Continental Regions Research Articles

Epidemiology of Cefotaxime-Hydrolysing β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli in Children with Diarrhoea Reported Globally between 2012 and 2022.

The global spread of cefotaxime-hydrolysing β-lactamase (CTX-M)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) and its associated impact on paediatric diarrhoeal treatment and management has become a public health concern. This review assessed surveillance studies on CTX-M-producing E. coli associated with diarrhoea in children published between 2012 and 2022 globally. A total of thirty-eight studies were included for data analysis, categorised into continental regions, and tabulated. The majority (68%) of studies were conducted in Asian countries while few studies were conducted in Europe (11%) and Africa (18%), respectively. On the African continent, the majority (11%) of studies were conducted in Northern Africa while no studies were reported in East Africa. On the American continent, 3% of the studies were reported from South America. The studies included were classified into diarrheagenic E. coli (74%; 28/38) and faecal carriage (26%; 10/38). Of all the E. coli pathotypes associated with CTX-M production, EPEC was frequently reported. The prevalence of CTX-M-producing E. coli including the CTX-M-15-producing variants ranged between 1% and 94%. About 37% of the studies generalised the report as blaCTX-M-positive E. coli. The use of sequencing in characterising the CTX-M-producing E. coli was reported in only 32% of all the studies. This review provides information on the epidemiology of CTX-M-15-producing E. coli in paediatric diarrhoea and the extent to which surveillance is being performed. This is relevant in informing clinical practice for the management of diarrhoea as well as the design of future surveillance studies.

Seasonal Variations in Anthropogenic and Natural Particles Induced by Rising CO2 Levels

Using an aerosol–climate coupled model, this paper has investigated the changes in distributions of anthropogenic and natural particles due to 4 × CO2-induced global warming, under the low emission scenario of Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5). Special attention is paid to the seasonal variations of aerosol size modes. With rising CO2 levels, surface warming, and changes in atmospheric circulations and hydrologic cycles are found during both summer (JJA) and winter (DJF). For anthropogenic particles, changes in fine anthropogenic particulate matter (PM2.5, particles with diameters smaller than 2.5 μm) decrease over high-latitude regions and increase over the tropics in both DJF and JJA. Global mean column concentrations of PM2.5 decrease by approximately 0.19 mg m−2, and concentrations of coarse anthropogenic particles (CPM, particles with diameters larger than 2.5 μm) increase by 0.005 mg m−2 in JJA. Changes in anthropogenic particles in DJF are similar to those in JJA, but the magnitudes of maximum regional changes are much smaller than those in JJA. The coarse anthropogenic particles (CPM, particles with diameters larger than 2.5 μm) increase over northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula during JJA, whereas changes in anthropogenic CPM during DJF are minimal. During both JJA and DJF, changes in anthropogenic CPM are about two orders of magnitude smaller than those of anthropogenic PM2.5. Enhanced wet deposition by large-scale precipitation under rising CO2-induced surface warming is the critical factor affecting changes in anthropogenic particles. For natural particles, the distribution of change in the natural PM2.5 burden is similar to that of natural CPM, but much larger than natural CPM during each season. Both natural PM2.5 and CPM burdens increase over northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula during JJA, but decrease over most of the continental regions during DJF. Changes in surface wind speed, divergence/convergence of surface wind, and precipitation are primary reasons for the variation of natural particles.

Geospatial evaluation of the agricultural suitability and land use compatibility in Europe's temperate continental climate region

Land suitability assessment is used in conjunction with geographic information systems to spatially model diverse aspects of soil functions, having the potential to facilitate a sustainable increase in agricultural production, reduce land degradation, or aid humans in adapting to climate change. Compared to the existing datasets, this study provides a new higher resolution geospatial assessment of the agricultural land suitability for several crops and land uses in the temperate continental climate across Europe. To model the land suitability we used geospatial data depicting seventeen eco-pedological indicators (e.g. soil texture, pH, porosity, temperature, precipitation, slope). To evaluate how the land is utilized, the suitability maps have been spatially cross-tabulated with a crop map. Over the entire study area, wheat and barley showed significant suitable land in the southern part, potatoes, and sugar beet exhibited the highest extent of suitable land in the northern parts, while corn and sunflower exhibited a much lower extent of suitable land. Water table depth, precipitation, temperature, terrain slope, soil porosity, SOC, and topsoil texture emerged as the limiting factors for agricultural suitability in the study area. Our results show that the suitable arable land does not have space left for the expansion of crops, however, we have identified regions with extensive cultivation of wheat and corn on unsuitable land with the potential for cultivation of more suitable crops such as barley, sunflower, sugar beet, and potato. It seems that one action that can enhance agricultural practices in the study area is to better allocate each cultivated crop across more suitable lands.

Biogeographic survey of soil bacterial communities across Antarctica

BackgroundAntarctica and its unique biodiversity are increasingly at risk from the effects of global climate change and other human influences. A significant recent element underpinning strategies for Antarctic conservation has been the development of a system of Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions (ACBRs). The datasets supporting this classification are, however, dominated by eukaryotic taxa, with contributions from the bacterial domain restricted to Actinomycetota and Cyanobacteriota. Nevertheless, the ice-free areas of the Antarctic continent and the sub-Antarctic islands are dominated in terms of diversity by bacteria. Our study aims to generate a comprehensive phylogenetic dataset of Antarctic bacteria with wide geographical coverage on the continent and sub-Antarctic islands, to investigate whether bacterial diversity and distribution is reflected in the current ACBRs.ResultsSoil bacterial diversity and community composition did not fully conform with the ACBR classification. Although 19% of the variability was explained by this classification, the largest differences in bacterial community composition were between the broader continental and maritime Antarctic regions, where a degree of structural overlapping within continental and maritime bacterial communities was apparent, not fully reflecting the division into separate ACBRs. Strong divergence in soil bacterial community composition was also apparent between the Antarctic/sub-Antarctic islands and the Antarctic mainland. Bacterial communities were partially shaped by bioclimatic conditions, with 28% of dominant genera showing habitat preferences connected to at least one of the bioclimatic variables included in our analyses. These genera were also reported as indicator taxa for the ACBRs.ConclusionsOverall, our data indicate that the current ACBR subdivision of the Antarctic continent does not fully reflect bacterial distribution and diversity in Antarctica. We observed considerable overlap in the structure of soil bacterial communities within the maritime Antarctic region and within the continental Antarctic region. Our results also suggest that bacterial communities might be impacted by regional climatic and other environmental changes. The dataset developed in this study provides a comprehensive baseline that will provide a valuable tool for biodiversity conservation efforts on the continent. Further studies are clearly required, and we emphasize the need for more extensive campaigns to systematically sample and characterize Antarctic and sub-Antarctic soil microbial communities.APsmQ8MphSAgg4BzZyqdNTVideo

On Energy Efficiency of Night Window Shutters for a Non-Residential Building in Three Major Romanian Cities

An estimation by simulation of the heating energy saving in the cold season due to heavily insulated exterior window shutters closed at night was performed for a low-rise to mid-rise office building in the following three major Romanian cities: Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Iasi. All three locations are in a wet temperate continental climate region. The studied building, whose number of floors was varied from 3 to 22, has a rectangle-shaped floor surface. The considered shutters, covering at night only the pane of the window, were assumed to be EPS panels with various thicknesses. In addition to its height more parameters related to the building were varied: its orientation, the height of the windows, the width of the building and the internal gains produced by building lights and equipment. Finally, some short evaluations were performed for a low-U glazing. For the initial glazing used in the simulation, very good potential savings were found. As the assumed heavily insulated shutters do not exist in the Romanian market, three possible design ideas for such shutters have been sketched at the end, all involving a system of guide rails.

Interaction effects of pH and land cover on soil microbial diversity are climate-dependent.

Factors regulating the diversity and composition of soil microbial communities include soil properties, land cover and climate. How these factors interact at large scale remains poorly investigated. Here, we used an extensive dataset including 715 locations from 24 European countries to investigate the interactive effects of climatic region, land cover and pH on soil bacteria and fungi. We found that differences in microbial diversity and community composition between land cover types depended on the climatic region. In Atlantic, Boreal and Continental regions, microbial richness was higher in croplands and grasslands than woodlands while richness in Mediterranean areas did not vary significantly among land cover types. These differences were further related to soil pH, as a driver of bacterial and fungal richness in most climatic regions, but the interaction of pH with land cover depended on the region. Microbial community composition differed the most between croplands and woodlands in all regions, mainly due to differences in pH. In the Mediterranean region, bacterial communities in woodlands and grasslands were the most similar, whereas in other regions, grassland and cropland-associated bacteria showed more similarity. Overall, we showed that key factors interact in shaping soil microbial communities in a climate-dependent way at large scale.

An updated homogeneous earthquake catalogue and earthquake recurrence parameters of Maharashtra state, an Indian stable continental region

An updated homogeneous earthquake catalogue and earthquake recurrence parameters of Maharashtra state, an Indian stable continental region

Establishing the global isoscape of leaf carbon in C3 plants through the integrations of remote sensing, carbon, geographic, and physiological information

The carbon isotope composition (δ13CLeaf) of C3 plant leaves provides valuable information on the carbon-water cycle of vegetation and their responses to climate change within terrestrial ecosystems. However, global applications of δ13CLeaf are hindered by a lack of global long-term spatial maps (isoscapes) that capture vegetation δ13CLeaf variations. The ways in which δ13CLeaf varies over time and across regions are still unknown. In this study, we collected leaf carbon isotope samples across the globe and selected the optimal predictive model from three machine learning algorithms to construct long-term annual global δ13CLeaf isoscapes at a spatial resolution of 0.05° for natural C3 plants between 2001 and 2020. We also assessed the potential of remotely sensed spectral bands, atmospheric CO2 characteristics, geographic, and physiological information to estimate the δ13CLeaf of the global C3 plants. Our results show that the random forest (RF) algorithm can more accurately construct the δ13CLeaf isoscape (R2 = 0.61, Nash Sutcliffe = 0.61, RMSE = 1.21‰, MAE = 0.91‰) than the multilayer perceptron (MLP) and support vector machine (SVM). The inclusion of atmospheric CO2 characteristics, geographical, and physiological information greatly improves prediction compared to relying only on spectral bands. Among the variables, elevation, band 3 spectral reflectance, and solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence were the three most important variables for constructing the isoscape model, and their relative importance all exceeded 85%. The predicted isoscape revealed strong spatial heterogeneity of δ13CLeaf for C3 plants at a global scale between different continental regions, with enriched values occurring in high-altitude cold and arid regions, and depleted values occurring in warm, humid, or tropical regions. For the first time, we estimated the global depleted rate of δ13CLeaf in C3 plant (−0.0491 ± 0.07 ‰ year−1 from 2001 to 2020). Over the past two decades, 86.49% and 1.00% of global grid cells showed more depleted and more enriched trends in δ13CLeaf of C3 plants, respectively. Our results demonstrated the potential for establishing isoscapes by combining remote sensing, atmospheric CO2 characteristics, physiological, and geographic variables using the RF machine learning algorithm. The isoscape products generated in this study are valuable for assessing carbon-water coupling of terrestrial ecosystems and for improving land surface models.

In-between centers and suburbs? Increasing differentials in recent demographic dynamics of Italian metropolitan cities

Verifying the intrinsic stability of demographic processes over time and space is a pivotal task from both science and policy perspectives. Compared with other regions of the old continent, a latent peculiarity of demographic systems in Southern Europe is their persistent heterogeneity over space, especially observed across metropolitan regions. ‘Centers’ and ‘peripheries’ are thus becoming representative of, respectively, territories undergoing demographic growth and decline. The former corresponds to urban areas, being attractive for different population segments. The present study illustrates the results of a statistical analysis of total population data over time (2011–2020) and its decomposition in natural increase and net migration rates in 14 metropolitan cities of Italy. Assuming that central and peripheral (e.g., suburbs) locations show differential trends of natural increase and net migration, our analysis verifies whether (i) central locations behave homogeneously in terms of population dynamics, and whether (ii) a North–South gradient holds. Results indicate how (metropolitan) demographic patterns no longer reflect a traditional gap between Northern and Southern regions, while outlining a subtler divide in growing and declining contexts. The few still-growing metropolitan areas were all located in North-Central Italy, and reflect more polarized socioeconomic contexts than in the past. Internal migration was likely the most powerful factor that discriminates growing from declining cities. Such evidence indicates that strengthening the self-restraining capacity of Southern Italian territories contributes to increase their attractiveness of international migration flows, counteracting demographic shrinkage.

“Milhos aferventados” from the Algarve (Portugal): An historical, culinary, and biochemical interdisciplinary approach on a regional dish

This article is a result of an interdisciplinary, mixed-methods effort to understand the context of “milhos aferventados” dish (nixtamalized maize meal stew), found in the “barrocal” and mountains area, from the Algarve, the most southern continental region of Portugal. “Milhos aferventados”, a two-stepped preparation dish, makes use of a nixtamalization technique, singular in the overall context of the Continental Portuguese gastronomic scene: maize is firstly nixtamalized and then it would be stewed with salt-cured/smoked pork meats and vegetable products. Nixtamalization, a classic Mesoamerican technique used to increase the bioavailability of maize nutrients and to soften maize's kernel pericarp, is popularly used in the region to remove kernel's tip cap (“olho preto” [black eye]) avoiding culinary unpleasant texture on the final dish.This work is a result of an historical, culinary, and biochemical structured, triangulated approach to the dish, exploring the introduction of Zea mays L., the culinary aspects, and the cultural/biochemical reasons behind the use of this technique. Regarding the reasons that justify the culinary use of nixtamalization, hypothesis for further research are raised. However, evidence of non-dissemination of pellagra disease was found in the region in the early 20th century, unlike what was happening in other regions of Portugal where maize was eaten without nixtamalization, and pellagra was disseminating. Besides, the popular preference for fig tree ashes in this specific nixtamalization process was also studied. We found that pH of fig tree ash (12.63 ± 0.02) and the ion calcium content (75.19 ± 0.06ppm) were higher than, e.g., the carob tree ash (12.35 ± 0.03 and 55.31 ± 0.04ppm respectively), an alike available wood in the region, but only calcium ion present a significant difference, allowing the destruction of the maize pericarp, being the reason behind the usage of this technique.

Geography is not destiny: A quantitative test of Diamond's axis of orientation hypothesis.

Jared Diamond suggested that the unique East-West orientation of Eurasia facilitated the spread of cultural innovations and gave it substantial political, technological and military advantages over other continental regions. This controversial hypothesis assumes that innovations can spread more easily across similar habitats, and that environments tend to be more homogeneous at similar latitudes. The resulting prediction is that Eurasia is home to environmentally homogenous corridors that enable fast cultural transmission. Despite indirect evidence supporting Diamond's influential hypothesis, quantitative tests of its underlying assumptions are currently lacking. Here we address this critical gap by leveraging ecological, cultural and linguistic datasets at a global scale. Our analyses show that although societies that share similar ecologies are more likely to share cultural traits, the Eurasian continent is not significantly more ecologically homogeneous than other continental regions. Our findings highlight the perils of single factor explanations and remind us that even the most compelling ideas must be thoroughly tested to gain a solid understanding of the complex history of our species.

Glider-Based Microstructure Measurements of Enhanced Diapycnal Mixing along the Continental Slope of the Western Gulf of Mexico

Glider-based microstructure observations combined with ship-based conductivity–temperature–depth profiles were collected on the western part of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), within the steep continental slope region in November 2017. Dynamical processes associated with bathymetry were observed, and enhanced mixing along the continental slope was detected, with diffusivity values as high as 10 −3 m 2 /s. Recent studies proposed a conceptual model of deep GoM circulation where deep water entering the GoM sinks and fills the deep GoM through the Yucatan Channel. We hypothesize that to retain mass balance, this continuously supplied deep water has to upwell and create intermediate water, which forms the outflow of the GoM, ventilating the deep GoM on time scales of ~100 years. The western GoM has areas with steep continental slopes, where enhanced mixing likely results in the transformation and upwelling of deep water.

Temporal partitioning of Chironomidae emergence in an insular, tropical rainforest stream

Annual water temperature variation strongly influences larval growth of aquatic insects in streams located in temperate regions or at high elevations, which produces cohorts with highly synchronized emergence periods and short average annual durations of emergence. Studies of Chironomidae in tropical streams indicate that species in these habitats have longer average durations of emergence due to reduced annual variation in water temperature. We used emergence trap data collected over one year from Quebrada Prieta (El Verde Field Station, Puerto Rico) to test the prediction that chironomids of an insular rainforest stream should have longer average annual durations of emergence than chironomids in both temperate streams and mainland streams in continental tropical regions. Taxa richness was relatively low with twenty-eight Chironomidae taxa collected from Quebrada Prieta. Emergence patterns of the most common taxa demonstrated some seasonally with the highest emergence generally occurring during the dry season (January through April). The estimated average emergence duration of Chironomidae in Quebrada Prieta was 205 days/species/year, which was greater than estimates of average durations for chironomids of three streams in Pennsylvania, USA (70 days/species/year), 6 streams in Minnesota, USA (89 days/species/year), and four streams in Guanacaste National Park in northwestern Costa Rica (116 days/species/year). The emergence duration for the chironomid community in Quebrada Prieta was most similar to another tropical, mountain stream in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (255 days/species/year). Although many taxa emerged throughout the one-year sampling period, some taxa in Quebrada Prieta had distinct emergence peaks. This demonstrates that although environmental conditions are stable enough to allow for emergence throughout the year for many species, there is some seasonality in the development of chironomid taxa in this tropical stream. These results are consistent with predictions that invertebrates in tropical streams will have longer, less synchronous emergence periods than species in temperate regions with high annual fluctuations in temperature. However, this research is also similar to several other studies that have identified seasonal emergence peaks in tropical chironomids which demonstrates a need to better understand the exogenous cues that affect these patterns.

Assessing the existence of pantropical butterflies: A review of accurate taxonomy, biogeography and life history traits

Abstract Various biological groups include genera that occur in tropical regions of continents that are separated by thousands of kilometres of ocean. However, in such pantropical groups, the taxonomic classification is often erroneous so that some of these cases may rather represent convergent evolution of distantly related species. Once monophyly of pantropical genera is firmly established, we can ask how these groups have become globally spread and what traits facilitate reaching a wide distribution. Some butterfly genera are considered pantropical and are a good system to ask such questions because we have a relatively large amount of information about their distribution, phylogeny and life history traits. Phylogeographic analyses have revealed that dispersal across land bridges throughout the Cenozoic period was typical for butterflies and that older clades are typically more widely distributed across the globe than more recently diverged clades. Results here also showed that certain life history traits, such as larval polyphagy and habitat generalism, correlate with a large range size in butterflies, although research biases towards temperate rather tropical regions exist. This review emphasises the first and foremost need for accurate taxonomy to prove phylogenetic monophyly in pantropical genera. Only when these evolutionary relationships are firmly established can we improve our understanding of the driving forces of their distributions and range sizes.

Pedological formations on old mountain geomorphological surfaces of central Spain

The chemo-morphological properties of soils on ancient landforms (quarzitic pliocene alluvial fans, pleistocene terraces), namely “rañizos”, on middle-high mountains (Eastern-Central System, Iberian Peninsula, Rio Negro, Cogolludo) were investigated. Several properties were analyzed by standard procedures. A detailed soil diagnostics and classification on “rañizos” were done, unlike those widely studied on “rañas” (similar landform), by identifying parallel pedogenetic processes in both formations. The genetic and geographic features of Alfisols, Ultisols and Inceptisols are closely related to the nature of their parent materials, based on quartzite and quartz conglomerates, sometimes with an arkosic matrix, red shale, polygenic gravels and pebbles. Soil features were determined by genuine soil-forming inherent lithological rock properties. Other driving factors were flat topography and enough soil formation time to allow intense pedogenesis. The main soil-forming processes were intense weathering, clay enrichment horizons with illuviation, red color caused by iron oxide dehydration and signs of pseudogleyzation processes. Such pedological formations can be considered endemisms; that is, “rare” soils and, up to a point, “relict”. The soil reaction is acid/slightly acid with low base saturation. Despite lying on mountains, soils are characterized by moderate-low organic matter content. Soil conditions and climate provide good vine production requirements despite acidity levels. A common feature of all Rio Negro soils is the presence of gravel (size up to 3–5 cm), which is evenly distributed on arable layers. The results can be used to assess vineyard soil use in a potential Pago (Protected Denomination of Origin) and to extend the database of vineyard soils from poorly studied Mediterranean continental mountain regions.

High aerosol loading over the Bohai Sea: Long-term trend, potential sources, and impacts on surrounding cities

Air pollution over the oceans has received less attention compared to densely populated urban areas of continents. The Bohai Sea, a semi-enclosed sea in northern China, is surrounded by thirteen industrial cities that have experienced significant improvements in air quality over the past decade. However, the changes in air pollution over the Bohai Sea and its impacts on surrounding cities remain poorly understood. To address this, this study investigated the evolution of air pollution and its chemical composition in the Bohai Sea over four decades, utilizing satellite remote sensing data, reanalysis datasets, emissions inventories, and statistical modeling. Historically, the region has suffered from severe air pollution, resulting from a combination of continental emissions and marine inputs (e.g., sea salt, ports and maritime vessel activities). The aerosol optical depth (AOD) over the sea was higher than the mean levels observed in its surrounding coastal cities. Statistically, 45% of the air masses reaching the Bohai Sea are associated with natural sources (dust- and marine-rich), while the remainder carry anthropogenic pollutants from continental regions. With the exception of Cangzhou city, these coastal cities suffer from air pollutants originating from the Bohai Sea. Cities in the northern region of the sea, spanning from Tianjin to Yingkou, are particularly impacted. The majority of the surrounding cities are affected by a large proportion of anthropogenic aerosol types transported through air masses from the Bohai Sea, including those from biomass burning and industrial activities. These findings emphasize the considerable influence of human-induced sources in the Bohai Sea on neighboring urban areas. Furthermore, being a maritime region, natural sources like sea salt and dust from the sea may also exert a discernible impact on the neighboring environment.

Soil toxicity and species dominance rather than nutrient availability drive plant species richness in swamp forests of Central Europe

AbstractAimA resource based conceptual model of plant diversity (RBCM) assumes direct relationships between resource supply and the diversity of a local plant assembly. However, the RBCM largely ignores variation in soil toxicity imposed by climatic effects. Both soil limiting resources and soil toxicity vary along climatic gradients but their net and interactive effects on plant species diversity remain unknown. We asked how climatic gradients shape resource availability, soil toxicity and dominance of herb‐layer graminoids, and how these predictors control local species diversity of herbs and bryophytes.LocationSwamp forests, Central Europe.TaxonVascular plants, bryophytes.MethodsAlpha taxonomic diversity of vascular plants and bryophytes was counted for 101 vegetation plots sampled in temperate swamp forests distributed along an 800‐km geographical gradient across the Continental, Alpine and Pannonian biogeographical regions. Path analysis (structural equation modelling) was used to quantify the direct and indirect effects of climatic variable (potential evapotranspiration; PET), limiting resources (soil N/P, Ca, C/N, proxies for light and water availability) and soil toxicity (Mn) on graminoid dominance and community diversity.ResultsPET negatively influenced species richness of both groups analysed either directly or indirectly through its positive effect on the cover of graminoid species. Alpha diversity of herbs was additionally reduced by soil toxicity (Mn). Limiting resources correlated either with species dominance (canopy shading, soil Ca) or with PET (soil N/P ratio), but they did not control species richness pattern.Main ConclusionsClimate, soil toxicity and species dominance determined alpha diversity instead of the expected importance of soil limiting resources. These results are key to advancing the theoretical framework of the RBCM. Increased soil toxicity (Mn) in well‐watered regions favours the dominance of plant competitors at the expense of less tolerant species. This implies a potential threat to wetland diversity under ongoing climate change.

Research Catalog of Inland Seismicity in the Southern Korean Peninsula from 2012 to 2021 Using Deep Learning Techniques

Abstract A seismicity catalog spanning 2012–2021 is proposed for the inland and near-coastal areas of the southern Korean Peninsula (SKP). Using deep learning (DL) techniques combined with conventional methods, we developed an integrated framework for compiling a comprehensive seismicity catalog. The proposed DL-based framework allowed us to process, within a week, a large volume of data (spanning 10 yr) collected from more than 300 seismic stations. To improve the framework’s performance, a DL picker (i.e., EQTransformer) was retrained using the local datasets from the SKP combined with globally obtained data. A total of 66,858 events were detected by phase association using a machine learning algorithm, and a DL-based event discrimination model classified 29,371 events as natural earthquakes. We estimate source information more precisely using newly updated parameters for locations (a 1D velocity model and station corrections related to the location process) and magnitudes (a local magnitude equation) based on data derived from the application of the DL picker. Compared with a previous catalog, the proposed catalog exhibited improved statistical completeness, detecting 21,475 additional earthquakes. With the newly detected and located earthquakes, we observed the relative low seismicity in the northern SKP, and the linear trends of earthquakes striking northeast–southwest (NE–SW) and northwest–southeast (NW–SE) with a near-right angle between them. In particular, the NE–SW trend corresponds to boundaries of major tectonic regions in the SKP that potentially indicates the development of fault structures along the boundaries. The two predominant trends slightly differ to the suggested optimal fault orientations, implying more complex processes of preexisting geological structures. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the DL-based framework in analyzing large datasets and detecting many microearthquakes in seismically inactive regions, which will advance our understanding of seismotectonics and seismic hazards in stable continental regions.

Estimating reference crop evapotranspiration using optimized empirical methods with a novel improved Grey Wolf Algorithm in four climatic regions of China

Accurate estimation of reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) is crucial for agricultural water management. As the simplified alternatives of the Penman-Monteith equation, empirical methods have been widely recommended worldwide. However, its application is still limited to parameters localization varied with geographical and climatic conditions, therefore developing an excellent optimization algorithm for calibrating parameters is very necessary. Regarding the above requirement, the present study developed a novel improved Grey Wolf Algorithm (MDSL-GWA) to optimize the most recommended ones among three types of ETo methods. After the optimization performance comparison among Least Square Method (LSM), Genetic Algorithm (GA), Grey Wolf Algorithm (GWA), and MDSL-GWA in four climatic regions of China, this study found that the Priestley-Taylor (PT) method was the best radiation-based (Rn-based) method and achieved better performance in temperate continental region (TCR), mountain plateau region (MPR), and temperate monsoon region (TMR) than other types. While the temperature-based (T-based) Hargreaves-Samani (HS) method performed best in subtropical monsoon region (SMR), further attaching better performance among the same type in TMR and TCR, while the Oudin method was the best T-based method in MPR. Moreover, the Romanenko method was better humidity-based (RH-based) in TCR and MPR, whereas the Brockamp-Wenner method exhibited higher in SMR and TMR. Furthermore, despite intelligence optimization algorithms significantly enhancing original ETo methods, the MDSL-GWA achieved best performance and outperformed other algorithms by 4.5–29.6% in determination coefficient (R2), 4.7–27.3% in nash-sutcliffe efficient (NSE), 3.7–44.4% in relative root mean square error (RRMSE), and 3.1–56.2% in mean absolute error (MAE), respectively. After optimization, the MDSL-GWA-PT was the most recommended ETo method in TMR, TCR, and MPR, and the median values of R2, NSE, RRMSE, and MAE ranged 0.907–0.958, 0.887–0.925, 0.083–0.103, and 0.115–0.162 mm, respectively. In SMR, the MDSL-GWA-HS produced the best ETo estimates, with median values of R2, NSE, RRMSE, and MAE being 0.876, 0.843, 0.112, and 0.146 mm, respectively. In summary, this study recommended the best ETo method and algorithms using accessible data in four climatic regions of China, which is helpful for decision-making in effective management and utilization of regional agricultural water resources.

Aerosol Effects on Water Cloud Properties in Different Atmospheric Regimes

AbstractAerosol‐cloud interaction remains one of the least understood processes in climate science arena, despite its profound impacts in radiation and water budget perturbations. The aerosol effects on clouds largely depend on aerosol characteristics. Here, we implemented 17‐year (2003–2020) data set of aerosol, cloud, and meteorological factors collected over East Asia—a highly polluted region with recent decreasing trend of air pollution due to control measures—to elucidate atmospheric regime‐dependent aerosol effects on water cloud properties by simultaneously accessing the response of air pollution control measures in cloud field. The study found a very close relationship between aerosol loading and cloud properties modifications in the continental region of East Asia with a significant response of air pollution control measures in the cloud field. The study further revealed that aerosols of the polluted continental atmosphere affected cloud micro‐ and macro‐physics differently than aerosols of the clean maritime atmosphere: in the former, increased aerosol loading increased the stability under cloud base and then enhanced cloud droplet collision‐coalescence process, resulting to increase cloud droplet size by decreasing cloud top height; whereas in the latter, increased aerosol loading decreased cloud droplet size without notable influence in the atmosphere thermodynamics and cloud top height. This study further showed a complex aerosol‐cloud interaction process in the polluted maritime atmosphere due to the mixed effect of polluted continental and clean maritime atmospheres. In all atmospheric regimes, cloud fraction was found to increase with the increase of aerosol loading.