Article
Environmental Sciences
Leticia Guarnier, Gilberto Fonseca Barroso
Summary: The study analyzed the rainfall trends in the Santa Maria da Vitoria River Basin in southeastern Brazil and found that drought events have become more persistent in recent years in the upper sector of the basin, potentially leading to water shortages and increased flooding risks.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
M. Ashiq Ahmed, B. Sridharan, Nilanjan Saha, S. A. Sannasiraj, Soumendra Nath Kuiry
Summary: This study emphasizes the need to use extreme events and socio-economic data to evaluate the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) for planning and adaptation measures. The use of spatial distribution of storm surges from hydrodynamic simulations makes the CVI more realistic.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Maziar Yazdani, Milad Haghani
Summary: Climate change is causing more frequent and severe floods globally, raising concerns about evacuation planning strategies for vulnerable individuals. This study proposes an integrated evacuation approach for the elderly during flooding, combining a flood simulator with optimization algorithms to minimize evacuation time and reduce the use of rescue vehicles. The approach is tested and validated in a case study in Sydney, Australia, showing effective evacuation plans for the elderly in realistic emergency scenarios.
KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Claire L. Bachand, John E. Walsh
Summary: This study evaluates historical and future changes in extreme precipitation events in Alaska. The research finds that while most historical rainfall events have set record highs, the frequency of such events is projected to remain infrequent according to climate models, with the exception of a few locations where heavy precipitation events are expected to increase.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Gebre Gelete
Summary: In this study, four individual models were used for modeling soil erosion in Katar catchment, and two strategies were applied to improve the predictive accuracy. The results showed that the HW model performed the best among the individual models, while the NFE ensemble technique provided the best performance. The hybrid HW-XGB model achieved the best predictive performance.
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xinmeng Shan, Jun Wang, Jiahong Wen, Hengzhi Hu, Lei Wang, Jie Yin, Mengya Li
Summary: This study develops a modeling framework to assess future flood risks and adaptation measures in Shanghai. The results show that sea level rise and land subsidence will increase flood risks, and wet-floodproofing is the most economically viable measure. Dry-floodproofing and elevation also show feasibility in different time periods.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rafael Almar, Roshanka Ranasinghe, Erwin W. J. Bergsma, Harold Diaz, Angelique Melet, Fabrice Papa, Michalis Vousdoukas, Panagiotis Athanasiou, Olusegun Dada, Luis Pedro Almeida, Elodie Kestenare
Summary: The study finds that global coastal overtopping has increased by over 50% in the last two decades, and under a RCP 8.5 scenario this could increase up to 50 times by 2100 compared to today.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Christopher R. Sherwood, Ap van Dongeren, James Doyle, Christie A. Hegermiller, Tian-Jian Hsu, Tarandeep S. Kalra, Maitane Olabarrieta, Allison M. Penko, Yashar Rafati, Dano Roelvink, Marlies van der Lugt, Jay Veeramony, John C. Warner
Summary: This review focuses on recent advancements in process-based numerical models of extreme storms' impact on sandy coasts. These models, driven by larger-scale meteorology and hydrodynamics models, simulate various processes across the Sallenger storm-impact scale.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Syed Muzzamil Hussain Shah, Mohamed A. Yassin, Sani I. Abba, Dahiru U. Lawal, Ebrahim Hamid Hussein Al-Qadami, Fang Yenn Teo, Zahiraniza Mustaffa, Isam H. Aljundi
Summary: Natural hazard threats have increased due to climate change, rapid population growth, and urbanization. Recent devastating floods in Saudi Arabia, a country located in a dry environment, have shown the potential danger of flash floods in arid regions. Jeddah City, situated in the coastal plain of western Saudi Arabia, has experienced unexpected heavy rainfall events in recent years, leading to flood generation. This paper discusses the climate classifications, risk, and vulnerability of the Kingdom, as well as the impact of flash floods and the proposed strategies for flood risk management.
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
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jingyi Hu, Zhifeng Yang, Congyu Hou, Wei Ouyang
Summary: With the acceleration of global warming, the correlation between climate factors and drought events becomes increasingly important. A study on a semiarid watershed found that extreme warming events were significantly correlated with drought. The research also showed that strong warming amplified drought conditions and led to an increase in the intensity and duration of heatwaves.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Josko Troselj, Junichi Ninomiya, Satoshi Takewaka, Nobuhito Mori
Summary: Hindcasts of downscaled coastal dynamics were used to analyze the impact of two extreme storm surge events in October 2006 on the Ibaraki Coast in Japan. The study found that the low-pressure system event on October 7 had a bigger impact on Sea Surface Height and vertically averaged velocity compared to the event on October 24, while the impact on Sea Surface Temperature and Salinity was similar. These findings are important for understanding and assessing shoreline changes on local industries and can be useful for climate change impact assessments and policy development.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
David K. Ralston, Brian Yellen, Jonathan D. Woodruff
Summary: Observations and modeling were used to assess the potential impacts of sediment releases from dam removals on the Hudson River estuary. It was found that the main sediment load comes from side tributaries, and fine-grained sediment deposits spread broadly along the estuary while coarser sediment deposits near the source, with transport distance inversely related to settling velocity.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rafael J. P. Schmitt, Edgar Virguez, Sara Ashfaq, Ken Caldeira
Summary: The 2022 Indus floods in Pakistan highlight the need to adapt to more frequent and severe natural disasters in a warming world. By using high-resolution assessment of flood stages and demographic data, this study identifies adaptation opportunities and costs for the Indus floodplains. Rebuilding houses in flood-proof, elevated manner or temporary relocation can protect a certain percentage of people affected, but implementing these measures will come with substantial costs.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Cong Xiao, Xiao-Hua Zhu, Chuanzheng Zhang, Ze-Nan Zhu, Yun Long Ma, Ji Wen Zhong, Li Xin Wei
Summary: This study successfully estimated the cross-section averaged suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and suspended sediment discharge (SSD) in the Yangtze River using Coastal Acoustic Tomography (CAT). The results showed that SSD was primarily driven by water discharge, with values ranging from 204 kg/s during the dry season to a maximum of 36,299 kg/s during flood events. This method offers the advantage of continuous real-time monitoring of transect river flow, SSC, and SSD.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
D. Buscombe, E. B. Goldstein, C. R. Sherwood, C. Bodine, J. A. Brown, J. Favela, S. Fitzpatrick, C. J. Kranenburg, J. R. Over, A. C. Ritchie, J. A. Warrick, P. Wernette
Summary: Segmentation of imagery is widely used in the natural sciences, but manual methods are time-consuming and prone to errors. This study presents a fast and semi-automated method for image segmentation and demonstrates its scientific potential through six case studies.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrew Gunn, Giampietro Casasanta, Luca Di Liberto, Federico Falcini, Nicholas Lancaster, Douglas J. Jerolmack
Summary: Aeolian dunes can form in areas with strong winds and loose sand, and their growth is initially predictable. However, as dunes mature and coarsen, their growth becomes more complex and influenced by various factors such as wind variability and sand supply. This study shows that there is no evidence of a size limit for dunes determined by atmospheric boundary layer height, indicating that dunes can potentially continue growing indefinitely, although sand supply may ultimately limit their growth.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonathan A. Warrick, Kilian Vos, Amy E. East, Sean Vitousek
Summary: Wildfires and floods have significant impacts on coastal sediment budgets, and these impacts may increase with time considering projected intensification of wildfires and extreme rain events under global warming.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
James B. Shope, Li H. Erikson, Patrick L. Barnard, Curt D. Storlazzi, Katherine Serafin, Kara Doran, Hilary Stockdon, Borja Reguero, Fernando Mendez, Sonia Castanedo, Alba Cid, Laura Cagigal, Peter Ruggiero
Summary: This study introduces a methodology to assess the probability of erosion and flooding caused by extreme total water levels (TWLs) along the U.S. West Coast, which can also be applied to other coastal areas. By analyzing 61 years of wave and water level data, combined with modeling and calculation, relevant predictions can be generated to evaluate the probability of erosion and flooding.
Editorial Material
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Amy E. East, Mikael Attal, A. J. F. (Ton) Hoitink, Olga V. Sergienko
Summary: The Editors of the Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface have presented a new strategic plan aimed at publishing impactful scientific research, advancing mechanistic understanding to address societal challenges, and ensuring a diverse talent pool contributes to the science through a fair and equitable review and publication process.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2022)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Amy E. East, Jonathan A. Warrick, Dongfeng Li, Joel B. Sankey, Margaret H. Redsteer, Ann E. Gibbs, Jeffrey A. Coe, Patrick L. Barnard
Summary: This commentary discusses the challenges of measuring climate-driven physical landscape responses to modern global warming and efforts to improve attribution practices. It suggests learning from historical and paleo data, selecting sensitive study sites, and reporting null results to better understand and manage the effects of climate change on landscapes.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Benjamin J. Hatchett, Arielle L. Koshkin, Kristen Guirguis, Karl Rittger, Anne W. Nolin, Anne Heggli, Alan M. Rhoades, Amy E. East, Erica R. Siirila-Woodburn, W. Tyler Brandt, Alexander Gershunov, Kayden Haleakala
Summary: Increasing wildfire activity and declining snowpacks in California's mountain regions have led to a nearly tenfold increase in fire activity during 2020-2021 compared to 2001-2019. The decrease in snow albedo and canopy coverage have contributed to midwinter snow melt during a dry spell in 2022. Satellite measurements confirm the post-fire differences in snowpack, highlighting the increasing vulnerability of California's snowpack to the combined effects of dry spells and wildfires.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Andrew W. Stevens, Hans R. Moritz, Edwin P. L. Elias, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Peter R. Ruggiero, Stuart G. Pearson, James M. McMillan, George M. Kaminsky
Summary: A submerged, low-relief nearshore berm was constructed in the Pacific Ocean near the mouth of the Columbia River, USA, using sediment dredged from the adjacent navigation channel. Field measurements and numerical modeling were used to evaluate the transport pathways and physical processes responsible for dispersal of the berm. The study found that the berm was effective in enhancing the sediment supply along the eroding coastline.
COASTAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Amy E. E. East, Lee R. R. Harrison, Douglas P. P. Smith, Joshua B. B. Logan, Rosealea M. M. Bond
Summary: Measuring river response to dam removal provides an important opportunity to study the impact of sediment pulses on fluvial systems. This study focused on the Carmel River in California, measuring geomorphic and grain-size changes over a period of 8 years, with 6 years after the removal of a 32 m-high dam. The study found that the sediment release following dam removal was relatively small, and the geomorphic changes were primarily driven by flow rather than the increase in sediment supply. It suggests that large dam removals may not necessarily have significant downstream impacts.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Kai Parker, Li Erikson, Jennifer Thomas, Kees Nederhoff, Patrick Barnard, Sanne Muis
Summary: In this study, a 38-year hindcast water-level product was developed for the US Southeast Atlantic coastline. The water-level modeling framework utilized a combination of global-scale hydrodynamic model, ensemble-based tide model, parameterized wave setup model, and statistical corrections. The corrected water-level data showed good skillfulness compared to observed measurements. Spatially, the importance of water-level components such as tides, non-tidal residual water levels, and wave setup varied across the study region. The dataset generated from this study will support various coastal research goals including coastal hazards, landscape change, and community risk assessments.
News Item
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Patrick L. Barnard, Sean Vitousek
Summary: Satellite data is transforming the field of coastal science, as demonstrated by a study on the impact of El Nino/Southern Oscillation on coastal erosion around the Pacific Rim.
Editorial Material
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Amy East, Amir AghaKouchak, Graziella Caprarelli, Gabriel Filippelli, Fabio Florindo, Charles Luce, Harihar Rajaram, Lynn Russell, Cristina Santin, Isaac Santos
Summary: Fire has always been a significant part of ecosystems, but human-induced global climate change is now changing fire patterns on Earth's land surface, making it crucial to understand the physical, biological, and chemical processes of fire and its impact on human societies. In 2020, AGU launched a Special Collection across 10 journals, inviting papers on the theme of Fire in the Earth System to promote cutting-edge research in fire-related science. The completed Special Collection consists of over 100 papers. This summary categorizes the published articles into seven themes: paleofire and its correlation with climate; evolution of recent and future fire patterns under ongoing climate change; physical (atmospheric) and chemical processes associated with fire; ecosystem effects, including biogeochemical cycles; physical landscape changes and associated hazards after fire; fire effects on water quality, air quality, and human health; and new methods and technologies applied in fire research.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Sean Vitousek, Kilian Vos, Kristen D. Splinter, Li Erikson, Patrick L. Barnard
Summary: Satellite-derived shoreline observations combined with dynamic shoreline models enable fine-scale predictions of coastal change across large spatiotemporal scales. The developed ensemble model demonstrates high accuracy in predicting shoreline positions for the California coastline using satellite observations. The model estimates that a significant percentage of California's beaches may erode due to sea-level rise scenarios by 2100.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joel B. Sankey, Amy East, Helen C. Fairley, Joshua Caster, Jennifer Dierker, Ellen Brennan, Lonnie Pilkington, Nathaniel Bransky, Alan Kasprak
Summary: After studying 362 archaeological sites in Grand Canyon National Park, it was found that the operations of Glen Canyon Dam have negatively impacted the physical integrity of these sites. The majority of sites are eroding and face an increased risk of further erosion. The study suggests three environmental management opportunities, including controlled river floods, extended periods of low river flow, and the removal of riparian vegetation barriers, to decrease erosion risk and improve site preservation in situ.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)