Infrared brightness temperature–based indicators for identifying thunderstorm clouds: Insights from FY-4A satellite observations

This study examines the relationship between liberal democracy and climate performance. In the econometric analysis conducted using the panel ARDL model, the long-term effects of liberal democracy, climate change performance, urban population, and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) on carbon emissions (CO 2 ) are analyzed based on OECD member countries. We find that an increase in the level of liberal democracy increases carbon emissions in the long term, while improved climate performance significantly reduces emissions. It means that liberal democracy not only generates a “demand for climate mitigation” but also a “demand for climate-insensitive economic growth and urbanization.” If the institutional capacity for climate mitigation cannot balance these demands, an increase in carbon emissions will be inevitable. In this context, we argue that relationship between liberal democracy and climate change performance is not linear, but “conditional”. Liberal democracies can only succeed in climate mitigation when a certain institutional capacity threshold is exceeded. This capacity can be increased with the following concrete policy recommendations for OECD countries: To base carbon reduction targets on permanent/legislative rather than temporary/political grounds, to strengthen emission monitoring and reporting mechanisms, and to encourage investments in renewable energy. To expand investments in electric public transport and low-carbon transportation systems, and develop energy-efficient building standards. To focus not only on the rate of growth but also on the carbon intensity and energy structure of that growth.

This study estimates China’s methane (CH4) emissions from 43 specific emission sources in 2020 and projects future trends through 2050 under two scenarios: Current Legislation (CLE) and Maximum Technically Feasible Reduction (MFR). The analysis utilises the Greenhouse gas and Air pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model methane framework, incorporating updated province-level activity data to capture the pronounced regional heterogeneity inherent in emission profiles and mitigation capacities. The results reveal a national CH4 budget of 1114 MtCO2e in 2020, with the energy sector (59%) and agriculture (28%) emerging as the primary contributors. A substantial technical mitigation potential is identified; by 2050, emissions could be curtailed by up to 48% relative to the CLE scenario, representing a 46% reduction from 2020 levels. The energy and waste sectors emerge as the primary contributors to this potential. Specifically, coal mining CH4 abatement constitutes 58% of the energy sector’s total reduction potential, while enhanced solid waste management accounts for 97% of the mitigation within the waste sector. Key measures include ventilation air methane (VAM) oxidation and pre-mining degasification, as well as anaerobic digestion and recovery and utilization for energy use. Owing to regional disparities in hydrothermal conditions (representing the combined influence of temperature and moisture), demographic status, economic development, the most effective mitigation strategies vary across provinces. For example, pre-mining degasification and VAM oxidation are most impactful in major coal-producing regions such as Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Shaanxi. In contrast, anaerobic digestion, recovery and utilization, and waste incineration play a dominant role in more economically developed and densely populated provinces such as Jiangsu, Shandong and Zhejiang. By delineating region-specific technological priorities, this study quantifies the maximum technical mitigation potential for China and offers guidance for other nations facing similar mitigation challenges.

Ground vibrations can adversely affect adjacent structures and sensitive equipment. Implementing wave barriers along the wave propagation path is an effective mitigation technique. While previous studies have investigated the effectiveness of geofoam as a wave barrier in single configurations, limited research has addressed the performance of multiple geofoam barriers. In this study, the vibration isolation efficiency of triple geofoam barriers is experimentally evaluated through centrifuge modelling, with results compared against previously tested single and double barrier configurations. The results show that the triple geofoam barrier system achieves vibration mitigation of up to 87.5% and improves the isolation efficiency compared to single and double barriers. It also drives the isolation system performance toward its maximum mitigation capacity and saturated behavior. Moreover, the triple geofoam barriers exhibit the most uniform screening performance across a wide frequency range, and with increasing distance from the barrier system, the isolation efficiency remains uniform behind the barriers at each loading frequency.

According to data from the USDA's Risk Management Agency, crop insurance indemnities related to precipitation, hurricanes, excess moisture, and field inundation have totaled approximately $3.65 billion across Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa over the past decade. Of this amount, an estimated $924 million (25.31%) was attributed to losses that occurred in the spring months. Cover crops and conservation tillage have been recommended as best management practices to mitigate financial impacts by reducing nutrient losses from erosion, runoff, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, preventing disease and physical plant damage, and enhancing field access through improved landscape drainage. However, further intensification of field inundation events is projected in these three states as we approach the midcentury, which may lessen the mitigative capacity of these practices. Few studies have tested the resilience of these land management practices to intensifying field inundation. We propose a framework that integrates guiding research questions and field experiments to determine whether the mitigative capacity of cover crops and conservation tillage keeps pace with intensifying field inundation events. We also explore agricultural biologicals, precision agriculture, the introduction of perennial crops, and drainage management as measures to address inefficiencies associated with the mitigative capacity of cover crops and conservation tillage that may be identified during experimentation. This effort expands recommended best management practices and provides stakeholders with more options in an uncertain future due to climate change.

As backcountry recreation grows in popularity, so too does reliance on avalanche safety equipment such as transceivers and airbags. While these tools have demonstrably improved survival rates, their presence may unintentionally alter user behavior, a phenomenon known as risk compensation. This review examines the extent to which safety equipment influences decision making in avalanche terrain, drawing on existing literature, risk-cost analysis, and behavioral research. Findings suggest that users often overestimate the protective capabilities of their gear, leading to increased exposure to hazardous conditions, particularly among recreational users. Trauma-related fatalities, which remain largely unaffected by current technologies, underscore the limitations of relying solely on equipment for safety. Survey data and scenario-based studies reveal that both experienced and inexperienced users may adjust their risk thresholds based on perceived safety, sometimes engaging in behavior that exceeds the mitigation capacity of their gear. The analysis concludes that avalanche education must explicitly address risk compensation and promote a cautious mindset.

Delivering on climate pledges hinges not only on setting ambitious targets but on translating them into credible, equitable, and regionally feasible action. In China, current policies over the past 30 years have driven a sustained decline in carbon intensity and pushed total installed renewable capacity to 2.16 TW, exceeding 40% of the global total. China's 2060 carbon neutrality goal is supported by a growing suite of detailed energy and climate policies, yet whether near-term actions are already on a pathway that converges with that target remains uncertain. Here, we evaluate how sectoral policy measures adopted between 2019 and 2024, and their plausible near-term extensions, shape China's decarbonization trajectory using a policy-informed integrated assessment model with provincial detail. Our results show that, compared to Current policy, national CO2 emission intensity falls by 12% to 0.35 kgCO2 per 2020USD and the nonfossil share of primary energy increases from 33% to 44% by 2035 under Continued policy strengthening. Most near-term reductions are driven by solar and wind expansion as well as industrial and building efficiency gains. However, sustaining such momentum exposes regional disparities: in several western provinces, annual power sector investment requirements are comparable to more than 5% of 2023 provincial GDP. Nationally, cumulative power sector investments exceed $13 trillion through 2060, concentrated in solar and wind technologies. By linking national targets with disaggregated policy and investment pathways, this study provides an actionable framework for assessing the feasibility and equity of deep decarbonization in heterogeneous economies.

Accurate Traffic congestion, beyond its economic and mobility impacts, poses a significant and systemic security risk to urban transportation networks by reducing their resilience to disruptions and amplifying the consequences of incidents. While predictive models excel at forecasting traffic states, they fall short of diagnosing the underlying risk mechanisms, leaving security vulnerabilities unaddressed. To bridge this gap, this paper proposes a security-oriented Four-Factor Congestion Risk Framework that conceptualizes dynamic risk through the lenses of Hazard (probability and intensity of congestion), Exposure (system usage level), Vulnerability (susceptibility to disruptions), and Mitigation Capacity (adaptive and recovery capability). We instantiate this framework into HiST-Graph, a risk-aware Spatio-Temporal Graph Neural Network. Unlike conventional models, HiST-Graph dynamically learns latent risk propagation pathways and disentangles the contributions of the four security-related factors. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets demonstrate that HiST-Graph not only achieves superior predictive accuracy but, more critically, provides interpretable insights into congestion genesis and evolution. The model identifies high-risk segments, quantifies systemic vulnerabilities, and reveals precursor signals to congestion breakdowns. This work offers a paradigm shift from describing congestion to diagnosing its root causes, with direct implications for enhancing transportation security through proactive risk assessment, targeted vulnerability reduction, and informed mitigation capacity planning.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH4; the sum of four priority PAHs: benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and chrysene) represent serious food safety concerns in edible oils, particularly olive pomace oil (OPO), due to high-temperature processing steps involved in its production. This study evaluated PAH4 mitigation during refining using bleaching clay (BC), activated carbon (AC), and CaO-based adsorbents, including CaO and CaO/chitosan composites, within a laboratory-scale refining framework. Crude OPO contained PAH4 and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) levels exceeding European Union limits (19.13 µg/kg and 5.27 µg/kg, respectively). Degumming and neutralisation resulted in limited reductions, whereas bleaching was identified as the critical step for PAH removal. BC reduced PAH4 to 9.72 µg/kg, approaching regulatory compliance, while AC reduced PAH4 to non-detectable levels. CaO and CaO/chitosan systems achieved approximately 50–53% PAH4 reduction, demonstrating measurable mitigation capacity, although their performance remained lower than that of AC. Method validation (R2 ≥ 0.997, recoveries 84–93%, LODs 0.022–0.090 µg/kg) confirmed the robustness of the analytical data. Overall, while AC remains the regulatory benchmark, CaO-based materials derived from waste seashells show promise as complementary adsorbents for PAH mitigation, supporting the development of more sustainable refining strategies for edible oils.

Evaluating the effectiveness of marine ecological restoration in Xiamen Bay: A three-dimensional ecosystem-based framework.

Synergies in agriculture and nature conservation through hydrological restoration of ecologically valuable and cultivated wetlands in the drought-prone Hungarian Plain (Central and Eastern Europe)

Drainage threatens the vast soil organic carbon (SOC) reservoirs in wetlands, but uncertainties in SOC responses across different wetlands hinder an accurate estimate of their carbon dynamics and climate mitigation capacity. Here we conducted a transcontinental pairwise survey, including 29 pairs of drained and waterlogged sites across low- to high-latitude wetlands in China and Finland after decades of drainage. A total of 2437 soil samples from 188 profiles were analyzed using a high-resolution equivalent ash mass method. We showed that drainage reduced SOC stocks by 32% ± 10% in carbon-rich wetlands due to Sphagnum decay and enhanced decomposition, while the fixed-depth comparison underestimated the SOC stocks by up to 12 folds. Conversely, SOC stocks increased by 46% ± 27% in carbon-poor wetlands due to enhanced plant inputs. Upscaling analysis suggests that, over the past century, drainage alone (without post-drainage disturbances) has led to a 1.80 Gt SOC gain in China, exceeding afforestation-driven SOC gains in northern China during the past three decades by 7.5 folds. Our findings reveal the divergent transcontinental wetland SOC responses to drainage, highlighting the overlooked climate mitigation potential of carbon-poor wetlands under global changes.

Earthquake emergency preparedness plays a vital role in strengthening disaster prevention and mitigation capacity, as well as societal resilience. This study focuses on the Xiong’an New Area, a rapidly developing national demonstration zone in China. An evaluation index system for earthquake emergency preparedness was established, and the entropy weight method was applied to objectively determine indicator weights. By integrating field questionnaire data with statistical analysis, preparedness was quantitatively assessed across three administrative levels: township, county, and city. The results reveal pronounced heterogeneity in earthquake emergency preparedness capacity, with township-level performance varying considerably, county-level performance being relatively higher yet still requiring improvement, and the New Area demonstrating strong overall capacity, particularly in emergency organization and coordination mechanisms. However, limited risk awareness and insufficient self-protection capability among grassroots residents remain key constraints on overall preparedness. This research enhances the understanding of earthquake preparedness and provides valuable insights for strengthening disaster prevention, emergency management, and public safety governance in rapidly urbanizing regions.

The Community Service Program (PKM) titled Transforming Banjarrejo Village into a Climate-Smart Village through Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices aims to address two primary challenges: reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and decreasing reliance on chemical inputs in conventional farming systems. Banjarrejo Village in East Lampung, with a population of 6,793 — 2,652 of whom are farmers, faces land degradation and low income due to unsustainable agricultural practices. The open burning of agricultural residues and household waste further exacerbates GHG emissions. The proposed solutions include: Integrated Waste Management and Environmental Conservation—the processing of household organic waste combined with environmental conservation through Lubang Multiguna (Lu-Mu) or multipurpose infiltration pits to enhance water infiltration and soil fertility; Organic Avocado Cultivation to increase farmers' income; and Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices to improve productivity while reducing GHG emissions. The PKM activities were conducted in Banjarrejo Village, Batanghari Subdistrict, East Lampung Regency, from September to December 2025. The program achieved success through collaboration among the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), Politeknik Negeri Lampung, and local farmer groups. The results demonstrated a 14% increase in community awareness of climate change issues, improved capacity for mitigation and adaptation, increased household income, and measurable contributions to national GHG reduction through tangible actions such as planting 250 organically managed avocado trees and constructing Lu-Mu infiltration pits for household waste management and groundwater conservation.

Use of compost extract as acclimatization accelerator for methane oxidation biosystems.

Generative artificial intelligence technologies have disrupted information ecosystems, posing new threats to public health by enabling rapid, scalable manufacture of convincing but false health stories. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on how generative AI reconfigures health misinformation creation, dissemination, and moderation. In line with PRISMA 2020, 15 empirical studies published between January 2023 and August 2025 were included. Databases consulted were MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, PsycINFO, Communication & Mass Media Complete, arXiv, and medRxiv/SSRN. Studies were contrasted on the basis of production capacity, propagation dynamics, and efficacy of mitigation at technical, sociotechnical, and governance layers. The synthesis indicates that generative AI substantially increases the volume, speed, and perceived credibility of health disinformation production, while altering its propagation dynamics. Users often struggle to distinguish AI‑generated from human‑authored health misinformation, and their sharing intentions are not tightly coupled with perceived accuracy. Existing detection systems show limited performance against AI‑generated content, and while labeling interventions can reduce perceived accuracy, their effects are context‑dependent. Generative AI transforms the health misinformation landscape by lowering barriers to creation and exploiting platform and behavioral dynamics. Current mitigation strategies-spanning technical, sociotechnical, and governance layers-are promising but remain nascent and unevenly evaluated. Future work must prioritize multimodal, multilingual, and health‑specific verification, as well as real‑world testing of interventions, to build equitable and resilient health information ecosystems.

Large, old trees store a considerable part of the total carbon in old-growth forests; however, their influence on long-term climate change mitigation capacity remains unclear. Damage caused by wind and insect outbreaks can rapidly kill trees, and these natural events are expected to increase with climate change, thereby reducing the long-term carbon storage capacity of old-growth stands. The aim was to estimate the importance of large, old trees in carbon storage at the stand level and the potential risks for the carbon stock if they die. The data were collected from Scots pine and Norway spruce stands on mineral soils, of which 44 were old-growth stands, and 47 were mature stands two times younger than the former. Stand-level carbon storage in tree biomass was investigated; the presence of deadwood was analyzed. The carbon stock changes were calculated by excluding the 1-15 largest trees per sample plot. The results showed that the largest trees in old-growth coniferous stands hold a disproportionally large (~ 50% of the total tree biomass carbon pool) share of carbon compared to mature stands, ~ 50% and ~ 10%, respectively. A reduction of the tree biomass carbon pool by approximately 50% required a removal of around 30% more trees in mature than in old-growth stands. A relatively low proportion of deadwood from the total stand volume (~ 20%) suggests a limited single-tree mortality and vulnerable mitigation potential in the assessed old-growth stands. Nevertheless, continuous single-tree mortality due to ageing or windthrow re-shapes forest structure, and raises the potential risk of the stands to maintain and/or further increase substantial tree biomass-linked carbon pools.

Carbon farming is a fundamental strategy for mitigating climate change. Brazil, with 276 million hectares of agricultural land, has strong potential to lead this agenda, but uncertainty about soil carbon (C) debt hinders understanding of its true mitigation capacity. Here, we estimate the soil carbon gap, the difference between soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks under native vegetation and agricultural land across Brazil’s six biomes, which represents the theoretical potential for soil recarbonization. A meta-analysis using a comprehensive national SOC database (4,290 records, 0–30 cm) is used to estimate an overall carbon debt of 1.40 ± 0.1 Pg C. The results show that sustainable practices such as crop rotation, intercropping, no-tillage, and integrated agricultural systems enhance SOC recovery. These findings highlight Brazil’s capacity to drive global emissions mitigation, guide low-carbon policies, and position the country as a key actor in the emerging global carbon market.

Understanding rootstock-mediated physiological and biochemical traits is critical for selecting stress-resilient apricot genotypes. However, integrated assessments of mineral nutrition, oxidative balance, hormone profiles, and carbohydrate metabolism in grafted systems remain limited. We evaluated mineral uptake, oxidative stress responses, antioxidant enzyme activity, hormone content, and sugar profiles in ungrafted apricot rootstock candidates and in 'Hacihaliloglu' cultivar grafted onto 13 Prunus cerasifera genotypes. Genotypic variation was significant across all parameters. Particularly, 63B69, 66B14 and 63B16 and its grafted combination (H/63B69, H/63B14 and H/63B16) consistently exhibited superior nutrient accumulation, lower oxidative damage (H2O2, MDA), higher antioxidant enzyme activity (CAT, SOD), and favorable hormonal and sugar profiles. Multivariate and correlation analyses revealed that grafting reorganized the physiological network, enhancing integration between mineral nutrition, antioxidants, and hormones. Notably, H/63B69, H/63B14 and H/63B16 formed a distinct cluster with high values for beneficial traits, suggesting efficient nutrient uptake and stress mitigation capacity. These findings indicated the critical role of genotype-specific rootstock selection in enhancing the physiological, biochemical, and nutritional performance of apricot trees, particularly under adverse environmental conditions such as drought and heat stress. The consistent superiority of certain genotypes (e.g., 63B69, 66B14, 63B16 and its grafted combination H/63B69, H/63B14 and H/63B16) across multiple functional traits, including nutrient uptake efficiency, antioxidant defense capacity, osmoprotectant accumulation, and hormonal balance, demonstrates that rootstock choice is not merely a supporting factor, but a decisive determinant of overall plant resilience and adaptability. Therefore, strategic utilization of well-characterized rootstock genotypes tailored to specific stress profiles represents a promising approach for improving orchard sustainability and productivity in the face of climate-induced challenges.

Banda Aceh City has high vulnerability to tsunamis due to its coastal location directly facing the sea and being situated in an active tectonic zone. This study evaluates the spatial distribution of tsunami risk and assesses coastal conditions as disaster mitigation efforts using a mixed-method approach that combines quantitative analysis based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and qualitative analysis through field surveys and expert assessments. Three beaches were selected as study locations: Ulee Lheue Beach, Syiah Kuala Beach, and Alue Naga Beach, with risk assessment calculated using the formula Risk = (H × V) / C according to the BNPB framework and overlay techniques in GIS to create risk distribution maps. Coastal condition evaluation focused on coastal vegetation and protective coastal structures assessed using an ordinal scale of 1–5. Results show that Ulee Lheue Beach has the highest mitigation capacity with a score of 64.5% (good category), Syiah Kuala Beach reaches 57.5% (fairly good), while Alue Naga Beach has the lowest score of 28.3% (poor). Correlation analysis yielded a coefficient of r = 0.97, indicating a very strong positive relationship between coastal vegetation and protective coastal structures. Therefore, the study recommends strengthening mitigation strategies through improved protective infrastructure and optimization of coastal vegetation functions, particularly in high-risk areas, to reduce tsunami impacts in the future.