Climate Processes Research Articles

Within-region differences in growth responses of an herbivorous coral reef fish to local and regional climatic processes

Within-region differences in growth responses of an herbivorous coral reef fish to local and regional climatic processes

Understanding Climate Change by Modeling the Earth's Atmosphere as a Well‐Stirred Tank

AbstractComing to terms with climate change by understanding climate processes and their policy implications is essential not only for climate scientists and policymakers, but also for the general public, for industrial practitioners, and for engineers, including process system engineers. We have developed a simplified linear climate model (SLCM) to enable non‐specialists to explore the essential physical and chemical processes caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Trading‐off simplicity and accuracy, achieved by calibrating model parameters using established simple climate models, the SLCM allows (i) determining the climate impact of given past and future emissions, (ii) determining the amounts of CO2 removal needed to compensate for any unavoidable emissions of CH4 and N2O from agriculture, and (iii) back‐calculating emission pathways to meet specified global warming targets.

Tectonic and climatic controls on plant biodiversity in the Hengduan Mountains, China

Mountainous regions contain some of the most dynamic landscapes in the world and host a majority of the global biodiversity hotspots. The Hengduan Mountains, located at the syntax of Eurasia and India, have a complex geological history associated with the hyperdiverse assemblage of species. Tectonics and geomorphic and climate processes in the Hengduan Mountains may have jointly caused the emergence of high biodiversity. We propose three mechanisms that may promote high-level montane biodiversity: habitat creation, habitat disruption, and habitat oscillations. We mapped species richness patterns for seed plants and computed phylogenetic endemism across the entire Hengduan region. We developed a set of geomorphic metrics regarding these mechanisms to link plant richness and phylogenetic endemism patterns. By estimating the component of species richness due to habitat heterogeneity, we isolate the component due to tectono-geomorphic processes. We found that regions of exceptionally high species richness are explained by a combination of habitat heterogeneity and tectono-geomorphic processes, while glaciation and high climate change velocity are associated with low richness, thus contributing to recent extinction. We interpret the richness of biodiversity hotspots in the Hengduan Mountains in terms of climatic and tectonic processes.

The comparative role of physical system processes in Hudson Strait ice stream cycling: a comprehensive model-based test of Heinrich event hypotheses

Abstract. Despite their recognized significance on global climate and extensive research efforts, the mechanism(s) driving Heinrich events remain(s) a subject of debate. Here, we use the 3D thermomechanically coupled glacial systems model (GSM) to examine the Hudson Strait ice stream surge cycling and the role of three factors previously hypothesized to play a critical role in Heinrich events: ice shelves, glacial isostatic adjustment, and sub-surface ocean temperature forcings. In contrast to all previous modeling studies examining HEs, the GSM uses a transient last glacial cycle climate forcing, global viscoelastic glacial isostatic adjustment model, and sub-glacial hydrology model. The results presented here are based on a high-variance sub-ensemble retrieved from North American history matching for the last glacial cycle. Over our comparatively wide sampling of the potential parameter space (52 ensemble parameters for climate forcing and process uncertainties), we find two modes of Hudson Strait ice streaming: classic binge–purge versus near-continuous ice streaming with occasional shutdowns and subsequent surge onset overshoot. Our model results indicate that large ice shelves covering the Labrador Sea during the last glacial cycle only occur when extreme calving restrictions are applied. The otherwise minor ice shelves provide insignificant buttressing for the Hudson Strait ice stream. While sub-surface ocean temperature forcing leads to minor differences regarding surge characteristics, glacial isostatic adjustment does have a significant impact. Given input uncertainties, the strongest controls on ice stream surge cycling are the poorly constrained deep geothermal heat flux under Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait and the basal drag law. Decreasing the geothermal heat flux within available constraints and/or using a Coulomb sliding law instead of a Weertman-type power law leads to a shift from the near-continuous streaming mode to the binge–purge mode.

Predicting trends in atmospheric CO2 across the Mid-Pleistocene Transition using existing climate archives

Abstract. During the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), ca. 1200–800 000 years ago (ka), the Earth's glacial cycles changed from 41 to 100 kyr periodicity. The emergence of this longer ice age periodicity was accompanied by higher global ice volume in glacial periods and lower global ice volume in interglacial periods. Since there is no known change in external orbital forcing across the MPT, it is generally agreed that the cause of this transition is internal to the Earth system. Resolving the climate, carbon cycle, and cryosphere processes responsible for the MPT remains a major challenge in Earth and palaeoclimate science. To address this challenge, the international ice core community has prioritised recovery of an ice core record spanning the MPT interval. Here we present results from a simple generalised least-squares (GLS) model that predicts atmospheric CO2 out to 1.8 Myr. Our prediction utilises existing records of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) from Antarctic ice cores spanning the past 800 kyr along with the existing LR04 benthic δ18Ocalcite stack (Lisiecki and Raymo, 2005; hereafter “benthic δ18O stack”) from marine sediment cores. Our predictions assume that the relationship between CO2 and benthic δ18O over the past 800 000 years can be extended over the last 1.5 million years. The implicit null hypothesis is that there has been no fundamental change in feedbacks between atmospheric CO2 and the climate parameters represented by benthic δ18O, global ice volume, and ocean temperature. We test the GLS-model-predicted CO2 concentrations against observed blue ice CO2 concentrations, δ11B-based CO2 reconstructions from marine sediment cores, and δ13C of leaf-wax-based CO2 reconstructions (Higgins et al., 2015; Yan et al., 2019; Yamamoto et al., 2022). We show that there is no clear evidence from the existing blue ice or proxy CO2 data to reject our predictions or our associated null hypothesis. A definitive test and/or rejection of the null hypothesis may be provided following recovery and analysis of continuous oldest ice core records from Antarctica, which are still several years away. The record presented here should provide a useful comparison for the oldest ice core records and an opportunity for further constraints on the processes involved in the MPT.

A Northgrippian sedimentary magnetic enhancement along the western margin of India

Sedimentary magnetic records of shelf region contains complex environmental evolution information, necessitating records from various global regions to accurately interpret its significance. A sediment core (SSD-39/GC-01) retrieved from the eastern Arabian Sea was analyzed to elucidate the geologic and climatic controls on the sediment rock magnetic and grain size properties. We report the first record of high energy sediment deposits linked with intense monsoon phases, sea level variations, and extreme natural events during the Northgrippian period (8.27 ka to 4.20 ka). The compilation of magnetic susceptibility profiles of six sediment cores from the western margin of India revealed the presence of multiple sedimentary intervals of enhanced magnetic susceptibility and most likely reflect periods of high sedimentation events controlled by the regional geologic and climatic processes. We identified two anomalous sedimentary magnetic zones (Z-II, Z-IV) marked by an elevated magnetite content and sediment grain size, which reflect the periods of high-sedimentation events on the shelf off Goa. A shift in the magnetic mineral composition, clastic grain size, calcium carbonate, and organic carbon content at ~1.8 ka (Z-I) indicate a abrupt change in monsoon intensity. The elevated organic content within Z-I indicate efficient preservation of labile organic matter which survived oxidation due to rapid sediment deposition. End-member modeling of rock magnetic and grain size properties enabled us to discriminate and quantify the contributions of terrigenous fluxes and post-depositional mineral phases to the bulk magnetic mineral assemblage. We demonstrate that rapid scanning of magnetic susceptibility of sediment cores has the potential to precisely detect the periods of increased continental (magnetic flux) inputs into the marine shelf system. The proposed magnetic mineralogical approach has wider scope to constrain the understanding of how shelf sedimentation responded to past geological and climatic conditions globally.

A new technique mapping submerged beachrocks using low-altitude UAV photogrammetry, the Altınova region, northern coast of the Sea of Marmara (NW Türkiye)

High-resolution aerial imagery captured from low altitudes enables the detailed reconstruction of the geomorphological features of submerged beachrocks and the quantification of their topographic complexity. These coastal deposits serve as vital indicators for estimating past sea-level positions and deformation, contributing to our understanding of climate and tectonic processes across various temporal and spatial scales. This study focuses on submerged beachrocks identified in the nearshore coastal area of Tekirdağ city (Altınova), and the existing knowledge regarding such geological formations is limited.Situated in the tectonically active western Marmara region, the coastal zone of The Tekirdağ-Altınova is influenced by the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ), which has significantly shaped the coastline over time. Utilizing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data, we successfully isolated submerged beachrocks from other coastal deposits, identifying them at depths of 2 m below current sea level and extending approximately 5 km along the coast. This identification was facilitated by integrating high-resolution aerial imagery with morphological analysis techniques, specifically employing structure-from-motion photogrammetry to generate a dense point cloud for bathymetric mapping.The utilization of cost-effective UAV imagery facilitated the efficient monitoring of beachrocks. Geographic information systems (GIS) and the TerraceM application were employed to analyze the high-resolution bathymetry data (with a 5 cm resolution), enabling the precise estimation of shoreline angles and associated errors. These shoreline angles, which correspond to the past sea levels high stand, were mapped using swath profiles oriented perpendicular to the isobaths. Our findings reveal that the majority of submerged beachrocks exhibit shoreline angles between ∼ −0.7 m and −1.1 m. This study presents innovative methodologies for mapping the height and spatial distribution of beachrocks, as well as for reliably estimating reliable uplift rates in the nearshore area of Tekirdağ-Altınova.

Differential climatic niche diversification processes in South American rodents (Octodontoidea) across tropical and extratropical regions

ABSTRACT Studying niche evolution becomes central to understanding the processes driving species diversification along latitudinal gradients. Octodontoidea rodents serve as a model group for understanding how the colonisation of extratropical regions has shaped the climatic niche evolution of species. We analyse the time and mode of climatic niche evolution among different Octodontoidea lineages to understand how niche evolutionary processes operate across the spatial gradient of the Neotropical region. We constructed ecological niche models for living Octodontoidea species to assess the timing and mode of climatic niche evolution across tropical and extratropical lineages. We estimated niche similarity and correlated it with species divergence times, and estimated the rate of climatic niche diversification across lineages. Our results show a trend of greater niche overlap in more recent lineages and lower niche overlap in older lineages. However, extratropical lineages exhibit lower climatic niche overlaps. From diversification analysis, we detected that the Ctenomyidae group shows higher rates of niche diversification, whereas the tropical Echimyidae group exhibits the lowest rates of climatic niche diversification. Our results support the idea that the lineages restricted to tropical regions tend towards niche conservatism. However, some tropical lineages have successfully colonised extratropical regions, and this colonisation has been accompanied by strong selective pressures, leading to higher rates of niche diversification and lower climatic niche overlap among species.

Characterizing long-term tree species dynamics in Canada’s forested ecosystems using annual time series remote sensing data

Mapping tree species and changes in species distribution over time enables monitoring of successional dynamics and linking of realized species distributions to regional, climatic, and disturbance processes. Such knowledge is valuable for informing forest management activities regarding the role of climate change and various types of forest disturbances on tree species distributions and successional processes. In this study, we used time-series Landsat imagery to produce annual maps of dominant tree species (n = 37 tree species classes) from 1984 to 2022 at a 30-m spatial resolution for the 650 Mha of Canada’s forested ecosystems. The classification approach was based on spectral, geographic, climatic, and topographic descriptive metrics and was independently calibrated and validated with data from Canada’s National Forest Inventory. Preliminary results were informed by disturbance events and post-processed to ensure consistency of the annual species maps. Assessment of the resulting annual species maps using independent validation data resulted in an overall accuracy of 86.1 % ± 0.14 % (95 %-confidence interval). Over the study period, Canada’s treed area increased from 335 to 359 Mha. The area dominated by conifers increased in absolute terms but decreased in relative terms (from 86 % to 84.9 %), especially in western ecozones where wildfire is the main agent of disturbance. The area dominated by black spruce (Picea mariana), the most common tree species in Canada, remained stable, but its relative area decreased by 4.6 %. The area dominated by balsam fir (Abies balsamea, 1.5 %), trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides, 0.9 %), jack pine (0.5 %), and sugar maple (Acer saccharum, 0.4 %) increased. In burned areas, the prevalence of black spruce (74.7 %) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana, 14.6 %) was greater than their prevalence in Canada’s forested ecosystems overall (58.7 % and 3.8 %, respectively), while trembling aspen (2.4 % vs. 10 %) and subalpine fir (1.1 % vs. 4.6 %; Abies lasiocarpa) were underrepresented in burned areas. The area dominated by black spruce was underrepresented in harvested areas (46.8 % vs. 58.7 %) whereas balsam fir (6.9 % vs. 3 %), Engelmann spruce (5.5 % vs. 2 %; Picea engelmannii), red spruce (1.8 % vs. 0.4 %; Picea rubens), lodgepole pine (11.2 % vs. 5.6 %; Pinus contorta), Douglas-fir (2.7 % vs. 1.3 %; Pseudotsuga menziesii), and western hemlock (4.8 % vs. 2 %; Tsuga heterophylla) were found to be overrepresented. Both post-fire and post-harvest dynamics indicated a general trend of regeneration to the same pre-disturbance tree species, with post-harvest landscapes exhibiting a greater variety of different dominant tree species. These results provide valuable information for sustainable forest management and can inform conservation strategies by helping to better understand the short- and long-term effects of forest disturbances on species presence and distribution.

Arctic and Barents Sea ice extent variability and trends in 1979–2022

The aim of the paper is to assess interannual and decadal variability of the Barents Sea and Arctic ice extent in various seasons for the period from 1979 to 2022.The material for the study was satellite data on the Barents Sea and Arctic ice extent, climate indices, oceanographic data obtained during surveys in the Barents Sea by PINRO and other available information on hydrometeorological conditions of the sea in 1979–2022.Methods of descriptive statistics as well as comparative, correlation, regression, harmonic and cluster analyses were applied.Results: The year-to-year changes in the Barents Sea and Arctic ice extent in various seasons are described for 1979–2022. The modern climate changes, manifested in substantial warming of air and water masses in the Arctic, resulted in a considerable ice extent reduction in the studied areas in recent decades. Well-marked negative trends took place in all months and seasons. The annual mean ice extent was decreasing at a rate of 532 thousand km2 per decade in the Arctic, and at a rate of 105 thousand km2 per decade in the Barents Sea. Over the past 40 years, the ice extent in the Arctic has decreased by 14%, and in the Barents Sea — by half (by 51%), while the ice-free period duration has increased in the Barents Sea from one to three months. Hydrometeorological parameters were identified that are most closely related to the ice extent in the Arctic (|r| ≥ 0.40) and Barents Sea (|r| ≥ 0.60). Reliable regression models were developed that explain 45.2 and 88.0% of its variability, respectively. The contribution of individual factors to the ice extent variability explained by regression equations was quantitatively assessed, and the leading role of air temperature was noted.Practical significance: The obtained results are useful for a better understanding of the climate processes occurring in the Arctic and Barents Sea in recent decades and can be used to assess the impact of climate changes on the main objects of Russian fishery in these areas.

The LGM termination in the southeastern Tibetan plateau: View from high-frequency LGM glacier fluctuations in the Boshula mountain range

Climate processes that operated during the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) are remarkable for its global synchroneity. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations have been widely seen as its cause. However, the stepwise LGM deglaciation of mountain glaciers in both hemispheres complicates this view, and signifies additional factors that likely prompted the onset of LGM termination. Here, we examine LGM climate change in the Hengduan Mountains (HDM), southeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP), based on 10Be surface exposure dating of moraine boulders (n = 51). The timing of four moraine-building events is constrained to 22.8 ± 1.0 ka, 21.2 ± 0.6 ka, 20.4 ± 0.6 ka, and 19.2 ± 0.6 ka. These precisely-dated events provide convincing evidence of millennial-to centennial-scale glacial activities in the TP during the LGM. We show that these high-frequency glacier fluctuations likely reacted to a combination of changes in regional summer temperature related to sea surface temperatures as well as monsoon precipitation. The pronounced glacial retreat is dated at 19.2 ± 0.6 ka, representing the end of the LGM in the HDM. That is, the onset of LGM termination preceded the rapid CO2 rise at ∼18 ka. We suggest that the LGM termination in the southeastern TP was initiated by ice-sheet shrinkage, which induced changes in summer temperature and monsoon precipitation via ocean-atmosphere interactions.

Impact of construction projects on sustainable landscape: a systematic review

Human activities related to land use, such as the transformation of natural landscapes into urban areas and agricultural fields, as well as changes in land management practices, have caused substantial modifications to the Earth's surface. These alterations have had significant consequences for climate, soil, hydrology, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes. The research presented in this study provides a comprehensive summary of previous investigations in the field of landscape research. The main aim of this paper is to make a comprehensive review about the effect of the construction projects on the sustainable landscape , the results found that the projects effect adversely on the landscape and the free re should be increased.

Interannual Glacial Mass Changes in High Mountain Asia and Connections to Climate Variability

We use data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment and its Follow-On mission (GRACE/GRACE-FO) from April 2002 to December 2022 to analyze interannual glacial mass changes in High Mountain Asia (HMA) and its subregions and their driving factors. Glacial mass changes in the HMA subregions show clear regional characteristics. Interannual glacial mass changes in the HMA region are closely related to interannual oscillations of precipitation and temperature, and are also correlated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Glacial mass changes in the regions (R1–R6) are dominated by precipitation, and ENSO affects interannual glacial mass changes mainly by affecting precipitation. In region (R7) and region (R8), the glacial mass changes are mainly controlled by temperature. ENSO also affects the interannual glacial mass changes by affecting interannual changes in temperature. The interannual glacial mass changes in regions (R9–R11) are jointly dominated by temperature and precipitation, and also related to ENSO. Another interesting finding of this study is that glacial mass changes in the western part of HMA (R1–R6) show a clear 6–7-year oscillation, strongly correlated with a similar oscillation in precipitation, while in the eastern part (R9–R11), a 2–3-year oscillation was found in both glacial mass change and precipitation, as well as temperature. These results verify the response of interannual HMA glacial mass changes to climate processes, crucial for understanding regional climate dynamics and sustainable water resource management.

Temperature distribution in the crevasse-drainage systems of the Antarctic glaciers: A case study of the Perunika Glacier

Discovered only about 200 years ago, Antarctica is the poorest and most isolated ecosystem on Earth. Its thinner atmosphere, due to the centrifugal forces of Earth’s rotation, the ozone hole, and stronger solar radiation, creates a natural laboratory that provides information about the state and trajectory of Earth’s climate condition. This study aimed to determine the depth of heat penetration from the surface of the glacier into the crevasses in the ablation zone and establish the zone of constant temperatures in the glacier. It explored the relationship between the air temperature at the glacier surface and the temperature distribution in the crevasses, including the temperature gradient at different levels and the direction of the airflow. We used autonomous data loggers for measuring and recording temperature and relative humidity. The measured depth reached 18 m in the central part of the glacier and 9 m in the periphery. An ultrasonic anemometer was installed in the deepest crevasse in to the center of the glacier to determine the size and direction of air flows. Meteorological parameters such as air temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and solar radiation were measured on-site using autonomous sensors and recording devices mounted on installations on the glacier surface and at depth using alpine techniques. The results show a temperature gradient through 3-meter layers, a relatively clear boundary of the constant temperature zone, and a significant infiltration of cold air through the crevices driven by turbulent wind processes. Additionally, a weak negative correlation was found between solar activity and temperatures in the crevasses. It appears that as solar activity increases, the temperature decreases. There are also weak but consistently positive correlations with air movement both upward and downward. The temperature becomes constant with the increase of the depth until a zone of constant temperatures is determined and the temperature variance becomes insignificant. This zone varies in different crevаsses, meaning it is influenced by the specific characteristics of each crevasse location. At shallow depths, temperature is influenced by external temperature, but with the depth increasing this influence decreases. On windy days, the zone of constant temperature expands. During higher solar activity, air circulation accelerates—both upward and downward. The relationship between solar activity and climatic processes in glacier drainage systems adds new insights to solar-terrestrial physics.

Precipitation in Kathmandu Valley: A Spatial-temporal Study

Over the past decade, advancements in atmospheric research have significantly improved the analysis of precipitation monitoring, understanding climate trends and variability, and identifying climatic anomalies associated with dry and wet periods. A key objective of this research is to enhance the understanding of precipitation patterns in the Kathmandu Valley, particularly in relation to the placement of gauges for long-range predictions and subsequent forecasting challenges. This study focuses on the evolving patterns of precipitation across the three districts within the Kathmandu Valley, the most developed and densely populated area in Nepal, encircled by four mountain ranges. We employ interpolation methods in ArcGIS Pro to identify, estimate, and forecast precipitation trends, and use the Mann-Kendall test to reveal statistically significant trends and provide insights into broader climatic processes. The research analyzes trends in both seasonal and annual precipitation and temperature across four time periods—pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter—using the Mann-Kendall test. The analysis reveals a decreasing trend in monthly rainfall from 2003 to 2017 at the majority of stations (14 stations out of 19), with areas along the valley slopes receiving significantly more precipitation compared to the central valley. The results of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of climate change in the Kathmandu Valley.

Effects of environmental changes on soil respiration in arid, cold, temperate, and tropical zones

Soil respiration (Rs) is projected to be substantially affected by climate change, impacting the storage, equilibrium, and movement of terrestrial carbon (C). However, uncertainties surrounding the responses of Rs to climate change and soil nitrogen (N) enrichment are linked to mechanisms specific to diverse climate zones. A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted to address this, evaluating the global effects of warming, increased precipitation, and N enrichment on Rs across various climate zones and ecosystems. Data from 123 studies, encompassing a total of 10,377 worldwide observations, were synthesized for this purpose. Annual Rs were modeled and their uncertainties were associated with a 1-km2 resolution global Rs database spanning from 1961 to 2022. Calibrating Rs using ensemble machine learning (EML) and employing 10-fold cross-validation, 13 environmental covariates were utilized. The meta-analysis findings revealed an upsurge in Rs rates in response to warming, with tropical, arid, and temperate climate zones exhibiting increases of 12 %, 13 %, and 16 %, respectively. Furthermore, increased precipitation led to stimulated Rs rates of 11 % and 9 % in tropical and temperate zones, respectively, while N deposition affected Rs in cold (+6 %) and tropical (+5 %) climate zones. The machine learning technique estimated the global soil respiration to range from 91 to 171 Pg C yr−1, with an average Rs of 700 ± 300 g C m−2 yr−1. The values ranged between 314 and 2500 g C m−2 yr−1, with the lowest and highest values observed in cold and tropical zones, respectively. Spatial variation in Rs was most pronounced in low-latitude areas, particularly in tropical rainforests and monsoon zones. Temperature, precipitation, and N deposition were identified as crucial environmental factors exerting significant influences on Rs rates worldwide. These factors underscore the interconnectedness between climate and ecosystem processes, therefore requiring explicit considerations of different climate zones when assessing responses of Rs to global change.

Reconstructing the South American Miocene puzzle: An integrated analysis of the Paraná Formation (Argentina)

In recent decades, Miocene marine transgressions in South America have sparked ongoing debates concerning their boundaries, number of events, regional connectivity, and the existence of an epicontinental sea formed during the Andean orogeny. The bed-by-bed analysis of the Late Miocene Paraná Formation deposits in Entre Ríos Province (Argentina) allow defining six facies associations: (i) beach ridge, (ii) tidal inlet channel and washover fan, (iii) outer estuarine bioherms, (iv) central estuary, (v) tidal bar and sandflat, and (vi) tidal mudflat and creek deposits. Architectural and stacking pattern analyses reveal transgressive-regressive sequences typical of the coastal strip, encompassing shallow marine to estuarine sub-environments. The analysis identified diverse ecological guilds, including bivalve and gastropod assemblages in bioherms, and crustacean traces in tidal flats. Regressive units are characterized by wave-dominated shoreface deposits, while transgressive units comprise fine-grained estuarine deposits interbedded with bioclastic sandstones and storm deposits. The paleoenvironmental and paleoecological data indicate normal salinity marine environments with macroinvertebrates and estuarine components and suggesting tropical brackish conditions. Plant remains point to a range of vegetative communities, including mangroves, palm forests, grasslands, humid riparian forests, and dry upland forests, reflecting tropical to subtropical and humid to semiarid environments. This study concludes that the Paraná Formation correspond to a third-order transgressive system tract influenced by the Miocene Paranaense Sea. The basin-scale implications suggest that the distal Chaco-Paraná basin was affected by eustatic changes due to its low accommodation and topographic relief. The Chaco-Paraná foreland basin's evolution was driven by interactions between tectonic, climatic, and eustatic processes. The comprehensive analysis of sedimentary and fossil records provides a detailed paleogeographic reconstruction of the Miocene marine transgression in southern South America.

Advancing Climate Modeling through High-Performance Computing: Towards More Accurate and Efficient Simulations

A crucial branch of science called climate modeling uses mathematical equations and computer simulations to study and forecast the Earth's climate sys- tem. The main elements of climate modeling, such as general circulation models (GCMs), data assimilation methods, and numerical formulations, are outlined in this paper. GCMs, which include grid point and spectral models, are effective instruments for examining the behavior of the climate. Four-Dimensional Data Assimilation (4D-Var) is one example of a data assimilation technique that in- corporates observational data into models to improve their correctness. Numeri cal methods, ocean dynamics, heat transport, radiative transfer, and atmospheric dynamics are all included in numerical formulations. The simulation of different climate processes is possible because to these mathematical representations. Fur thermore, the detection of precipitation patterns within climate modeling is using machine learning techniques like Random Forest more frequently. This paper highlights the importance of high-performance computing (HPC) in climate modeling, boosting efficiency and simulations, in the context of research technique. Advanced data assimilation and validation techniques are also examined, as well as the influence of high-resolution modeling on small-scale climatic processes. On HPC platforms, accessibility to climate modeling is addressed. It is shown how climate modeling crosses physics, mathematics, computer science, and engineering to be interdisciplinary. A comprehensive understanding of the Earth's intricate climate system gains from the integration of all its parts, from atmospheric dynamics to data assimilation. We explore the consequences of these research approaches, their contribution to enhancing climate prediction models, and the influence of various factors on climatic variables in the debate. Climate modeling becomes an essential tool for studying precipitation patterns and climate change, ultimately improving our comprehension of the complex cli- mate system on Earth.

Fungal aerosols over the Northwest Pacific to Arctic Ocean: The influence of air mass and environmental factors

Bioaerosols, prevalent in the atmosphere, serve as carriers for microbe transmission and can also act as Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) and Ice Nuclei (IN), exerting significant influence on cloud microphysics, radiative forcing, precipitation processes, and global climate dynamics. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive study of airborne fungi from the Northwest Pacific to the Arctic Ocean. During the 9th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (Chinare, 2018) cruise, total suspended particulate matter (TSP) samples were collected, followed by high-throughput sequencing to determine the microbial community's structure. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota are widespread in marine fungal aerosols along this route, with a notably higher abundance of Epicoccum and Cladosporium in fungal aerosols from the low-latitude Northwest Pacific compared to the high-latitude Arctic Ocean region. The composition of fungal communities depended on air mass transport processes and environmental factors. Long-range transport of terrestrial air masses not only enriches the abundance of fungal aerosols but also increases the relative abundance of dominant genera such as Basidiomycota, Epicoccum and Cladosporium. The knowledge gap about fungal aerosols over the Arctic route from the Northwest Pacific to the Arctic Ocean was filled in part by this work. This study deepens our understanding of how environmental factors and terrestrial air masses influence the composition and distribution of fungal community, offering valuable insights into the interconnections between marine and terrestrial ecosystems and their potential impacts on climate and atmospheric processes.

Modelling vegetation dynamics for future climates in Australian catchments: Comparison of a conceptual eco-hydrological modelling approach with a deep learning alternative

Dynamically simulating leaf area index assists in modelling the feedbacks between eco-hydrologic and climatic processes. The particular challenge for Australia is the prevalence of arid and semi-arid ecosystems where water availability plays a crucial role in vegetation productivity. To understand whether existing LAI models can capture plant dynamics under changing climates, we tested two competing models across Australia's different climate zones: a conceptual eco-hydrologic model that applies water use efficiency term to relate LAI to water uptake, and a deep learning approach. An initial virtual catchment experiment with deep learning showed that it only uses information from potential evapotranspiration. For future climates, the conceptual model captured a negative trend and increasing variance in LAI, which is plausible given projected rainfall changes, while deep learning did not. Our study demonstrated an example of ‘right answer for the wrong reasons’, and the importance of incorporating knowledge of water-carbon coupling for appropriate scenarios.