Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jonas Van de Walle, Wim Thiery, Roman Brogli, Olivia Martius, Jakob Zscheischler, Nicole P. M. van Lipzig
Summary: The study suggests that future decreases in both mean precipitation and wind gusts over Lake Victoria are likely due to a weaker mean mesoscale circulation and reduced wind shear. However, an intensification of extremes is projected for both over-lake precipitation and wind gusts.
WEATHER AND CLIMATE EXTREMES
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Ling Huang, Xuhui Wang, Yanzi Yan, Lei Jin, Kun Yang, Anping Chen, Rongshun Zheng, Catherine Ottle, Chenzhi Wang, Yaokui Cui, Shilong Piao
Summary: Lake surface water temperature (LSWT) is a key parameter in lake energy budget and is highly vulnerable to climate change. This study used a lake model to simulate LSWT for 91 large lakes across China over a 40-year period. The results show an overall warming trend in LSWT, but with large spatial variations. The study also identifies air temperature, downward longwave radiation, and wind speed as the most important climatic drivers for LSWT changes.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hayatullah Ahmadzai, Arzoo Malhotra, Seta Tutundjian
Summary: Assessing the economic impact of sand and dust storms is important for policy development and reforms, as it helps in understanding the effects on agriculture. By analyzing dust exposure and socioeconomic surveys conducted in Mongolia, it was found that sand and dust storms lead to a decline in crop and livestock production and revenue. The increase in the frequency of these storms could result in significant losses to the economy, reducing agricultural productivity by 1.5% to 24% depending on the crop.
Article
Energy & Fuels
J. Y. He, Q. S. Li, P. W. Chan, X. D. Zhao
Summary: This study proposes a multi-model and multi-method ensemble wind resource projection approach for evaluating fine-scale wind energy potential under climate variability. The results indicate a significant increase in future wind resources during summer and a remarkable decline during autumn in Hong Kong.
Article
Environmental Sciences
R. Iestyn Woolway, Eric J. Anderson, Clement Albergel
Summary: Recent studies have shown that lake heatwaves are increasing in intensity and duration in the Laurentian Great Lakes, the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. The maximum spatial extent of lake heatwaves is influenced by inter-annual variations in winter ice cover and the timing of stratification onset in spring. The lengthening of the warm summer season and overall increase in surface water temperature have contributed to the development of larger lake heatwaves.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guoxiong Zheng, Simon Keith Allen, Anming Bao, Juan Antonio Ballesteros-Canovas, Matthias Huss, Guoqing Zhang, Junli Li, Ye Yuan, Liangliang Jiang, Tao Yu, Wenfeng Chen, Markus Stoffel
Summary: Global warming in high-mountain Asia is leading to deglaciation, increasing the risk of natural dam failure and glacial lake outburst floods. The eastern Himalaya currently faces the highest risk, which is expected to almost triple in the future due to further lake development. Collaborative, long-term approaches are urgently needed to mitigate future impacts and promote sustainable development across the Third Pole.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Patrice Roberge, Jean Lemay, Jean Ruel, Andre Begin-Drolet
Summary: Icing losses in wind farms are difficult to assess and can vary significantly from year to year. To address this issue, a proposed solution is to define an ice index based on historical values as a reference for icing conditions. This paper presents a simple method of defining an ice index based on cloud base height measurements, and demonstrates its effectiveness in representing icing losses in wind farms.
COLD REGIONS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sogol Moradian, Agnieszka I. Olbert, Salem Gharbia, Gregorio Iglesias
Summary: In this study, the wind resource was analyzed and its potential was estimated to determine the most suitable sites for wind farms in Ireland. Historical and future wind data were evaluated and statistical distributions were applied to post-process the outputs. Results showed a decrease in wind speed in the future period and wind power density maps were produced.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Lihong Zhou, Zhenzhong Zeng, Cesar Azorin-Molina, Yi Liu, Jie Wu, Dashan Wang, Dan Li, Alan D. Ziegler, Li Dong
Summary: The study found that the seasonal wind speed range globally has declined by 10% since 1980, with significant decreases in Europe, South America, Australia, and Asia. However, North America saw an increase in the wind speed range. The findings are important for understanding the mechanisms behind wind speed variations and their implications for wind power generation.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Changjun Gu, Suju Li, Ming Liu, Kailong Hu, Ping Wang
Summary: This study monitored the daily changes in Lake Mercbacher, calculated the maximum lake area and the proportion of floating ice and water, and found patterns in the lake area changes and the advance of the outburst date. The study also discovered an increasing trend in the outburst date, influenced by climate warming. This research provides crucial references for monitoring and early warning systems for Lake Mercbacher GLOFs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mark J. Lara, Yaping Chen, Benjamin M. Jones
Summary: The study analyzed the drivers of gradual and catastrophic lake drainage in northern Alaska over 45 years using Landsat observations. Results showed that drivers of gradual drainage were mainly related to lake morphology and temperature, while catastrophic drainage was associated with thawing season length and precipitation.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Water Resources
Satoshi Nakada, Akio Imai, Koichi Shimotori, Kenta Yamada, Haruki Yamamoto, Takahiro Okamoto
Summary: This study reveals that the mixing regime in Lake Biwa may be shifting from monomictic to oligomictic system due to a decrease in winter wind speed, leading to weakened surface cooling and interruption in monomictic mixing.
HYDROLOGICAL SCIENCES JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Kubra Bagci, Talha Arslan, H. Eray Celik
Summary: This paper discusses important factors to consider when calculating wind energy potential in a region and reviews different wind speed distributions. Using the IKum distribution as an alternative to the Weibull distribution for modeling wind speed data shows promising results. Monte Carlo simulation study indicates that the IKum distribution can be considered as a viable alternative to the widely accepted Weibull distribution.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrew Gunn, Roger Dargaville, Christian Jakob, Shayne McGregor
Summary: To meet the demand for electricity from renewable energy, it is important to choose wind farm locations that minimize variability in output, especially during the night when solar photovoltaics are unreliable. The location of wind farms must consider grid proximity, resource potential, and wind correlation between farms.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fabiola Banfi, Carlo De Michele
Summary: An analysis of historical and meteorological data reveals that temporal clustering of rainfall events was the main driver of flooding at Lake Como between 1980 and 2020. This study highlights the significance of compound mechanisms in governing and exacerbating hazards, using lake floods as a clear example.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Ram Chhetri, Phanwin Yokying, Alexander Smith, Jamon Van den Hoek, Kaspar Hurni, Sumeet Saksena, Jefferson Fox
Summary: Nepal has seen rapid transitions in forest and agricultural practices, with a significant increase in forest cover and decreased reliance on forests and forest products by farmers. The occupational multiplicity within households may offer stability for the future of these villages.
JOURNAL OF PEASANT STUDIES
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Shalenys Bedoya-Valestt, Cesar Azorin-Molina, Luis Gimeno, Jose A. Guijarro, Victor J. Sanchez-Morcillo, Enric Aguilar, Manola Brunet
Summary: Most studies on wind variability have focused on global to regional scales, leaving a knowledge gap on the long-term changes in local-scale winds like sea-breezes (SB). This study used wind observations from 16 stations in Eastern Spain to analyze the multidecadal variability and trends in SB speeds, gusts, and occurrence. The major finding is the opposite trends and decoupled variability of SB speeds and gusts, with declining speeds and strengthening gusts. SB occurrence has increased across most of Eastern Spain, with contrasting seasonal trends. The causes behind these opposite trends remain unclear.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura Carrea, Jean-Francois Cretaux, Xiaohan Liu, Yuhao Wu, Beatriz Calmettes, Claude R. Duguay, Christopher J. Merchant, Nick Selmes, Stefan G. H. Simis, Mark Warren, Herve Yesou, Dagmar Mueller, Dalin Jiang, Owen Embury, Muriel Berge-Nguyen, Clement Albergel
Summary: This dataset presents a consistent collection of satellite observations for lake surface water temperature, ice cover, water-leaving reflectance, water level, and extent. The observations span from 1992 to 2020 and cover over 2000 large lakes, representing a significant portion of global freshwater surface. The dataset, validated against in situ measurements, provides the most complete and consistent satellite observations of the Lakes Essential Climate Variable (ECV) available.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Krista Alikas, Kersti Kangro, Kerttu-Liis Koks, Marju Tamm, Rene Freiberg, Alo Laas
Summary: Phytoplankton and chlorophyll a (Chl-a) are vital for lake ecosystems. Six methods were compared to measure Chl-a concentration in two different lakes. The agreement between methods ranged from weak to strong. Consistency was better in the turbid lake, while the clear-water lake showed larger variability. The agreement depends on various factors, including environmental conditions and sensor placement.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yanan Zhao, Shijing Liang, Yi Liu, Tim R. McVicar, Cesar Azorin-Molina, Lihong Zhou, Robert J. H. Dunn, Sonia Jerez, Yingzuo Qin, Xinrong Yang, Jiayu Xu, Zhenzhong Zeng
Summary: Wind energy, an important component of clean energy, is influenced by the disposable wind speed within the working range of wind turbines. Recent studies have shown a reversal in global surface wind speed since 2011, but the evolution of effective wind speed for wind turbines has received little attention. This study uses in-situ observations to analyze wind speed frequency variations and their contributions to average wind speed changes over the past four decades. The findings indicate that strong wind speed has weakened the average wind speed during the stilling period (1981-2010), while slight wind and strengthened strong wind have contributed to the trend change in wind speed during the reversal period (2011-2021). These frequency changes have resulted in a reduction in wind power energy from 1981 to 2010 and a relatively weak recovery during 2011-2021.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Claire E. Bulgin, Jennifer Mecking, Ben J. Harvey, Svetlana Jevrejeva, Niall F. McCarroll, Christopher J. Merchant, Bablu Sinha
Summary: Global sea-level rise from a warming climate increases flood risk from storm surges in coastal and low-lying areas. This study uses satellite observations and model projections to identify the drivers of dynamic sea-level changes over the UK shelf seas. The findings suggest that a northward shift in the atmospheric jet stream and a weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation are key factors influencing local sea-level variability.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Eduardo Utrabo-Carazo, Cesar Azorin-Molina, Enric Aguilar, Manola Brunet
Summary: This study analyzes the observed surface mean wind speed (SWS) and gusts over the Iberian Peninsula (IP) in the frequency domain for 1961-2019, aiming to explore sources of predictability in the interannual and decadal scales. The main finding is the strong correlation between surface winds and the stratospheric polar vortex, with a time lag of 2-3 months, indicating that the polar vortex modulates winds in the region. Additionally, the study reveals a decoupling of SWS and gusts on a 9-11 year timescale, showing a marked seasonal dependence in intensity. There are also discrepancies between observed data and simulated data, suggesting inaccuracies in reproducing the variability of surface wind speeds.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Claire E. Bulgin, Agnieszka Faulkner, Christopher J. Merchant, Gary K. Corlett, Niall McCarroll, Owen Embury, Edward Polehampton, Connor McGurk
Summary: This paper presents new approaches to utilizing reflectance imagery for sea surface temperature (SST) remote sensing and improving cloud detection in infrared images. By averaging and calculating the standard deviation of the nearest reflectance observations, the authors were able to enhance the discrimination of clouds in the infrared image. The results show significant improvements in coastal areas and around ocean fronts, leading to increased accuracy and coverage of SST measurements.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael Owen, Andrew Kruczkiewicz, Jamon Van Den Hoek
Summary: This study proposes a novel approach to measure climatic and environmental exposure in refugee camps using remote sensing and geospatial data. By developing a climatic and environmental exposure index, the researchers quantify the exposure of seventeen refugee camps in East Africa relative to a simulated population. The results show that seven of the camps have high exposure, indicating elevated risks for over six-hundred thousand refugees compared to other potential camp locations. This method has the potential to improve data gathering and analysis in geographically remote humanitarian spaces in a reliable and cost-effective manner, enabling real-time updates for decision-making in refugee camp management related to disaster risk reduction.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Anna Kuparinen, Silva Uusi-Heikkila, Tommi Perala, Fabio Ercoli, Antti P. P. Eloranta, Fabien Cremona, Peeter Noges, Alo Laas, Tiina Noges
Summary: Invasive species pose a threat to native populations and the structure of food webs. Using an ecological network model, we predict the impact of Amur sleeper invasion on a lake ecosystem. The establishment of Amur sleeper leads to a decrease in biomass of top predator fishes.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miguel Andres-Martin, Cesar Azorin-Molina, Cheng Shen, Jose C. Fernandez-Alvarez, Luis Gimeno, Sergio M. Vicente-Serrano, Jinlin Zha
Summary: This study assessed the projected changes and variability of near-surface wind speed in the Iberian Peninsula for the 21st century. The analysis compared global climate models (GCMs) with a higher resolution regional climate model (RCM) and found discrepancies in their predictions. The study highlights the uncertainty in wind speed projections for the future and emphasizes the need for cautious interpretation.
ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarah Walker, Jennifer Alix-Garcia, Anne Bartlett, Jamon Van Den Hoek, Hannah K. Friedrich, Paulo J. Murillo-Sandoval, Rosemary Isoto
Summary: The majority of the world's land is managed under customary tenure systems with overlapping claims. Examining a sample of forested land in Uganda, this study finds that mailo land tenure, a system of overlapping rights, has consistently higher deforestation rates compared to private and customary land. After a law was passed in 2010 to protect tenants on mailo land, deforestation rates on land with overlapping rights increased significantly but then began to decrease after 2017, suggesting that securing tenant rights can reduce deforestation.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
V. H. F. Neo, J. Zinke, T. Fung, C. J. Merchant, K. J. A. Zawada, H. Krawczyk, J. M. Maina
Summary: Coral reefs are at risk of accelerated decline due to climate change-induced changes, and it is uncertain if the Sea Surface Temperature data used for coral reef studies are consistent among different data products. Understanding the consistency among different SST data sources can help improve monitoring and understanding of the impact of global warming on coral reefs. The study compares four types of SST data and highlights the need to compare existing indicators of thermal stress from different data sets. Rating: 8/10
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amy C. Thorpe, Eleanor B. Mackay, Tim Goodall, James A. Bendle, Stephen J. Thackeray, Stephen C. Maberly, Daniel S. Read
Summary: This study compared past phytoplankton communities using sedDNA extracted from lake sediment and microscopy-based identification. The results showed that sedDNA can be used as an effective record of past phytoplankton communities, although the technique has limitations that require further improvement.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2023)
