Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Lu Dong, L. Ruby Leung
Summary: Observations show significant increase in summer precipitation in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. during 1979-2019, while no changes in winter precipitation were observed. External forcing, such as enhanced warming over land, induces low pressure anomalies contributing to the wetting summer. However, drying associated with positive phase of North Atlantic Oscillation offsets the wetting effect in winter. Internal variability introduces large uncertainty in multi-decadal precipitation changes simulated by climate models, with large-scale circulation patterns such as NAO and North Atlantic Subtropical High playing a role. Moisture transport from Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic modulates precipitation change in the study region.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Karthik Balaguru, Gregory R. Foltz, L. Ruby Leung, Wenwei Xu, Dongmin Kim, Hosmay Lopez, Robert West
Summary: This study uses observations and climate model simulations to explore the changes in hurricane intensification near the US Atlantic coast. The results show that there has been an increase in the mean hurricane intensification rate over the past 40 years along the Atlantic coast, while no significant change occurred near the Gulf coast. Climate models suggest that the storm environment and hurricane intensification near the Atlantic coast will continue to enhance in the future.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Pinki Mondal, Matthew Walter, Jarrod Miller, Rebecca Epanchin-Niell, Keryn Gedan, Vishruta Yawatkar, Elizabeth Nguyen, Katherine L. L. Tully
Summary: Saltwater intrusion can have a detrimental impact on coastal farmlands, rendering them unsuitable for agricultural activities. This study develops a high-resolution dataset showing the extent of salt-impacted lands and reveals that the visible salt patches have nearly doubled between 2011 and 2017. The economic losses in at-risk farmlands surrounding salt patches are estimated to range between US$39.4 million and US$107.5 million annually.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Marci M. Robinson, Harry J. Dowsett, Timothy D. Herbert
Summary: This study presents paleoecological data from the Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO) and the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT) in the western North Atlantic, providing insights into climate variability and regional conditions during these periods.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mengjun Hu, Scott D. Cosseboom, Anita Schoeneberg, Charles S. Johnson, Natalia A. Peres, John Lea-Cox
Summary: Anthracnose fruit rot and Botrytis fruit rot are primary diseases affecting strawberries, and the Strawberry Advisory System (StAS) can help growers in the Mid-Atlantic region control these diseases effectively. However, challenges in disease forecasting and management may arise, especially when heavy rainfall or the use of row covers are involved. Growers should be prepared to apply fungicides promptly in such conditions and consider the potential impact of row covers on disease occurrence.
Article
Fisheries
Adena J. Schonfeld, James Gartland, Robert J. Latour
Summary: Climate-driven distributional shifts have been well-documented for fisheries resources along the East Coast of the United States, yet little attention has been given to adjacent estuarine systems. This study analyzed data collected from 2008 to 2019 to explore temporal patterns and environmental drivers of the estuarine-coastal ocean exchange in the Mid-Atlantic for eight economically and ecologically important species. The results demonstrate that climate drivers have different impacts on estuarine-coastal ocean exchange and the impacts vary spatially.
FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Karen C. Rice, Christopher A. Mason, Aaron L. Mills
Summary: This study explores the complex relationship between climate and streamflow in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The findings show an increasing trend in air temperature, precipitation, and streamflow over the past 40 years. The study also reveals changes in the temporal and seasonal patterns of precipitation and the impact on streamflow. Additionally, variations in precipitation and streamflow were observed in watersheds with different elevations and latitudes.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Gregory B. Noe, Norman A. Bourg, Ken W. Krauss, Jamie A. Duberstein, Cliff R. Hupp
Summary: The study evaluated the vegetation response of tidal freshwater forested wetlands along the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers in the Mid-Atlantic USA. Results showed downstream shifts in plant community composition, tree dominance, and tree growth as tidal influence increased. This highlights the complex interactions between river flow, salinity, and nutrient availability on the growth and composition of tidal freshwater forested wetlands.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kenneth L. Clark, Carissa Aoki, Matthew Ayres, John Kabrick, Michael R. Gallagher
Summary: Damage from infestations of Lymantria dispar in oak-dominated stands and southern pine beetle in pine-dominated stands have been more significant compared to other disturbances in forests of the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain over the last two decades. The research shows that these infestations resulted in high mortality rates of oak trees in oak-dominated stands and pine trees in pine-dominated stands, but had minimal effect on mixed composition stands. Furthermore, the infestations have favored the formation of mixedwood stands dominated by oak and pine.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Mihai Leonte, Carolyn D. Ruppel, Angel Ruiz-Angulo, Dong Joo Joung, Benjamin Young, John D. Kessler
Summary: The study suggests that a small fraction of ancient CH4-derived carbon is being assimilated into the dissolved inorganic radiocarbon in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Bight, especially in areas with elevated CH4 concentration and active gas seepage. While the short-term influence of CH4 oxidation on ocean pH is small, over longer time scales, the oxidation of ancient CH4-derived carbon could contribute to deepwater acidification on a global scale.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Torkan Fazli, Xinyi Dong, Joshua S. Fu, Brent Stephens
Summary: The study examines the changes in energy use, indoor pollutant concentrations, and chronic health outcomes in U.S. residential buildings in the mid-21st century. Predictions show a decrease in energy consumption for space conditioning and indoor concentrations of most pollutants of ambient origin, while concentrations of indoor pollutants with persistent indoor sources are expected to increase. Overall, there are estimated negligible changes in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) associated with indoor pollutant exposures.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
A. Bigail Pettett, Olin M. Zarzycki
Summary: This article investigates the impact of thermodynamic perturbations on a historical flood event and assesses how similar events may change under different climate forcings. The study uses a hindcast simulation of a 1996 Mid-Atlantic flood and performs counterfactual experiments to simulate the flood under preindustrial conditions and various levels of warming. The results show a nonlinear response in surface runoff and streamflow as a function of atmospheric warming, with noticeable timing shifts in peak runoff and streamflow associated with changes in the event's intensity. This research highlights the importance of using storyline approaches to communicate climate risks and reveals the potential nonlinearities associated with hydrologic extremes in areas with seasonal snowpack.
JOURNAL OF HYDROMETEOROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Julia E. Weiffenbach, Michiel L. J. Baatsen, Henk A. Dijkstra, Anna S. von der Heydt, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Esther C. Brady, Wing-Le Chan, Deepak Chandan, Mark A. Chandler, Camille Contoux, Ran Feng, Chuncheng Guo, Zixuan Han, Alan M. Haywood, Qiang Li, Xiangyu Li, Gerrit Lohmann, Daniel J. Lunt, Kerim H. Nisancioglu, Bette L. Otto-Bliesner, W. Richard Peltier, Gilles Ramstein, Linda E. Sohl, Christian Stepanek, Ning Tan, Julia C. Tindall, Charles J. R. Williams, Qiong Zhang, Zhongshi Zhang
Summary: Simulations of the mid-Pliocene and pre-industrial periods show that the closed Bering Strait and Canadian Archipelago lead to a stronger AMOC, which results in higher sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic. The impact of the AMOC on North Atlantic temperatures is more significant during the mid-Pliocene compared to the pre-industrial period.
CLIMATE OF THE PAST
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Calvin A. Arter, Jonathan Buonocore, Charles Chang, Saravanan Arunachalam
Summary: This study utilized the CMAQ model and DDM to estimate the impact of vehicular emissions on PM2.5 and O3 concentrations. It found that light-duty trucks are a significant contributor to premature mortalities from PM2.5 and O-3. Additionally, the study highlighted the importance of on-road vehicular NH3 emissions in contributing to PM2.5 concentrations and health impacts.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geology
Armand Hernandez, Mario Cachao, Pedro Sousa, Ricardo M. Trigo, Jurg Luterbacher, Jose M. Vaquero, Maria C. Freitas
Summary: Research using microfossil-based proxy records and modeling simulations to estimate North Atlantic upwelling changes discovered that high-pressure conditions, solar activity, and orbital parameters are related to upwelling variations. These new findings provide insights into pre-Anthropocene upwelling changes and are important for future projections of midlatitude upwelling activity.