fluctuations in Transpolar Drift and Beaufort Gyre strengths and associated climate conditions.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Colin J. Courtney Mustaphi, Stephen M. Rucina, Lydia King, Katherine Selby, Rob Marchant
Summary: This study investigates the modern and historical records of forest fires in mountain forests of Kenya, using paleo-environmental geoarchives to analyze the long-term changes in fire activity. The research reveals that during the global warming and changing regional hydroclimate of the Last Glacial Maximum, fire plays an important role in driving and maintaining forest composition.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Xiaoyu Tan, Linhao Zhong, Lin Mu, Zhaohui Gong
Summary: The study investigates the winter cooling in East Asia and its associated atmospheric and oceanic influences. The results show that the cooling is characterized by anticyclonic circulation, mid-to-high-latitude wave trains, decreased sea surface temperature in the tropical Pacific, and reduced sea-ice cover in the Barents and Kara Seas. Two circulation modes, influenced by La Nina-type SST anomaly and reduced SIC in BKS, have a cooling effect on East Asia. The synergy between tropical and polar oceanic forcing can increase the East-Asia cooling days and cold extremes.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiang Zou, Wangbin Zhang, Shuangye Wu, Jinhai Yu, Jing Song, Hongxi Pang, Yaping Liu, Shugui Hou
Summary: Fluoride contamination poses a great threat to ecosystems and human health, and has raised widespread concern. This study used data from Tibetan ice cores to investigate the sources and trends of atmospheric fluoride in the central Tibetan Plateau over the past few decades. The results showed that dust activities and anthropogenic emissions were the main factors influencing the variation of fluoride in the atmosphere.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Lili Shao, Lide Tian, Zhongyin Cai, Cheng Wang, Yao Li
Summary: The study reveals that the interannual variations in d-excess of ice cores from the central Tibetan Plateau are influenced by atmospheric circulation and temperature in the tropical Pacific region, with weak correlations to local meteorological parameters.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Martin A. Harris, James K. Russell, Alexander Wilson, Brian Jicha
Summary: The Mount Meager volcanic complex (MMVC) is a calc-alkaline volcanic center in the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt in Canada. New age and chemical data for the MMVC mafic rocks indicate that the mafic eruptions occurred in four episodes over the past 450,000 years and that the chemical signatures of these rocks evolved over time. The findings also provide evidence of the presence or absence of ice sheets in southwest British Columbia over the last 500,000 years.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Martin A. Harris, James K. Russell, Alexander Wilson, Brian Jicha
Summary: The Mount Meager volcanic complex in Canada is an important volcanic center within the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt. New research has shown that the mafic eruptions in this area have a longer and older history than previously thought, and their chemical signatures have evolved over time. Additionally, field mapping and age estimates have provided insights into the presence or absence of earlier ice sheets in southwest British Columbia over the past 500,000 years.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Andreas Koutsodendris, Achim Brauer, Oliver Friedrich, Rik Tjallingii, Victoria Putyrskaya, Barbara Hennrich, Robert Kuehn, Eckehard Klemt, Joerg Pross
Summary: We reconstructed the environmental change in SE Europe since the Little Ice Age by studying sediment cores from Lake Vouliagmeni, Greece. Our analysis included multiple methods such as microfacies analysis, X-ray fluorescence, radionuclide dating, and palynological analysis. The results showed that the surroundings of Lake Vouliagmeni experienced wet conditions during the late solar Maunder Minimum and dry conditions during the Dalton Minimum, highlighting the hydroclimatic heterogeneity in SE Europe during the Little Ice Age. Human impacts on the lake included changes in aquatic biota and deforestation due to population growth.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mariana J. Webb, Jonathan M. Winter, Stephanie A. Spera, Jonathan W. Chipman, Erich C. Osterberg
Summary: Agriculture in the Aconcagua Basin plays a crucial role in Chile's economy, but faces challenges due to expanding croplands, a growing population, and changing climate exacerbating water scarcity. Research shows that winter precipitation directly impacts river discharge during the growing season, while global warming has led to increased temperatures and decreased snow cover, further worsening water scarcity in the region.
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Thomas J. Ballinger, Edward Hanna, Richard J. Hall, J. Rachel Carr, Saber Brasher, Erich C. Osterberg, John Cappelen, Marco Tedesco, Qinghua Ding, Sebastian H. Mernild
Summary: Significant climate changes have occurred in Greenland over the past century, with atmospheric circulation playing a strong role in controlling surface temperatures. The study highlights the importance of understanding the evolving two-way linkages between the North Atlantic marine and atmospheric environment for accurate predictions of Greenland's seasonal climate variability and change through the 21st century.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Susan P. Elias, Allison M. Gardner, Kirk A. Maasch, Sean D. Birkel, Norman T. Anderson, Peter W. Rand, Charles B. Lubelczyk, Robert P. Smith
Summary: The geographical expansion of blacklegged tick populations in the United States is influenced by factors such as reforestation, urbanization, increasing deer populations, and climate change. Maine serves as a case study to demonstrate the interactions between deer density and seasonal climate on the distribution of blacklegged ticks. The study found that blacklegged tick nymph abundance is associated with both deer density and winter temperatures.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Jonathan M. Winter, Trevor F. Partridge, Dorothy Wallace, Jonathan W. Chipman, Matthew P. Ayres, Erich C. Osterberg, Eliza R. Dekker
Summary: The prevalence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases is dramatically increasing in the United States, with climate, land cover, and host populations being potential key factors driving the increase of Lyme disease.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Yarrow Axford, Anne de Vernal, Erich C. Osterberg
Summary: Higher boreal summer insolation in the early to middle Holocene led to significant warming across the Arctic. Geological data from this warm period show that Greenland experienced summers 3 to 5 degrees C warmer than the mid-twentieth century, with dramatic consequences for glaciers, ice sheets, ocean circulation, and flora and fauna.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCES, VOL 49, 2021
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Tate G. Meehan, H. P. Marshall, John H. Bradford, Robert L. Hawley, Thomas B. Overly, Gabriel Lewis, Karina Graeter, Erich Osterberg, Forrest McCarthy
Summary: This study presents continuous estimates of snow and firn density on the Greenland Ice Sheet using ground-penetrating radar, with insights gained into the spatial correlation of surface snow density. The method developed for radar data analysis allows for a more reliable interpretation of snow layers, and good agreement was found between physically constrained parameterization and observed data.
JOURNAL OF GLACIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Susan P. Elias, Peter W. Rand, Laura N. Rickard, Benjamin B. Stone, Kirk A. Maasch, Charles B. Lubelczyk, Robert P. Smith
Summary: Residents of Maine's offshore islands have shown increasing concern about Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, with the majority supporting the reduction of white-tailed deer herds as a measure to lower the risk of Lyme disease. The overabundance of deer is seen as a top cause of tick-borne diseases, leading to various issues such as vehicle collisions, damage to landscaping, and damage to forests. The community generally feels that the responsibility for tick control lies with the town and recognizes that multiple factors contribute to the tick problem in Maine, not just deer.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Dominic A. Winski, Erich C. Osterberg, Karl J. Kreutz, David G. Ferris, Jihong Cole-Dai, Zayta Thundercloud, Jiayue Huang, Becky Alexander, Lyatt Jaegle, Joshua A. Kennedy, Carleigh Larrick, Emma C. Kahle, Eric J. Steig, Tyler R. Jones
Summary: This study uses data from the South Pole Ice Core and a chemical transport model to show the seasonal variability in the sources of sea salt in the Southern Hemisphere, with winter variations playing a key role in centennial to millennial scale structures in the record, and explains the potential reasons for the increased Holocene sea salt concentrations.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Gabriel Lewis, Erich Osterberg, Robert Hawley, Hans Peter Marshall, Tate Meehan, Karina Graeter, Forrest McCarthy, Thomas Overly, Zayta Thundercloud, David Ferris, Bess G. Koffman, Jack Dibb
Summary: The study found a significant correlation between albedo and snow grain size in the western GrIS percolation zone, while no correlation was found with light-absorbing impurities. Strong atmospheric blocking increases snow grain sizes, reduces storms, and increases incoming shortwave radiation, leading to a decrease in albedo.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Huanping Huang, Christina M. Patricola, Jonathan M. Winter, Erich C. Osterberg, Justin S. Mankin
Summary: The study reveals that extreme precipitation in the Northeastern United States has significantly increased since 1996, partly due to external forcings associated with warming Atlantic sea surface temperatures. Additionally, anthropogenic aerosols and greenhouse gases have been found to play an important role in driving changes in sea surface temperatures.
WEATHER AND CLIMATE EXTREMES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ethan D. Coffel, Corey Lesk, Jonathan M. Winter, Erich C. Osterberg, Justin S. Mankin
Summary: Maize and soy production in the US has increased rapidly, reducing crop-damaging high temperatures. Agricultural intensification has created a crop-climate feedback, where increased crop production cools the local climate and benefits crop yields. The increased production of maize and soy has reduced warming effects and boosted crop yields, but a stagnation in production could expose crops to more harmful heat extremes.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Julia M. Simonson, Sean D. Birkel, Kirk A. Maasch, Paul A. Mayewski, Bradfield Lyon, Andrew M. Carleton
Summary: Increased summer precipitation in the northeastern region of the United States is related to atmospheric blocking over Greenland and the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation. These circulation shifts lead to enhanced rainfall due to southerly wind anomalies and increased moisture transport. However, current climate models cannot reproduce the observed tendency towards increased atmospheric blocking over Greenland.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Asa K. Rennermalm, Regine Hock, Federico Covi, Jing Xiao, Giovanni Corti, Jonathan Kingslake, Sasha Z. Leidman, Clement Miege, Michael Macferrin, Horst Machguth, Erich Osterberg, Takao Kameda, Joseph R. McConnell
Summary: Research shows that the firn density on the Greenland ice sheet has increased in the past few decades, but some areas have experienced a decrease in density after an extreme melt in 2012. This suggests that despite overall melting increases, temporary build-up in firn pore space and meltwater infiltration capacity may still occur in certain regions.
JOURNAL OF GLACIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel H. Sandweiss, Kirk A. Maasch
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Daniel H. Sandweiss, Kirk A. Maasch
Summary: The archaeological site complexes in the Lambayeque Valley demonstrate that the relationship between climate and cultural change is not absolute, urging caution in over-interpreting the impact of climate on culture.