Article
Zoology
Megan Snetsinger, Jeffrey R. Row, Megan E. Hazell, Dennis Plain, Stephen C. Lougheed
Summary: This study evaluated the genetic structure of sympatric gartersnake species with different life-history attributes in regions with high habitat fragmentation. The findings showed that Butler's Gartersnake is more affected by inhospitable habitat, while Eastern Gartersnakes are less impacted. The study also highlighted the value of multispecies comparisons in understanding the underlying causes of genetic structure in natural populations.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Gordon M. Burghardt, Adam M. Partin, Harry E. Pepper, Jordan M. Steele, Samuel M. Liske, Allyson E. Stokes, Ariel N. Lathan, Cary M. Springer, Matthew S. Jenkins
Summary: The study found that male gartersnakes raised on different diets were better at discriminating between their own stimuli and those from siblings fed the same diet. These results support the possibility of a chemical 'mirror' form of self-recognition in squamate reptiles, based on this and other related studies.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jian Shi, Kaijun Wu, Weihong Qian, Fei Huang, Chun Li, Cong Tang
Summary: The study found a significant weakening trend in the intensity of winter cold extremes in NWNA, attributed to factors such as the intensified Beaufort anticyclone and enhanced blocking high pressure at higher levels. The results also suggest that La Nina-like sea surface temperature anomalies may serve as a precursor for the cold extremes in NWNA, exerting significant influence on them.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Xianyu Yang, Amy L. Angert, Pieter A. Zuidema, Fangliang He, Shongming Huang, Shouzhong Li, Shou-Li Li, Nathalie I. Chardon, Jian Zhang
Summary: The study found that demographic compensation can delay species' range contraction under climate change, but it may not be able to maintain range stability. Simulated warming has a larger negative impact on population growth rate for most species and weakens the effectiveness of demographic compensation in stabilizing ranges.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vikki Thompson, Alan T. Kennedy-Asser, Emily Vosper, Y. T. Eunice Lo, Chris Huntingford, Oliver Andrews, Matthew Collins, Gabrielle C. Hegerl, Dann Mitchell
Summary: In June 2021, a unprecedented heat wave occurred in western North America, far exceeding the previously observed temperature range. By using a novel assessment method, it is found that this heat wave was extremely intense, exceeding four standard deviations. Only five more extreme heat waves have been recorded globally since 1960. It is also discovered that the statistical distribution of heat extremes increases over time, indicating a shift in the distribution mean due to climate change.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Piyush Jain, Mike Flannigan
Summary: The polar jet stream greatly influences midlatitude weather patterns in North America, impacting storm tracks and conducive weather conditions for wildfires. Research has shown that extreme wildfire events are associated with upper-level ridges and high-pressure centers, with variations in duration based on region and season. Surface weather drivers including temperature, vapor pressure, and precipitation anomalies also play a role in fire spread. These findings are crucial for understanding North American fire regimes and improving fire management strategies through better weather forecasting.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
C. R. Walsh, R. T. Patterson
Summary: Instrumental weather records from eastern North America were analyzed to identify regional patterns and drivers of seasonal extreme weather. The region was divided into three subregions, influenced by coastal-marine gradients and latitudinal factors. Periodic components of extreme weather were identified, driven by natural climatic oscillations including the Schwabe Solar Cycle, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and Quasi Biennial Oscillation. The El Nino Southern Oscillation, Arctic Oscillation, and North Atlantic Oscillation also had an interrelated influence. Long-term changes in regional extreme weather were generally not significant, except for a slight decrease in extreme minimum temperature events.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Yafang Guo, Paola Crippa, Abhinav Thota, Sara C. Pryor
Summary: Using a Weather Research and Forecasting model with coupled Chemistry, the study examines the impact of anthropogenic emission changes between 2005 and 2015 on historical extreme aerosol optical depth (AOD) events in the eastern USA between 2003 and 2007. The simulations show a significant decrease in average AOD and near-surface PM2.5 concentrations, while changes in radiative fluxes are smaller and less consistent across events compared to previously reported changes in seasonal mean values.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Yafang Guo, Paola Crippa, Abhinav Thota, Sara C. Pryor
Summary: Improved characterization of extreme aerosol events over the eastern United States was conducted using MERRA-2 reanalysis and MODIS observations. The WRF-Chem model showed skill in capturing peak AOD during events, but exhibited negative bias in mean AOD and PM2.5. Event-to-event variability in model skill was observed, with the highest spatial correlation noted for events in the Midwest.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Ryan E. Adams, Cameron C. Lee, Erik T. Smith, Scott C. Sheridan
Summary: This research explores the relationship between atmospheric circulation patterns and extreme temperature events (ETEs) in North America, finding that 500-hPa geopotential height (z500) is more strongly associated with ETEs than sea-level pressure (SLP). Spatial variability was observed in the strength of the relationship between different ETE variables and circulation patterns, likely due to local geographical influences. The use of self-organizing maps provides a unique method for assessing potential human health risks related to ETEs and could be useful for downsizing climate model data for future ETE assessments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Wei Li, Qirong Wang, Huanhuan Zhu, Zhenfei Tang
Summary: This study investigates the influence of internal variability on the projection of extreme wind speed over North America. Results show large diversity in future changes in extreme wind speed across members in both ensembles for the whole year and winter, with consistent changes in summer. The external forcing has a significant impact on increases in wintertime extreme wind speed and decreases in certain regions during summer.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ziyi Zhuang, Badr A. Mohamed, Loretta Y. Li, Omar Swei
Summary: This study develops a life cycle assessment model to evaluate the environmental and economic impact of four common sewage sludge treatment methods in the North American context. The findings suggest that pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion coupled with agricultural land application have lower global warming impact, while composting and pyrolysis have lower life cycle costs compared to alternative treatments.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gabriel Cotlier, Juan Carlos Jimenez
Summary: In this article, the Land Surface Temperatures (LST) reached during extreme heat waves over Western North America in 2021 are analyzed using thermal infrared imagery. The study focuses on the intensity of Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) and its impact on urban areas. The results show that dense built-up areas have higher SUHI intensity, while urban green spaces and dense vegetation have lower values. LST is found to be a suitable indicator for analyzing the influence of heat waves on SUHI patterns.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Si Han Li, Gregory A. Kopp
Summary: In modern wind engineering practice, wind load effects are defined based on a basic design wind speed, aerodynamic force coefficient, and various multipliers. The duration of wind events, known as wind duration, is assumed to be one hour, but recent studies indicate variations in hurricane wind duration and a lack of comprehensive investigations of synoptic wind duration in engineering. To address this, the study employed long-term wind speed simulations for North America to investigate wind durations in the current and future climate. Findings showed that wind durations for higher return period levels are close to one hour, but can be much longer for lower return periods, impacting wind responses for serviceability limit state design and cladding and component (C & C) design.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Yeechian Low, John R. Gyakum, Eyad Atallah
Summary: This study defines extreme precipitation regimes (EPRs) during the eastern North American winter and analyzes their synoptic-scale and thermodynamic environments. EPRs impact most of eastern North America with heavy precipitation and are associated with specific weather patterns and moisture influxes.
MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW
(2022)