Changes In Vertical Velocity Research Articles

Response of Vertical Velocities in Extratropical Precipitation Extremes to Climate Change

AbstractPrecipitation extremes intensify in most regions in climate model projections. Changes in vertical velocities contribute to the changes in intensity of precipitation extremes but remain poorly understood. Here, we find that midtropospheric vertical velocities in extratropical precipitation extremes strengthen overall in simulations of twenty-first-century climate change. For each extreme event, we solve the quasigeostrophic omega equation to decompose this strengthening into different physical contributions. We first consider a dry decomposition in which latent heating is treated as an external forcing of upward motion. Much of the positive contribution to upward motion from increased latent heating is offset by negative contributions from increases in dry static stability and changes in the horizontal length scale of vertical velocities. However, taking changes in latent heating as given is a limitation when the aim is to understand changes in precipitation, since latent heating and precipitation are closely linked. Therefore, we also perform a moist decomposition of the changes in vertical velocities in which latent heating is represented through a moist static stability. In the moist decomposition, changes in moist static stability play a key role and contributions from other factors such as changes in the depth of the upward motion increase in importance. While both dry and moist decompositions are self-consistent, the moist dynamical perspective has greater potential to give insights into the causes of the dynamical contributions to changes in precipitation extremes in different regions.

Determination of a stress-dependent rock-physics model using anisotropic time-lapse tomographic inversion

In the petroleum industry, time-lapse (4D) studies are commonly used for reservoir monitoring, but they are also useful to perform risk assessment for potential overburden deformations (e.g., well shearing, cap-rock integrity). Although complex anisotropic velocity changes are predicted in the overburden by geomechanical studies, conventional time-lapse inversion workflows only deal with vertical velocity changes. To retrieve the geomechanically induced anisotropy, we have adopted a reflection traveltime tomography method coupled with a time-shift estimation algorithm of prestack data of the baseline and monitor simultaneously. For the 2D approach, we parameterize the anisotropy using five coefficients, enough to cover any type of anisotropy. Before applying the workflow to a real data set, we first study a synthetic data set based on the real data set and include velocity variations between baseline and monitor found in the literature (vertical P-wave velocity decrease in the cap rock and isotropic P-wave velocity change in the reservoir). On the synthetics, we measure the angular ray coverage necessary to retrieve the target anisotropy and observe that the retrieved anisotropies depend on the offset range. Based on a synthetic experiment, we believe that the acquisition of the real case study is suitable for performing tomographic inversion. The anisotropic velocity changes obtained on three inlines separated by 375 m are consistent and show a strong positive anomaly in the cap rock along the 45° direction (the [Formula: see text] parameter in Thomsen notation), whereas the vertical velocity change is surprisingly almost negligible. We adopt a rock-physics explanation compatible with these observations and geologic considerations: a reactivation of water-filled subvertical cracks.

Kinematic Analyses of Parkour Landings from as High as 2.7 Meters.

Developing effective landing strategies has implications for both injury prevention and performance training. The purpose was to quantify the kinematics of Parkour practitioners’ landings from three heights utilizing four techniques. Seventeen male and three female Parkour practitioners landed from 0.9, 1.8, and 2.7 m utilizing the squat, forward, roll, and stiff landing techniques when three-dimensional kinematics were collected. The stiff landing demonstrated the shortest landing time, and the roll landing showed the longest landing time for 1.8 and 2.7 m. Roll landings demonstrated the greatest forward velocities at initial contact and at the end of the landing. Stiff landings showed the greatest changes in vertical velocity during the early landing, while roll landings showed the least changes for 0.9 and 1.8 m. Both roll and stiff landings generally resulted in decreased changes in horizontal velocity during the early landing compared to squat and forward landings. The four landing techniques also demonstrated different lower extremity joint angles. Stiff landings may increase injury risk because of the quick decrease of vertical velocities. Roll landings allow individuals to decrease vertical and horizontal velocities over a longer time, which is likely to decrease the peak loading imposed on the lower extremities.

Response of the Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation to a warming climate in global climate models

AbstractWe compare the response of the Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation (QBO) to a warming climate in eleven atmosphere general circulation models that performed time‐slice simulations for present‐day, doubled, and quadrupled CO2 climates. No consistency was found among the models for the QBO period response, with the period decreasing by 8 months in some models and lengthening by up to 13 months in others in the doubled CO2 simulations. In the quadrupled CO2 simulations, a reduction in QBO period of 14 months was found in some models, whereas in several others the tropical oscillation no longer resembled the present‐day QBO, although it could still be identified in the deseasonalized zonal mean zonal wind timeseries. In contrast, all the models projected a decrease in the QBO amplitude in a warmer climate with the largest relative decrease near 60 hPa. In simulations with doubled and quadrupled CO2, the multi‐model mean QBO amplitudes decreased by 36 and 51%, respectively. Across the models the differences in the QBO period response were most strongly related to how the gravity wave momentum flux entering the stratosphere and tropical vertical residual velocity responded to the increases in CO2 amounts. Likewise it was found that the robust decrease in QBO amplitudes was correlated across the models to changes in vertical residual velocity, parametrized gravity wave momentum fluxes, and to some degree the resolved upward wave flux. We argue that uncertainty in the representation of the parameterized gravity waves is the most likely cause of the spread among the eleven models in the QBO's response to climate change.

The biomechanics of concussive helmet-to-ground impacts in the National Football league

This paper presents a detailed characterization of helmet-to-ground impacts in the National Football League. Video analysis was performed for 16 head-to-ground impacts that caused concussions. Average resultant closing velocity was 8.3 m/s at an angle nearly 45° to the surface. Preimpact rotational velocity of the helmet ranged from negligible to as high as 54.1 rad/s. Helmet impacts were concentrated on the posterior and lateral aspects.To study the interaction in greater detail, a helmeted anthropomorphic test device (ATD) was launched over a football field and fell to the ground in various impact conditions. Substantial decoupling between the helmet and the head was observed, such that the head rebounded within the helmet and underwent changes in linear and rotational motion greater than those of the helmet. Vertical helmet rebound was also observed; the helmet underwent a change in vertical velocity on average 24% greater than the vertical component of its closing velocity. Frictional interaction between the helmet and the ground surface caused the helmet to undergo an average horizontal change in velocity of 57% of the horizontal component of its closing velocity. Finally, the duration of a helmet-to-ground impact was generally in the range of 15 – 30 ms, suggesting that the impact surface provides little ride-down. Lengthening this duration could be beneficial both by reducing the peak linear and rotational acceleration and by shifting the impact toward a time regime where brain strain is related to rotational acceleration rather than rotational velocity.

Centre of mass control is reduced in older people when descending stairs at an increased riser height

BackgroundMaintaining body centre of mass (CoM) lowering velocity within manageable/safe limits during stair descent can be problematic for older individuals due to reduced ranges of motion at the involved joints (ankle and knee) and a reduced ability to generate adequate joint moments at the extremes in joint ranges of motion. These problems are likely to magnify in circumstances where the distance of lowering increases, or when misjudging the height of lowering. Research questionHow does a 50% increase in standard stair riser-height affect control of CoM velocity and acceleration of older people during stair descent? MethodsFifteen older (75 ± 3 years) and seventeen young (25 ± 4 years) healthy adults descended a 4-step staircase, at two riser-heights: 170 mm, 255 mm. Changes in peak vertical CoM acceleration and velocity, and lower-limb joint kinetics (moments, work) during landing and lowering phases of stair descent were assessed using a mixed-design repeated measures analysis of variance. ResultsPeak CoM accelerations and velocities during landing and lowering were lower in older compared to young adults and increased in both groups at 255 mm riser-height. Duration of lowering also increased, particularly for older adults. Peak ankle moments during landing and lowering, which were lower in older compared to young adults, increased when descending from 255 mm riser-height, whilst the peak knee moment reduced. Both groups produced increased landing-limb negative (eccentric) ankle joint work when descending from 255 mm, but increases were greater for older adults (87.8%) compared to young (76.1%). SignificanceDescending stairs became more challenging in both age groups as riser-height increased. Older adults adopted a strategy of reducing CoM velocity to lessen the eccentric landing demands. In both groups, but more so older adults, there was a greater reliance on using leading-limb eccentric plantarflexion at 255 mm riser-height compared to 170 mm, to arrest/control increased downward CoM velocity and acceleration during landing.

Introducing a vertical land motion model for improving estimates of sea level rates derived from tide gauge records affected by earthquakes

We reassess the absolute and relative sea level changes at 38 tide gauge stations in the earthquake-affected Western North Pacific for the 1993–2015 period, focusing on the vertical land motion (VLM) which is crucial for narrowing the gap between these estimates. In this area, simply discarding all earthquake-affected sites, one overestimates the average regional sea level rise by more than 0.5 mm/year. Disregarding VLM would lead to misestimating local sea level trends between 0.2 and 7.6 mm/year. If accounted for, but modeled as linear during the entire time span, VLM leads to regional absolute sea level rise errors of up to 0.4 mm/year. Therefore, we introduce a new methodology that better represents the Global Positioning System (GPS)-derived nonlinear VLM by accounting for co-seismic offsets, changes in the vertical velocities and post-seismic transient. Also, for the first time, a combination of white and power-law noises is added to this nonlinear model to derive proper uncertainties of VLM. We find a maximum difference of 15.3 mm/year between pre- and post-seismic vertical velocities. The GPS-sensed vertical co-seismic displacement approaches 36 mm. Assuming the changes in vertical velocities and displacement due to the tectonic movements is not accounted for, and then, estimating absolute sea level rise from tide gauges can result in an error of 10 mm/year. Introducing a new nonlinear VLM model improves absolute tide gauge sea level estimates by 20% on average. Finally, for the reconstructed Western North Pacific sea level, altimetry agrees best with tide gauge data corrected employing the new nonlinear VLM model.

Understand the Direct Effect of CO2 Increase on Tropical Circulation and TC Activity: Land Surface Warming Versus Direct Radiative Forcing

AbstractThe direct effect of increased CO2 involves contributions from both land warming and direct radiative forcing. Here, their relative impacts on tropical circulation and tropical cyclones (TCs) are quantified by increasing CO2 over land and ocean separately in a high‐resolution atmosphere‐only model. It is found that land warming induces substantial vertical velocity changes over nearby oceans and such local changes are compensated by opposite motions within tropical ascending regions. The cloud mask effect leads to smaller CO2‐induced radiative heating over ascending regions. Such inhomogeneity in radiative forcing dominates compensated changes in surface fluxes and gross moist stability, leading to the slowdown of the tropical overturning circulation. TC activity is tightly linked with the large‐scale ascent because of the influence on the atmospheric humidity. Regional circulation changes caused by land warming strongly suppresses TC activity over the northwest Pacific, while weakened ascent from direct radiative forcing causes an overall TC reduction.

Seasonal and local time variations of sporadic E layer over South Korea

We have investigated the variations of sporadic E (Es) layer using the measurements of digisondes at Icheon (37.14°N, 127.54°E, IC) and Jeju (33.4°N, 126.30°E, JJ) in 2011–2018. The Es occurrence rate and its critical frequency (foEs) have peak values in summer at both IC and JJ in consistent with their known seasonal variations at mid-latitudes. The virtual height of the Es layer (h’Es) during equinox months is greater than that in other months. It may be related to the similar variation of meteor peak heights. The h’Es shows the semidiurnal variations with two peaks at early in the morning and late in the afternoon during equinoxes and summer. However, the semi-diurnal variation is not obvious in winter. The semi-diurnal variation is generally thought to be caused by the semi-diurnal tidal variation in the neutral wind shear, whose measurements, however, are rare and not available in the region of interest. To investigate the formation mechanism of Es, we have derived the vertical ion drift velocity using the Horizontal Wind Model (HWM) 14, International Geomagnetic Reference Field, and Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter Radar-00 models. Our results show that h’Es preferentially occur at the altitudes where the direction of the vertical ion velocity changes. This result indicates the significant role of ion convergence in the creation of Es.

Linking Stochasticity of Convection to Large-Scale Vertical Velocity to Improve Indian Summer Monsoon Simulation in the NCAR CAM5

The Plant–Craig (PC) stochastic convective parameterization scheme is modified by linking the stochastic generation of convective clouds to the change of large-scale vertical pressure velocity at 500 hPa with time so as to better account for the relationship between convection and the large-scale environment. Three experiments using the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmosphere Model, version 5 (CAM5), are conducted: one with the default Zhang–McFarlane deterministic convective scheme, another with the original PC stochastic scheme, and a third with the modified PC stochastic scheme. Evaluation is focused on the simulation of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM), which is a long-standing challenge for all current global circulation models. Results show that the modified stochastic scheme better represents the annual cycle of the climatological mean rainfall over central India and the mean onset date of ISM compared to other simulations. Also, for the simulations of ISM intraseasonal variability for quasi-biweekly and 30–60-day modes, the modified stochastic parameterization produces more realistic propagation and magnitude, especially for the observed northeastward movement of the 30–60-day mode, for which the other two simulations show the propagation in the opposite direction. Causes are investigated through a moisture budget analysis. Compared to the other two simulations, the modified stochastic scheme with an appropriate representation of convection better represents the patterns and amplitudes of large-scale dynamical convergence and moisture advection and thus corrects the monsoon cycle associated with their covariation during the peaks and troughs of intraseasonal oscillation.

Detecting rock uplift across southern Taiwan mountain belt by integrated GPS and leveling data

Rock uplift on the Earth surface is a key observation for studies of tectonics and geodynamic processes. Geodetic measurements from Global Positioning System (GPS) and leveling are able to track vertical deformation over a wide range of spatial and temporal scale. Taiwan mountain belt is subject to a rapid uplift rate of 20 mm/yr as revealed by GPS and leveling measurements in previous studies. The extremely high rates motivate us to analyze a set of newly processed GPS and leveling data along a NW-SE transect across southern Taiwan by considering the effects of the earthquake-related deformation as well as hydrological and surface processes. Our estimates of rock uplift rates from GPS and leveling are from −12 to +14 mm/yr across the southern Central Range of Taiwan. Vertical velocity changes on the small spatial scale are primary related to fault locking in the seismic cycle. The large spatial feature showing the mean uplift rate of 6 mm/yr between the eastern Central Range and the frontal thrust faults can be explained by a large-scale pop-up structure assuming the depth of 15–20 km in the orogenic wedge and the horizontal shortening of 30 mm/yr. Our results draw attention to carefully study geodetic vertical deformation in the mountain belts and seek relevant causes.

The Magnitude of Diurnal/Semidiurnal Atmospheric Tides (S1/S2) and Their Impacts on the Continuous GPS Coordinate Time Series

The site displacement due to diurnal and semidiurnal atmospheric tides (S1/S2) is often neglected in the routine precise GPS data processing. We recall the S1/S2 modeling method and show the magnitude of the S1/S2 tides under the Center of Mass (CM) frame. The results show that the annual amplitudes caused by both S1 and S2 tides exceed 1 mm for stations near the equator. The impact of S1/S2 on the 24-h Global Positioning System (GPS) solution is typically at the sub-mm level, and the scatter of the S1/S2 caused displacement difference increases with the decreasing latitude for northern hemisphere stations, among which the maximum Standard Deviation (STD) reaches up to 1.5 mm, 1 mm and 0.7 mm for the Up, East and North components, respectively, at low-latitude stations. We also find that 65% of the stations’ vertical velocity change caused by S1/S2 is larger than 1%, among which the maximum velocity variation rate reaches more than 40% for some coastal/island stations, while stations with the weighted root mean square reduced account for 65%, 39%, and 38% for the up, east, and north components respectively, in particular for most coastal/island stations. Furthermore, the S1/S2 correction could partly reduce the annual and the semi-annual signals of the global stacked vertical component together with the semi-annual amplitude of the east component. The power of some anomalous harmonics of 1.04 cycle per year also decreased a lot. These results further prove the benefits of S1/S2 correction in the precise GPS data processing.

Comparative Analysis on Traumatic Brain Injury Risk Due to Primary and Secondary Impacts in a Pedestrian Sideswipe Accident

A series of pedestrian sideswipe impacts were computationally reconstructed; a fast-walking pedestrian was collided laterally with the side of a moving vehicle at 25 km/h or 40 km/h, which resulted in rotating the pedestrian's body axially. Potential severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI) was assessed using linear and rotational acceleration pulses applied to the head and by measuring intracranial brain tissue deformation. We found that TBI risk due to secondary head strike with the ground can be much greater than that due to primary head strike with the vehicle. Further, an “effective” head mass, meff, was computed based upon the impulse and vertical velocity change involved in the secondary head strike, which mostly exceeded the mass of the adult head-form impactor (4.5 kg) commonly used for a current regulatory impact test for pedestrian safety assessment. Our results demonstrated that a sport utility vehicle (SUV) is more aggressive than a sedan due to the differences in frontal shape. Additionally, it was highlighted that a striking vehicle velocity should be lower than 25 km/h at the moment of impact to exclude the potential risk of sustaining TBI, which would be mitigated by actively controlling meff, because meff is closely associated with a rotational acceleration pulse applied to the head involved in the final event of ground contact.

Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity Obtained From Multimillennial Runs of Two GFDL Climate Models

AbstractEquilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS), defined as the long‐term change in global mean surface air temperature in response to doubling atmospheric CO2, is usually computed from short atmospheric simulations over a mixed layer ocean, or inferred using a linear regression over a short‐time period of adjustment. We report the actual ECS from multimillenial simulations of two Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) general circulation models (GCMs), ESM2M, and CM3 of 3.3 K and 4.8 K, respectively. Both values are ~1 K higher than estimates for the same models reported in the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change obtained by regressing the Earth's energy imbalance against temperature. This underestimate is mainly due to changes in the climate feedback parameter (−α) within the first century after atmospheric CO2 has stabilized. For both GCMs it is possible to estimate ECS with linear regression to within 0.3 K by increasing CO2 at 1% per year to doubling and using years 51–350 after CO2 is constant. We show that changes in −α differ between the two GCMs and are strongly tied to the changes in both vertical velocity at 500 hPa (ω500) and estimated inversion strength that the GCMs experience during the progression toward the equilibrium. This suggests that while cloud physics parametrizations are important for determining the strength of −α, the substantially different atmospheric state resulting from a changed sea surface temperature pattern may be of equal importance.

First and Second Step Characteristics of Amputee and Able-Bodied Sprinters.

In sprint events, the first 2 steps are used to accelerate the center of mass horizontally and vertically. Amputee athletes cannot actively generate energy with their running-specific prosthesis. It is likely that sprint acceleration mechanics, including step asymmetry, are altered compared with able-bodied athletes. To investigate spatiotemporal and kinetic variables of amputee compared with able-bodied sprinters. Kinematic and kinetic data of the first and second stance were collected from 15 able-bodied and 7 amputee sprinters (2 unilateral transfemoral, 4 unilateral transtibial, and 1 bilateral transtibial) with a motion-capture system (250Hz) and 2 force plates (1000Hz). In addition, bilateral asymmetry was quantified and compared between groups. Compared with able-bodied athletes, amputee athletes demonstrated significantly lower performance values for 5- and 10-m times. Step length, step velocity, and step frequency were decreased and contact times increased. Peak horizontal force and relative change of horizontal velocity were decreased in both stances. Peak vertical force and relative change of vertical velocity were lower for the amputee than the able-bodied group during the first stance but significantly higher during the second stance. During the first stance, able-bodied and amputee sprinters displayed a similar orientation of the ground-reaction-force vector, which became more vertically orientated in the amputee group during second stance. Amputee sprinters showed significantly greater asymmetry magnitudes for vertical force kinetics compared with able-bodietd athletes. A running-specific prosthesis does not replicate the function of the biological limb well in the early acceleration phase.

Changes in Temperature and Precipitation Extremes in Superparameterized CAM in Response to Warmer SSTs

Subdaily temperature and precipitation extremes in response to warmer SSTs are investigated on a global scale using the superparameterized (SP) Community Atmosphere Model (CAM), in which a cloud-resolving model is embedded in each CAM grid column to simulate convection explicitly. Two 10-yr simulations have been performed using present climatological sea surface temperature (SST) and perturbed SST climatology derived from the representative concentration pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. Compared with the conventional CAM, SP-CAM simulates colder temperatures and more realistic intensity distribution of precipitation, especially for heavy precipitation. The temperature and precipitation extremes have been defined by the 99th percentile of the 3-hourly data. For temperature, the changes in the warm and cold extremes are generally consistent between CAM and SP-CAM, with larger changes in warm extremes at low latitudes and larger changes in cold extremes at mid-to-high latitudes. For precipitation, CAM predicts a uniform increase of frequency of precipitation extremes regardless of the rain rate, while SP-CAM predicts a monotonic increase of frequency with increasing rain rate and larger change of intensity for heavier precipitation. The changes in 3-hourly and daily temperature extremes are found to be similar; however, the 3-hourly precipitation extremes have a significantly larger change than daily extremes. The Clausius–Clapeyron scaling is found to be a relatively good predictor of zonally averaged changes in precipitation extremes over midlatitudes but not as good over the tropics and subtropics. The changes in precipitable water and large-scale vertical velocity are equally important to explain the changes in precipitation extremes.

Quantification of the responses of equatorial Pacific surface wind to uncertain cloud‐related parameters in GAMIL2

AbstractThe response of surface winds over the equatorial Pacific to cloud‐related parameters is quantified by using a uniform sampling method and conducting a large number of perturbed parameter simulations. The results show that the surface winds are highly sensitive to, and even linearly dependent on some parameters that include the precipitation efficiency for deep convection (C0_deep), the time scale for the consumption rate of shallow CAPE (CMFTAU), and the threshold value for RH for deep convection (RHCRIT), indicating the potential to improve surface wind simulations by tuning these parameters. Parameter changes indirectly affect surface winds through changes in vertical velocity or deduced circulation linked to diabatic heating (DH) above the surface. The relative contribution of static stability changes induced by perturbed parameter to balancing DH and affecting vertical velocity exceeds 10% in most of the troposphere.

Sensitivity of historical orographically enhanced extreme precipitation events to idealized temperature perturbations

Using high resolution convective permitting simulations, we have investigated the sensitivity of historical orographically enhanced extreme precipitation events to idealized temperature perturbations. Our simulations were typical autumn and winter synoptic scale extreme precipitation events on the west coast of Norway. The response in daily mean precipitation was around 5%/K for a 2 °C temperature perturbation with a clear topographical pattern. Low lying coastal regions experienced relative changes that were only about 1/3 of the changes at higher elevations. The largest changes were seen in the highest elevations of the near coastal mountain regions where the change was in order of +7.5%/K. With a response around 5%/K, our simulations had a precipitation response that was around 2%/K lower than Clausius-Clapeyron scaling and 3%/K lower than the water vapor change. The below Clausius-Clapeyron scaling in precipitation could not be explained by changes in vertical velocities, stability or relative humidity. We suggest that the lower response in precipitation is a result of a shift from the more efficient ice-phase precipitation growth to less effective rain production in a warmer atmosphere. A considerable change in precipitation phase was seen with a mean increase in rainfall of 16%/K which was partly compensated by a reduction in snowfall of around 23%/K. This change may have serious implications for flooding and geohazards.

Understanding the Varied Influence of Midlatitude Jet Position on Clouds and Cloud Radiative Effects in Observations and Global Climate Models

Abstract This study examines the dynamical mechanisms responsible for changes in midlatitude clouds and cloud radiative effects (CRE) that occur in conjunction with meridional shifts in the jet streams over the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and Southern Oceans. When the midlatitude jet shifts poleward, extratropical cyclones and their associated upward vertical velocity anomalies closely follow. As a result, a poleward jet shift contributes to a poleward shift in high-topped storm-track clouds and their associated longwave CRE. However, when the jet shifts poleward, downward vertical velocity anomalies increase equatorward of the jet, contributing to an enhancement of the boundary layer estimated inversion strength (EIS) and an increase in low cloud amount there. Because shortwave CRE depends on the reflection of solar radiation by clouds in all layers, the shortwave cooling effects of midlatitude clouds increase with both upward vertical velocity anomalies and positive EIS anomalies. Over midlatitude oceans where a poleward jet shift contributes to positive EIS anomalies but downward vertical velocity anomalies, the two effects cancel, and net observed changes in shortwave CRE are small. Global climate models generally capture the observed anomalies associated with midlatitude jet shifts. However, there is large intermodel spread in the shortwave CRE anomalies, with a subset of models showing a large shortwave cloud radiative warming over midlatitude oceans with a poleward jet shift. In these models, midlatitude shortwave CRE is sensitive to vertical velocity perturbations, but the observed sensitivity to EIS perturbations is underestimated. Consequently, these models might incorrectly estimate future midlatitude cloud feedbacks in regions where appreciable changes in both vertical velocity and EIS are projected.

Longitudinal assessment of hydropeaking impacts on various scales for an improved process understanding and the design of mitigation measures

Hydropeaking is one of the main pressures on the aquatic ecology in alpine rivers. Beside studies on abiotic process and biotic response on the local scale there is a lack in process understanding on the reach scale. Especially longitudinal changes of hydropeaking impacts based on retention processes have not been studied yet. Thus, based on unsteady one-dimensional and two-dimensional depth averaged modelling it was targeted to investigate possible changes in vertical ramping velocity for the discussion of possible mitigation measures at the local scale. Here, we compared artificial and natural sheltering habitats in terms of peak flow. Additionally, the hydropeaking assessment on various river scales was supported by an evaluation of tributaries in an alpine river system. Based on the modelling results and the discussion of the impact assessment of hydropeaking in different case studies we state, that on the first 5km downstream of the turbine outlet a significant decrease in vertical ramping velocity occurs. In this reach, habitat improvements should focus on increasing retention processes considering the higher risk of stranding for juvenile fish and macroinvertebrates. For morphological mitigation measures at the local scale, it turned out that self-formed, near-natural morphology should be targeted in terms of mitigation measure design compared to artificial sheltering habitats. Abundance and biomass of macroinvertebrates are directly linked to substrate variability in self-formed sheltering habitats downstream of gravel bars. Moreover, we ascertained that tributaries are able to contribute to the ‘ecological potential’ in multi-stressed hydropeaking rivers by providing spawning and rearing habitats for fish. However, for a sustainable improvement of the aquatic environment on all relevant scales, both sediment and flood dynamics have to be considered as important drivers to establish self-formed sheltering habitats in terms of hydropeaking.