Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cascade Tuholske, Kelly Caylor, Chris Funk, Andrew Verdin, Stuart Sweeney, Kathryn Grace, Pete Peterson, Tom Evans
Summary: The study highlights the increasing threat of extreme heat exposure to rapidly growing urban settlements globally, especially impacting the urban poor. By estimating daily urban population exposure to extreme heat from 1983 to 2016, the research shows that total urban warming plays a crucial role in the increase of exposure, outweighing the impact of urban population growth.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Cassandra D. W. Rogers, Mingfang Ting, Cuihua Li, Kai Kornhuber, Ethan D. Coffel, Radley M. Horton, Colin Raymond, Deepti Singh
Summary: This study focused on the substantial threat that humid-heat poses to human health, finding that since 1979, the frequency of dry- and humid-heat extremes has increased over most land regions globally, with humid-heat extremes disproportionately increasing in populated regions compared to the global average growth rate.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bradford S. Sherman, Phillip W. Ford
Summary: This study investigated the methane emissions from Cotter Reservoir in Canberra, Australia. The results showed that after major flood events, the methane emissions from the reservoir increased significantly, which could be attributed to the changes in temperature and organic matter supply.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jew Das, Velpuri Manikanta, N. Umamahesh
Summary: The study indicates that all compound extremes are expected to increase in the future, with the highest population exposure under scenarios involving concurrent heat waves and droughts. Central Northeast India is projected to have the highest total exposure, while Hilly Regions are likely to have the lowest exposure in the future.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Walter Leal Filho, M. Balasubramanian, Wendy Purcell, Shlomit Paz
Summary: This commentary provides an overview and summary of the health impacts of extreme climate events, and suggests measures to enhance the preparedness of the health sector to cope with such events associated with climate change.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Linda M. Keller, Kathryn J. Maloney, Matthew A. Lazzara, David E. Mikolajczyk, Stefano Di Battista
Summary: This study examines the characteristics and duration of extreme cold events at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station. Significant trends and correlations were found, but there were also cases where the trends were not statistically significant. Additionally, climate patterns that could potentially lead to extreme cold events were identified.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
R. Iestyn Woolway, Benjamin M. Kraemer, Jakob Zscheischler, Clement Albergel
Summary: This paper evaluates the univariate and compound extreme events in lakes worldwide using satellite observations, revealing that the intensity of lake heatwaves and high chlorophyll-a extremes varies across lakes and is primarily influenced by the annual range in surface water temperature and chlorophyll-a concentrations. Compound extreme events occur more frequently than assumed in most studied lakes, potentially causing more severe impacts on lake ecosystems than previously reported due to the occurrence of univariate extremes.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Siyang Li, Ke Ding, Aijun Ding, Lejun He, Xin Huang, Quansheng Ge, Congbin Fu
Summary: Architecture, initially developed to shelter people from unpleasant weather, is expected to be sensitive to climate change. This study reveals periodic changes and a positive trend in roof slope of traditional buildings in northern central and eastern China over the past thousand years, demonstrating how ancient Chinese people adapted to climate change driven by extreme snowfall events.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Siyan Dong, Ying Sun, Chao Li, Xuebin Zhang, Seung-Ki Min, Yeon-Hee Kim
Summary: The study evaluates changes in percentile-based precipitation extreme indices, showing increases in most land areas with observations during global warming. CMIP6 models replicate overall increases, but with some regions experiencing considerable over- or underestimations. Fingerprinting analysis reveals detectable anthropogenic signals globally and continentally, with greenhouse gas signals separately detectable over the globe and over Asia. Conversely, signals of anthropogenic aerosols and natural forcings cannot be detected in any of these indices at either global or continental scales.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Ran Huo, Lu Li, Hua Chen, Chong-Yu Xu, Jie Chen, Shenglian Guo
Summary: The study found that GCMs underestimate extreme precipitation and overestimate mean precipitation. In the future, most of Europe is likely to see increases in extreme precipitation and mean precipitation, except for southern Europe. There is no systematic change in precipitation extremes from the last millennium to the historical period. Additionally, short-duration extreme precipitation is expected to increase more than longer-duration extremes in the future.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jahangir Vajedsamiei, Martin Wahl, Andrea Lee Schmidt, Maryam Yazdanpanahan, Christian Pansch
Summary: Research suggests that in future extremely warm summer conditions, blue mussels can enhance heat tolerance by regulating metabolic demand, reducing the risk of heat-induced supply and demand mismatch, but the capacity to acquire such heat tolerance through acclimation is relatively minor.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Alessandro Filazzola, Stephen F. Matter, J. Scott MacIvor
Summary: The review article provides a synthesis of the impact of extreme climate events on insect biodiversity, emphasizing the need for further research on the effects of extreme events on non-trophic interactions, population dynamics, and community functional traits. It highlights the importance of understanding the sensitivity and resilience of individuals, populations, and communities to climate extremes in order to mitigate the loss of insect biodiversity and ecosystem services.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Communication
Chris Russill
Summary: The attribution of extreme events to climate change is a common feature in public communication which seeks to address the risks of climate change. This has created tensions between scholars concerned with avoiding alarmism and those focusing on accountability to those most impacted by climate change. In order to improve climate communication, it is important to balance the fears of alarmism with assessments of accountability during discussions of disasters and denials.
SOCIAL MEDIA + SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Xiaoming Sun, Guiling Wang
Summary: Negative scaling, a decrease of extreme precipitation at high temperature, is primarily caused by the impact of high temperature-induced saturation deficit on precipitation over land and storm-induced temperature variations over the ocean. A large saturation deficit reduces precipitation intensity by slowing down the convective updraft condensation rate and accelerating condensate evaporation. This mechanism can contribute to increased compound drought and heat events.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caroline A. Famiglietti, Anna M. Michalak, Alexandra G. Konings
Summary: The study found that extreme wet conditions may have a significant impact on photosynthesis, comparable to extreme drought conditions. Regions sensitive to wet conditions show non-uniform responses, controlled by multiple mechanisms. The consequences of extreme wet conditions on local and global carbon cycling are likely to be amplified in the future due to predicted increases in frequency and intensity of extreme hydrological events with climate change.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Kathleen M. Navarro, Kathleen A. Clark, Daniel J. Hardt, Colleen E. Reid, Peter W. Lahm, Joseph W. Domitrovich, Corey R. Butler, John R. Balmes
Summary: Wildland firefighters in the United States respond to wildfires and perform challenging work in remote areas. Exposure to wildfire smoke could increase the likelihood and severity of COVID-19 infection in these firefighters, due to various factors such as oxidative stress and inflammatory responses from particulate matter in the smoke. Additional measures may be necessary to prevent the co-occurrence of wildfire smoke exposure and SARS-CoV-2 infection.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Colleen E. Reid, Ellen M. Considine, Melissa M. Maestas, Gina Li
Summary: The study created daily concentration estimates for PM2.5 across the western US using ensemble machine learning models trained on monitoring station data. The models performed well in urban areas, with R-2 values exceeding 0.80 in many locations. These data provide valuable insights into the spatiotemporal patterns and health impacts of PM2.5 in the region.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michelle C. Kondo, Colleen E. Reid, Miranda H. Mockrin, Warren E. Heilman, David Long
Summary: Prescribed fire is increasingly used as a tool for ecological restoration and wildfire prevention. This study found disproportionate exposure to prescribed burns in rural areas with specific demographic characteristics. While vulnerable populations may face health risks from prescribed burning smoke exposure, the benefits of prescribed burning compared to uncontrolled wildfires could be significant.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Virginia Iglesias, Natasha Stavros, Jennifer K. Balch, Kimiko Barrett, Jeanette Cobian-Iniguez, Cyrus Hester, Crystal A. Kolden, Stefan Leyk, R. Chelsea Nagy, Colleen E. Reid, Christine Wiedinmyer, Elizabeth Woolner, William R. Travis
Summary: Increasing fire impacts in North America are attributed to climate and vegetation change, urban development, and social vulnerability. It is crucial to transition from emergency response to proactive measures to build sustainable communities, protect human health, and restore the use of fire for ecosystem processes. An integrated risk factor approach is proposed to identify 'fires that matter' and prioritize science-informed planning strategies for increasing community resilience to fires.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Colleen E. Reid, Emma S. Rieves, Kate Carlson
Summary: This study aimed to investigate whether exposure to green space could buffer against stress and distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that spending more time in green space was significantly associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression. The abundance of green space and perceived quality were also related to better mental health. However, there was no significant association between green space and perceived stress after adjusting for other variables.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sylvia G. Dee, Ebrahim Nabizadeh, Christine L. Nittrouer, Jane W. Baldwin, Chelsea Li, Lizzy Gaviria, Selena Guo, Karen Lu, Beck Miguel Saunders-Shultz, Emily Gurwitz, Gargi Samarth, Kate R. Weinberger
Summary: This study examines projected future trends of extreme heat in Texas and assesses the attitudes of athletic staff toward heat and climate change. The findings show that heat indices are projected to exceed safe limits for outdoor sports activity, and some athletic staff lack awareness of the implications of climate change for athlete health and their programs.
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Colleen E. Reid
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ellen M. Considine, Jiayuan Hao, Priyanka deSouza, Danielle Braun, Colleen E. Reid, Rachel C. Nethery
Summary: Investigating the health impacts of wildfire smoke requires data on people's exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) across space and time. Using machine learning models to fill gaps in monitoring data has become common, but their accuracy in capturing spikes in PM2.5 during wildfire events is still unclear.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Jane W. Baldwin, Tarik Benmarhnia, Kristie L. Ebi, Ollie Jay, Nicholas J. Lutsko, Jennifer K. Vanos
Summary: As climate change leads to increased temperature and humidity, there are concerns about the potential impacts on human health. While it is believed that higher humidity can worsen heat stress, epidemiological studies have not consistently found associations between humidity and heat-related health outcomes. This uncertainty hinders our ability to effectively address present and future heat challenges.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jonathan M. M. Silberstein, Liora E. E. Mael, Caroline R. R. Frischmon, Emma S. S. Rieves, Evan R. R. Coffey, Trupti Das, William Dresser, Avery C. C. Hatch, Jyotishree Nath, Helena O. O. Pliszka, Colleen E. E. Reid, Marina E. E. Vance, Christine Wiedinmyer, Joost A. A. De Gouw, Michael P. P. Hannigan
Summary: This study examines the impacts of wildfires along the wildland urban interface (WUI) on atmospheric particulate concentrations and composition, and finds that the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado has residual impacts on homes within the fire perimeter, with elevated concentrations of biomass burning marker, toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and metals in dust samples. These findings suggest a potential threat to human health due to the enhanced concentration of hazardous substances.
AIR QUALITY ATMOSPHERE AND HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Jane W. Baldwin, Chia-Ying Lee, Brian J. Walsh, Suzana J. Camargo, Adam H. Sobel
Summary: The authors describe a tropical cyclone risk model for the Philippines using open-source methods that can be generalized to other countries. The model combines wind fields from historical observations and an environmentally forced tropical cyclone hazard model with data on exposed value and vulnerability to determine asset losses. The model predicts losses more accurately when different vulnerability parameters are used for different regions, but it does not consider storm surge and rainfall explicitly.
WEATHER CLIMATE AND SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Talia L. Spark, Colleen E. Reid, Rachel Sayko Adams, Alexandra L. Schneider, Jeri Forster, Lauren M. Denneson, Mary Bollinger, Lisa A. Brenner
Summary: Since 2002, deaths due to suicide, alcohol-related, or drug-related causes have doubled in the USA, with veterans being disproportionately affected. Limited research has been conducted on the relationship between community-level factors and spatial clustering of these deaths. This study explored community-level relationships in Colorado veterans and compared death rates with the general adult population.
INJURY EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robbie M. Parks, Vasilis Kontis, G. Brooke Anderson, Jane W. Baldwin, Goodarz Danaei, Ralf Toumi, Francesca Dominici, Majid Ezzati, Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou
Summary: Understanding excess deaths after tropical cyclones is crucial for assessing their impacts. A study using Bayesian models found that Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was the deadliest tropical cyclone, causing 1491 excess deaths. The majority of excess deaths occurred in socially vulnerable areas.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jane W. Baldwin, Alyssa R. Atwood, Gabriel A. Vecchi, David S. Battisti
Summary: Global Climate Models exhibit significant biases in simulating tropical climate, particularly in the simulation of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The biases in simulating the mean state of ITCZ limit confidence in climate models' projections, and can be improved by adjusting cloud parameterizations and sea surface temperatures. By making physically defensible assumptions to raise orographic height significantly, model simulation of climatological features such as ITCZ, North American rainfall, and ENSO can be improved in a cost-effective manner.