Influence Of Climatic Factors Research Articles

Influence of climatic factors on the life stages of Aedes mosquitoes and vectorial transmission: A review.

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are two sympatric mosquito species that compete with each other for resources when their breeding habitats overlap. This study examines what happens when sympatric Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes' mate with each other and other species by looking at insemination rates, fecundity, and hatchability rate. We performed controlled mating experiments in laboratory setting, assessing both conspecific and interspecific crosses. We measured insemination rates, egg numbers, and hatching success to examine the reproductive interference dynamics between these two distinct mosquito species. In the context of conspecific mating, it was observed that both female Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus exhibited high insemination rates, with percentages of 98% and 94%, respectively. However, interspecific mating exhibited interesting asymmetries: Ae. albopictus males achieved a notable insemination success rate of 28% when mating with Ae. aegypti females, while Ae. aegypti males achieved only 8% insemination success with Ae. albopictus females. Additionally, females that mated with interspecific males had reduced production of viable eggs compared to conspecific mating. Most notably, interspecific mating resulted in the production of infertile eggs, while conspecific mating led to successful hatching. The study reveals that, Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus can asymmetrically interfere with each other's reproduction, causing a 'satyr' effect. This understanding of interspecific competition and reproductive interference in these mosquito species could impact their coexistence in shared breeding habitats.

Meta-analysis of the climate change-tourism demand relationship

As climate change urgency intensifies, understanding its impact on destinations and the development of adaptation strategies becomes critical for sustainable tourism. This article, through a meta-analysis of 290 climate change elasticity estimates in tourism from 34 studies, examines the influence of climate factors and tourists’ adaptive behaviours on tourism demand. It also projects the situations countries will face by 2050 under ongoing climate change scenarios. Findings suggest that low- and middle-income economies and Small Island Developing States, despite their minimal carbon contributions, will face significant tourism losses. In contrast, high-income countries might see increased travel demand and lead to more emissions. This will aggravate climatic conditions and inflict greater losses on less-developed communities. This finding exemplifies a vicious cycle of climate injustice, highlighting the disparities in climate-related social costs globally.

Energy Compensation for Crop Growth under Plastic Mulching: Theories, Models, and Limitations

Plastic film mulching (PM) is a useful agronomic means to adapt to the environmental conditions of dryland agriculture and improve crop production. To improve the theoretical framework of PM technology, this study focuses on the interaction between the soil temperature change caused by PM and crop growth. The definition, action mechanism, and simulation of the compensatory effect of PM on growing degree days are introduced to reveal the effect of soil temperature under PM on crop development and growth. Our summary shows that the strength of the warming effect changes with the growth and development of crops, strengthening during the early stage of crop growth and gradually weakening as a crop canopy develops. Generally, the warming effect has a good promotion effect on crop growth, but the crop growth is hampered even with a yield reduction when the increased soil temperature caused by PM exceeds the tolerant temperature for plant growth. Moreover, the compensatory effect of PM could be used to quantify the growth and development of crops under PM and has been widely applied to cotton, corn, winter wheat, and rice. The compensation coefficient is larger in the early stage of crop growth than in the later stage. The compensation coefficient has certain differences for the same crop because of the influence of climate factors, soil moisture content, and soil microtopography. In future research, the theoretical integration of the safety period of PM and the time threshold of the compensatory effect could be theoretically interpreted, and the construction of the compensatory effect module in the crop models will also be an important issue.

Influence of forest age, tree size, and climate factors on biomass and carbon storage allocation in Chinese fir forests

Biomass and carbon allocation among plant organs are influenced by the individual tree's development and climate conditions. Chinese fir forests play an important role in the carbon cycle and climate change mitigation in China. Understanding how forest age, tree size, and climate factors affect biomass and carbon allocation in Chinese fir forests is crucial to fully utilize the carbon sequestration potential. We analyzed the response of Chinese fir biomass allocation fractions (BAFs) and carbon stock allocation fractions (CAFs) to forest age, tree size, and climate factors, utilizing field survey data on biomass of 93 trees in Fujian, Sichuan, Guangxi, and Jiangxi provinces and carbon storage of 40 trees in Fujian, Sichuan, and Guangxi provinces in China. Our results showed that BAFs depend on individual development. In young and middle-aged forests, BAFs were unaffected by diameter at breast height (DBH), whereas branch and root biomass fractions displayed a significant positive correlation with DBH, and stem biomass fraction displayed a negative correlation with DBH in mature forests. Carbon concentration exhibited substantial variation among distinct components and regions. Overall, the carbon concentration of each organ ranked as Guangxi > Sichuan > Fujian. BAFs of dominant trees are almost independent of climatic factors, while suppressed trees will alter their strategies for biomass allocation in response to climate change. Stem biomass fraction exhibited a significant positive correlation with maximum growing season temperature, mean summer temperature, and maximum summer temperature, whereas leaf biomass fraction showed the opposite trend. Under future climate warming, Chinese fir will allocate more biomass to the stem, at the expense of leaf biomass. These findings support the idea that biomass allocation patterns serve as adaptive patterns to address fluctuations in internal and external conditions. The interaction between climate factors and tree size shows promise for predicting trends in forest biomass and carbon accumulation in the context of future climate change.

Dendroclimatology of Araucaria angustifolia: assessing climatic responses in sites under similar ecological conditions

Dendrochronological studies have increasingly explored tropical and subtropical trees, mainly focusing on their climatic signals. In the neotropics, growth ring width chronologies of Araucaria angustifolia have been developed at several localities in the south of its distribution, in the Atlantic forest biome. However, the signals identified in these studies indicate different patterns of growth response to climate. Understanding the causes of this variability in dendroclimatic signals is important to guide future dendrochronological studies with A. angustifolia. In this work we test the premise that at independent sites, but under similar environmental conditions, chronologies of A. angustifolia exhibit a common growth signal determined by limiting climatic conditions. We developed a new ring width chronology and correlated it with another one already published, both located in Curitibanos municipality, Santa Catarina state, Brazil and with similar climatic, edaphic and vegetational conditions. The chronologies, with reasonable level of internal growth synchrony and sampling effort, showed a common growth signal of moderate magnitude. This common growth pattern between the sites, represented by a regional chronology, showed significant correlations with local climatic variable and with El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), with weak magnitudes. Partial correlations showed that this set of climatic variables was determinant of the common signal between the sites. Our results confirm the validity of the tested premise. Under the conditions studied, the growth response of A. angustifolia to climate is driven by yearly variation in temperature, which operate at different stages of the annual growth cycle and are influenced by ENSO. The low sensitivity of growth to climate is possibly related to the combined influence of multiple climatic factors and/or to moderate growth variability within sites. The multiplicity of climatic factors influencing growth of A. angustifolia trees may also explain some variability of climatic signals reported for with this species.

Vertical structures and microphysical characteristics of summer precipitation in North China detected by GPM-DPR

The vertical structure and microphysical characteristics of stratiform precipitation (SP) and convective precipitation (CP) in North China are revealed based on the GPM-DPR product during boreal summer of 2014–2021 in this study. Additionally, the differences in precipitation features between the mountain and the plain are investigated. Under the combined influence of climatic factors and local topography, the precipitation amount is larger in the plain than in the mountain while precipitation frequency exhibits an opposite pattern. The proportions of the two precipitation types are similar in the mountain and the plain, with CP contributing to approximately a quarter of total precipitation frequency. In terms of mean intensity, both SP and CP are roughly 20 % more intense in the plain than in the mountain. The greater number of light SPs is a major contributor to higher precipitation frequency in the mountain, while more intense CPs result in larger precipitation amount in the plain. Compared to the mountain, the precipitation system is deeper in the plain, where higher storm top altitudes (STAs) and larger freezing level heights contribute to more intense CPs. Besides, it is observed that for the STA, more intense CPs occur in the plain compared to the mountain. In both the mountain and the plain, the coalescence process is dominant in the low-level layers for heavy (8–20 mm/h) to storm-level (>20 mm/h) CPs. Compared to the mountain, the low-level growth of hydrometeor size and radar reflectivity is more significant in the plain. These findings are important to quantitative precipitation estimation and precipitation prediction in the mountainous region, and can help understand the influence of local topography on precipitation.

Changes in water conservation and possible causes in the Yellow River Basin of China during the recent four decades

As water quality declines and water resources become scarce, water conservation emerges as the central challenge of water resource management and sustainable development in the watershed ecosystem. The Yellow River, known as the “mother river” of China, of which the water conservation function has received significant public attention in the changing environmental conditions. In the study, the InVEST water yield model was utilized to evaluate the spatiotemporal dynamics of water conservation; the MK trend test and Sen’s slope were used to examine the trends of precipitation and water conservation, respectively. Additionally, the response of water conservation to climate, land use, and soil changes during the period 1981–2020 was also discussed. The results showed that under the comprehensive influence of various factors, the water conservation of the YRB showed a decreasing and then increasing trend, which was presumed to be associated with the Grain for Green Project. Water conservation showed an increasing trend in the upstream area of the study area while decreasing in the lower reaches in recent decades. The changes in water conservation function in the YRB resulted from the comprehensive influence of climate factors, soil conditions, and land use types. Besides, woodland and grassland provide the highest water conservation capacity, which initially increased and then decreased with the increase of slope. The spatial analysis emphasized the critical role of water conservation in the Yellow River Basin, particularly highlighting the source area (above Lanzhou Station), the southern tributaries of the Wei River, and the upper reaches of the Yiluo River as significant water conservation zones. These areas should be considered crucial and given priority in regional water resource management and ecological protection efforts. The findings of this study could provide a theoretical foundation for ecological protection and water security in the YRB, which are essential for sustainable development.

Impact of Preseason Climate Factors on Vegetation Photosynthetic Phenology in Mid-High Latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.

During the period preceding the vegetation growing season (GS), temperature emerges as the pivotal factor determining phenology in northern terrestrial ecosystems. Despite extensive research on the impact of daily mean temperature (Tmean) during the preseason period, the influence of diurnal temperature range (DTR) on vegetation photosynthetic phenology (i.e., the impact of the plant photosynthetic cycle on seasonal time scale) has largely been neglected. Using a long-term vegetation photosynthetic phenology dataset and historical climate data, we examine vegetation photosynthetic phenology dynamics and responses to climate change across the mid-high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere from 2001 to 2020. Our data reveal an advancing trend in the start of the GS (SOS) by -0.15 days per year (days yr-1), affecting 72.1% of the studied area. This is particularly pronounced in western Canada, Alaska, eastern Asia, and latitudes north of 60°N. Conversely, the end of the GS (EOS) displays a delaying trend of 0.17 days yr-1, impacting 62.4% of the studied area, especially northern North America and northern Eurasia. The collective influence of an earlier SOS and a delayed EOS has resulted in the notably prolonged length of the GS (LOS) by 0.32 days yr-1 in the last two decades, affecting 70.9% of the studied area, with Eurasia and western North America being particularly noteworthy. Partial correlation coefficients of the SOS with preseason Tmean, DTR, and accumulated precipitation exhibited negative values in 98.4%, 93.0%, and 39.2% of the study area, respectively. However, there were distinct regional variations in the influence of climate factors on the EOS. The partial correlation coefficients of the EOS with preseason Tmean, DTR, and precipitation were positive in 58.6%, 50.1%, and 36.3% of the region, respectively. Our findings unveil the intricate mechanisms influencing vegetation photosynthetic phenology, holding crucial significance in understanding the dynamics of carbon sequestration within terrestrial ecosystems amidst climate change.

The Impact of Climatic Factors on Temporal Mosquito Distribution and Population Dynamics in an Area Targeted for Sterile Insect Technique Pilot Trials.

It is widely accepted that climate affects the mosquito life history traits; however, its precise role in determining mosquito distribution and population dynamics is not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the influence of various climatic factors on the temporal distribution of Anopheles arabiensis populations in Mamfene, South Africa between 2014 and 2019. Time series analysis, wavelet analysis, cross-correlation analysis, and regression model combined with the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model were utilized to assess the relationship between climatic factors and An. arabiensis population density. In total 3826 adult An. arabiensis collected was used for the analysis. ARIMA (0, 1, 2) (0, 0, 1)12 models closely described the trends observed in An. arabiensis population density and distribution. The wavelet coherence and time-lagged correlation analysis showed positive correlations between An. arabiensis population density and temperature (r = 0.537 ), humidity (r = 0.495) and rainfall (r = 0.298) whilst wind showed negative correlations (r = -0.466). The regression model showed that temperature (p = 0.00119), rainfall (p = 0.0436), and humidity (p = 0.0441) as significant predictors for forecasting An. arabiensis abundance. The extended ARIMA model (AIC = 102.08) was a better fit for predicting An. arabiensis abundance compared to the basic model. Anopheles arabiensis still remains the predominant malaria vector in the study area and climate variables were found to have varying effects on the distribution and abundance of An. arabiensis. This necessitates other complementary vector control strategies such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) which involves releasing sterile males into the environment to reduce mosquito populations. This requires timely mosquito and climate information to precisely target releases and enhance the effectiveness of the program, consequently reducing the malaria risk.

CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF ROAD PETROLEUM BITUMEN WITH MALEIC ANHYDRIDE AND POLYETHYLENE GLYCOLS

A number of problems arise in the production and application of road bitumen. One of them is unsatisfactory operational characteristics, mainly heat resistance, elasticity and adhesion between the binder and aggregate. With an increase in the intensity of traffic, an increase in the volume of heavy goods transportation, the mass of cars, together with the influence of weather and climate factors on the structure, this leads to the destruction of the road surface. The work describes the results of the study of the process of chemical modification of road petroleum bitumen with maleic anhydride and polyethylene glycols (PEG) to obtain bitumen-polymer mixtures, which, in addition to good heat resistance, also have high elasticity. When modifying road bitumen with maleic anhydride, the latter acts as a certain narrowing link, which contains on the one hand a double bond that interacts with bitumen, and on the other hand an anhydride group that can interact with various polymers containing functional groups (hydroxyl, epoxy and other). Further, by adding a polymer to maleinized bitumen (bitumen modified with maleic anhydride), the resulting bitumen-polymer mixtures can be given various properties (heat resistance, elasticity, adhesion, and others). Polyethylene glycol is a cheap polymer capable of interacting with the anhydride group of maleic anhydride in bitumen on the hydroxyl group. It was established that the effect of maleic anhydride and maleic anhydride together with PEG on the heat-resistant characteristics of bitumen is the same regardless of the modification conditions. Compared to the original bitumen, the obtained BPS is characterized by a higher softening temperature, lower penetration and ductility. The temperature of brittleness is not rapid, but it is increasing. The influence of the used modifiers on bitumen elasticity is significant and depends on the modification conditions. It was established that PEG 2000 is the optimal PEG for modifying maleinized bitumen, from the point of view of ensuring good bitumen elasticity.

Toxicity of vapor-gas flows from technogenic substance

The relevance. Vapor-gas flows from technogenic substances (storage wastes of the mining industry), carrying a high amount of potentially toxic elements, are a big problem for the environment and the population, because metals and metalloids in the composition of emanations are in an easily digestible bioavailable forms and are able to easily penetrate into living organisms. The main aim of this study is an assessment of toxicity for living organisms of air mixtures containing gaseous products emitted by a surfaces of mine tailings freely located near settlements and under the influence of climatic factors and microorganisms. Methods. Carrying out experiments with white rats male Wistar, analysis of organs for the content of a wide range of elements by ICP-MS on a NexION 300D mass spectrometer (PerkinElmer, USA) (PNL GGC IShPR TPU). In the experiment, a pooled sample of the waste substance was used. The sample was analyzed for the content of oxides of the silicate group by XRF using X-ray fluorescence spectrometer ARL-9900-XP (Thermo Electron Corporation, Switzerland) at the Laboratory of X-ray Spectral Analysis Methods of the IGM SB RAS; elemental analysis was carried out by ICP-MS using an ELAN-9000 DRC-e instrument Perkin Elmer, USA (HAC Plasma). Results. Under the influence of vapor-gas emanations from the substance of arsenide tailings of the Tuvacobalt plant on a group of rats male Wistar, pathological changes occurred in the experimental group. Small foci of hemorrhages formed in the lungs, the tissues became edematous and inflamed. The liver of all animals increased, the share structure became sharply expressed, the color became light beige. Single hemorrhages were found in the kidneys. The vessels of the meninges are dilated, petechial hemorrhages are observed. The synthetic function of cells and the stability of cellular and intracellular membranes were disrupted, first of all, the endothelium of blood vessels was affected, the physiological functioning of organs and tissues was disrupted with the accumulation of intermediate products of biochemical reactions, determined macroscopically. Also, dystrophy of internal organs was determined, in particular, the liver, lungs, kidneys, and brain. Elemental analysis of animal organs showed the accumulation of toxic elements in comparison with the control group. The most characteristic elements, the excess of which was recorded in most cases, are mercury and arsenic. They were unevenly distributed throughout the organs. Mercury accumulated mainly in the lungs, kidneys and liver, while arsenic accumulated mainly in the liver and brain. This may indicate the entry of mercury and arsenic ions in a biologically available form into the bloodstream by inhalation, and local irritating and toxic effects on the lungs were not prevailing, and the liver was the most damaged organ according to the results of toxicochemical and morphological studies. The homeostasis of micro and macro elements is finely regulated, and any concentration imbalance in the form of a deficiency leads to a progressive decrease and disruption of normal biological function, to severe physiological and clinical outcomes, which we observed from the results of the experiment. The data obtained proved the acute toxic effect of vapor-gas flows on living organisms, and also confirmed the possibility of the removal of many chemical elements in easily accessible and assimilable forms.

Impacts of Extreme Climate on the Water Resource System in Sichuan Province

Based on the data of Sichuan Province from 2007 to 2021, the extreme climate events in Sichuan Province was identified by statistical method, and the coupling coordination degree of water resources-climate system and separate water resource system was analyzed. Based on the difference of coupling coordination degree under these two systems, the influence mechanism of extreme climate factors on the water resource system is analyzed. The results show that the extreme climate types in Sichuan Province gradually transition from extreme drought to extreme precipitation and from extreme low temperature to extreme high temperature. When climate factors are not considered, the coupling coordination degree of the water resource system is generally improved and the distribution is more concentrated. Moreover, the influence of climate factors on the water resource system is not a simple linear relationship.

Assessing climate impacts on slow-moving landslides in the western Alps of Piemonte: integration of monitoring techniques for detecting displacements

The influence of climatic factors on landslides triggers and displacement rates is a crucial research topic, especially due to the growing need to understand the evolution of climate change in historical periods of intense precipitation and anomalous temperature increases. Italy, highly prone to hydrogeological instability, extremely its mountainous regions such as the Alps, stands as a pertinent subject area for instability scenarios. However, the interpretation of climate effects on landslides is still an open issue. This work proposed a simplified methodology for investigating the displacements of three slow-moving landslides located in the Western Alps of Piemonte region, in response to significant meteorological events evaluated from reference normal of precipitation and temperature trends over the reference period 1991–2020. Another purpose is to emphasize the advantages of using different monitoring techniques by comparing displacement time series measured with in situ and remote sensing instruments, to detect ground deformation processes of these gravitational phenomena. The existence of a robust monitoring network, coupled with InSAR dataset support, has allowed detecting climatic factors’ impact on displacement rates for the outlined case studies. The results have demonstrated the relationships between the identified climatic events and variations in displacement time series, as well as the potential of integrating field observations and InSAR techniques to improve the interpretation of landslide dynamics. Although this study has laid the basis for understanding the influence of climatic factors on landslide displacements, there is still much to investigate and refine. The proposed preliminary analysis will further improve the ability to predict, monitor and mitigate landslide risk under changing climate conditions.

Evaluation of the impact of natural weathering on the properties of high‐density polyethylene bottles by experimental approach

AbstractThis work presents an in‐depth experimental study aimed at assessing the impact of natural weathering on the behavior of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles. To this end, several analytical techniques were employed, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to examine molecular changes, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to study morphology, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to assess thermal properties, and tensile and compression tests to evaluate mechanical properties. The results obtained reveal significant changes in HDPE exposed to natural weathering. FTIR analysis enabled us to identify that the HDPE bottles had been subjected to an oxidation process initiated by the absorption of solar radiation during natural weathering treatments, while SEM analysis showed the presence of holes resulting from the detachment of material fragments after exposure, TGA analysis confirms the impact of natural exposure time on the decrease in the average molecular weight and chemical degradation of HDPE macromolecules, through a reduction in the initial degradation temperature and the maximum thermodegradation temperature. However, tensile and compressive tests showed a reduction in the mechanical strength of HDPE after exposure to natural conditions, with notable variations depending on environmental conditions, making the material damaged. These results enabled us to calculate the damage caused by three damage laws. These results offer important insights into the mechanisms of HDPE degradation under the influence of natural climatic factors, paving the way for the development of more resistant and durable packaging materials in the face of variable environmental conditions.Highlights The objective of this study is to analyze and describe the effects of natural weathering on high‐density polyethylene bottles. This involves evaluating the deterioration of physicochemical, mechanical, and morphological properties. Additionally, three damage laws are employed to assess the extent of damage inflicted by this material. Analytical techniques were used, including SEM, FTIR, and TGA, tensile and compressive test.

Modelling the paleopedological development of loess/palaeosol sections using discriminant function analysis of compositional geoscience data, case study in Eastern Croatia

Previous studies on the mineralogical differentiation of Pleistocene loess/palaeosol sections focused on the description and source material of four loess/palaeosol sections located on the eastern border of Croatia along the Danube: Zmajevac, Zmajevac I, Erdut and Šarengrad. The authors demonstrated the decreasing influence of the Danube and the increasing influence of the rivers draining the Central Bosnian Mountains of the Dinaric Ophiolite Zone both important source areas for aeolian sediments at the southern edge of the Carpathian Basin that transport material from the Central Bosnian Mountains. The aim of this research is to identify the palaeoclimatic factors that influenced the pedogenetic development of the studied palaeosols. The model was created based on the research results of the same four loess/palaeosol sequences in Eastern Croatia. This model can also be applied in other locations to determine the influence of certain climatic factors on the degree of pedogenetic development of individual palaeosols. The loess/palaeosol sequences were divided into eight comprehensive groups (horizons) based on their genesis, degree of pedological development and/or position in the soil profiles. The explanation of the typical patterns occurring between the studied horizons is based on the construction of a Discriminant Function Model (DFM) resulting from the analysis of the compositional data (CoDa) of the geochemical (major and trace elements) and granulometric (grain size) data of the loess/palaeosols in combination with external variables such as weathering coefficients and chemical soil properties. In the final phase, the DFM was transformed from structural (mathematical) to functional (process) terms. This revealed that three main themes dominate the formation of Pleistocene loess/palaeosol sequences: 1) the separation of well-developed palaeosols from parent material; 2) the separation of automorphic palaeosols from hydromorphic soils exposed to post-pedogenic waterlogging conditions; and 3) the differentiation of horizons (soils and alluvium) formed by the redeposition (by water or mudflows) of previously deposited aeolian material, regardless of whether and to what extent it was exposed to post-sedimentary pedogenesis.

Mathematical modeling of the creation process and aging of polymer composite materials

Based on the analysis of the literature on the possibility of using neural networks to create new materials with high functional properties, the article considers a solution to the problem of determining the operational stability of polymeric composite materials by creating physical and chemically sound mathematical prediction models. Epoxy resins of the UP-637 and EA brands with an isophorone diamine hardener were chosen as the matrix of the model composite material, and oligobutadiene rubber of the SKN-10 KTR brand was chosen as the modifier. It justifies directions of work necessary for development of new materials creation methodology with optimal characteristics, building a model for changing the properties of materials at variation of composition and implementation of full-scale mathematical modeling of physical and chemical processes of polymer composite materials aging at changing level and time of climatic factors influence. Verification of the obtained dependence of service characteristics on the composition of the material and the level of influencing climatic factors was carried out on the basis of data from full-scale tests in a temperate climate. The proposed methodology for modelling the properties of polymer composite materials will reduce the development time of new materials and allow creation of polymer composites based on epoxy resin containing fillers of various natures (carbon, mineral and polymer) with high performance parameters.

Some Geomorphological Implications of Chemical Weathering in Sequences of Sedimentary Rocks in the Kirkuk Structure

This study was based on a review of a group of geomorphological features and characteristics within the Kirkuk anticline in the Low Folded Zone within the Unstable Shelf of Iraq. As well as identifying the role of the chemistry of the rocks that form the geological formations in the studied area and explaining the role of chemical weathering processes in shaping the geomorphological units. Each of these geomorphological units includes several landforms with different lithologies. These shapes were produced as a result of weathering, erosion, and sedimentation processes associated with structural, compositional, rock, and climatic factors. Literature. The exposed rocks in the sedimentation basin, from which different formations are formed, showed variation in their resistance to chemical and physical weathering processes. It has been noted that the chemical weathering of gypsum rocks is of the type of incipient weathering and that of limestone is of the type of incipient to moderate weathering. For the sandstones, they are of the moderate weathering type, while it is noted that the chemical weathering of the claystone and marl is of the extreme weathering type. This demonstrates the important role played by the type of rocks and their chemical composition in highlighting the role of various geomorphological processes in determining the nature of land units and forming the geomorphological features, in addition to the influence of various geological processes and the presence of structural units such as joints, fractures, and faults, as well as the influence of slope and various climatic factors.

Assessment of Lung Function in Scavenger Workers at Some Waste Dumpsites in Baghdad City

Waste scavengers face occupational hazards from exposure to toxic landfill emissions, putting them at risk for respiratory illnesses. This study aimed to assess the impacts of landfill gases on lung function in scavengers. Spirometry was used to evaluate lung function in scavengers at 5 dumpsites in Baghdad compared to non-exposed controls. The results showed that winter measurements in the internal measuring point for carbon dioxide indicated that the highest concentration was 454.89 ppm in the Adhamiya landfill and the lowest concentration was 397.65 ppm in the Baghdad Aljadeeda landfill. Lung disease cases were recorded and correlated to landfill sites, work duration, and seasons. The results of the lung efficiency examination showed a clear decrease in spirometry parameters at high-pollution landfill sites with varying concentrations of particulates and gases compared to the control group—more airway restriction cases correlated with increased years of scavenger exposure and higher pollutant levels. As noted, severe respiratory symptoms increased in the summer season likely due to the influence of climatic factors.

Cetacean fauna of the southern part of the Barents Sea in winter 2019–2023 under changing climate conditions

Biophysical changes occurring in Arctic marine ecosystems under the influence of climatic factors may affect cetaceans staying here. For this reason, the urgent task is to conduct regular monitoring of marine mammals in order to assess the state of their populations and preserve the biodiversity of species. We analyzed the results of ship-based surveys of marine mammals carried out by the Polar branch of VNIRO in January–March 2019–2023 in the south of the Barents Sea and compared them with the observation data of earlier years. As the studies have shown, the winter cetacean fauna is currently represented by six species of baleen Mysticeti and toothed Odontoceti whales. White-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris Gray, 1846 was the most abundant and widespread species among all cetaceans; however, since 2022 we have seen a decrease in both the number of observations and abundance of this species. Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758 and killer whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus, 1758 were regularly registered in the study area, while sightings of harbor porpoise Phocoena phocoena Linnaeus, 1758 and humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae Borowski, 1781 were single. Comparative analysis of the obtained data with the materials of 2012–2013 revealed some changes in the cetacean fauna that occurred during the last decade. In the waters of the southern part of the Barents Sea, there began met species that had not been previously recorded in our surveys, first of all, minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, 1804 and humpback whale. The materials we collected expanded our understanding of cetaceans staying in the western sector of the Russian Arctic during the winter.

Identification of Time-Varying Conceptual Hydrological Model Parameters with Differentiable Parameter Learning

The parameters of the GR4J-CemaNeige coupling model (GR4neige) are typically treated as constants. However, the maximum capacity of the production store (parX1) exhibits time-varying characteristics due to climate variability and vegetation coverage change. This study employed differentiable parameter learning (dPL) to identify the time-varying parX1 in the GR4neige across 671 catchments within the United States. We built two types of dPL, including static and dynamic parameter networks, to assess the advantages of the time-varying parameter. In the dynamic parameter network, we evaluated the impact of potential evapotranspiration (PET), precipitation (P), temperature (T), soil moisture (SM), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) datasets on the performance of dPL. We then compared dPL with the empirical functional method (fm). The results demonstrated that the dynamic parameter network outperformed the static parameter network in streamflow estimation. There were differences in streamflow estimation among the dynamic parameter network driven by various input features. In humid catchments, simultaneously incorporating all five factors, including PET, P, T, SM, and the NDVI, achieved optimal streamflow simulation accuracy. In arid catchments, it was preferable to introduce PET, T, and the NDVI separately for improved performance. dPL significantly outperformed the empirical fm in estimating streamflow and uncalibrated intermediate variables, like evapotranspiration (ET). Both the derived parX1 from dPL and the empirical fm exhibited significant spatiotemporal variation across 671 catchments. Notably, compared to parX1 obtained through the empirical fm, parX1 derived from dPL exhibited a distinct spatial clustering pattern. This study highlights the potential of dPL in enhancing model accuracy and contributes to understanding the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of parX1 under the influence of climate factors, soil conditions, and vegetation change.