Average Air Temperature Research Articles

Podnebne projekcije temperature zraka in padavin za porečja Ledave, Pesnice in Vipave do konca 21. stoletja

As part of the project ‚CeVoTak‘, Integrated Management of Small Water Retention and Soil Erosion Prevention Measures in Agricultural Catchments, we studied changing temperature and precipitation conditions up to the year 2100. The study was conducted on agricultural lands in the catchments of the Ledava and Pesnica rivers in the sub-Pannonian region and the Vipava river in the sub-Mediterranean region. A common climate database was used to create the climate projections - RCM (Regional Climate Model) simulations from the project EURO-CORDEX and scenarios RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway), RCP2.6, 4.5 and 8.5. The projections were prepared for three time periods 2011-2040; 2041-2070 and 2071-2100 for 6 different regional climate models for average, minimum and maximum air temperatures and precipitation. Analysis of the ensemble of model simulations for all scenarios shows similar results for the basin of all rivers, an increase in temperature (maximum in winter, minimum in spring), with high confidence for all scenarios and periods. Projections of precipitation are less reliable, but show an increase in annual precipitation due to the winter increase. The use of climate change projections with expert interpretation is essential for determining the vulnerability of individual areas and building resilience through the implementation of climate change adaptation.

The Nigeria climate zones: Variability, trends and analysis from era-interim data (2010-2015)

This study analyses diurnal weather patterns in the lower atmosphere across four climate domains in Nigeria from Era-Interim data for synoptic hours of 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800 hours from 2010-2015. The climate domain includes: Port Harcourt (tropical maritime), Enugu (bi-modal tropical continental), Jos (montane), Kano (mono-modal tropical continental) and Maiduguri (semi-arid). Findings revealed that air temperature across the areas indicate strong latitudinal positions with drier and hotter weather pattern northwards. Average air temperature across diurnal hours were 23.2-26oC, 23-29oC, 26-32oC, 26-34oC and 26.6-34 oC for Port Harcourt, Enugu, Jos, Kano and Maiduguri. Average solar radiation peaked at 1200 noon with values 508 W/m2, 639 W/m2, 830 W/m2, 905 W/m2, 832 W/m2 for the areas. Average wind speed increases northwards, i.e. 0.9-1.3m/s, 2.0-2.5m/s, 2.1-2.5m/s, 2.4-3.0m/s and 2.9-3.5m/s respectively. The wind variation is due to the surface characteristics across the areas. Southwesterly winds dominated coastal zone while southeasterly/northeasterly winds dominated the arid zone except during periods of peak rainy season. Average cloud cover for the coastal and northern domains in oktas was: 6-7 and 2-4. Relative humidity shows that prevailing atmospheric conditions at any given time are stronger at the areas close to the sources of influence and the position of Intertropical discontinuity (ITD). Humidity values were: 67-93% and 31-71% for coastal and northern domains. Rainfall amount reduces northwards i.e. 200-46 mm. Rainfall pattern is significantly influenced by the air masses source regions. These regions include closeness to massive water bodies, proximity to Sahara Desert and effects of mountainous barriers.

Exploring the Nexus of Climate Change and Substance Abuse: A Scoping Review.

The increase in average air temperature and multiple extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and droughts, pose significant health risks to humans. This scoping review aims to examine the current state of the existing literature concerning the potential relationship between substance abuse and climate change, along with the aspects it encompasses. The review followed PRISMA guidelines for methodological rigor, aiming to identify studies on drug abuse. Searches were conducted across the primary databases using specific search strings. Quality assessment involved evaluating the research question's clarity, search strategy transparency, consistency in applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, and reliability of data extraction. Most studies were conducted in the USA. They included observational and retrospective quantitative studies, as well as qualitative and prospective observational ones. Research examined the correlation between extreme weather and some substance abuse. All studies analyzed the adverse effects of climate change, especially heatwaves, on both physiological and pathological levels. The scoping review notes the scarcity of studies about the correlation between substance abuse and climate change, and emphasizes the threats faced by individuals with substance abuse and mental health disorders due to climate change.

Design and modelling of mobile thermal energy storage (M−TES) using structured composite phase change material modules

This study concerns with a modelling led-design of a novel mobile thermal energy storage (M−TES) device aimed to address off-site industrial waste heat recovery and reuse in the UK. For the first time, salt-based composite phase change material (CPCM) modules were employed as the M−TES medium, utilizing air for charging and discharging. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models were initially developed and validated against experimental data. The 2D model was used for parametric study to determine critical M−TES dimensions, followed by the 3D model for a comprehensive evaluation of thermal performance of the M−TES device. Key parameters examined included temperature uniformity within CPCM modules, evolution of air temperatures at the inlet and outlet, thermal storage capacities, charging/discharging rates, and specific efficiencies defined as heat transfer efficiencies and charging/discharging efficiencies throughout a complete cycle. The results under baseline conditions demonstrated that the M−TES device stored nearly 400 MJ of heat with a TES density of 560 kJ/kg after 10 h of charging, achieving an average CPCM temperature of 662 K. Approximately 97 % of the stored heat was released with the average outlet air temperature exceeding 468 K during the subsequent 10-hour discharging period. This work preliminarily verified the feasibility of the novel M−TES concept for integrating industrial thermal processing decarbonization with domestic heat supply.

INFORMATION MATERIALS FOR ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE FACTORS ON FORMING SOIL WATER REGIME ON DRAINED LANDS

The research results on creating information materials for assessing the impact of modern climatic factors on the formation of soil water regimes on drained lands are presented. By the results of the research, carried out at the "Romen" drainage and irrigation system (Sumy region), it was established that over the past 34 years, the average air temperature during the growing season has varied from 14,2 to 19,4 oC. In general, there is a trend for its slight decrease (almost by 0,2 oC). The highest average monthly air temperatures are recorded in July and August, and the lowest ones - in April. It was specified that the water regime of the active soil layer during the growing season is formed mainly due to moderate (4–14 mm – 44%) and significant (15–49 mm – 40%) precipitation, the total share of which in water reserves is 84%. There is a trend towards an increase in the share of significant precipitation (on average, up to 46–60 % of the total amount during the growing season) in years with high-water growing seasons, and its predominant amount falls in the range of 15–29 mm. There is also an increase in the share of moderate precipitation (up to 49% of the total amount during the growing season) in years with low-water growing seasons. Information materials on the distribution of atmospheric precipitation by year in quantitative and percentage indicators, their recurrence in the growing seasons of 1990–2022 ("Romen" DIS, Sumy region), presented as an interactive visual report with graphic materials (dashboard) have been created. Informational materials in the form of dashboards enable us to monitor changes in climatic conditions, promptly providing up-to-date data when forecasting future trends in changes in the water supply of agricultural territories, in particular, the formation of the soil water regime on drained lands and addressing the challenges related to climate change.

FEATURES OF FORMING WATER AVAILABILITY FOR WINTER WHEAT IN THE SOUTH OF UKRAINE

The article examines the importance of considering several factors affecting the soil water regime in the context of developing models for forecasting productive soil moisture reserves. It was established that the main factors, such as the type of soil, its density, and mechanical composition, remain constant in different soil and climatic regions of Ukraine. The second group of factors, such as air temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture, are subject to changes throughout the growing season and even over short periods. Therefore, the dynamics of soil moisture as a function of the main variables, such as average air temperature and precipitation, was considered using calculations. Initial moisture reserves are used in the calculations for more accurate forecasting of moisture reserves at the end of a specified period. Hydrothermal conditions considered as predictors in the regression equation are also used. The reliability of the conducted research is confirmed by the analysis of independent input and output information from the Kherson weather station in the period from 2018 to 2021 regarding the actual reserves of productive moisture in the soil at a depth of 0 - 20,0 - 50 and 0 - 100 cm. The average error between actual and calculated data did not exceed +13,5%. It confirms the reliability and precision of the conducted research making it the basis for further analyses and conclusions. The conclusions noted the need for accurately determining soil moisture to effectively manage agrometeorological conditions and optimize crop yield. The authors believe that the research work presented in this article can significantly contribute to developing modern approaches to water availability in agriculture and agrometeorology. That will contribute to the gradual and improved development of soil moisture forecasting methodology, which is key to ensuring sustainable and productive development in agriculture.

The Effect of Perforated Plate Geometry on Thermofluid Characteristics of Briquette Drying Oven: A 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Study

The process of drying briquettes in an oven is very costly due to the amount of fuel, labor, and drying time required. Furthermore, inadequate air circulation also results in an uneven and ineffective drying process for briquettes. The performance of the briquette drying oven can be improved by changing the geometry of the perforated plate in the oven to optimize the air distribution. This research process was conducted through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations using Ansys Fluid Flow (Fluent) software by testing three different perforated plate geometries in the oven to determine their effect on the air distribution that occurred in the oven. The research findings indicate that the temperature, velocity, pressure, and airflow pattern of the air are all considerably impacted by the incorporation of perforated plates into the first, second, and third geometries of the oven. When compared to the original geometry, the average air temperature in ovens using the first, second, and third geometries increased by 6.86%, 7.38%, and 9.15%, respectively. Average air velocity increased by 226.04%, 235.77%, and 431.60% in ovens with the first, second, and third geometries. However, the air pressure in ovens with the first, second, and third geometries decreased by 11.05%, 8.62%, and 10.66%. The use of perforated plates on the right, back, and left sides in an oven with the third geometry is the best geometry produced in this research. This happens because this oven produces the most even airflow pattern in the oven compared to other geometries. In addition, the oven with the third geometry has the highest average temperature and average air velocity, with a lower average air pressure compared to the other geometries. Consequently, drying is more effective and takes less time.

Assessment of Changes in Hydrometeorological Indicators and Intra-Annual River Runoff in the Ile River Basin

Water management strategies in the Ile River basin (Republic of Kazakhstan) have traditionally relied on historical data without fully considering the potential impacts of climate change. This gap can lead to underestimating the changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, and runoff, hindering effective water resource management. This study aimed to analyze how a changing climate is affecting the Ile River basin’s water regime. Specifically, it investigated trends in temperature, precipitation, and runoff within the basin, emphasizing the importance of incorporating these intra-annual variations when planning water management strategies and hydraulic structures. A detailed analysis of the long-term data was conducted, focusing on changes in meteorological indicators. This included average air temperatures and annual precipitation for elevations above and below 1500 m during cold and warm periods. The analysis aimed to identify and quantify trends of increase or decrease. Meteorological stations were strategically chosen to represent both arid and humid areas within the basin, accounting for the region’s significant altitude variations. The investigation revealed several key findings. Rising average annual air temperatures are leading to a larger area experiencing snowmelt and a longer warm period within the runoff formation zone. This directly impacts the water balance of the basin. Additionally, an increase in total annual precipitation, particularly during the cold season within the runoff formation zone, suggests a potential for future water resource growth, assuming that these trends persist. This study highlights the importance of considering intra-annual variations in water regimes when developing water management strategies. The observed changes in temperature and precipitation patterns within the Ile River basin necessitate adjustments to existing plans to ensure sustainable water resource management in a changing climate.

Spatio-temporal trends and variability in extreme temperature and precipitation indices in the Kashmir Valley, North Western Himalayas

ABSTRACT Earth's average air temperature is warming at a substantial rate leading to an increase in the frequency and severity of extremes with major environmental and socio-economic impacts. The present study discusses temperature and precipitation extremes in Kashmir Valley using observational data from six meteorological stations. An Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI) (http://etccdi.pacificclimate.org/) provides 25 extreme climate indices (15 for temperature and 10 for precipitation) to be used. The absolute extreme temperature indices (TXx, TXn, TNx, and TNn) exhibit increasing tendencies, according to the findings. The number of changes witnessed in daily maximum temperature was greater than the daily minimum temperature which was manifested by increasing diurnal temperature range (DTR; 0.012 °C/year). These changes in extremes have impacts that pose a threat to agriculture, snow day and cover, glaciers, water resources, ecosystem services, etc. of the study region. The region is undergoing significant urban and land system changes making it further vulnerable to natural hazards. The findings are expected to further augment the hazard and risk analysis and the necessary disaster risk reduction measures for climate-related disasters in the region. These analyses will be helpful for the development of strategies for climate risk management in Kashmir.

Analysis of the non-uniform thermal environment of local floor and ceiling radiant heating: Numerical simulation and thermal comfort experiment

Local radiant heating is a crucial method for avoiding inefficient heating and reducing energy consumption in buildings. To supplement existing research, which primarily focuses on local vertical-wall radiant heating, this paper investigates the non-uniform thermal environment of local floor and ceiling radiant heating rooms under various radiant positions, areas, and temperatures. The study utilizes numerical analysis by Ansys Fluent and thermal comfort experiments in Xi'an, China, which has a Dwa Köppen climate classification. When the local heating zone is located near windows and doors, the radiant film preferentially exchanges heat with them, resulting in a decrease in air temperature and mean radiant temperature. In such cases, it is recommended to increase the radiant temperature or area. With a radiant area of 5 m2 and a radiant temperature of 25 °C, expanding the radiant area to 15 m2 increases the average air temperature in the local heating zone by 5.0 °C, while raising the radiant temperature to 29 °C increases it by 1.4 °C. Moreover, enlarging the radiant area can effectively improve occupants' skin temperature, thermal sensation, and overall thermal comfort. When the radiant area and temperature are determined, priority should be given to local floor radiant heating over local ceiling radiant heating due to its lower air temperature, larger temperature gradients, and smaller mean radiant temperatures. This study aims to provide references for proposing refined design and regulation parameters of local floor and ceiling radiant heating systems in the future.

Sea Ice Interannual Variability and Sensitivity to Fall Oceanic Conditions and Winter Air Temperature in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada

AbstractThe Gulf of St. Lawrence has been nearly free of sea ice in the winter six times in its recorded history, four of which have occurred since 2010. This study examines the inter‐annual variability of sea ice cover characteristics (1969–2024) and winter mixed layer heat content (1996–2024), their sensitivity to fall oceanic conditions (since fall of 1995) and to winter air temperatures. The study finds no relationship between fall oceanic conditions with either the first occurrence of sea ice, maximum seasonal estimated volume or winter mixed layer heat content. However, it shows that the first occurrence of sea ice in the northwestern Gulf is related to the timing of sea surface temperature crossing the 1°C threshold with a lag time of 30–37 days, and with air temperature dropping below −2°C with a lag of 37–44 days; longer lags have weak correlations. The seasonal maximum conditions in area or estimated volume can be estimated by the preceding measurements of the same metrics with a lead time of only 29 days for volume and 36 days for area. The average air temperature over the Gulf between December and February or March is highly correlated to seasonal maximum sea ice area and estimated volume, as well as ice season duration. The six nearly ice‐free winters correspond to the warmest December to February (or December to March) average air temperatures over the Gulf. A warming of >1.9°C–2.4°C (DJFM) or >2.2°C–2.9°C (DJF) above the 1991–2020 climatology leads to nearly ice‐free conditions.

Estimating crop evapotranspiration of wheat-maize rotation system using hybrid convolutional bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory network with grey wolf algorithm in Chinese Loess Plateau region

Accurate estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ET) is essential for the efficient utilization of agricultural water resources, crop production enhancement, and sustainable agricultural development. However, direct measurement of ET is highly expensive, intricate, and time-consuming, highlighting the imperative of establishing a novel model to accurately estimate ET in agricultural ecosystems. To address the above problems, this study proposed a novel model (GWA-CNN-BiLSTM), which incorporates Grey Wolf Algorithm (GWA), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory network (BiLSTM) as a hyperparameter adjuster, feature extractor, and regression component, respectively, to estimate ET built upon various input combinations comprising net solar radiation (Rn), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), average air temperature (Ta), soil water content (SWC), and leaf area index (LAI) about winter wheat-spring maize rotation system during 2012–2020 in the Loess Plateau. Besides, following a comparative assessment within GWA-CNN-BiLSTM, Convolutional Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory network (CNN-BiLSTM), BiLSTM, Long Short-Term Memory network (LSTM), and Shuttleworth-Wallace (SW) models, the results revealed that GWA-CNN-BiLSTM under varied inputs obtained the superior performance, ranging from 0.562 to 0.957 in determination coefficient (R2), 8.4–41.5 % in relative root mean square error (RRMSE), 0.349 mm d−1 to 1.521 mm d−1 in mean absolute error (MAE), −3.26 % to 14.11 % in percent bias (PBIAS), and 0.820–1.091 in regression coefficient (b0), respectively. Moreover, while the accuracy of BiLSTM over LSTM was evident, its performance was notably improved by the incorporation of the CNN module. Additionally, LSTM-type models under complete input combination present better precision than SW by 29.7−51.4 % in R2, 44.2−76.1 % in RRMSE, and 33.6−63.4 % in MAE, respectively. Furthermore, the accuracy of all models under varied inputs exhibited excellence in winter wheat compared to spring maize, and corresponding improvements ranged 1.4−4.3 % in R2, 5.1−20.1 % in RRMSE, and 3.1−17.9 % in MAE, respectively. Besides, the meteorological factors (Rn, VPD, Ta) proved to be the most important inputs for ET estimation in winter wheat and spring maize. Wherein the importance of SWC exceeded that of LAI in winter wheat, while the opposite trend was observed in spring maize. In brief, GWA-CNN-BiLSTM is the highly recommended model to estimate ET of winter wheat-spring maize rotation system under diverse input data scenarios in the Loess Plateau, which can facilitate to offer valuable assistance in regional agriculture water management decisions.

Мониторинг околоземного космического пространства, магнитосферы и атмосферы Земли в периоды Форбуш-эффектов в конце августа 2005 г.

We present the results of near-Earth interplanetary space, magnetosphere, and atmosphere monitoring during large-scale solar wind disturbances at the end of August 2005. The monitoring was carried out using ground-level cosmic ray (CR) observations made at the worldwide network of neutron monitors as well as muon telescopes in Yakutsk and Novosibirsk. As a result of the analysis performed by different methods, we have obtained variation properties of CRs of different rigidities in Earth’s orbit, their pitch angle anisotropy, orientation and configuration of the interplanetary magnetic field, changes in the planetary system of geomagnetic cutoff rigidities during geomagnetic disturbances, as well as mass average air temperature over CR stations equipped with muon telescopes. For the periods of geomagnetic disturbances, we have determined parameters of magnetospheric ring current and magnetopause currents.

Monitoring of near-Earth space, Earth’s magnetosphere and atmosphere during Forbush decreases in August 2005

We present the results of near-Earth interplanetary space, magnetosphere, and atmosphere monitoring during large-scale solar wind disturbances at the end of August 2005. The monitoring was carried out using ground-level cosmic ray (CR) observations made at the worldwide network of neutron monitors as well as muon telescopes in Yakutsk and Novosibirsk. As a result of the analysis performed by different methods, we have obtained variation properties of CRs of different rigidities in Earth’s orbit, their pitch angle anisotropy, orientation and configuration of the interplanetary magnetic field, changes in the planetary system of geomagnetic cutoff rigidities during geomagnetic disturbances, as well as mass average air temperature over CR stations equipped with muon telescopes. For the periods of geomagnetic disturbances, we have determined parameters of magnetospheric ring current and magnetopause currents.

Badanie efektu dławienia w pożarze tunelu

As per the emergency ventilation strategy, air velocity of 3 m/s in case of the longitudinal ventilation is sufficient for smoke control in all fire conditions. Numerical experiments were carried out with FDS software to estimate the numerical value of the critical velocity. Numerical models were realized in 0-6% slope tunnels with a 1% step for 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 MW fires for four types of fuel: gasoline, diesel fuel, oil and firewood. The paper notes that the dynamic pressure induced by a strong fire is much higher than the static pressure of tunnel jet fans. As a result, following the algebraic summation of positively-directed ventilation flows and the negatively-directed flows induced by fire, an intense back layering occurs, which casts doubt on the suitability of the specified emergency ventilation strategy when designing the fire ventilation. The critical ventilation speed of 3 m/s cannot cope with the traction caused by fire, expressed by the ascending movement of the high-temperature and low-density combustion products. The paper discusses the numerical modelling results with an adiabatic underground heat exchange model and presents typical tunnel fire modelling plans, which correspond to an inclined tunnel for ascending and descending ventilation flows as well as a horizontal tunnel. The article gives the regularities obtained by the numerical models of changes in the variables of average air temperature and density, average carbon monoxide, average carbon dioxide and soot concentrations. According to the emergency ventilation strategy, critical velocity is an important value and a major determinant of back layering prevention in sloping tunnels. Although many papers have been devoted to this problem, the obtained results differ much. The present paper shows that strong fires induce much greater dynamic pressures than the static pressures of the tunnel jet fans are. Consequently, the flows caused by these forces, as they move in different directions, following their algebraic summation, cause a strong back-layering in case of positive ventilation flows, i.e., when the ventilation flow is descending and the fire seat is found at a lower point compared to the air supply portal. The new results can be used to develop fire ventilation plans as well as life-saving and emergency control solutions in the operating tunnels for personnel and rescuers.

Bimodalność i długoterminowe trendy wartości ekstremalnych temperatury powietrza

Histograms of air temperature with a bimodal shape are commonly observed in many regions of the world. In this study, we investigate the causes of bimodality in the histograms of daily temperature series (minimum, average, and maximum) for selected climatological stations in Slovakia. Our findings suggest that in the Central European region, the bimodal shape of air temperature histograms is mainly due to the latent heat of freezing, as the surface of snow and ice and the air are thermally coupled. The asymmetry in the air temperature histograms is due to the lower mass heat capacity of ice compared to water and air. The energy-intensive latent heat of conversion of ice to water (and vice versa) results in the more frequent occurrence of ground-layer air temperatures around the freezing point, leading to the formation of the observed local maximum. This has far-reaching implications, such as the calculation of the annual mean air temperature at climatological stations. When calculating the average air temperature, negative temperatures should be given less weight than positive temperatures. Temperatures around 0-6°C should be given higher weight. This may also explain why Arctic regions are experiencing more significant warming than equatorial regions. In the second part of this paper, we analyze the long-term trends of selected temperature indices for the climatological station at Hurbanovo (Slovakia) from 1871 to 2020. Our results indicate statistically significant changes in all temperature indices, with indices related to cold temperatures increasing more significantly than those associated with high temperatures. Finally, study examines theoretical probability distributions to estimate T-year temperatures for temperature indices at the Hurbanovo climate station in Slovakia. The analysis includes three time periods (1901–1960, 1961–2020, and 1991–2020) and reveals significant changes in temperature indices at the Hurbanovo station. The 100-year temperature of TN,min was –35.75°C in 1901–1960, –28.69°C in 1961–2020, and –26.52°C in 1991–2020. The 100-year temperature of TX,max was 39.4°C in 1901–1960 and 39.63°C in 1961–2020. TN,min showed the most significant changes, with the 100-year temperature increasing by up to 7.06°C in 1961–2020 and up to 9.23°C in 1991–2020.

Climate Change Scenarios for Air and Water Temperatures in the Upper San Francisco Estuary: Implications for Thermal Regimes and Delta Smelt

Climate projections and their effects have been evaluated in the San Francisco Estuary as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s CASCaDE2 project. Understanding the ecological effects of climate change can help manage and maintain the ecological health and productivity of the San Francisco Estuary. In this study, we assessed downscaled air temperature data from 10 global climate models (GCMs) under two representative concentration pathway (RCP) trajectories for greenhouse gas concentrations for three regions of the San Francisco Estuary: Suisun and Grizzly Bays, Suisun marsh, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. We also used previously derived regression models to estimate future water temperatures at 16 locations in the upper San Francisco Estuary. We used a thermal regime approach to summarize water temperature projections to investigate changes to the thermal regime of the upper San Francisco Estuary and used the Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) to demonstrate the impacts that a warming climate may have on the habitat needs of this fish species. Our results suggested there were no major differences in the extent of air temperature warming among the three regions. Annual average air temperatures were projected to increase approximately 2.0 and 4.7°C by the end of the century for the low and high RCP scenarios, respectively. We found timing, frequency, and magnitude metrics varied by period and RCP scenario, while duration and variability metrics varied by space for water temperature thermal regimes. For example, the spawning window for Delta Smelt (thermal regime duration metric) is projected to expand in the future, with spawning starting earlier for both RCP scenarios for most sites. Although our thermal regime analysis focused on the life history of Delta Smelt, similar approaches could be used to assess climate change threats to a wide array of native and invasive terrestrial and aquatic species found in San Francisco Estuary.

Водообмен в хвойных фитоценозах под влиянием климатических изменений

Woody vegetation and the atmosphere are closely related, which determines the relevance of studying this interaction within the framework of the problem of global climate change and the resilience of terrestrial ecosystems to external influences. For the research region, the Komi Republic, climate warming has been revealed, expressed in increased air temperature in the summer. The warmest year over the years of observation was 2013, when the average air temperature in the summer was 17.2 °C, while the longterm annual average norm was 14.6 °C. The growth and productivity of woody plants in a forest community depend on the amount of moisture in the soil. In the middle subzone of the taiga, moisture reserves are 60–200 mm, so woody plants do not lack it. In this regard, transpiration rates of Scots pine and Siberian spruce needles in different types of forest under fluctuating weather conditions has been studied. The results of the research have shown that at elevated air temperatures, low amounts of precipitation and favourable soil water supply, the transpiration rate in pine increases by 1.5 times, and in spruce by 3 times. This is probably due to the fact that the spruce stomata react especially quickly to changes in external conditions, which is determined by the increased sensitivity of the needles to moisture conditions. It has been established that during the same period there is the closest relationship between the transpiration rate and the air temperature (r = 0.7–0.9). In different types of forest, the transpiration rate in pine varies from 4 to 16 %, in spruce within 5 %. An assessment of changes in the pine and spruce needles transpiration rates in response to changing weather conditions has shown that this process is largely determined by the species membership. Pine is a light-demanding species with a taproot system. Spruce is a shade-tolerant species with a shallow root system.

Recent rapid initiation and growth of retrogressive thaw slumps in the Hoh Xil region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

With persistent climate warming, a rapid increase in retrogressive thaw slump (RTS) activity has been observed in the permafrost region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). However, the initiation and growth dynamics of these RTSs have not yet been fully investigated. In this study, annual RTS observations from 2013 to 2021 within the Hoh Xil region (HXR), based on field investigations and satellite imagery interpretations, are presented. The total number and affected areas of RTSs in the HXR significantly increased during the last 8 years, and such an increase mainly occurred in 2016 when an anomalously high air temperature appeared during the thawing season, which induced the massive occurrence of active layer detachment slides. The mean headwall retreat rate of RTSs in the HXR ranged from 2.4–3.2 m/y from 2013, or their initialization, to 2021, and the highest headwall retreat occurred in the first 2–3 years after RTS initiation. In addition, the headwall retreat rate of RTSs in the study region was significantly affected by the climatic factors, including average daily air temperature, thawing degree days, and cumulative precipitation and also controlled by the ratio of slump floor slope to undisturbed terrain slope, the headwall height, and permafrost conditions. The study’s findings can serve as a reference for hazard mitigation and regional carbon cycle assessment of the QTP.

Utilization of qPCR to Determine Duration and Environmental Drivers Contributing to the Persistence of Human DNA in Soil.

Little is known about the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the persistence and degradation of DNA within soil. The goals of this study are to determine the duration of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nuDNA) persistence in soils enriched by surface-level human decomposition and to better understand the contribution of environmental factors. The surface-level decomposition of three human cadavers was documented over 11 weeks. Based on quantitative PCR results, we found nuDNA to persist in soils six weeks post-placement, while mtDNA was recoverable for the entire 11-week decomposition period. Principle components analyses and Spearman's rank correlations revealed that (1) time, (2) total body score, and (3) weekly average air temperature were significantly correlated with concentrations of nuDNA and mtDNA in soil, suggesting these factors play a role in the degradation of DNA in soils.