May To October Research Articles

A 22-Year Climatology of Cool Season Hourly Precipitation Thresholds Conducive to Shallow Landslides in California

Abstract California’s winter storms produce intense rainfall capable of triggering shallow landslides, threatening lives and infrastructure. This study explores where hourly rainfall in the state meets or exceeds published values thought to trigger landslides after crossing a seasonal antecedent precipitation threshold. We answer the following questions: 1) Where in California are overthreshold events most common? 2) How are events distributed within the cool season (October–May) and interannually? 3) Are these events related to atmospheric rivers? To do this, we compile and quality control hourly precipitation data over a 22-yr period for 147 Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS). Stations in the Transverse and Coast Ranges and portions of the northwestern Sierra Nevada have the greatest number of rainfall events exceeding thresholds. Atmospheric rivers coincide with 60%–90% of these events. Overthreshold events tend to occur in the climatological wettest month of the year, and they commonly occur multiple times within a storm. These statewide maps depict where to expect intense rainfalls that have historically triggered shallow landslides. They predict that some areas of California are less susceptible to storm-driven landslides solely because high-intensity rainfall is unlikely.

Atmospheric Rivers Carry Nonmonsoon Extreme Precipitation Into Nepal

AbstractAtmospheric rivers (ARs) are concentrated bands of water vapor that can cause extreme precipitation and severe flooding. Fortunately, due to their 1,500+ km spatial extent, they may also be forecasted days in advance. The goals of this study were to investigate the seasonal climatology of ARs in the Himalayan region of Nepal and to determine the role of ARs in extreme precipitation events. Using the ERA‐Interim atmospheric reanalysis, we applied a standard integrated vapor transport AR detection approach for the 35‐year period from 1979 to 2013. We detected 433 ARs, or approximately 12 ARs yearly. Along our six (0.75°) grid detection transect, ARs explain 35% of grid annual maximum daily precipitation events and 70% of grid nonmonsoon (October–May) maximum daily precipitation events. In 89% and 71% of years, at least one of the six detection grids experienced an AR‐related nonmonsoon maximum or annual maximum event, respectively. Overall, ARs explain 78% of daily precipitation totals exceeding 33 mm in the nonmonsoon season in comparison to 18% if the entire year is considered. As we show, ARs constitute a valuable new lens through which extreme precipitation in the region may be understood and forecasted. However, follow‐on integrated vapor transport analyses that more closely investigate the interaction between ARs and their synoptic‐scale environment are needed to better differentiate January and February ARs from Western Disturbances and June–September ARs from the Indian monsoon.

Assessment of Groundwater Drought in the Mangyeong River Basin, Korea

When groundwater drought occurs, baseflow discharges to surface-water bodies will be reduced and then domestic and agricultural water usage becomes at risk of insufficient supply. Thus, in this study, several methods for groundwater drought assessment were tested with long-term monitoring water-level data in the study area to preserve groundwater sustainability from drought, principally caused by reduced precipitation and propagated through agricultural drought and groundwater drought. Because of the Monsoon climate on the Korean Peninsula, the groundwater storage (or water-level) is secured until the end of summer, then falls by natural discharge during the dry seasons of autumn, winter and the following spring. Thus, the rainfall in the wet season seems to mainly influence groundwater storage until the spring of the following year. As the groundwater level (GWL) declines due to natural drainage and the use of agricultural water increases by the end of the dry season (October–May), the GWL will become lowered below the critical level. Below this level, sufficient water supply is not secured. Using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), threshold method and 95% probability occurrence method, drought detection and the frequency of drought are compared. Groundwater drought using the threshold method results in more frequent occurrence than using the SPI method. The 95% occurrence method responds to severe drought but it also has weakness in missing the man-induced GWL decline in every spring season. For groundwater drought assessment, an appropriate drought index should be utilized according to climatic conditions and catchment characteristics. In the study area, variations of the both natural and anthropogenic effects are mixed and the threshold method is more suitable as a measure for preventing water resources shortage.

125 Lactate as a Mortality Predictor in Emergency Department Patients With Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage

The prognostic value of emergency department lactate levels has been well studied in conditions such as sepsis and trauma; however, limited data exists for its use in gastrointestinal hemorrhage (GIH). Additionally, the presence of hypotension has also been cited as predictive of mortality in GIH but the role of lactate is not defined. The primary objective of this study was to compare mortality in emergency department GIH patients using lactate as the prognostic indicator. This was a retrospective cohort study in an urban, tertiary care teaching hospital. A total of 269 patients with GIH had lactate levels obtained between October 1st, 2008 and May 31st, 2013. Inclusion criteria were all individuals presenting in the ED who were ≥18 years of age with the clinical impression of a GIH who had a lactate level obtained at the discretion of the treating physician. The main outcome measure was in-hospital mortality with a secondary outcome comparing the predictive value of lactate in patients with hypotension (SBP < 90) and without hypotension (SBP ≥ 90). Of the 269 patients in this analysis, 20 (7.4%) expired. The mean lactate of survivors was 2.5 mmol/L (95% CI 2.3-2.7) and the mean lactate of expired patients was 5.6 mmol/L (95% CI 3.6-7.6). 24 (8.9%) patients were hypotensive with 29.2% in-hospital mortality. In the subset of 245 normotensive patients, mortality associated with a lactate level < 2.5 mmol/L was 1.9%, a lactate 2.5-3.9 mmol/L was 4.9%, and a lactate ≥ 4 mmol/L was 18.6% (p<0.0001). Lactate is predictive of mortality in emergency department patients with GIH. This study highlights that elevated lactate levels were predictive of mortality when hypotension was absent. This indicates that lactate may be a useful predictor of mortality when used in conjunction with traditional variables.

Reproductive biology of Philodryas patagoniensis (Snakes: Dipsadidae) in south Brazil: Female reproductive cycle

AbstractIn this study, we describe the female reproductive cycle of Philodryas patagoniensis in south Brazil, which was described through morpho‐anatomical and histological analyses. The peak of secondary vitellogenesis occurred during winter–spring (July–December), ovulation in spring (October–December), mating and fertilization in spring–summer (October–February), oviposition in spring–autumn (October–May) and births from late spring to autumn (December–July). The diameter of vitellogenic follicles/eggs was larger in winter–spring than in other seasons. The diameter of the shell glands was also larger in winter–spring. In spite of the clear reproductive peak, gonads only showed reduced activity in the autumn. Therefore, at the individual level, females have a discontinuous cyclical reproduction; in the populational level, the reproductive cycle is seasonal semisynchronous. We support the hypothesis that P. patagoniensis have the ability to produce multiple clutches with long‐term stored sperm. Sexual dimorphism in body size was evident, and females are significantly larger and heavier than males. Larger females were able to produce follicles and eggs in larger amount and size. The maternal body size was positively related to the reproductive effort and fecundity. To conclude, we deliberated about the proximal and distal causes that influence the reproductive traits and patterns of P. patagoniensis.

The possible impact of the circumglobal wave train on the wet season dust storm activity over the northern Arabian Peninsula

This study examines the influence of mid-latitude circulation on the wet season (October–May) Dust Storm Activity (DSA) over the northern Arabian Peninsula for the period of 1983–2013, using observational and reanalysis gridded datasets. Dusty and clear days composites of the 200 hPa geopotential height anomalies reveal a pattern in the upper-levels which is strongly correlated with the mid-latitude circumglobal wave train (CGT) and exists 3 days prior to the outbreak of dust storms. The regional surface conditions (such as the mean sea level pressure; low-level temperature and winds, etc.) that favor the DSA over the northern Arabian Peninsula display significant correlations with the CGT on intraseasonal time scale. A time-lagged analysis reveals that the eastward propagating CGT influences the surface pressure over the northern Arabian Peninsula and adjacent areas—hence the DSA. The DSA over the northern Arabian Peninsula is found to be more frequent during the positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the cold phase of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (La Nina), and less frequent during the negative phase of NAO and the warm phase of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (El Nino).

Using satellite-based soil moisture to detect and monitor spatiotemporal traces of agricultural drought over Bundelkhand region of India

Detection and monitoring of seasonal agricultural drought at sub-regional scale is a complex theme due to inefficient spatiotemporal indicators. This study presents a new time-based function of spaceborne soil moisture as an efficient indicator. Bundelkhand of Central India, a frequently agricultural drought affected region, was used as the study area. Rabi agricultural season (October–May) being the dominant agricultural return period, was chosen as the study period. Coarse resolution soil moisture (SMc) obtained from European space agency under climate change initiative program was spatially downscaled (SMd) to meet spatial scale at sub-regional level with overall root-mean-square error under 0.065 cm3/cm3. Indirect validation of SMd was done using temporal impact of rainfall/dry spell on SMd and spatiotemporal impact of SMd on vegetation condition. SMd was found to agree with phenomenon as expected in natural processes and hence it was assumed to be validated. The time-based function derived from spatiotemporal SMd (FSMs) was found to be better related with fluctuations in seasonal crop yield (Ys) at district level as compared to a similar function (FVCIs) derived using vegetation condition index (VCI) from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. FSMs outperformed FVCIs having better correlation coefficient (R ≥0.8) and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) than FVCIs for most of the districts. Unlike FVCIs, it also efficiently detected the lowest and highest Ys for majority of the districts representing better association with agricultural drought. Subsequently, frequent soil moisture deficit areas were mapped by using FSMs to visualize the spatiotemporal severity of agricultural drought in the region during Rabi season.

Textural characteristics and morphosedimentary environment of foreshore zone along Ganpatipule, Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACTThe cross-shore profile and the textural distribution of foreshore sediments of Ganpatipule beach along Maharashtra coast covering two annual cycles are examined. Ganpatipule beach depicts erosion and accretion of the berm, reduction and widening of foreshore widths during the monsoon (June–September) and post-monsoon (October–May), respectively with net sediment accretion during the study period due to the changes in the wave characteristics. A direct correlation is observed between the median sediment grain size and beach-face slopes signifying high wave energy ensuing to a gentle to very gentle slope. The sediments are mainly medium grain size, moderately well sorted, bimodal, very fine skewed to very coarse skewed and very platykurtic to very leptokurtic in nature. The binary plots of the textural parameters (mean, skewness, kurtosis, and standard deviation) depicted a characteristic beach environment of deposition. The study shows that the sediment is concentrated in the environment of rolling and bottom suspension. The study on grain size distribution of sediments could be used to assess the wave energy condition prevailing along the coastal area.

Annual variations of the tropopause height over the Tibetan Plateau compared with those over other regions

By using radiosonde data, the annual variation of the tropopause height over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) compared with that over the same latitude plain area and tropics is first analyzed, and then the tropopause heights over the TP obtained from radiosondes, ERA-40, NCEP-NCAR analysis, and the HALOE occultation measurement are compared. It is found that the second (first) tropopause is easier to be observed over the TP than that over the plain area in June–September (October–May). The first tropopause height (TH1) over the TP is higher than that over the plain area in boreal winter (November–March), while the second tropopause height (TH2) over the TP is higher in each month, and from April to September it is even higher than that over the tropics. The maximum differences of both TH1 and TH2 between the TP and tropics appear in boreal middle summer. The annual variation of TH2 over the TP exhibits a single-peak structure, while it shows a bimodal structure over the tropics. It is revealed that all the tropopause heights derived from ERA-40, NCEP-NCAR analysis, and HALOE measurement are between TH1 and TH2. During October–May, all of these heights are close to the average of TH1 and TH2. During June–September, all of them are close to TH2, and the HALOE-based height is most close to TH2 and their difference is less than 0.5km. Therefore, extreme caution should be exercised if ERA-40, NCEP-NCAR reanalysis, and the HALOE occultation measurement are selected to analyze the tropopause over the TP.

Variability of the East Greenland Current in Fram Strait From Subdaily COSMO-SkyMed X-SAR Imagery

Sea ice speed vectors were extracted from COSMO-SkyMed X-band SAR images acquired twice per day from March 2013 to December 2014 over the East Greenland current (EGC) in western Fram Strait. Only winter periods (October-May) were investigated. Maximum ice speed of 81.7 cm/s to SW was detected at 80°N 0°W between November22 and 23, 2013. At 79°N between 7° and 5°W, sea ice speed vectors were mostly directed to S-SW but reversed to the north for short periods. Using ERA-Interim atmospheric data, the southward component of the ice speed (max. +71.7, min. -30.9 cm/s) was correlated (R = 0.93) to the cross-strait sea level pressure gradient. Ice speeds due to the EGC were obtained by subtracting the wind-induced ice speed component estimated by linear regression. Results for winter 2013-2014 show that the mean southward component of the EGC (9.4 cm/s, σ = 3.0) accounted more than half of the mean sea ice speed (17.7 cm/s, σ = 7.2). The EGC oscillated between 5 and 15 cm/s and sustained the southward ice export during short periods when the wind reversed to north. Satellite-based measurements of the surface EGC are the complement to hydrographic measurements in Fram Strait, but further investigation is required to understand how the apparent variability of the current is influenced by the thickness of the ice transiting in the strait or by wind induced north-to-south oscillations of the sea surface in the strait.

Synoptic regimes associated with the eastern Mediterranean wet season cyclone tracks

The main synoptic patterns associated with the wet season (October–May) eastern Mediterranean cyclones have been analyzed and described using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis datasets for the period 1958–2013. The cyclone tracks detected in the eastern Mediterranean are classified into two types based on their positions: the local tracks and the long tracks. The local tracks are either stationary or short tracks. The long tracks distinguished into eleven very closed and highly correlated clusters, which are presented into three regimes namely the northern, the southern and the eastern border Mediterranean regimes. Among the 940 (44.78% of a total of 2099) long tracks, the northern, southern, and eastern border regime contributes respectively about 53.62%, 41.81% and 5% of the long tracks. In addition, the distribution of the long tracks reveals that a larger proportion of the cyclones are generated at the northern coast during November and spring months, while few cyclones are developed over the eastern Mediterranean border in warm months (April and May). Further, their synoptic features show that the regimes are associated with the extension of Azores high, specifically for each regime, the cyclogenesis areas of its clusters are controlled by the intersection of low level (850hPa) trough and the position of the upper level (250hPa) maximum wind. Furthermore, the orientations of clusters are controlled by the extension of Siberian high and the shape of cyclonic trough at 850hPa. In addition, the synoptic study shows that most of the southern cyclones generated externally by African and Red Sea troughs, while most of the northern and eastern border cyclones are generated internally.

Comparison of drought signals in tree-ring width records of juniper trees from Central and West Asia during the last four centuries

Comparison of climate reconstruction from different regions helps in understanding large-scale climate change. Here we compiled moisture-sensitive tree-ring width chronologies from north Tajikistan (Central Asia) and southern Jordan (West Asia) and compared drought variations over the two regions for the last four centuries. Tree-ring width chronology of Juniperus turkestanica in north Tajikistan was found to be sensitive to mean August–July Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) variations. Tree-ring width chronology of Juniperus phoenicia in southern Jordan was correlated to October–May precipitation variations. Comparison of the two tree-ring width chronologies shows similar wet/dry periods, and regional dry conditions during ad 1600–1621, 1627–1635, 1683–1697, 1731–1735, 1758–1791, 1810–1812, 1843–1862, 1871–1875, 1926–1941, and 1963–1968. Wavelet coherence analysis indicates the existence of some decadal and inter-annual cycles in the two tree-ring width chronologies. This may suggest the influences of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and solar activity on the drought variations in Central and West Asia.

Analysis of the mass balance time series of glaciers in the Italian Alps

Abstract. This work presents an analysis of the mass balance series of nine Italian glaciers, which were selected based on the length, continuity and reliability of observations. All glaciers experienced mass loss in the observation period, which is variable for the different glaciers and ranges between 10 and 47 years. The longest series display increasing mass loss rates, which were mainly due to increased ablation during longer and warmer ablation seasons. The mean annual mass balance (Ba) in the decade from 2004 to 2013 ranged from −1788 to −763 mm w.e. yr−1. Low-altitude glaciers with low range of elevation are more out of balance than the higher, larger and steeper glaciers, which maintain residual accumulation areas in their upper reaches. The response of glaciers is mainly controlled by the combination of October–May precipitations and June–September temperatures, but rapid geometric adjustments and atmospheric changes lead to modifications in their response to climatic variations. In particular, a decreasing correlation of Ba with the June–September temperatures and an increasing correlation with October–May precipitations are observed for some glaciers. In addition, the October–May temperatures tend to become significantly correlated with Ba, possibly indicating a decrease in the fraction of solid precipitation, and/or increased ablation, during the accumulation season. Because most of the monitored glaciers have no more accumulation area, their observations series are at risk due to their impending extinction, thus requiring a replacement soon.

Reviving the Ganges Water Machine: potential

Abstract. The Ganges River basin faces severe water challenges related to a mismatch between supply and demand. Although the basin has abundant surface water and groundwater resources, the seasonal monsoon causes a mismatch between supply and demand as well as flooding. Water availability and flood potential is high during the 3–4 months (June–September) of the monsoon season. Yet, the highest demands occur during the 8–9 months (October–May) of the non-monsoon period. Addressing this mismatch, which is likely to increase with increasing demand, requires substantial additional storage for both flood reduction and improvements in water supply. Due to hydrogeological, environmental, and social constraints, expansion of surface storage in the Ganges River basin is problematic. A range of interventions that focus more on the use of subsurface storage (SSS), and on the acceleration of surface–subsurface water exchange, has long been known as the Ganges Water Machine (GWM). The approach of the GWM for providing such SSS is through additional pumping and depleting of the groundwater resources prior to the onset of the monsoon season and recharging the SSS through monsoon surface runoff. An important condition for creating such SSS is the degree of unmet water demand. The paper shows that the potential unmet water demand ranging from 59 to 124 Bm3 year−1 exists under two different irrigation water use scenarios: (i) to increase irrigation in the Rabi (November–March) and hot weather (April–May) seasons in India, and the Aman (July–November) and Boro (December–May) seasons in Bangladesh, to the entire irrigable area, and (ii) to provide irrigation to Rabi and the hot weather season in India and the Aman and Boro seasons in Bangladesh to the entire cropped area. However, the potential for realizing the unmet irrigation demand is high only in 7 sub-basins in the northern and eastern parts, is moderate to low in 11 sub-basins in the middle, and has little or no potential in 4 sub-basins in the western part of the Ganges basin. Overall, a revived GWM plan has the potential to meet 45–84 Bm3year−1 of unmet water demand.

Accuracy Assessment of MODIS Fractional Snow Cover Product for Eastern Himalayan Catchment

Snow-cover information is important for a wide variety of scientific studies, water supply and management applications. Various remote sensing products are used to identify spatial–temporal trends in snow cover. Snow cover maps produced by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellites are one of the best sources of satellite-based snow cover monitoring since they are produced on a daily basis and can be downloaded from the Internet for free. Their main limitation, however, is cloud obscuration. The accuracy of MODIS snow products must be known in order to optimize their use. Present study deals with accuracy assessment of the MODIS Fractional Snow Products as compared to snow cover image obtained from IRS-P6 LISS-III. MODIS Fractional Snow Cover Product for three snow seasons (October–May) of 2006–07, 2008–09, and 2009–10 for both MOD10A1 and MYD10A1 were downloaded from NASA Distributed Active Archive Centre (DAAC) located at the National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) (http://reverb.echo.nasa.gov/reverb/). MODIS Reprojection Tool (Version 4.1) and ERDAS IMAGINE 2011 were respectively used for converting downloaded data to the suitable format for GIS software and to subset the image for study area. IRS-P6 LISS-III images for the study area were procured from National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO, Hyderabad, India. The comparison of SCA% in between MODIS and LISS-III showed that performance of MODIS for snow cover mapping in Eastern Himalayan region is satisfactory.

Spatial distribution and synoptic conditions of snow accumulation in the Russian Arctic

Snow accumulation and associated synoptic conditions in the Russian Arctic are analysed based on snow depth data from 1950 to 2013 from the All-Russian Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information—World Data Centre data set. The mean duration of snow coverage in the Russian Arctic is approximately eight to nine months. While the period of snowmelt is usually very short (one or two months), snow accumulates during most of the cold season (October–May). Snow accumulation is associated with negative anomalies of sea level pressure and positive anomalies of air temperature, which means increased cyclonic activity over the analysed region. The cyclones differ in intensity and localization, depending on the area of snowfall. In the western part of the Russian Arctic the cyclones and air masses that bring snowfall may originate from the North Atlantic, while in the eastern part they originate from the Bering Sea, Okhotsk Sea or the North Pacific. The cyclones that bring snowfall may also form locally along the zonal border between two different air masses: the very cold, polar, continental air originating from the Siberian High and the Arctic air from the north, which is often warmer and always more humid than the continental air. Keywords: Polar climate; snow cover; air circulation patterns. (Published: 30 March 2016) To access the supplementary material for this article, please see the supplementary files in the column to the right (under Article Tools). Citation: Polar Research 2016, 35 , 25916, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/polar.v35.25916

Sovietization of public spaces in Kaunas in 1940–1941

The present article analyses the adaptation of spaces of the Kaunas city to the new ideology during the years of the first Soviet occupation. It discusses the most important urban reconstruction ideas and their implementation as well as the relationship with the urban development tradition of the Soviet Union. During the Soviet occupation in 1940–1941, symbolic and decorative transformations of city spaces exceeded the fundamental ones. There was not much construction, and the projects initiated in independent Lithuania were continued. The construction was followed by the articles in press, which emphasized the ideological meaning of changes in the city. Kaunas was depicted as a place for the workers’ hegemony and the symbol of the new life. City spaces were decorated by abundant signs of the Soviet authority in a short time. One of the most significant phenomena was changes in its toponymy. Decorative changes of city spaces were particularly apparent during the state festivals. The Soviet authorities introduced the new calendar of festivals and new rituals. There were large-scale celebrations to commemorate the October Revolution and May 1. The aim of the festivals was to consolidate society and to demonstrate power of the new authorities. This was expressed by organizing the Red Army parades. An important aspect of the celebrations was creation of an image of a new Soviet person. Soviet festivals in Kaunas in 1940–1941 were well-organized and large-scale events, in which the historical system of Kaunas public spaces was used, displaying new symbolism of the Soviet authorities. References to Soviet festivals in ego-documents confirm that they should be considered as an important feature of the period.

Biodiversity dynamics of chironomid midges in high‐altitude lakes of the Alps over the past two millennia

Abstract Climate change is one of the key drivers of changes in the biodiversity of the planet. There is, however, a general lack of long‐term data sets showing trends in taxonomic diversity of aquatic insects in high mountain environments particularly vulnerable to climate change. Using palaeolimnological techniques, we explored the changes in subfossil chironomid assemblages from three remote water bodies in the Eastern Alps, with the main focus on taxonomic turnover over different intervals of the late Holocene. Major changes in the assemblages coincided with shifts between different climate regimes and were mainly associated with the taxonomic shifts indicating the crossing ecological thresholds related to the ice‐cover duration in alpine lakes. Patterns of assemblage turnover through the past 2000 years differ between the study sites. Nevertheless, despite site‐specific differences in the physical setting and taxonomic composition, the study sites reveal substantial chironomid assemblage turnover (&gt;1.0 SD) since AD 1850. The highest chironomid turnover (0.87 SD) over the last 30 years (AD 1980–2010), more than three times greater (0.26 SD) than in the previous 30 years, is observed in the lake situated at the highest elevation among the study lakes. Applying non‐linear structural equation modelling, we found that cold‐season (October–May) temperatures and therefore lake ice phenology are among the most important environment variables affecting the chironomid assemblages. The results of this study suggest that further climate warming will increase the risk of ecological alterations in remote Alpine freshwaters, including major shifts in chironomid fauna.

Aerosol characteristics in Phimai, Thailand determined by continuous observation with a polarization sensitive Mie–Raman lidar and a sky radiometer

Distributions and optical characteristics of aerosols were continuously observed with a polarization-sensitive (532 nm), Mie-scattering (532 and 1064 nm) and Raman-scattering (607 nm) lidar and a sky radiometer in Phimai, Thailand. Polarization lidar measurements indicated that high concentration plumes of spherical aerosols considered as biomass burning smoke were often observed in the dry season. Plumes of non-spherical aerosols considered as long-range transported soil dust from Africa, the Middle East, or Northeast Asia were occasionally observed. Furthermore, low-concentration non-spherical aerosols were almost always observed in the atmospheric mixing layer. Extinction coefficient profiles of spherical aerosols and non-spherical dust exhibited different diurnal variations, and spherical aerosols including smoke were distributed in higher altitudes in the mixing layer and residual layer. The difference can be explained by hygroscopic growth of smoke particles and buoyancy of the smoke. Analysis of seasonal variations of optical properties derived from the Raman lidar and the sky radiometer confirmed that the lidar ratio, aerosol optical depth, and Angstrom exponent were higher in the dry season (October–May) and lower in the wet season (June–September). The single scattering albedo was lower in the dry season. These seasonal variations are explained by frequent biomass burning in the dry season consistent with previous studies in Southeast Asian region. At the same time, the present work confirmed that soil dust was a major aerosol component in Phimai, Thailand.

Home in the heat: Dramatic seasonal variation in home range of desert golden eagles informs management for renewable energy development

Renewable energy is expanding quickly with sometimes dramatic impacts to species and ecosystems. To understand the degree to which sensitive species may be impacted by renewable energy projects, it is informative to know how much space individuals use and how that space may overlap with planned development. We used global positioning system–global system for mobile communications (GPS-GSM) telemetry to measure year-round movements of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) from the Mojave Desert of California, USA. We estimated monthly space use with adaptive local convex hulls to identify the temporal and spatial scales at which eagles may encounter renewable energy projects in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan area. Mean size of home ranges was lowest and least variable from November through January and greatest in February–March and May–August. These monthly home range patterns coincided with seasonal variation in breeding ecology, habitat associations, and temperature. The expanded home ranges in hot summer months included movements to cooler, prey-dense, mountainous areas characterized by forest, grasslands, and scrublands. Breeding-season home ranges (October–May) included more lowland semi-desert and rock vegetation. Overlap of eagle home ranges and focus areas for renewable energy development was greatest when eagle home ranges were smallest, during the breeding season. Golden eagles in the Mojave Desert used more space and a wider range of habitat types than expected and renewable energy projects could affect a larger section of the regional population than was previously thought.