bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends in soil solution dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations across European forests
Authors: Camino-Serrano M. , Graf Pannatier E. , Vicca S. , Luyssaert S. , Jonard M. , Ciais P. , Guenet B. , Gielen B. , Peñuelas J. , Sardans J. , Waldner P. , Etzold S. , Cecchini G. , Clarke N. , Galić Z. , Gandois L. , Hansen K. , Johnson J. , Klinck U. , Lachmanová Z. , Lindroos A. J. , Meesenburg H. , Nieminen T. M. , Sanders T. G. M. , Sawicka K. , Seidling W. , Thimonier A. , Vanguelova E. , Verstraeten A. , Vesterdal L. , Janssens I. A.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soil solution is connected to DOC in surface waters through hydrological flows. Therefore, it is expected that long-term dynamics of DOC in surface waters reflect DOC trends in soil solution. However, a multitude of site-studies has failed so far to establish consistent trends in soil solution DOC, whereas increasing concentrations in European surface waters over the past decades appear to be the norm, possibly as a result from acidification recovery. The objectives of this study were therefore to understand the long-term trends of soil solution DOC from a large number of European forests (ICP Forests Level II plots) and determine their main physico-chemical and biological controls. We applied trend analys is at two levels: 1) to the entire European dataset and 2) to the individual time series and related trends with plot characteristics, i.e., soil and vegetation properties, soil solution chemistry and atmospheric deposition loads. Analyses of the entire dataset showed an overall increasing trend in DOC concentrations in the organic layers, but, at individual plots and depths, there was no clear overall trend in soil solution DOC across Europe with temporal slopes of soil solution DOC ranging between −16.8 % yr−1 and +23 % yr−1 (median= +0.4 % yr−1). The non-significant trends (40 %) outnumbered the increasing (35 %) and decreasing trends (25 %) across the 97 ICP Forests Level II sites. By means of multivariate statistics, we found increasing DOC concentrations with increasing mean nitrate (NO3−) deposition and decreasing DOC concentrations with decreasing me an sulphate (SO42−) deposition, with the magnitude of these relationships depending on plot deposition history. While the attribution of increasing trends in DOC to the reduct ion of SO42− deposition could be confirmed in N-poorer forests, in agreement with observations in surface waters, this was not the case in N-richer forests. In conclusion, long-term trends of soil solution DOC reflected the interactions between controls acting at local (soil and vegetation properties) and regional (atmospheric deposition of SO42− and inorganic N) scales.
A 150-year record of phytoplankton community succession controlled by hydroclimatic variability in a tropical lake
Authors: Yamoah K. A. , Callac N. , Chi Fru E. , Wohlfarth B. , Wiech A. , Chabangborn A. , Smittenberg R. H.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Climate and human-induced environmental change promotes biological regime shifts between alternate stable states, with implications for ecosystem resilience, function and services. While this has been shown for recent microbial communities, the long-term response of microbial communities has not been investigated in detail. This study investigated the decadal variations in phytoplankton communities in a ~150 year long sedimentary archive of Lake Nong Thale Prong (NTP), southern Thailand using a combi nation of DNA and lipid biomarkers techniques. Reconstructed drier climate from ~1857-1916 Common Era (CE) coincided with oligotrophic lake water conditions and dominance of the green algae Botryococcus braunii, producing characteristic botryococcene lipids. A change to higher silica (Si) input ~1916 CE, which was related to increased rainfall concurs with an abrupt takeover by diatom blooms lasting for 50 years. Since the 1970s more eutrophic conditions prevailed, which was likely caused by increased levels of anthropogenic phosphate (P), aided by increased lake stratification caused by somewhat dryer conditions. The eutrophic conditions led to increased primary productivity consisting again of a Botryococcus sp., though this time not producing the botryococcene lipids. Moreover, Cyanobacteria became dominant. Our results indicate that a combined DNA and lipid biomarker approach provides an efficient way to allow tracking centennial-scale hydroclimate and anthropogenic feedback processes in lake ecosystems.
Patterns of carbon processing at the seafloor: the role of faunal and microbial communities in moderating carbon flows
Authors: Woulds C. , Bouillon S. , Cowie G. L. , Drake E. , Middelburg Jack J. , Witte U.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Marine sediments, particularly those located in estuarine and coastal zones, are key locations for the burial of organic carbon (C). However, organic C delivered to the sediment is subjected to a range of biological C-cycling processes, the rates and relative importance of which vary markedly between sites, and which are thus difficult to predict. In this study, stable isotope tracer experiments were used to quantify the processing of C by microbial and faunal communities in two contrasting Scottish estuarine sites: a subtidal, organic C rich site in Loch Etive with cohesive fine-grained sediment, and an intertidal, organic C poor site on an Ythan estuary sand flat with coarse- grained permeable sediments. In both experiments, sediment cores were recovered and amended with 13C labelled phytodetritus to quantify whole community respiration of the added C and to trace the isotope label into faunal and bacterial biomass. Similar respiration rates were found in Loch Etive and on the Ythan sand flat (0.64±0.04 and 0.63±0.12 mg C m−2 h−1, respectively), which we attribute to the experiments being conducted at the same temperature. Faunal uptake of added C over the whole experiment was markedly greater in Loch Etive (204±72 mg C m−2) than on the Ythan sand flat (0.96±0.3mg C m−2), and this difference was driven by a difference in both faunal biomass and activity. Conversely, bacterial C uptake over the whole experiment in Loch Etive was much lower than that on the Ythan sand flat (1.80±1.66 and 127±89 mg C m−2 respectively). This was not driven by differences in biomass, indicating that the bacterial community in the permeable Ythan sediments was particularly active, being responsible for 48±18% of total biologically processed C. This type of biological C processing appears to be favoured in permeable sediments. The total amount of biologically processed C was greatest in Loch Etive, largely due to greater faunal C uptake, which was in turn a result of higher faunal biomass. When comparing results from this study with a wide range of previously published isotope tracing experiments, we found a strong correlation between total benthic biomass (fauna plus bacteria) and total biological C processing rates. Therefore, we suggest that the total C cycling capacity of benthic environments is primarily determined by total biomass.
The status and challenge of global fire modelling
Authors: Hantson S. , Arneth A. , Harrison S. P. , Kelley D. I. , Prentice I. C. , Rabin S. S. , Archibald S. , Mouillot F. , Arnold S. R. , Artaxo P. , Bachelet D. , Ciais P. , Forrest M. , Friedlingstein P. , Hickler T. , Kaplan J. O. , Kloster S. , Knorr W. , Lasslop G. , Li F. , Mangeon S. , Melton J. R. , Meyn A. , Sitch S. , Spessa A. , van der Werf G. R. , Voulgarakis A. , Yue C.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Biomass burning impacts vegetation dynamics, biogeochemical cycling, atmospheric chemistry, and climate, with sometimes deleterious socio-economic impacts. Under future climate projections it is often expected that the risk of wildfires will increase. Our ability to predict the magnitude and geographic pattern of future fire impacts rests on our ability to model fire regimes, either using well-founded empirical relationships or process-based models with good predictive skill. A large variety of models exist today and it is still unclear which type of model or degree of complexity is required to model fire adequately at regional to global scales. This is the central question underpinning the creation of the Fire Model Intercomparison Project – FireMIP, an international project to compare and evaluate existing global fire models against benchmark data sets for present-day and historical conditions. In this paper we summarise the current state-of-the-art in fire regime modelling and model evaluation, and outline what lessons may be learned from FireMIP.
Synchronizing the Greenland ice core and radiocarbon timescales over the Holocene – Bayesian wiggle-matching of cosmogenic radionuclide records
Authors: Adolphi F. , Muscheler R.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Investigations of past climate dynamics rely on accurate and precise chronologies of the employed climate reconstructions. The radiocarbon dating calibration curve (IntCal13) and the Greenland ice core chronology (GICC05) represent two of the most widely used chronological frameworks in paleoclimatology of the past  ∼  50 000 years. However, comparisons of climate records anchored on these chronologies are hampered by the precision and accuracy of both timescales. Here we use common variations in the production rates of 14C and 10Be recorded in tree-rings and ice cores, respectively, to assess the differences between both timescales during the Holocene. Compared to earlier work, we employ a novel statistical approach which leads to strongly reduced and yet, more robust, uncertainty estimates. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the inferred timescale differences are robust independent of (i) the applied ice core 10Be records, (ii) assumptions of the mode of 10Be deposition, as well as (iii) carbon cycle effects on 14C, and (iv) in agreement with independent estimates of the timescale differences. Our results imply that the GICC05 counting error is likely underestimated during the most recent 2000 years leading to a dating bias that propagates throughout large parts of the Holocene. Nevertheless, our analysis indicates that the GICC05 counting error is generally a robust uncertainty measurement but care has to be taken when treating it as a nearly Gaussian error distribution. The proposed IntCal13-GICC05 transfer function facilitates the comparison of ice core and radiocarbon dated paleoclimate records at high chronological precision.
Inferring climate variability from nonlinear proxies: application to palaeo-ENSO studies
Authors: Emile-Geay J. , Tingley M.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Inferring climate from palaeodata frequently assumes a direct, linear relationship between the two, which is seldom met in practice. Here we simulate an idealized proxy characterized by a nonlinear, thresholded relationship with surface temperature, and we demonstrate the pitfalls of ignoring nonlinearities in the proxy–climate relationship. We explore three approaches to using this idealized proxy to infer past climate: (i) methods commonly used in the palaeoclimate literature, without consideration of nonlinearities; (ii) the same methods, after empirically transforming the data to normality to account for nonlinearities; and (iii) using a Bayesian model to invert the mechanistic relationship between the climate and the proxy. We find that neglecting nonlinearity often exaggerates changes in climate variability between different time intervals and leads to reconstructions with poorly quantified uncertainties. In contrast, explicit recognition of the nonlinear relationship, using either a mechanistic model or an empirical transform, yields significantly better estimates of past climate variations, with more accurate uncertainty quantification. We apply these insights to two palaeoclimate settings. Accounting for nonlinearities in the classical sedimentary record from Laguna Pallcacocha leads to quantitative departures from the results of the original study, and it markedly affects the detection of variance changes over time. A comparison with the Lake Challa record, also a nonlinear proxy for El Niño–Southern Oscillation, illustrates how inter-proxy comparisons may be altered when accounting for nonlinearity. The results hold implications for how univariate, nonlinear recorders of normally distributed climate variables are interpreted, compared to other proxy records, and incorporated into multiproxy reconstructions.
Could the Pliocene constrain the Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity?
Authors: Hargreaves J. C. , Annan J. D.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. The mid-PlioceneWarm Period (mPWP) is the most recent interval in which atmospheric carbon dioxide was substantially higher than in modern pre-industrial times. It is, therefore, a potentially valuable target for testing the ability of climate models to simulate climates warmer than the pre-industrial state. The recent Pliocene model inter-comparison Project (PlioMIP) presented boundary conditions for the mPWP, and a protocol for climate model experiments. Here we analyse results from the PlioMIP and, for the first time, discuss the potential for this interval to usefully constrain the equilibrium climate sensitivity. We present an estimate of 1.8–3.6 °C, but there are considerable uncertainties surrounding the analysis. We consider the extent to which these uncertainties may be lessened in the next few years.
A model-data assessment of the role of Southern Ocean processes in the last glacial termination
Authors: Eichinger Roland , Shaffer Gary , Albarrán Nelson , Rojas Maisa , Lambert Fabrice
Published: January 2016

Abstract. The Southern Ocean has been identified as a key player for the global atmospheric temperature and pCO2 rise across the last glacial termination. One leading hypothesis for explaining the initial pCO2 step of 38 ppm (Mystery Interval 17.5 – 14.5 ka) is enhanced upwelling of Southern Ocean deep water that had stayed isolated from surface layers for millennia, thereby accumulating carbon from remineralisation of organic matter. However, the individual influences involved in this interplay of processes are not fully understood. A credible explanation for this remarkable climate change must also be able to reproduce a simultaneous steep decrease of carbon isotope ratios (δ13C and ∆14C). To address this topic, we here apply the Danish Center for Earth System Science (DCESS) Earth System Model with an improved terrestrial biosphere module and tune it to a glacial steady-state within the constraints provided by various proxy data records. In addition to adjustments of physical and biogeochemical parameters to colder climate conditions, a sharp reduction of the oceanic mixing intensity below around 1800 m depth in the high latitude model ocean is imposed, generating a model analogy to isolated deep water while maintaining this water oxygenated in agreement with proxy data records. From this glacial state, transient sensitivity experiments across the last glacial termination are conducted in order to assess the influence of various mechanisms on the climate change of the Mystery Interval. We show that the upwelling of isolated deep water in the Southern Ocean complemented by several physical and biogeochemical processes can explain parts but not all of the atmospheric variations observed across the Mystery Interval.
The Last Glacial Maximum in central North Island, New Zealand: palaeoclimate inferences from glacier modelling
Authors: Eaves Shaun R. , Mackintosh Andrew N. , Anderson Brian A. , Doughty Alice M. , Townsend Dougal B. , Conway Chris E. , Winckler Gisela , Schaefer Joerg M. , Leonard Graham S. , Calvert Andrew T.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Quantitative palaeoclimate reconstructions provide data for evaluating the mechanisms of past, natural climate variability. Geometries of former mountain glaciers constrained by moraine mapping afford the opportunity to reconstruct palaeoclimate, due to the close relationship between ice extent and local climate. In this study, we present results from a series of experiments using a 2D coupled energy-balance/ice-flow model that investigate the palaeoclimate significance of Last Glacial Maximum moraines within nine catchments in central North Island, New Zealand. We find that the former ice limits can be simulated when present day temperatures are reduced by between 4 °C and 7 °C, when precipitation remains unchanged from present. The spread in the results between the nine catchments is likely to represent the combination of chronological and model uncertainties. The temperature decrease required to simulate the former glaciers falls in the range of 5.1 °C and 6.3 °C for the majority of catchments targeted, which represents our best estimate of the peak temperature anomaly in central North Island, New Zealand during the Last Glacial Maximum. A decrease in precipitation, as suggested by proxy evidence and climate models, of up to 25 % from present, increases the magnitude of the required temperature changes by up to 0.8 °C. Glacier model experiments using reconstructed topographies that exclude the volume of post-glacial (<15 ka) volcanism, generally increased the magnitude of cooling required to simulate the former ice limits by up to 0.5 °C. Our palaeotemperature estimates expand the spatial coverage of proxy-based quantitative palaeoclimate reconstructions in New Zealand, and are consistent with independent, proximal temperature reconstructions from fossil pollen assemblages, as well as similar glacier modelling reconstructions from central Southern Alps.
Vegetation-climate feedbacks modulate rainfall patterns in Africa under future climate change
Authors: Wu M. , Schurgers G. , Rummukainen M. , Smith B. , Samuelsson P. , Jansson C. , Siltberg J. , May W.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Africa has been undergoing significant changes in climate patterns and vegetation in recent decades, and continued changes may be expected over this century. Vegetation cover and composition impose important influences on the regional climate in Africa. Climate change-driven changes in regional vegetation patterns may feed back to climate via shifts in surface energy balance, hydrological cycle and resultant effects on surface pressure patterns and larger-scale atmospheric cir culation. We used a regional Earth system model incorporating interactive vegetation-atmosphere coupling to investigate the potential role of vegetation-mediated biophysical feedbacks on climate dynamics in Africa in an RCP8.5-based future climate scenario. The model was applied at high resolution (0.44 x 0.44 degrees) for the CORDEX-Africa domain with boundary conditions from the CanESM2 GCM. We found that changes in vegetation patterns associated with a CO2 and climate-driven increase in net primary productivity, particularly over sub-tropical savannah areas, not only imposed important local effect on the regional climate by altering surface energy fluxes, but also resulted in remote effects over central Africa by modulating the land-ocean temperature contrast, Atlantic Walker circulation and moisture inflow feeding the central African tropical rainforest region with precipitation. The vegetation-mediated feedbacks were in general negative with respect to temperature, dampening the warming trend simulated in the absence of feedbacks, and positive with respect to precipitation, enhancing rainfall reduction over rainforest areas. Our results highlight the importance of vegetation-atmosphere interactions in climate projections for tropical and sub-tropical Africa.
Exploring the sensitivity on a soil area-slope-grading relationship to changes in process parameters using a pedogenesis model
Authors: Welivitiya W. D. D. P. , Willgoose Garry R. , Hancock Greg R. , Cohen Sagy
Published: January 2016

Abstract. This paper generalises the physical dependence of the relationship between contributing area, local slope, and the surface soil grading first described by Cohen et al, [2009, 2010] using their mARM1D and mARM3D pedogenesis models. A more general computational model, SSSPAM5D, extending the conceptualisation of mARM3D has been developed to further our exploration of soilscape self-organisation. A parametric study was carried out using different parent materials, erosion, and weathering mechanisms. These simulations confirmed the generality of the area-slope-d50 relationship. The relationship is also true for other statistics of soil grading (e.g. d10, d90) and robust for different depths within the profile. For small area-slope regimes (i.e. hillslopes with small areas and/or slopes) only the smallest particles can be mobilised by erosion and the area-slope-d50 relationship appears to reflect the erosion model and its Shields Stress threshold. For higher area-slope regimes, total mobilization of the entire soil grading occurs and self-organisation reflects the relative entrainment of different size fractions. Occasionally the interaction between the in-profile weathering and surface erosion draws the bedrock to the surface and forms a bedrock outcrop. The study also shows the influence on different depth dependent in-profile weathering functions in the formation of the equilibrium soil profile and the grading characteristics of the soil within the profile.
Armor breakup and reformation in a degradational laboratory experiment: detailed measurements of spatial and temporal changes of the bed surface texture
Authors: Orru C. , Blom A. , Uijttewaal W.S.J.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Armor breakup and reformation was studied in a laboratory experiment using a trimodal mixture composed of sand and gravel. The armor was formed in the initial stage of the experiment under conditions without sediment supply. Higher flow conditions led to the breakup of the mobile armor and the reformation of a new coarser armor. The breakup initially induced a fining due to the exposure of the finer substrate, which was accompanied by a sudden increase of the local sediment transport rate, followed by the formation of an armor that was coarser than the initial one. The reformation of the armor was due to the supply of coarse material from the upstream degrading reach and the presence of gravel in the original substrate sediment. Provided that the gravel supply from upstream suffices for armor reformation, armor breakup enables slope adjustment such that the new steady state is closer to normal flow conditions.
The influence of Holocene vegetation changes on topography and erosion rates: A case study at Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, Arizona
Authors: Pelletier Jon D. , Nichols Mary H. , Nearing Mark A.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Quantifying how landscapes have responded and will respond to vegetation changes is an essential goal of geomorphology. The Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed offers a unique opportunity to quantify the impact of vegetation changes on landscape evolution over geologic time scales. The Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) is dominated by grasslands at high elevations and shrublands at low elevations. Paleovegetation data suggest that portions of WGEW higher than approximately 1430 m a.s.l. have been grasslands and/or woodlands throughout the late Quaternary, while elevations lower than 1430 m a.s.l. changed from a grassland/woodland to a shrubland c. 2–4 ka. Elevations below 1430 m a.s.l. have decadal time-scale erosion rates approximately ten times higher, drainage densities approximately three times higher, and hillslope-scale relief approximately three times lower than elevations above 1430 m. We leverage the abundant geomorphic data collected at WGEW over the past several decades to calibrate a mathematical model that predicts the equilibrium drainage density in shrublands and grasslands/woodlands at WGEW. We use this model to test the hypothesis that the difference in drainage density between the shrublands and grassland/woodlands at WGEW is partly the result of a late Holocene vegetation change in the lower elevations of WGEW, using the upper elevations as a control. Model predictions for the increase in drainage density associated with the shift from grasslands/woodlands to shrublands are consistent with measured values. Using modern erosion rates and the magnitude of relief reduction associated with the transition from grasslands/woodlands to shrublands, we estimate the timing of the grassland-to-shrubland transition in the lower elevations of WGEW to be approximately 3 ka, i.e., broadly consistent with paleovegetation studies. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that common vegetation changes in semi-arid environments (e.g. from grassland to shrubland) can change erosion rates by more than an order of magnitude, with important consequences for landscape morphology.
Storm-triggered landslides in the Peruvian Andes and implications for topography, carbon cycles, and biodiversity
Authors: Clark K. E. , West A. J. , Hilton R. G. , Asner G. P. , Quesada C. A. , Silman M. R. , Saatchi S. S. , Farfan-Rios W. , Martin R. E. , Horwath A. B. , Halladay K. , New M. , Malhi Y.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. In this study, we assess the geomorphic role of a rare, large-magnitude landslide-triggering event and consider its effect on mountain forest ecosystems and the erosion of organic carbon in an Andean river catchment. Proximal triggers such as large rain storms are known to cause large numbers of landslides, but the relative effects of such low-frequency, high-magnitude events are not well known in the context of more regular, smaller events. We develop a 25-year duration, annual-resolution landslide inventory by mapping landslide occurrence in the Kosñipata Valley, Peru, from 1988 to 2012 using Landsat, QuickBird, and WorldView satellite images. Catchment-wide landslide rates were high, averaging 0.076 % yr−1 by area. As a result, landslides on average completely turn over hillslopes every  ∼  1320 years, although our data suggest that landslide occurrence varies spatially and temporally, such that turnover times are likely to be non-uniform. In total, landslides stripped 26 ± 4 tC km−2 yr−1 of organic carbon from soil (80 %) and vegetation (20 %) during the study period. A single rain storm in March 2010 accounted for 27 % of all landslide area observed during the 25-year study and accounted for 26 % of the landslide-associated organic carbon flux. An approximately linear magnitude–frequency relationship for annual landslide areas suggests that large storms contribute an equivalent landslide failure area to the sum of lower-frequency landslide events occurring over the same period. However, the spatial distribution of landslides associated with the 2010 storm is distinct. On the basis of precipitation statistics and landscape morphology, we hypothesise that focusing of storm-triggered landslide erosion at lower elevations in the Kosñipata catchment may be characteristic of longer-term patterns. These patterns may have implications for the source and composition of sediments and organic material supplied to river systems of the Amazon Basin, and, through focusing of regular ecological disturbance, for the species composition of forested ecosystems in the region.
The implementation of NEMS GFS Aerosol Component (NGAC) Version 1.0 for global dust forecasting at NOAA/NCEP
Authors: Lu C.-H. , da Silva A. , Wang J. , Moorthi S. , Chin M. , Colarco P. , Tang Y. , Bhattacharjee P. S. , Chen S.-P. , Chuang H.-Y. , Juang H.-M. H. , McQueen J. , Iredell M.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) implemented NEMS GFS Aerosol Component (NGAC) for global dust forecasting in collaboration with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). NGAC Version 1.0 has been providing 5 day dust forecasts at 1° × 1° resolution on a global scale, once per day at 00:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), since September 2012. This is the first global system capable of interactive atmosphere aerosol forecasting at NCEP. The implementation of NGAC V1.0 reflects an effective and efficient transitioning of NASA research advances to NCEP operations, paving the way for NCEP to provide global aerosol products serving a wide range of stakeholders as well as to allow the effects of aerosols on weather forecasts and climate prediction to be considered.
Constraining a land surface model with multiple observations by application of the MPI-Carbon Cycle Data Assimilation System
Authors: Schürmann G. J. , Kaminski T. , Köstler C. , Carvalhais N. , Voßbeck M. , Kattge J. , Giering R. , Rödenbeck C. , Heimann M. , Zaehle S.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. We describe the Max Planck Institute Carbon Cycle Data Assimilation System (MPI-CCDAS) built around the tangent-linear version of the land surface scheme of the MPI-Earth System Model v1 (JSBACH). The simulated terrestrial biosphere processes (phenology and carbon balance) were constrained by observations of the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (TIP-FAPAR product) and by observations of atmospheric CO2 at a global set of monitoring stations for the years 2005–2009. The system successfully, and computationally efficiently, improved average foliar area and northern extra-tropical seasonality of foliar area when constrained by TIP-FAPAR. Global net and gross carbon fluxes were improved when constrained by atmospheric CO2, although the system tended to underestimate tropical productivity. Assimilating both data streams jointly allowed the MPI-CCDAS to match both observations (TIP-FAPAR and atmospheric CO2) equally well as the single data stream assimilation cases, therefore overall increasing the appropriateness of the resultant parameter values and biosphere dynamics. Our study thus highlights the role of the TIP-FAPAR product in stabilising the underdetermined atmospheric inversion problem and demonstrates the value of multiple-data stream assimilation for the simulation of terrestrial biosphere dynamics. The constraint on regional gross and net CO2 flux patterns is limited through the parametrisation of the biosphere model. We expect improvement on that aspect through a refined initialisation strategy and inclusion of further biosphere observations as constraints.
Sensitivity of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) to land surface parameterizations and vegetation distributions in California
Authors: Zhao Chun , Huang Maoyi , Fast Jerome  D. , Berg Larry  K. , Qian Yun , Guenther Alex , Gu Dasa , Shrivastava Manish , Liu Ying , Walters Stacy , Pfister Gabriele , Jin Jiming , Shilling John  E. , Warneke Carsten
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Current climate models still have large uncertainties in estimating biogenic trace gases, which can significantly affect atmospheric chemistry and secondary aerosol formation that ultimately influences air quality and aerosol radiative forcing. These uncertainties result from many factors, including uncertainties in land-surface processes and specification of vegetation types, both of which can affect the simulated near-surface fluxes of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). In this study, the latest version of Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN v2.1) is coupled within the land surface parameterization CLM4 in the Weather Research and Forecasting model with chemistry (WRF-Chem). In this implementation, MEGAN v2.1 shares a consistent vegetation map with CLM4 for estimating BVOC emissions. This is unlike MEGAN v2.0 in the public version of WRF-Chem that uses a standalone vegetation map that differs from what is used by land surface parameterizations. This improved modeling framework is used to investigate the impact of two land surface parameterizations, CLM4 and Noah, on BVOCs and examine the sensitivity of BVOCs to vegetation distributions in California. The measurements collected during the Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects Study (CARES) and the California Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Experiment (CalNex) conducted in June of 2010 provide an opportunity to evaluate the simulated BVOCs. Sensitivity experiments show that land surface parameterizations do influence the simulated BVOCs, but the impact is much smaller than that of vegetation distributions. This study indicates that more effort is needed to obtain the most appropriate and accurate land cover datasets for climate and air quality models in terms of simulating BVOCs, oxidant chemistry, and consequently secondary organic aerosol formation.
Implementation of the Community Earth System Model (CESM) version 1.2.1 as a new base model into version 2.50 of the MESSy framework
Authors: Baumgaertner A. J. G. , Jöckel P. , Kerkweg A. , Sander R. , Tost H.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. The Community Earth System Model (CESM1), maintained by the United States National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is connected with the Modular Earth Submodel System (MESSy). For the MESSy user community, this offers many new possibilities. The option to use the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) atmospheric dynamical cores, especially the state-of-the-art spectral element (SE) core, as an alternative to the ECHAM5 spectral transform dynamical core will provide scientific and computational advances for atmospheric chemistry and climate modelling with MESSy. The well-established finite volume core from CESM1(CAM) is also made available. This offers the possibility to compare three different atmospheric dynamical cores within MESSy. Additionally, the CESM1 land, river, sea ice, glaciers and ocean component models can be used in CESM1/MESSy simulations, allowing the use of MESSy as a comprehensive Earth system model (ESM). For CESM1/MESSy set-ups, the MESSy process and diagnostic submodels for atmospheric physics and chemistry are used together with one of the CESM1(CAM) dynamical cores; the generic (infrastructure) submodels support the atmospheric model component. The other CESM1 component models, as well as the coupling between them, use the original CESM1 infrastructure code and libraries; moreover, in future developments these can also be replaced by the MESSy framework. Here, we describe the structure and capabilities of CESM1/MESSy, document the code changes in CESM1 and MESSy, and introduce several simulations as example applications of the system. The Supplements provide further comparisons with the ECHAM5/MESSy atmospheric chemistry (EMAC) model and document the technical aspects of the connection in detail.
First implementation of secondary inorganic aerosols in the MOCAGE version R2.15.0 chemistry transport model
Authors: Guth J. , Josse B. , Marécal V. , Joly M. , Hamer P.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. In this study we develop a secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA) module for the MOCAGE chemistry transport model developed at CNRM. The aim is to have a module suitable for running at different model resolutions and for operational applications with reasonable computing times. Based on the ISORROPIA II thermodynamic equilibrium module, the new version of the model is presented and evaluated at both the global and regional scales. The results show high concentrations of secondary inorganic aerosols in the most polluted regions: Europe, Asia and the eastern part of North America. Asia shows higher sulfate concentrations than other regions thanks to emission reductions in Europe and North America. Using two simulations, one with and the other without secondary inorganic aerosol formation, the global model outputs are compared to previous studies, to MODIS AOD retrievals, and also to in situ measurements from the HTAP database. The model shows a better agreement with MODIS AOD retrievals in all geographical regions after introducing the new SIA scheme. It also provides a good statistical agreement with in situ measurements of secondary inorganic aerosol composition: sulfate, nitrate and ammonium. In addition, the simulation with SIA generally gives a better agreement with observations for secondary inorganic aerosol precursors (nitric acid, sulfur dioxide, ammonia), in particular with a reduction of the modified normalized mean bias (MNMB). At the regional scale, over Europe, the model simulation with SIA is compared to the in situ measurements from the EMEP database and shows a good agreement with secondary inorganic aerosol composition. The results at the regional scale are consistent with those obtained from the global simulations. The AIRBASE database was used to compare the model to regulated air quality pollutants: particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen dioxide concentrations. Introduction of the SIA in MOCAGE provides a reduction in the PM2.5 MNMB of 0.44 on a yearly basis and up to 0.52 for the 3 spring months (March, April, May) when SIAs are at their maximum.
A multi-layer land surface energy budget model for implicit coupling with global atmospheric simulations
Authors: Ryder J. , Polcher J. , Peylin P. , Ottlé C. , Chen Y. , van Gorsel E. , Haverd V. , McGrath M. J. , Naudts K. , Otto J. , Valade A. , Luyssaert S.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. In Earth system modelling, a description of the energy budget of the vegetated surface layer is fundamental as it determines the meteorological conditions in the planetary boundary layer and as such contributes to the atmospheric conditions and its circulation. The energy budget in most Earth system models has been based on a big-leaf approach, with averaging schemes that represent in-canopy processes. Furthermore, to be stable, that is to say, over large time steps and without large iterations, a surface layer model should be capable of implicit coupling to the atmospheric model. Surface models with large time steps, however, have difficulties in reproducing consistently the energy balance in field observations. Here we outline a newly developed numerical model for energy budget simulation, as a component of the land surface model ORCHIDEE-CAN (Organising Carbon and Hydrology In Dynamic Ecosystems – CANopy). This new model implements techniques from single-site canopy models in a practical way. It includes representation of in-canopy transport, a multi-layer long-wave radiation budget, height-specific calculation of aerodynamic and stomatal conductance, and interaction with the bare-soil flux within the canopy space. Significantly, it avoids iterations over the height of the canopy and so maintains implicit coupling to the atmospheric model LMDz (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique Zoomed model). As a first test, the model is evaluated against data from both an intensive measurement campaign and longer-term eddy-covariance measurements for the intensively studied Eucalyptus stand at Tumbarumba, Australia. The model performs well in replicating both diurnal and annual cycles of energy and water fluxes, as well as the vertical gradients of temperature and of sensible heat fluxes.
Carbon and nitrogen dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions in constructed wetlands treating wastewater: a review
Authors: Jahangir M. M. R. , Richards K. G. , Healy M. G. , Gill L. , Müller C. , Johnston P. , Fenton O.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. The removal efficiency of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in constructed wetlands (CWs) is very inconsistent and frequently does not reveal whether the removal processes are due to physical attenuation or whether the different species have been transformed to other reactive forms. Previous research on nutrient removal in CWs did not consider the dynamics of pollution swapping (the increase of one pollutant as a result of a measure introduced to reduce a different pollutant) driven by transformational processes within and around the system. This paper aims to address this knowledge gap by reviewing the biogeochemical dynamics and fate of C and N in CWs and their potential impact on the environment, and by presenting novel ways in which these knowledge gaps may be eliminated. Nutrient removal in CWs varies with the type of CW, vegetation, climate, season, geographical region, and management practices. Horizontal flow CWs tend to have good nitrate (NO3−) removal, as they provide good conditions for denitrification, but cannot remove ammonium (NH4+) due to limited ability to nitrify NH4+. Vertical flow CWs have good NH4+ removal, but their denitrification ability is low. Surface flow CWs decrease nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions but increase methane (CH4) emissions; subsurface flow CWs increase N2O and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but decrease CH4 emissions. Mixed species of vegetation perform better than monocultures in increasing C and N removal and decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but empirical evidence is still scarce. Lower hydraulic loadings with higher hydraulic retention times enhance nutrient removal, but more empirical evidence is required to determine an optimum design. A conceptual model highlighting the current state of knowledge is presented and experimental work that should be undertaken to address knowledge gaps across CWs, vegetation and wastewater types, hydraulic loading rates and regimes, and retention times, is suggested. We recommend that further research on process-based C and N removal and on the balancing of end products into reactive and benign forms is critical to the assessment of the environmental performance of CWs.
Spatio-temporal assessment of WRF, TRMM and in situ precipitation data in a tropical mountain environment (Cordillera Blanca, Peru)
Authors: Mourre L. , Condom T. , Junquas C. , Lebel T. , E. Sicart J. , Figueroa R. , Cochachin A.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. The estimation of precipitation over the broad range of scales of interest for climatologists, meteorologists and hydrologists is challenging at high altitudes of tropical regions, where the spatial variability of precipitation is important while in situ measurements remain scarce largely due to operational constraints. Three different types of rainfall products – ground based (kriging interpolation), satellite derived (TRMM3B42), and atmospheric model outputs (WRF – Weather Research and Forecasting) – are compared for 1 hydrological year in order to retrieve rainfall patterns at timescales ranging from sub-daily to annual over a watershed of approximately 10 000 km2 in Peru. An ensemble of three different spatial resolutions is considered for the comparison (27, 9 and 3 km), as long as well as a range of timescales (annual totals, daily rainfall patterns, diurnal cycle). WRF simulations largely overestimate the annual totals, especially at low spatial resolution, while reproducing correctly the diurnal cycle and locating the spots of heavy rainfall more realistically than either the ground-based KED or the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) products. The main weakness of kriged products is the production of annual rainfall maxima over the summit rather than on the slopes, mainly due to a lack of in situ data above 3800 m a. s. l.  This study also confirms that one limitation of TRMM is its poor performance over ice-covered areas because ice on the ground behaves in a similar way as rain or ice drops in the atmosphere in terms of scattering the microwave energy. While all three products are able to correctly represent the spatial rainfall patterns at the annual scale, it not surprisingly turns out that none of them meets the challenge of representing both accumulated quantities of precipitation and frequency of occurrence at the short timescales (sub-daily and daily) required for glacio-hydrological studies in this region. It is concluded that new methods should be used to merge various rainfall products so as to make the most of their respective strengths.
Effects of cultivation and reforestation on suspended sediment concentrations: a case study in a mountainous catchment in China
Authors: Fang N. F. , Chen F. X. , Zhang H. Y. , Wang Y. X. , Shi Z. H.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Understanding how sediment concentrations vary with land use/cover is critical for evaluating the current and future impacts of human activities on river systems. This paper presents suspended sediment concentration (SSC) dynamics and the relationship between SSC and discharge (Q) in the 8973 km2 Du catchment and its sub-catchment (4635 km2). In the Du catchment and its sub-catchment, 4235 and 3980 paired SSC–Q samples, respectively, were collected over 30 years. Under the influence of the Household Contract Responsibility System and Grain-for-Green projects in China, three periods were designated, the original period (1980s), cultivation period (1990s) and reforestation period (2000s). The results of a Mann–Kendall test showed that rainfall slightly increased during the study years; however, the annual discharge and sediment load significantly decreased. The annual suspended sediment yield of the Du catchment varied between 1.3  ×  108 and 1.0  ×  1010 kg, and that of the sub-catchment varied between 6.3  ×  107 and 4.3  ×  109 kg. The SSCs in the catchment and sub-catchment fluctuated between 1 and 22400 g m−3 and between 1 and 31800 g m−3, respectively. The mean SSC of the Du catchment was relatively stable during the three periods (±83 g m−3). ANOVA (analysis of variance) indicated that the SSC did not significantly change under cultivation for low and moderate flows, but was significantly different under high flow during reforestation of the Du catchment. The SSC in the sub-catchment was more variable, and the mean SSC in the sub-catchment varied from 1058 ± 2217 g m−3 in the 1980s to 1256 ± 2496 g m−3 in the 1990s and 891 ± 1558 g m−3 in the 2000s. Reforestation significantly decreased the SSCs during low and moderate flows, whereas cultivation increased the SSCs during high flow. The sediment rating curves showed a stable relationship between the SSC and Q in the Du catchment during the three periods. However, the SSC–Q of the sub-catchment exhibited scattered relationships during the original and cultivation periods and a more linear relationship during the reforestation period.
Assessing changes in urban flood vulnerability through mapping land use from historical information
Authors: Boudou M. , Danière B. , Lang M.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. This paper presents an appraisal of the temporal evolution of flood vulnerability of two French cities, Besançon and Moissac, which were largely impacted by floods in January 1910 and March 1930, respectively. Both flood events figure among the most significant events recorded in France during the 20th century, in terms of certain parameters such as the intensity and severity of the flood and spatial extension of the damage. An analysis of historical sources allows the mapping of land use and occupation within the areas affected by the two floods, both in past and present contexts, providing an insight of the complexity of flood risk evolution at a local scale.