Changes In Weather Patterns Research Articles

Psychometric properties of the Italian version of the climate change worry scale

Assessing the psychological impact of climate change is of crucial importance as it is widely recognized that human mental health is negatively affected by changing weather patterns. Worry about climate change is commonly used as a measure of risk perception, and includes concepts such as concern, perceived seriousness, and perceived risk. In order to better evaluate the levels of climate change worry, Alan E. Stewart developed the Climate Change Worry Scale (CCWS). The aim of the present study was to validate Stewart's CCWS in Italy. To this purpose, CCWS was translated into Italian and its psychometric properties were tested on a sample of 130 Italian adults who were required to complete the CCWS, as well as other standards of measurement, such as the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), Pro-Environmental Behaviours Scale (PEBS) and Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS). Patients were retested after three months. In this study, Stewart's original single-factor scale was used. Additionally, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and discriminant validity were specifically analysed. Factor structure of CCWS was investigated, and a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) showed a good fit for the single-factor model. Climate Change Worry Scale items exhibited excellent internal consistency. Test-retest reliability at a three-month evaluation proved to be good. Climate change worry was associated with concern, climate change anxiety, pro-environmental behaviors and political orientation. The Italian version of the Climate Change Worry Scale is a valid and reliable tool to assess climate change worry in the general population.

Climatic impact on Rainfall Analysis in Al-Madinah Munawwara Region

Long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns are referred to as climate change. Climate change and rainfall distribution are inextricably linked to arid and semi-arid regions. Saudi Arabia is entirely located in arid and semi-arid areas, and the arid climate that covers the majority of Saudi Arabia is typically characterized by large temporal and spatial variations in rainfall distribution. The availability of long-term rainfall depth records would be beneficial for studying the impact of climate change. This study aimed to assess the impact of climate change on rainfall analysis based on rainfall data generated by the HYFRAN-PLUS model during 1960–1990 and 1990–2020. Four rain-gauge stations near the Al-Madinah Munawwara region, namely Al Faqir, Umm Al Birak, Madinah Monawara, and Bir Al Mashi, were chosen for statistical analysis. The 1990–2020 rainfall data showed a significant climate change impact on the rainfall analysis at the Umm Al Birak station that was greater than that of the 1960–1990 data. The results of this study provide useful information for water resource planners and urban engineers to assess water availability and create appropriate storage systems considering climate change since 1960.

Forecasting Solar Energy Production Using Machine Learning

When it comes to large-scale renewable energy plants, the future of solar power forecasting is vital to their success. For reliable predictions of solar electricity generation, one must take into consideration changes in weather patterns over time. In this paper, a hybrid model that integrates machine learning and statistical approaches is suggested for predicting future solar energy generation. In order to improve the accuracy of the suggested model, an ensemble of machine learning models was used in this study. The results of the simulation show that the proposed method has reduced placement cost, when compared with existing methods. When comparing the performance of an ensemble model that integrates all of the combination strategies to standard individual models, the suggested ensemble model outperformed the conventional individual models. According to the findings, a hybrid model that made use of both machine learning and statistics outperformed a model that made sole use of machine learning in its performance.

Prospects of Hybrid Energy in Saudi Arabia, Exploring Irrigation Application in Shaqra

Dynamics in rainfall patterns due to climate change are posing a threat to crop production globally. The core issue of food security is expected to intensify, and improving crop yield using motorized power irrigation mechanisms can help in curtailing the impact of drought and changing weather patterns to meet the crop water requirement. To meet the energy demand of irrigation systems, this paper explores the use of hybrid energy sources, i.e., wind and solar energy, taking Shaqra Saudi Arabia as case study. This paper presents a systematic case study that evaluates crop water requirements for 3 different crops using the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s software CROPWAT 8.0 and converts the water requirement into energy demand to design the water pumping system. The energy requirement water pumping system is used to design a hybrid energy system using HOMER PRO 3.14.4 that can reliably meet the energy demand. The results suggests that, contrary to the common consideration in Saudi Arabia, a hybrid of wind and solar energy proves to be more cost effective and yields a higher amount of energy. The results suggest that a significant reduction in cost can be achieved with a hybrid energy system as compared to a solar PV system only.

Evaluation of Wind Energy Potentials in Some Selected Areas in the Six Geo-Political Regions in Nigeria

Wind energy is one of the cleanest sources of renewable energy sources (RES) in Nigeria but among the least utilized even with its enormous abundance. This work investigates wind energy availability and its utilization in some selected areas of the six geopolitical regions. The area under study is part of North-West (Gumel, in Jigawa State), Part of North-East (Maiduguri, Gamboru and Baga in Bornu State and Kumagunnam in Yobe State), Part North Central (Pankshin and Biu in Plateau State), Part of South-West (Lagos State), Part of South-East (Ihiala in Anambra State) and Part of South-South (Buguma in Rivers State). Rescreen (renewable energy) software was used to analyse the data obtained from Nigeria meteorological agency (NIMET). The result obtained showed the average wind speed for the various locations under study and it was found that there was drastic fluctuation of the speed of wind between June and October, and this was decreasing in this order. Furthermore, Kumagunnam and Gamboru has a high wind speed from January to march. This could be attributed to climatic/seasonal changes in weather pattern and it was also found that this is proportional to the cube of wind speed which is not linearly related to wind speed.

Effects of Changes in Seasonal Weather Patterns on the Subjective Well-Being in Patients with CAD Enrolled in Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Objective: We examined whether seasonal and monthly variations exist in the subjective well-being of weather-sensitive patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) during cardiac rehabilitation. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 865 patients (30% female, age 60 ± 9) were recruited within 2–3 weeks of treatment for acute coronary syndrome and during cardiac rehabilitation. The patients completed the Palanga self-assessment diary for weather sensitivity (PSAD-WS) daily, for an average of 15.5 days. PSAD-WS is an 11-item (general) three-factor (psychological, cardiac, and physical symptoms) questionnaire used to assess weather sensitivity in CAD patients. Weather data were recorded using the weather station “Vantage Pro2 Plus”. Continuous data were recorded eight times each day for the weather parameters and the averages of the data were linked to the respondents’ same-day diary results. Results: Weather-sensitive (WS) patients were found to be more sensitive to seasonal changes than patients who were not WS, and they were more likely to experience psychological symptoms. August (summer), December (winter), and March (spring) had the highest numbers of cardiac symptoms (all p < 0.001). In summary, peaks of symptoms appeared more frequently during the transition from one season to the next. Conclusion: This study extends the knowledge about the impact of atmospheric variables on the general well-being of weather-sensitive CAD patients during cardiac rehabilitation.

Patterns of infestation by subcortical insects (Coleoptera: Buprestidae, Cerambycidae) after widespread wildfires in mature Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests

Warming temperatures and changing weather patterns are causing more frequent and severe disturbances in western North American forests. The increasing length and severity of recent wildfire seasons have annually caused widespread injury to millions of trees, facilitating the subsequent outbreak of various subcortical insect species that infest damaged hosts. The subcortical woodboring beetle assemblage (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae and Buprestidae) comprises insects that feed primarily within the phloem and sapwood of defensively compromised trees, often causing severe degradation of high value stands slated for post-fire salvage logging. We studied three 2017 fire complexes within mature Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests in southern British Columbia to investigate the post-fire infestation patterns of woodborers. We observed the highest levels of woodborer infestation in forests with moderate to high levels of fire injury, rather than in extremely burnt stands with greater tree mortality. We also found that woodborer infestation likelihood could be predicted from a combination of tree height and fire injury for individual trees. In addition, infestation was more likely in large (>13.1 m tall) rather than small trees (<13 m tall) with the same levels of fire injury. We conclude that the woodboring beetle assemblage present in dry interior Douglas-fir forests is more aggressive and ubiquitous than previously observed, and these insects actively attack and kill living trees that may otherwise survive after fires with both economic and ecological ramifications. Economically, post-fire salvage may be more effective in preventing woodborer population build-up and timber degradation by targeting moderately scorched stands immediately after wildfire. Ecologically, woodborer impacts to trees that would otherwise survive may compromise their biological legacy and impair the diversity and composition of future Douglas-fir stands.

GIS Mapping of Salt Farms and Salt Supply Chain Actors in the Visayas and Mindanao, Philippines

The 2010 survey of the Nutrition Council of the Philippines (NCP) revealed dramatic changes in the level of participation of the salt supply chain actors and their production, processing, and marketing activities. Among the industry’s biggest challenges are: salt remains excluded from the list of priority commodities of the government; the changes in weather patterns due to climate change which adversely impact the production cycle; prominence of traditional methods of production; and low productivity of local farms. While remote sensing technologies including geographic information system (GIS) mapping have been widely adopted for the improvement of agricultural productivity in the Philippines, use of such in research that focuses on salt production and supply chain is still very limited. GIS maps are perceived as effective information library and decision support tool that can help the supply chain of the neglected salt industry. This study focused on the mapping of salt farms and their supply chain actors from selected salt production sites in the Visayas and Mindanao islands. Eleven provinces were included in the surveys of market intermediaries and end-consumers who were traced from salt producers. Their geographic coordinates were recorded and satellite and Google Earth images of the supply chain actors were digitized in ArcGIS 10.5 software to generate the maps, physical characteristics of which were examined for possible patterns. Results show that in Mindanao, the market areas (or the salt traders) are concentrated in Zamboanga del Sur particularly in Aurora and Zamboanga City, but the producers are in Alubijid and El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental. In the Visayas, traders are more scattered and are greater in number than in Mindanao.

Local Cotton Farmers’ Perceptions of Climate Change Events and Adaptations Strategies in Cotton Basin of Cote d&amp;#39;Ivoire

Climate change represents a major potential threat to the viability of rural households&amp;rsquo; livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa. This study focused on the perceptions of climate change and adaptation strategies of local cotton farmers in C&amp;ocirc;te d&amp;#39;Ivoire, identified as particularly vulnerable to climate change. A survey was conducted among 355 smallholder farmers distributed in four departments of the cotton basin of C&amp;ocirc;te d&amp;#39;Ivoire (Korhogo, Boundiali, Ferkess&amp;eacute;dougou and Mankono). Using changes in weather pattern as indicators of climate change, the results showed that majority of respondents believe climate change is evident in the study area and has negative effects on their livelihoods. Respondents reported an increase in temperature and decrease in rainfall amount in Korhogo and Boundiali departments, which were consistent with the climate data. The main coping strategies implemented by the farmers were shifting of planting dates and timing of cultural activities, adopting new crop varieties, ploughing before planting, diversifying crops and making specific sacrifices to divine powers depending on the type of belief of the farmer. The farmers&amp;rsquo; adoption of adaptation strategy depended on their perception of climate change and the available coping strategy. Lack of sufficient knowledge and government support were the major constraints that hindered cotton farmers to adapt effectively, leading to low cotton productivity in the study area. Therefore, policy implications will be crucial to help farmers make better adaptation choices in the face of climate change.

Long-lasting effects of experimental flow intermittency on alpine stream macroinvertebrates (Val Roseg, Switzerland)

Changing weather patterns and receding glaciers are predicted to increase flow intermittency in alpine streams. If aquatic macroinvertebrate communities largely comprise taxa adapted to perennial flows, an increase in flow intermittency substantially reduces biodiversity and affects functional processes. We conducted a before-after-control-impact field experiment to examine how macroinvertebrate communities in an alpine headwater stream responded to and recovered from a repeated experimental increase in flow intermittency. Flow in one channel was manipulated to simulate increased summer intermittency (June–September) over two consecutive years, whilst an adjacent channel served as a control. We monitored the density of benthic macroinvertebrates, periphyton and organic matter at approximately monthly intervals over three years during the snow-free period. Before manipulation, both channels had similar ecological properties. The flow manipulation reduced the overall macroinvertebrate density, and especially the proportional rheophile density, across both years. Recovery of the macroinvertebrate community following experimental flow intermittency took more than a year, and longer than our study period. This could be due to long aquatic life stages, dispersal limitation and biotic interactions. We conclude that climate-induced changes in alpine stream flow regimes can lead to a fundamental shift in macroinvertebrate assemblages through local extinctions, mostly of rheophilic species.

An Evaluation of Cultural and Chemical Control Practices to Reduce Slug Damage in No-till Corn.

Simple SummarySlugs are the most damaging non-arthropod pest of corn grown in no-tillage systems in the US. The decaying plant residue on the soil surface provides food, shelter and optimum microenvironmental conditions for slug development and survival. In this study, we evaluated several cultural practices to reduce the risk of slug injury and the efficacy of different rates and application patterns of rescue treatments. Corn planted with row cleaner devices to remove surface residue over the seed row and starter fertilizer to enhance seedling growth, together reduced slug activity around emerging plants and provided more favorable conditions for plants to outgrow and tolerate feeding damage. We found that reduced rates of molluscicide baits applied as a directed band over the seed row and broadcasted solutions of urea-based nitrogen applied at night provided effective control as rescue treatments. Practical considerations of these treatments are discussed, as well as changes in weather patterns and current planting practices that have had contrasting effects on slug populations and their potential damage.Slugs, primarily the gray garden slug, Deroceras reticulatum (Müller), are the most damaging non-arthropod pest of corn grown in conservation tillage systems in the US. These mollusks favor decaying plant residue on the soil surface, which provides food, shelter and optimum microenvironmental conditions for their development and survival. Here, field plot experiments evaluated several cultural and chemical control practices to suppress slug activity and feeding injury during early seedling growth. The use of row cleaners to remove surface residue over the seed row and starter fertilizer applied different ways during planting significantly reduced the percentage and severity of plants damaged by slugs by negatively affecting their activity around emerging seedlings and providing more favorable conditions for plants to outgrow and tolerate feeding injury. As rescue treatments, reduced rates of a 4% molluscicide bait applied as a directed band over the seed row, and broadcasted solutions of urea-based nitrogen applied under calm winds at night provided effective slug control. Practical considerations of these treatments are discussed, as well as changes in weather patterns and current planting practices that have had contrasting effects on slug populations and their potential damage.

Reproductive seasonality in the Baka Pygmies, environmental factors and climatic changes.

Reproductive seasonality is a phenomenon common to human and animal populations and driven by, among others, climatic variables. Given the currently changing climate and its impacts on both the environment and human lives, the question arises of its potential effects on reproductive seasonality. Few studies have specifically explored the seasonality of reproduction among hunter-gatherers and anyone investigated how current climate change might affect this phenomenon. In this study we addressed reproductive seasonality in the Baka Pygmy living in African rain forests. Since reproductive seasonality can be linked to weather patterns, we explore this possibility. However, climatic variables driving weather patterns have changed over the years, so we assessed whether this has influenced the Baka reproductive pattern. Based on 34 years of written birth records and oral questionnaires from 13 years of systematic fieldwork, we observed a bimodal birth pattern with two birth peaks at 6-month intervals. Our results demonstrate that precipitation at conception or at birth potentially has effects, respectively negative and positive on the monthly number of births; and temperature has a role in controlling other variables that do affect the reproductive pattern. Changing weather patterns appear to be affecting the reproductive seasonality in the Baka, suggesting that attention needs to be given to the influence of global climate change on forager societies.

HOW CHANGES IN CLIMATE AFFECT CROP YIELDS IN EASTERN INDIA

Climate change wreaks havoc on the planet’s ecosystem, affects weather patterns and undermines food security. This paper investigates the effect of changing climate on Indian agriculture, and the climate sensitivity of food grain yield in the eastern region. Using a panel set of physical crop yields and analyzing district-level data from 1990 to 2017, the study estimates agricultural production functions for specific food grains with extrinsic seasonal weather variables. These include average temperature, rainfall, evapotranspiration and wind speed. Spatially disaggregated district-level data provides information from low administrative units, creating a broader picture to be examined. The research indicates that climate change significantly affects east Indian agriculture, and its outcomes are consistent with other state and district-level studies conducted in India. Changing weather patterns over the year considerably influence crop production and disrupt food availability and quality. Hence, the study further expands the implications of results for inter-region inequality and recommends corrective measures.

Climate Change and Agricultural Losses in India

AbstractIndia’s per capita contribution of carbon emissions is well below the world average, yet it suffers disproportionately from rising temperatures. Thus, many Indians share the sense of urgency that Greta Thunberg exhibits when she demands that nations make stronger commitments to limit carbon emissions. India’s monsoon‐dependent agriculture is highly vulnerable to any change in weather patterns, but the land irrigated by groundwater is also threatened. The projected rise in annual peak temperatures, similar to those now experienced only in the earth’s hottest micro‐climates, could make it nearly impossible for humans to engage in agriculture in India and several other parts of the world. Climate change affects yields of crops, livestock, dairy, and fisheries. Rising temperatures, increased frequency of flooding, and other hazards associated with climate change will reduce food production. Even a slight drop in food output can have a dramatic effect on food prices, both locally and globally. Rice farming, particularly in the rain‐fed regions, faces multiple risks from uncertain climate, degraded soil, water deficits, and underdeveloped markets. Loss of biodiversity is also a threat to agriculture in India, and it is also affected by climate change.

Characterization and diversity of native Azotobacter spp. isolated from semi-arid agroecosystems of Eastern Kenya.

Declining food production in African agroecosystems is attributable to changes in weather patterns, soil infertility and limited farming inputs. The exploitation of plant growth-promoting soil microbes could remedy these problems. Such microbes include Azotobacter; free-living, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which confer stress tolerance, avail phytohormones and aid in soil bioremediation. Here, we aimed to isolate, characterize and determine the biodiversity of native Azotobacter isolates from soils in semi-arid Eastern Kenya. Isolation was conducted on nitrogen-free Ashby's agar and the morphological, biochemical and molecular attributes evaluated. The isolates were sequenced using DNA amplicons of 27F and 1492R primers of the 16S rRNA gene loci. The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLASTn) analysis of their sequences revealed the presence of three main Azotobacter species viz., Azotobacter vinelandii, Azotobacter salinestris and Azotobacter tropicalis. Kitui County recorded the highest number of recovered Azotobacter isolates (45.4%) and lowest diversity index (0.8761). Tharaka Nithi County showed the lowest occurrence (26.36%) with a diversity index of (1.057). The diversity was influenced by the soil pH, texture and total organic content. This study reports for the first time a wide diversity of Azotobacter species from a semi-arid agroecosystem in Kenya with potential for utilization as low-cost, free-living nitrogen-fixing bioinoculant.

Fate of nitrogen (15N) fertilizer in tall fescue seed systems at different application timings

AbstractOptimal stewardship of fertilizer N is necessary to reduce the effects of reactive N on the environment. However, insufficient information on fertilizer fate and N use efficiency is available for tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Shreb.) Dumort.] seed crops. Furthermore, changing weather patterns can lead to increasingly early spring N applications. A field trial using 15N‐labeled urea applied at three spring timings (Early, Late, and Split) was implemented at three locations in western Oregon representing different soil drainage levels. We hypothesized that Early applications on the location having a poorly drained soil would lead to the highest fertilizer N losses and the lowest fertilizer N recovery efficiency (REN) at harvest. The REN was not affected by application timing or location and averaged 57%. Overall, 91% of fertilizer was recovered in the soil–plant system at harvest, with 24% remaining in the soil (0–45 cm), almost all in the organic pool, and 10% remaining in belowground (roots and crowns) biomass. Six months after harvest (i.e., 1 yr after application), total fertilizer recovery in the plant–soil system was unchanged. Spring fertilizer contributed only 31% of aboveground N content at harvest, indicating that N sources outside of spring fertilizer applications supplied most of plant N demand. Combined, our results suggest that fertilizer rates could be reduced and that historical N applications may be leading to elevated soil N and N cycling. Further, we show preliminary evidence that roots and crowns can play an important role in cycling fertilizer N in tall fescue seed systems.

Evaluation of potential Energy-saving technologies to reduce emissions for existing ships operating on international routes

Shipping plays a particularly important role in the global economy as well as in the implementation of Vietnam's economic development strategy. However, this activity also emits emissions that cause negative impacts on the environment, causing global climate change and other extreme weather patterns. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has made many efforts to control and reduce emissions from ships such as Annex VI MARPOL 73/78 and guidelines. Moreover, Vietnam has committed to implement the Paris agreement at COP24, NDC 2020, and COP26. Therefore, applying emission reduction solutions to ships is an urgent requirement today. In this article, 23 potential Energy-saving technologies to reduce emissions for existing ships are selected and evaluated. This result is the basis for developing a plan to apply solutions to control emissions from the Vietnamese fleet.

Impact of Heading Shift of Barley Cultivars on the Weather Patterns around Heading and Yield in Alaska

Barley heading date has advanced in Fairbanks (64.83° N, 147.77° W), Alaska, USA. However, it is unclear if this advance coincidently causes weather pattern changes around heading and leads to yield loss. Using the Variety Trial and weather data in Fairbanks and Delta Junction (64.05° N, 145.60° W) from 1991 to 2018, two barley cultivars were selected to analyze the yield and weather trends, the yield variation explained by weather, and the effect of extreme weather on yield. The results showed that the heading date of ‘Otal’ significantly advanced and yield significantly declined in Fairbanks while there were no heading and yield changes of ‘Otal’ in Delta Junction and of ‘Thual’ in both Fairbanks and Delta Junction. The weather pattern changed around heading due to advanced heading of ‘Otal’ in Fairbanks. The climate factors at 7–10 days around heading explained over 50% of ‘Otal’ yield variation in Fairbanks. The results suggest that ‘Otal’ can still be good to plant in Delta Junction but not in Fairbanks. To cope with the climate change in Alaska, the farmers should increase the diversity of barley cultivars, select non-photoperiod sensitive cultivars and cultivars with longer duration from planting to heading, and sow late to avoid the impact on heading and yield.

The impact of atmospheric blocking on the compounding effect of ozone pollution and temperature: a copula-based approach

Abstract. Ozone pollution and high temperatures have adverse health impacts that can be amplified by the combined effects of ozone and temperature. Moreover, changes in weather patterns are expected to alter ozone pollution episodes and temperature extremes. In particular, atmospheric blocking is a high-impact, large-scale phenomenon at mid-high latitudes that has been associated with temperature extremes. This study examines the impact of atmospheric blocking on the ozone and temperature dependence among measurement stations over Europe during the period 1999–2015. We use a copula-based method to model the dependence between the two variables under blocking and non-blocking conditions. This approach allows us to examine the impact of blocks on the joint probability distribution. Our results showed that blocks lead to increasing strength in the upper tail dependence of ozone and temperature extremes (&gt; 95th percentile) in north-west and central Europe (e.g. the UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and the north-west of France). The analysis of the probability hazard scenarios revealed that blocks generally enhance the probability of compound ozone and temperature events by 20 % in a large number of stations over central Europe. The probability of ozone or temperature exceedances increases 30 % (on average) under the presence of atmospheric blocking. Furthermore, we found that, in a number of stations over north-western Europe, atmospheric blocking increases the probability of ozone exceedances by 30 % given high temperatures. Our results point out the strong influence of atmospheric blocking on the compounding effect of ozone and temperature events, suggesting that blocks might be considered a relevant predicting factor when assessing the risks of ozone-heat-related health effects.

Quantifying the Effects of Projected Climate Change on the Durability and Service Life of Housing in Wales, UK

This research aimed to provide the Welsh Government with measured and quantified climate vulnerabilities associated with housing building-fabric, including the potential financial cost of not planning for climate change. Wales’s climate is projected to become warmer but wetter and it is known that hygrothermal impacts can accelerate deterioration, leading to damp and, subsequently, a loss of thermal performance. A stressor-response methodology was applied, which assumes that the exogenous stressors of solar flux, precipitation, and humidity have a direct effect on building-fabric performance. The resultant stressor-response values equate to the quantitative impact that a specific stressor has on individual specific building elements, presented as an adjusted service life and associated costs. Results show a modest reduction in the service life of building materials due to increases in and changing patterns of precipitation and subsequent moisture ingress. Although modest, with 1.5 million dwellings in Wales, the impact is significant. Advocating regular maintenance and repair will not only reduce the risks associated with changing weather patterns, but also encourage energy efficiency by improving the thermal performance of the building envelope. This will reduce the risk of adverse climate related outcomes, increased vulnerability to climate change, now or in the future.