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At Norwegian offshore platforms, wind speed is observed at heights between approx. 35 and approx. 150 m a.s.l. These observations are used to estimate 10‐m wind speed, by a power law with a constant wind shear coefficient. The resulting 10‐m wind speed is then distributed to the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) and used for assimilation and verification purposes by the meteorological community. However, multiple methods with varying results exist for the reduction of wind speed from the original measurement height to 10 m. The resulting estimate of 10‐m wind speed is therefore sensitive to the choice of method. The use of such observations may therefore be suboptimal in forecast analysis and make the forecast verification difficult to interpret. This study investigates how the use of these observations impacts forecasts from the operational regional forecast system used at MET Norway and the Global Integrated Forecast System operated by ECMWF for the period 2017–2023. Both forecast systems assimilated the observations over major parts of the period and the presented results indicate that the use of these observations increased the initial errors in the forecasts. This is confirmed in a data denial experiment over a shorter period of time. The verification results show that both forecast systems underestimate the wind speed at the original measurement heights, while the results for 10‐m verification vary with the interpolation method between original sensor height and 10 m. The forecasts show in general more wind than the GTS‐distributed estimates and are in better agreement with more advanced interpolation methods. The verification results show a strong dependency on the vertical stability of the atmosphere. The major differences between the forecast systems are that the regional system shows less bias, while the standard deviations of the errors are slightly lower in the global system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient post‐drought recovery of growth and assimilation enables a plant to return to its undisturbed state and functioning. Unlike annual plants, trees suffer not only from the current drought, but also from cumulative impacts of consecutive water stresses which cause adverse legacy effects on survival and performance. This review provides an integrated assessment of ecological, physiological and molecular evidence on the recovery of growth and photosynthesis in trees, with a view to informing the breeding of trees with a better ability to recover from water stress. Suppression of recovery processes can result not only from stress damage but also from a controlled downshift of recovery as part of tree acclimation to water‐limited conditions. In the latter case, recovery processes could potentially be activated by turning off the controlling mechanisms, but several obstacles make this unlikely. Tree phenology, and specifically photoperiodic constraints, can limit post‐drought recovery of growth and photosynthesis, and targeting these constraints may represent a promising way to breed trees with an enhanced ability to recover post‐drought. The mechanisms of photoperiod‐dependent regulation of shoot, secondary and root growth and of assimilation processes are reviewed. Finally, the limitations and trade‐offs of altering the photoperiodic regulation of growth and assimilation processes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local adaption of soil microbial communities to native litter inputs, the so‐called home field effect (HFE), is well established, though this phenomenon has yet to be demonstrated for agriculturally relevant inorganic nutrient sources. Using compound‐specific 15N‐stable isotope probing of proteinaceous amino acids (AAs), we investigated if continuous long‐term grassland fertilisation with either ammonium or nitrate resulted in preferential assimilation by the soil microbial community of the 'home' N fertiliser. Relative ammonium uptake was maximal in historic ammonium treated soils and previously unfertilised soil, confirming a general microbial preference for ammonium likely due to biochemical transformation efficiencies. Assimilation of nitrate and ammonium into AAs was comparable for the historic nitrate fertilisation, indicating that microbial adaptive processes governed by historical land use can dictate the immobilisation efficiency of different fertilisers. This is the first observation of the HFE in long‐term fertilised grassland soils, with further work required to investigate abiotic or biotic mechanisms underpinning this phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent technological advancements have empowered nonhuman entities, such as virtual assistants and humanoid robots, to simulate human intelligence and behavior. This paper investigates how autonomous agents influence individuals' perceptions and behaviors toward others, particularly human employees. Our research reveals that the socio‐emotional capabilities of autonomous agents lead individuals to attribute a humanlike mind to these nonhuman entities. Perceiving a high level of humanlike mind in the nonhuman, autonomous agents affects perceptions of actual people through an assimilation process. Consequently, we observe “assimilation‐induced dehumanization”: the humanness judgment of actual people is assimilated toward the lower humanness judgment of autonomous agents, leading to various forms of mistreatment. We demonstrate that assimilation‐induced dehumanization is mitigated when autonomous agents possess capabilities incompatible with humans, leading to a contrast effect (Study 2), and when autonomous agents are perceived as having a high level of cognitive capability only, resulting in a lower level of mind perception of these agents (Study 3). Our findings hold across various types of autonomous agents (embodied: Studies 1–2 and disembodied: Studies 3–5), as well as in real and hypothetical consumer choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite‐based sensors of ocean color have become the primary tool to infer changes in surface chlorophyll, while BGC‐Argo floats are now filling the information gap at depth. Here we use BGC‐Argo data to assess depth‐resolved information on chlorophyll‐a derived from an ocean biogeochemical model constrained by the assimilation of surface ocean color remote sensing. The data‐assimilating model replicates well the general seasonality and meridional gradients in surface and depth‐resolved chlorophyll‐a inferred from the float array in the Southern Ocean. On average, the model tends to overestimate float‐based chlorophyll, particularly at times and locations of high productivity such as the beginning of the spring bloom, subtropical deep chlorophyll maxima, and non‐iron limited regions of the Southern Ocean. The highest model RMSE in the upper 50 m with respect to the float array is of 0.6 mg Chl m−3, which should allow the detection of seasonal changes in float‐based biomass (varying between 0.01 and >1 mg Chl m−3) but might hinder the identification of subtle changes in chlorophyll at narrow local scales. Both model and float profiling data show good agreement with in situ data from station ALOHA, with model estimates showing a slight accuracy edge in inferring depth‐resolved observations. Uncertainties in float bio‐optical estimates impede their use as a reliable benchmark for validation, but the general qualitative agreement between model and float data provides confidence in the ability of model to replicate biogeochemical features below the surface, where data is not directly constrained by the assimilation of satellite ocean color. Plain Language Summary: Changes in oceanic chlorophyll can indicate alterations in the biomass of photosynthetic algae, which sustain marine ecosystems and have the capacity to alter the climate system. Algae live not only in the surface of the ocean, where satellites can observe them, but also beneath the upper marine layer, where autonomous profiling systems (floats) are used to infer their vertical distribution. Here we use float profiling data to evaluate the representation of chlorophyll biomass with depth from a numerical ecosystem model informed by surface satellite information. Chlorophyll outputs from the model agree generally well with information from the floats in terms of timing and spatial representation of low and high chlorophyll areas. Overall, the model's chlorophyll concentrations are slightly higher than those indicated by the floats. However, float measurements are not perfect, as suggested by a localized comparison of both float and model chlorophyll profiles with field observations at various oceanic depths near the Hawaiian Islands. While neither float‐ nor model‐based data produce perfect estimations of oceanic chlorophyll across all three dimensions, their general agreement suggests that the model is able to mimic biological and physical dynamics both at and below the ocean surface. Key Points: Modeled vertical chlorophyll profiles obtained by assimilating satellite ocean color are compared against BGC‐Argo and in situ dataModel chlorophyll is higher but replicates well the general seasonality and meridional gradients of the BGC‐Argo array in the Southern OceanMean chlorophyll profiles from the model tend to be in better agreement with in situ data at station ALOHA (∼±50%) than float estimates [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This article explores the effects of immigrant generational status on the likelihood of misreporting turnout. I contend that varied levels of immigrant status affect individuals' misreporting turnout in different ways due to social desirability and assimilation level concerns. Methods: Using data from 2016 and 2020 Cooperative Election Study data sets, which include questions on respondents' immigrant status and voting behavior variables, this study analyzes the effect of varied levels of immigrant status on misreporting turnout. Results: The analysis shows that there is a decreased likelihood of misreporting turnout as individuals move farther away from their immigrant generation in both the 2016 and 2020 elections. In other words, first‐generation immigrants are most likely to misreport turnout. Second‐ and third‐generation immigrants are less likely to misreport turnout than the first generations but are still significantly more likely to misreport their turnout than those who are not immigrants or who do not have immigrant parents or grandparents. Conclusion: The findings generally support the expectation. The levels of immigrant status affect individuals' misreporting turnout in different ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The repeated emergence of NADP–malic enzyme (ME), NAD–ME and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) subtypes of C4 photosynthesis are iconic examples of convergent evolution, which suggests that these biochemistries do not randomly assemble, but are instead specific adaptations resulting from unknown evolutionary drivers. Theoretical studies that are based on the classic biochemical understanding have repeatedly proposed light‐use efficiency as a possible benefit of the PEPCK subtype. However, quantum yield measurements do not support this idea. We explore this inconsistency here via an analytical model that features explicit descriptions across a seamless gradient between C4 biochemistries to analyse light harvesting and dark photosynthetic metabolism. Our simulations show that the NADP–ME subtype, operated by the most productive crops, is the most efficient. The NAD–ME subtype has lower efficiency, but has greater light harvesting plasticity (the capacity to assimilate CO2 in the broadest combination of light intensity and spectral qualities). In both NADP–ME and NAD–ME backgrounds, increasing PEPCK activity corresponds to greater light harvesting plasticity but likely imposed a reduction in photosynthetic efficiency. We draw the first mechanistic links between light harvesting and C4 subtypes, providing the theoretical basis for future investigation. Summary statement: NAD‐malic enzyme (ME) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase C4 subtypes have greater light harvesting plasticity but lower efficiency than the NADP–ME subtype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To obtain insight into adaptation processes of redefining normality and its influencing factors in relatives of patients with advanced cancer. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study among relatives of patients with advanced cancer was conducted. Participants were purposively recruited. Ten in‐depth individual (relative only) and 16 dyad (relative and patient together) interviews were conducted, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed by means of thematic analysis, drawing on elements of grounded theory, combining both inductive and deductive elements. Results: Two adaptation processes of (redefining) normality were identified: assimilation and accommodation. The latter was found to be the main way of adapting to new events. Assimilative coping strategies entailed "continuing to do the same activities as done before the disease," "difficulty accepting the situation," "avoiding to think about the disease," and "living in the short term." Accommodative strategies involved "arranging practical matters," "thinking about the future," "doing what is feasible," "engaging in new activities," "accepting the situation," "seeking distraction," "living in the short term," and "focusing on what truly matters in life." The interplay between the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, a deteriorating disease status, and the accompanying uncertainty about the future was of influence on the relatives' coping strategies. Conclusion: When the new situation is too divergent to assimilate, accommodation may be necessary for relatives to cope with the growing complexity of the consequences of their loved one's illness. Accommodative coping then involves accepting the changing reality and actively making the necessary adjustments to build resilience and cope with the new circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A conceptual understanding on how the vegetation's carbon (C) balance is determined by source activity and sink demand is important to predict its C uptake and sequestration potential now and in the future. We have gathered trajectories of photosynthesis and growth as a function of environmental conditions described in the literature and compared them with current concepts of source and sink control. There is no clear evidence for pure source or sink control of the C balance, which contradicts recent hypotheses. Using model scenarios, we show how legacy effects via structural and functional traits and antecedent environmental conditions can alter the plant's carbon balance. We, thus, combined the concept of short‐term source–sink coordination with long‐term environmentally driven legacy effects that dynamically acclimate structural and functional traits over time. These acclimated traits feedback on the sensitivity of source and sink activity and thus change the plant physiological responses to environmental conditions. We postulate a whole plant C‐coordination system that is primarily driven by stomatal optimization of growth to avoid a C source–sink mismatch. Therefore, we anticipate that C sequestration of forest ecosystems under future climate conditions will largely follow optimality principles that balance water and carbon resources to maximize growth in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the involvement of the Australian railways in the forcible removal of Aboriginal children. Focusing on the visions and voices of Aboriginal peoples who were taken away from their families by train, the article considers how railways were used in the attempted assimilation of First Nations peoples into White society. The last train ride, an artwork by South Australian Yankunytjatjara artist and Stolen Generations survivor Kunyi McInerney, serves as a point of departure to study how the settler colonial infrastructure of rail operationalised the Australian government policies of assimilation. I ask how railway infrastructures have affected Aboriginal peoples and how Aboriginal peoples have responded to railway infrastructures. In centring the artworks and narratives of Aboriginal people taken away by train, I extend an invitation to readers to rethink geography through the visual expressions and stories of First Nations peoples. Close attention to the perspectives of affected peoples opens possibilities to view infrastructures in a different light. The visions and voices of Aboriginal families impacted by assimilation policies show that the railways played a pivotal role in the separation of Aboriginal children from families and that railway infrastructures have also been sites of resistance to and subversion of assimilation and child removal. Paying careful attention to First Nations voices and visions, the article informs how the Australian railways have been complicit in assimilation policies and how Aboriginal peoples have used the railways to resist and survive such settler colonial projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lavas erupted in Continental Flood Basalt (CFB) provinces are not primary magmas; they are differentiated products that result from large volumes of melt migrating and stalling in the lithosphere prior to eruption, resulting in complex liquid lines of descent. Geochemical models can be used to constrain the various influencers of magma differentiation (recharge, assimilation, fractional crystallization (FC), eruption, and mixing). Temporal constraints for changes in plumbing system dynamics are recorded in the petrography and stratigraphy of the erupted lava flows. This study focuses on the flow‐stratigraphy preserved within the Oligocene Ethiopian low‐Ti flood basalt province, located on the NW Ethiopian Plateau. We present new bulk rock geochemistry from 107 lavas and interpret these data within a petrostratigraphic framework. Our model results suggest that both a deep (∼0.6 GPa) and shallow (<0.2 GPa) magmatic system are active throughout the main phase of volcanism. Our recharge evacuation assimilation and fractional crystallization models (REAFC) show that during the main phase of magmatism evacuation from both the deep (65%) and shallow (55%) systems reached an apex. During the terminal phases, magma evacuation from the deeper system ceases while evacuation from the shallow system is much reduced (25%). The degree of crustal contamination predicted by REAFC (4%–10%) is lower than previous estimates determined for this region using assimilation with FC only models (12%–25%). Our study highlights the importance of evaluating petrography while interpreting geochemical models in CFB. Plain Language Summary: Large eruptions of lava known as "flood basalts" have occurred several times in Earth's history. These eruptions have been linked to changes in Earth's climate, mass extinctions, the dawn of human civilization, and the splitting of large continents. Despite the impact these eruptions have, there is little understood about the journey of magma to the surface. As magma travels through Earth's crust, it changes physically and chemically. Consequently, each lava flow erupted is a record of these changes. There are multiple paths that magma can take to the surface, each leaves a unique signature on the lava. If we think of each lava flow as pages in a book, and groups of lava flows as chapters in a novel, then we can begin to tell the story of how some of the largest eruptions on Earth changed the world. In this paper, we explore one of the youngest and most complete sequences on flood basalt lavas on Earth, the Ethiopian Flood Basalt Province. We use physical and chemical signatures to identify and model key changes in eruption behavior. The results show how magma becomes shallower, and the volume of magma increasing and then decreasing over time. Key Points: Combining petrographic and geochemical datasets yields a more complete picture of changes in magmatic flux in a continental flood basalt provinceRecharge‐evacuation models indicate lower crustal contribution for the Ethiopian Flood Basalt province than previously suggestedSeveral geochemical trends in the Ethiopian low‐Ti province can be explained using recharge‐evacuation‐assimilation‐fractional crystallization models [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate prediction of high‐impact weather systems using cloud‐resolving models is still a challenge among researchers. This study evaluates the consistency of the combination of the three‐dimensional variational technique within the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation assimilation system (GSI‐3DVAR) and nudging in the same modelling system on short‐range forecasts of three heavy rainfall events from the southwest monsoon season of 2021 over the Indian subcontinent. Three experiments have been conducted (i) control (CNTL): assimilated conventional and satellite observations; (ii) radar and lightning data assimilation (RLDA): assimilated radar reflectivity and lightning proxy reflectivity data along with all observations used in CNTL; and (iii) lightning data assimilation (LDA): same as RLDA but without the assimilation of radar data; particularly done to test the impact of assimilation of only lightning data. The model‐simulated rainfall is evaluated by using the Integrated Multi‐Satellite Retrievals (IMERG) for Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM IMERG) rainfall data. The intercomparison of LDA and RLDA for event 1 highlighted that both represent the convective regions reasonably better than CNTL, but RLDA outperforms LDA and thus further assimilation experiments are done with RLDA. RLDA provided reasonably accurate forecasts compared to CNTL, which is evident in the spatial distribution of rainfall and area‐averaged three‐hourly accumulated rainfall. Verification metrics for the three selected heavy rainfall events reveal that an optimal forecast performance (especially in the first six hours of free forecast) is obtained by the simulation with assimilation of radar and lightning data during the pre‐forecast period, through correcting the position and timing of convective centres. The probability of detection (POD) values are higher for light rainfall categories than for the heavy rain categories. POD values were higher in RLDA than CNTL throughout simulation for all three events. For all these three selected events, fractions skill scores (FSS) of RLDA are always better than CNTL with different neighbourhood sizes for different threshold values throughout the forecast period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine how Danish politicians articulate views on the 'parallel society agreement' (aka, the 'ghetto‐laws'), a controversial legislative intervention aiming to manage urban migration‐related diversity. Through nationwide urban redevelopment aimed at facilitating residential 'mixing', the goal of the legislation is to eliminate so‐called 'parallel societies'—socio‐economically deprived neighbourhoods characterized by high concentrations of ethnic minorities. In‐depth interviews with Danish politicians (n = 11) explored how this proposal was supported, contested or rejected in situated discourse. Following social representations theory, we focus on how 'parallel societies' were constructed in relation to differing ideas about 'mainstream society' and value‐laden oppositional meaning‐categories (i.e. themata). In particular, we highlight processes of socio‐ethical reasoning that occurred through thematization of a shared oppositional meaning‐category: 'freedom‐constraint'. Views on the intervention were articulated around this oppositional meaning‐category. Moreover, a connection was observed between the views articulated by individual politicians and sets of congruent ideas and images mobilized to represent 'parallel societies'. We discuss the theoretical value of taking a social representations approach to urban policy debates, and the practical limitations of dominant representations for successfully promoting intercultural dialogue and engagement—the stated goal of this intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay addresses my current thinking on the question of the decolonization of the sociology of migration. Coloniality in knowledge production means that knowledge systems are founded in the ways of seeing created by colonialism. To decolonize a field means to think beyond these ways of seeing. This essay first identifies the key ways through which coloniality is expressed in the sociology of migration and then it presents an alternative decolonial approach based on the sociology of W. E. B. Du Bois. I show how this approach may reshape the field by a critical examination of my own work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay addresses my current thinking on the question of the decolonization of the sociology of migration. Coloniality in knowledge production means that knowledge systems are founded in the ways of seeing created by colonialism. To decolonize a field means to think beyond these ways of seeing. This essay first identifies the key ways through which coloniality is expressed in the sociology of migration and then it presents an alternative decolonial approach based on the sociology of W. E. B. Du Bois. I show how this approach may reshape the field by a critical examination of my own work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental study of the level of relative humidity of tunnel air in the Kyiv subway in recent years has shown a constant exceeding of the normalized value (established by regulations) of relative humidity of tunnel air (>75 %) during the summer period, which led to the deterioration of equipment and the rims of the tunnel walls. Comparison of absolute humidity values of tunnel air and supply air from ventilation shafts from the environment under the current tunnel ventilation modes led to the recommendation to change these modes from removal to injection of air with lower absolute humidity than in the problem tunnels. This idea was verified and validated using 3D modeling of the thermo‐gas‐dynamic and humidity conditions of the tunnels over 3 calendar years, resulting in a decrease in relative humidity below 75 % due to changes in the operating modes of tunnel ventilation. The simulation results were confirmed by experimental tests in the subway and implemented for use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting cross‐cultural adaptation and social interactions among diverse cultural groups in multicultural societies has long been a focus of social and cross‐cultural psychologists. However, such research is scant in an East Asian context where acculturation and intercultural encounters are now taking place. This study examines how acculturation expectations and strategies of assimilation and integration of the host majority (Hongkongers; N = 476) and immigrant groups (Africans; N = 215) shape adaptation and social interaction in the sociocultural context of Hong Kong. The mediation roles of perceived discrimination and multicultural ideologies were tested in these relationships. The results revealed that integration strategies are linked with psychological adaptation, whereas assimilation is linked with sociocultural adaptation difficulties for the immigrant group. For the host majority group, assimilation expectations were related to increased sociocultural adaptation difficulty, while a negative relationship emerged between integration expectations and sociocultural adaptation difficulty. Additional mediation analyses demonstrated that perceived discrimination and multicultural ideologies explain a significant proportion of variance in acculturation orientations and the intention to avoid interactions with the respective cultural groups. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings for Africans and Hongkongers relationship are discussed. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Modern Synthesis, our ideas of evolution have mostly centered on the information encoded in the DNA molecule and their mechanisms of heredity. Increasing evidence, however, suggests that epigenetic mechanisms have the potential to perpetuate gene activity states in the context of the same DNA sequence. Here, we discuss recent compelling evidence showing that epigenetic signals triggered by environmental stress can persist over very long timeframes, contributing to phenotypic changes in relevant traits upon which selection could act. We argue that epigenetic inheritance plays an important role in fast phenotypic adaptation to fluctuating environments, ensuring the survival of the organisms of a population under environmental stress in the short term while maintaining a "bet‐hedging" strategy of reverting to the original state if the environment returns to standard conditions. These examples call for a reevaluation of the role of nongenetic information in adaptive evolution, raising questions about its broader relevance in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Craters of the Moon (COM) Volcanic Field in Idaho is the largest mostly Holocene lava field in the conterminous U.S. and the site of the most recent volcanism in the Yellowstone‐Snake River Plain province. This prominent example of a polygenetic fissure field has produced over 60 eruptions over the past 15,000 years from the Great Rift fissure system. The eight most recent lava flows, known as Period A, were erupted between about 2,500 and 2,000 years ago. In this study, major and trace element and Pb‐Sr‐Nd isotope data were obtained, with several samples collected from each flow from widely spaced locations to evaluate heterogeneity in their source magmas. The results reveal three previously unrecognized compositional groups that may represent separate magma batches, and that assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC) controlled the evolution of the entire Period A suite. The three oldest flows were periodic withdrawals from a body of highly evolved and poorly homogenized magma, and four later flows represent successive samplings from a stratified body of more primitive magma. These two flow groups are related via variable AFC modeled with Magma Chamber Simulator software, with Neogene rhyolite as a plausible crustal assimilant. A third compositional type that requires a different parent magma and AFC history is represented by a single flow erupted from vents a few km away from the others. The compositional evolution and variability observed in this sequence of flows provide new insights into how magmas are generated, modified, and delivered in such polygenetic fissure systems. Plain Language Summary: The Craters of the Moon Volcanic Field is a prominent example of a long‐lived eruptive fissure system in a continental setting, where lava flows are produced at the Great Rift, a linear zone of fracturing and extending crust on the Snake River Plain in southern Idaho. Craters of the Moon has produced more than 60 eruptions over the past 15,000 years, including young lavas with high‐silica compositions that are relatively uncommon in the region. The eight most recent lava flows, known as Period A, were erupted between about 2,500 and 2,000 years ago. This sequence of flows provides snapshots of the evolving system over time and constrains processes that modify and feed magmas to this type of volcanic system. New chemical and isotope data with higher precision than in previous studies reveal that the flows fall into three compositional groups, likely reflecting separate magma batches with distinct histories of cooling, crystallization, and contamination by wall rock. These results illuminate the processes that deliver and alter magmas in such long‐lived fissure systems. Key Points: Compositions of the eight most recent Craters of the Moon lava flows elucidate magma evolution in this polygenetic fissure systemThis compositional study revealed the flows were fed by three previously unrecognized magma compositions with distinct petrologic historiesThe magmas were heterogenous, stratified, and culminated in the eruption of increasingly less evolved flows [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decades of research have shown that social dominance orientation (SDO) is one of the most important predictors of anti‐immigrant attitudes. However, the mechanisms through which SDO can explain prejudice have been studied insufficiently. Using rich and diverse samples from France and from the province of Québec in Canada, the present research provides a cross‐national (N = 1,852) and prospective (N = 534) analysis of a theoretical model in which the dimensions of SDO are indirectly predicting anti‐immigrant prejudice via the intergroup ideologies of assimilation, multiculturalism, colour blindness and interculturalism. Results showed that interculturalism, a hierarchy‐attenuating ideology was found to be a robust mechanism to explain the subtle effects of SDO‐E on anti‐immigrant prejudice whereas assimilation, a hierarchy‐enhancing ideology was playing a more important role to explain direct and blatant effects of SDO‐D on prejudice. The two most studied diversity approaches, multiculturalism and colour blindness, were largely redundant once interculturalism was considered. This pattern occurred in both France and Québec hence, favouring the context‐independent pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MERRA‐2 Stratospheric Composition Reanalysis of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (M2‐SCREAM) is a new reanalysis of stratospheric ozone, water vapor, hydrogen chloride (HCl), nitric acid (HNO3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) between 2004 and the present (with a latency of several months). The assimilated fields are provided at a 50‐km horizontal resolution and at a three‐hourly frequency. M2‐SCREAM assimilates version 4.2 Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) profiles of the five constituents alongside total ozone column from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument. Dynamics and tropospheric water vapor are constrained by the MERRA‐2 reanalysis. The assimilated species are in excellent agreement with the MLS observations, except for HNO3 in polar night, where data are not assimilated. Comparisons against independent observations show that the reanalysis realistically captures the spatial and temporal variability of all the assimilated constituents. In particular, the standard deviations of the differences between M2‐SCREAM and constituent mixing ratio data from The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer are much smaller than the standard deviations of the measured constituents. Evaluation of the reanalysis against aircraft data and balloon‐borne frost point hygrometers indicates faithful representations of small‐scale structures in the assimilated water vapor, HNO3 and ozone fields near the tropopause. Comparisons with independent observations and a process‐based analysis of the consistency of the assimilated constituent fields with the MERRA‐2 dynamics and with large‐scale stratospheric processes demonstrate the utility of M2‐SCREAM for scientific studies of chemical and transport variability on time scales ranging from hours to decades. Analysis uncertainties and guidelines for data usage are provided. Plain Language Summary: Earth's stratosphere contains a number of trace gases of various origins, chemical properties and lifetimes. In addition to their importance for stratospheric chemistry, including that affecting the ozone layer, and for the planet's radiative budget, the complex geographical and vertical distributions of atmospheric constituents provide invaluable information about stratospheric dynamics and transport in a changing climate. This paper introduces and evaluates a new high‐resolution composition data set produced at NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office. Named the MERRA‐2 Stratospheric Composition Reanalysis of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (M2‐SCREAM), this stratosphere‐focused product consists of assimilated global three‐dimensional ozone, water vapor, hydrogen chloride, nitric acid, and nitrous oxide fields, all of which are of primary importance to stratospheric chemistry and transport studies. M2‐SCREAM uses high quality data from the Microwave Limb Sounder instrument (2004‐present) combined with meteorological information from NASA's MERRA‐2 reanalysis. Comparisons with independent observations and a process‐based analysis of the consistency of the assimilated constituent fields with the MERRA‐2 dynamics and with large‐scale stratospheric processes demonstrate the utility of M2‐SCREAM for scientific studies of chemical and transport variability on time scales ranging from hours to decades. Key Points: A new composition reanalysis of the stratosphere is introducedMicrowave Limb Sounder ozone, H2O, HNO3, HCl, and N2O are assimilated for 2004–2021 and will be extended to the presentThe reanalysis is useful for studies of chemical and transport variability on time scales from hours to decades [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tests of English proficiency for international graduate students at US universities are neoliberal institutions which make (mis)communication the responsibility of individual workers. While cloaking themselves in a discourse of linguistic expertise, they require test‐takers to assimilate to white, upper class, American mannerisms. In this ethnographic study of two testing centers, we address their material and ideological consequences: increases in precarity and xenophobia, losses in pay and students' communicative competence. We trace tests' distribution of interpretive labor (Graeber 2015) and propose a new interactionally informed approach to intelligibility which accounts for the co‐operation (Goodwin 2018) of multiple subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the US–Mexico borderlands, coalitions have formed to successfully thwart attempted amplification of militarisation in the region. However, in the borderlands, where migrants are criminalised and the colonisation of Indigenous lands and life is ongoing, coalition building is complicated due to the distinct positionalities of anti‐militarisation activists. This paper analyses solidarity from the perspective of anti‐militarisation organisations and activists in Southern Arizona/on occupied O'odham lands. I contend that desires for solidarity built around the worker, despite the recognition of unique struggles, reveal certain tendencies in activism remain bound to settler colonial ways of relating and understanding. Nonetheless, I argue that ongoing resistance to settler colonial terms of condition may motivate moves to refuse colonial forms of solidarity by reimagining coalition building as transpiring through reciprocal exchange of (hi)stories between differently positioned activists, rather than seeking a struggle that is common to all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assimilate atmospheric temperature profiles and column dust optical depth observations from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter Atmospheric Chemistry Suite thermal infrared channel (TIRVIM) into the Mars Planetary Climate Model. The assimilation period is Mars Year 34 Ls = 182.3°–211.4°, covering the onset and peak of the 2018 global dust storm. We assimilated observations using the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter with 36 ensemble members and adaptive inflation; our nominal configuration assimilated TIRVIM temperature profiles to update temperature and dust profiles, followed by dust column optical depths to update the total column dust abundance. The observation operator for temperature used the averaging kernels and prior profile from the TIRVIM retrievals. We verified our analyses against in‐sample TIRVIM observations and independent Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) temperature and dust density‐scaled opacity profiles. When dust observations were assimilated, the root‐mean‐square temperature error verified against MCS fell by 50% during the onset period of the storm, compared with assimilating temperature alone. At the peak of the storm the analysis reproduced the location and magnitude of the peak in the nighttime MCS dust distribution, along with the surface pressure diurnal cycle measured by Curiosity with a bias of less than 10 Pa. The analysis winds showed that, at the peak of the storm, the meridional circulation strengthened, a 125 m s−1 asymmetry developed in the midlatitude zonal jets, the diurnal tide weakened near the equator and strengthened to 10–15 K at midlatitudes, and the semi‐diurnal tide strengthened almost everywhere, particularly in the equatorial lower atmosphere. Plain Language Summary: ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has been in low orbit around Mars since early 2018. During 2018 a large amount of dust was lifted from Mars' surface into the atmosphere. This eventually obscured most of the planet, forming a global dust storm. These storms have a large effect on the temperature and weather in Mars' atmosphere. We used observations from the spacecraft's thermal infrared instrument. This measures how much light comes from the atmosphere and surface at wavelengths where heat is emitted, and can be used to work out the atmospheric temperature and dust content at different times of day. We combined these observations with a numerical model of Mars' atmosphere, considering uncertainties in the measured atmospheric properties and the modeled atmosphere. We compared our results with temperature and dust observations made by Mars Climate Sounder on board Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Including dust observations was better than just using temperature observations. While the dust storm was raging, north‐south wind speeds increased, the strong eastward wind in the northern hemisphere became much stronger than in the southern hemisphere, and differences between day and night became larger. Our results mean we can better understand aspects of Mars' atmosphere throughout the daily cycle. Key Points: We assimilate temperature and dust observations from ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter‐Atmospheric Chemistry Suite‐TIRVIM during the MY34 global dust storm (GDS)The analysis verifies well against independent Mars Climate Sounder temperature and dust profiles, and Curiosity pressure measurementsAt the peak of the GDS the winds strengthen, the diurnal tide migrates poleward, and the semi‐diurnal tide strengthens [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quality control (QC) process which handles surface impacts is an important step toward successful assimilation of the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) water vapor (WV) band radiances. If the QC is too relaxed, many surface contaminated radiances get assimilated. If the QC is too stringent, useful radiances are rejected. Either way can result in reduced or even compromised observation impacts. A new machine learning‐based QC scheme for the three ABI WV bands is developed and optimized to help understand the importance and effectiveness of the scheme. Unlike previous schemes which are dependent on the background, this scheme extracts and blends the surface information from 7 ABI bands (bands 8–10, 13–16) to determine if a WV radiance is affected by the surface. Simulation studies show that the new QC scheme is effective in retaining radiances that are either unaffected by the surface or have very small surface contamination. It is highly effective in rejecting radiances with large surface contamination. Numerical experiments from a single case study of Hurricane Harvey (2017) were carried out to optimize the QC and to understand the potential impacts on forecasts. The use of the new QC scheme shows that radiances from each WV band have substantially added value. Combining them has a positive impact on hurricane track forecasts compared with existing QC schemes. Hence, it is critical that an optimized QC scheme is used for infrared WV radiance assimilation. It provides a balance between positive impacts from useful radiances and negative impacts from surface contaminated radiances. Plain Language Summary: Surface affected (contaminated) infrared water vapor radiances are usually not assimilated into numerical weather prediction models, or are assimilated with reduced observation weights due to negative impacts on the analysis and forecast. The existing quality control schemes to find such radiances are not objective because they rely on background field. The quality control affects both the quantity (the number of observations) and the quality (the cleanness of the observations) of the radiances for assimilation. An objective quality control provides optimized balance between the quantity and quality to maximize the observation impacts. A machine learning‐based quality control scheme is developed and used to understand the importance and effectiveness of optimized quality control. It is objective because it relies only on observations. Simulation studies show that stringent quality control improves the quality but reduces the quantity. Numerical experiments for Hurricane Harvey (2017) were carried out to find the optimized quality control. With the optimized quality control, radiances from each Advanced Baseline Imager water vapor band show added value on the forecast. Combining them shows improved forecast compared with existing schemes. It is therefore important to use optimized quality control for infrared water vapor radiance assimilation. Key Points: Optimized quality control (QC) scheme minimizes the detrimental impact from surface contaminated infrared radiance assimilationA new machine learning‐based QC scheme for surface contamination is developed for Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) water vapor bandsThe new QC scheme improves the Hurricane Harvey (2017) forecast over existing QC schemes with added value from each ABI water vapor band [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the last decades, integration programmes in Western Europe have centrally revolved around debates on Muslim populations and the institutionalization of Islam. The concept of integration has become a master paradigm with which to structure plurality of immigration societies across Western Europe. Critically reflecting this inflation, this article argues that the integration of Muslims is animated by a contingent liberal‐secular matrix through which the sovereign state, in close connection with civil society, is enabled to decide what counts as proper and improper religion. Integration directed toward Muslims as a "religious minority" is therefore indicative of the very problems that it purports to resolve. In a genealogical vein, the article begins by suggesting that integration is a liberal "recursion" of earlier projects of minority management such as assimilation and conditional recognition within emerging nation‐states. It argues that the epistemological ground which animated the assimilatory forces of the modern nation‐state has been intimately bound by an imperial knowledge order which classifies and hierarchizes people along a race‐religion nexus. The analysis continues by dwelling on contemporary examples of state organized dialog with Muslims, and more specifically the establishment of Islamic Theology Chairs at state universities. Through these examples the article shows that the institutionalization of Islam in Europe reconfigures a pattern which conditionally embraces religious difference, while at the same time continuing hierarchical rankings and by transforming it to make it fit for religion's legitimate place in public life. Finally, the article suggests that the somatic aspirations prevalent in assimilation projects and imperial race‐religion constellations are both inscribed and concealed in the frequent invocation of Muslims to reveal their loyalty to the liberal‐secular contract by bracketing their religious sensibilities for the sake of secular reason. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing technique is beneficial for rainfall data retrievals, however, enhancing the accuracy remains a challenge. In this study, a novel framework based on a broad learning system (BLS) was proposed to assimilate multi‐source data. The dataset includes six satellite‐based rainfall products (3B42V7, 3B42RT, IMERG, CBLD, GSMaP, and PCDR), gauge‐based rainfall, and environmental data (temperature, specific humidity, wind speed, and locations) from 1 March 2014 to 31 December 2017 over southeast China (SEC). Leave‐one‐year‐out cross‐validation (LOYOCV) and independent validation were used to evaluate the BLS assimilating model. The proposed BLS model outperformed six original satellite‐based products on Pearson's correlation coefficient (CC), root‐mean‐square error (RMSE), and Nash‐Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (NSE) in each test year of LOYOCV. BLS model considering the environmental factors performed better on CC, RMSE, and NSE compared to that without environmental factors. Seasonal variations of daily gauge‐based precipitation were accurately captured by BLS‐based estimates. BLS method outperformed satellites on CC, RMSE, and NSE at most validation sites at low altitudes (0–1000 m). According to the independent validation, more accurate daily precipitation estimates could be obtained at more than half of the validation sites using the proposed model compared to the source datasets. The BLS‐based framework considering environmental factors has the potential to improve estimates over SEC and is expected to be applied to other regions. Key Points: A broad learning system is constructed to assimilate rainfall products for the first timeBoth meteorological and geographic factors were considered in the proposed modelThe proposed model can accurately represent both the spatial and temporal trends of daily rainfall [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moutain snow cover is highly variable both spatially and temporally and has a tremendous impact on ecosystems and human activities. Numerical models provide continuous estimates of the variability of snow cover properties in time and space. However, they suffer from large uncertainties, for instance originating from errors in the meteorological inputs. Here, we show that the snow depth variability at 250 m spatial resolution can be well simulated by assimilating snow depth maps from satellite photogrammetry in a detailed snowpack model. The assimilation of a single snow depth map per snow season using a particle filter is sufficient to improve the simulated snow depth and its spatial variability, originally poorly represented due to missing physical processes and errors in the precipitation inputs. Assimilation of snow depth only is nevertheless not sufficient for both compensating for strong bias in precipitation and for selecting the most appropriate representation of the physical processes in the snow model. Regarding this limitation, combined assimilation of snow depths maps and other snow observations, such as snow cover area, surface temperature or reflectance, is a promising avenue for accurate simulations of mountain snow cover. Plain Language Summary: Snow in mountains is critical as it controls water availability for ecosystems and human societies, when it is most needed. In the mountains the snow depth is both hard to map due to its spatial variability and crucial to estimate water resources. Nowadays, the best estimations of the snow depth distribution combine models and spatially distributed snow depth measurements. In this work, we build upon this approach by combining a recently developed snow depth mapping method with a state‐of‐the‐art model through a technique called assimilation. The assimilation of snow depth maps derived from satellite photogrammetry corrects bias in the precipitation and improves the spatial variability of the simulated snow depth. The workflow presented can be transferred to any mountain range, showing a promising way to study water resources in remote areas. Key Points: Assimilation of one satellite snow depth map corrects bias in precipitation and improves the modeled spatial variability of the snow depthIn case of a large bias in precipitation, assimilation of a snow depth map can modify incidentally how the snowpack bulk density is modeledThis approach, which combines satellite data for assimilation and validation, could be transferred to unmonitored basins [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeolus is the world's first spaceborne Doppler Wind Lidar, providing profiles of horizontal line‐of‐sight (HLOS) wind retrievals. Numerical weather prediction (NWP) impact and error statistics of Aeolus Level‐2B (L2B) wind statistics have been assessed using the European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) global data assimilation system. Random and systematic error estimates were derived from observation minus background departure statistics. The HLOS wind random error standard deviation is estimated to be in the range 4.0–7.0 m·s−1 for the Rayleigh‐clear and 2.8–3.6 m·s−1 for the Mie‐cloudy, depending on atmospheric signal levels which in turn depend on instrument performance, atmospheric backscatter properties and the processing algorithms. Complex systematic HLOS wind error variations on time‐scales less than one orbit were identified, most strongly affecting the Rayleigh‐clear winds. NWP departures and instrument housekeeping data confirmed that it is caused by temperature gradients across the primary mirror. A successful bias correction scheme was implemented in the operational processing chain in April 2020. In Observing System Experiments (OSEs), Aeolus provides statistically significant improvement in short‐range forecasts as verified by observations sensitive to temperature, wind and humidity. Longer forecast range verification shows positive impact that is strongest at the day two to three forecast range: ∼2% improvement in root‐mean‐square error for vector wind and temperature in the tropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, and polar troposphere. Positive impact up to 9 days is found in the tropical lower stratosphere. Both Rayleigh‐clear and Mie‐cloudy winds provide positive impact, but the Rayleigh accounts for most tropical impact. The Forecast Sensitivity Observation Impact (FSOI) metric is available since 9 January 2020, when Aeolus was operationally assimilated, which confirms Aeolus is a useful contribution to the global observing system, with the Rayleigh‐clear and Mie‐cloudy winds providing similar overall short‐range impact in 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates atmospheric refractivity observations from the COSMIC‐2 (C2) radio occultation (RO) mission by comparing them with radiosonde (RS) observations, the European Center for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA5 reanalysis, and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) analysis for the period October 2019 to December 2020. C2 refractivity is overall in good agreement with the RS observations as well as the GFS and ERA5 analyses. The mean and standard deviations of the differences between C2 and RS, ERA5, and GFS refractivity are within ±0.3% and less than 2% respectively, with slightly higher differences (both systematic and random), in the lower levels of the troposphere. Plain Language Summary: After evaluation of C2 refractivities, assimilation and forecast experiments were conducted to determine the potential value of C2 in weather research and forecast (WRF) model during the Indian summer monsoon (June–September) 2020. The model results were validated using RS observations and the ERA5 reanalysis. The use of C2 refractivity observations reduced the model analysis and forecast errors (reduction of root‐mean‐square errors by ∼8–10%) in mid‐upper tropospheric temperature, moisture, and winds. The precipitation prediction skill, particularly of high amounts of precipitation, increased by as much as 20% with the assimilation of C2 refractivity. Finally, a revised refractivity forward operator and its associated tangent and adjoint operators are developed and implemented in the WRF assimilation system. The revised forward operator outperforms the existing operator for refractivity assimilation. Key Points: Evaluated the quality of COSMIC‐2 radio occultation (RO) refractivity with radiosonde observations and two model analysesDeveloped an improved observation operator for the assimilation of RO refractivity in the weather research and forecast (WRF) modelCOSMIC‐2 refractivity observations have a positive impact on a regional numerical weather prediction system [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical weather prediction (NWP) schemes use a wide variety of satellite observations to help constrain atmospheric analyses. Passive microwave humidity data from channels operating in the water vapour band at 183 GHz, such as those on the Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS), are an important component of the satellite observing network. At this frequency the observations are very sensitive to scattering from ice crystals and, until recently, quality‐control tests were used at the Met Office to exclude assimilation of these data in regions of strong scattering such as thick cirrus clouds. In the work described here we report on improvements to the pre‐processing and assimilation of MHS data within the global NWP scheme at the Met Office, with the goal of utilising the data in scenes where liquid and ice cloud strongly affect the radiances. These improvements include the introduction of an observation operator that models the effects of ice scattering, and a scene‐dependent observation error model. The error model is based on the estimated cloud ice and cloud liquid in the field of view. The new scheme has increased observation usage of MHS data over ocean by up to 40%. Trials have shown benefits to forecasts in both boreal summer and winter seasons. In the boreal summer period, for example, low‐level wind forecast errors have improved in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics by up to 0.6%. Also, our experiments show evidence of significant improvements to the fit between observations and short‐range forecasts for humidity‐sensitive channels operating in both the microwave and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wave numerical simulation accuracy can be improved by assimilating remotely sensed wave observations. In addition to the nadir, significant wave height (SWH), the Surface Waves Investigation and Monitoring (SWIM) onboard Chinese‐French Oceanic SATellite (CFOSAT) provides two additional columns of wave spectra observations within wavelengths from 70 to 500 m. A model based on a deep neural network (DNN) is developed to retrieve the total SWH from the partially wave spectra observed by SWIM. The DNN model uses the parameters from both the SWIM spectra and the nearest nadir as the inputs, and the DNN is trained on the SWH from cross‐matched altimeter observations. The DNN‐based acquisition of the SWH is verified to achieve a high accuracy. A set of assimilation experiments are performed based on MFWAM and show promising results. Compared to the assimilation of SWIM nadir SWHs only, the addition of the newly obtained SWIM SWH notably enhances the positive impacts of assimilation, not only proving the effectiveness and accuracy of the DNN model but also demonstrating the unique potential of SWIM in wave assimilation. Plain Language Summary: Assimilation is an effective method of improving the accuracy of wave models by using remotely sensed wave heights. The Surface Waves Investigation and Monitoring (SWIM) onboard Chinese‐French Oceanic SATellite (CFOSAT) is a new and unique instrument that can provide more wave observations than traditional altimeters. Therefore, SWIM has the potential to have positive impacts on wave forecasting. However, the additional observations from SWIM can cover only partial wave energy spectra within wavelengths of 70–500 m. Therefore, a model for retrieving the total wave height from partially observed wave spectra is critical before we can assimilate SWIM observations into wave models. A model for retrieving the total wave height is developed based on a deep neural network, a widely used technique in artificial intelligence. Assimilation experiments are carried out to test the effectiveness of the newly obtained total wave heights. Satisfactory results are found, indicating that the total wave heights from our model significantly improve the wave simulation accuracy. These findings also demonstrate the capability of SWIM as an effective wave monitoring instrument that can likely exert highly positive impacts on the accuracy of wave forecasts. Key Points: A deep neural network (DNN) model is developed for the acquisition of significant wave heights from Chinese‐French Oceanic SATellite (CFOSAT) Surface Waves Investigation and Monitoring (SWIM) spectraAdditional positive impacts are found in the assimilation of the Surface Waves Investigation and Monitoring (SWIM) box significant wave height (SWH) from the DNN compared to the assimilation of nadir SWH only [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land surfaces are characterised by strong heterogeneities of soil texture, orography, land cover, soil moisture, snow, and other variables. The complexity of the surface properties is very challenging to represent accurately in radiative transfer models, which have a limited reliability over land, especially for observations such as given. This has resulted in difficulties in assimilating land‐surface related satellite observations in numerical weather prediction models. Simple statistical relationships between satellite observations and surface variables have therefore been considered in the last 20 years. In this study, we propose to compare two such approaches: cumulative distribution function (CDF)‐matching (used as a normalisation and an inversion technique) and neural network (NN) methods. CDF‐matching finds a simple monovariate relationship at the local scale and is very dependent on the land‐surface model (LSM) on which it is calibrated. NNs are global multivariate models able to exploit auxiliary information and the synergy of multiple instruments, but the solution is global and no local characteristics constrain the solution. One of these two methods will be better suited, depending on the application—in particular the simplicity of the satellite/variable relationship. We illustrate these concepts here using Advanced SCATerometer (ASCAT) observations for soil moisture (SM) retrieval in an assimilation context. The two approaches are compared and combined. We also compare the more traditional inversion scheme and forward modelling, which could be attractive for assimilation purposes. We show that, in the context of ASCAT, the inversion approach seems better suited than the forward modelling. We also show that it is possible to combine the global model obtained using the NN and the localised information of the LSM offered by CDF‐matching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method has been developed to directly assimilate volume scans of radar reflectivity data with 4D‐Var in the Met Office Unified Model. The method has been demonstrated in the convective‐scale hourly‐cycling UKV forecast model. Reflectivity observations from 18 C‐band radars in the British Isles are assimilated. This article describes the method of observation processing and quality control, the observation operator, and assimilation method. The assimilation method uses a minimum threshold rainwater content in the forward operator to give sensitivity to reflectivity observations where there is no rain in the background. Furthermore, the use of the Huber norm in the observation penalty function allows the use of observations with large innovations in the assimilation. A change was made to the precipitation efficiency in the microphysics scheme of the linear perturbation forecast model to ensure stability of the scheme. A case‐study is presented which demonstrates how the inclusion of reflectivity observations enhances convergence through analysis increments to the wind field, leading to improvements to the location of convective precipitation features in the forecast. Two‐month trials for summer and winter seasons demonstrate significant improvements to rain forecasts in the nowcasting range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accuracy of a wave model can be improved by assimilating an adequate number of remotely sensed wave heights. The Surface Waves Investigation and Monitoring (SWIM) and Scatterometer (SCAT) instruments onboard China‐France Oceanic SATellite provide simultaneous observations of waves and wide swath wind fields. Based on these synchronous observations, a method for retrieving the SWH over an extended swath is developed using the deep neural network approach. With the combination of observations from both SWIM and SCAT, the SWH estimates achieve significantly increased spatial coverage and promising accuracy. As evidenced by the assessments of assimilation experiments, the assimilation of this "wide swath SWH" achieves an equivalent or better accuracy than the assimilation of the traditional nadir SWH alone and enhances the positive impact when assimilated with the nadir SWH. Therefore, insights into the better utilization of wave remote sensing in assimilation are presented. Plain Language Summary: Data assimilation is an effective way to improve wave numerical simulations, and its impact is related to both the quality and the quantity of wave observations. China‐France Oceanic SATellite (CFOSAT) carries two instruments, namely, Surface Waves Investigation and Monitoring (SWIM) and a scatterometer (SCAT), which are designed to provide along‐track wave parameters and wind observations over a wide swath, respectively. By combining observations from both instruments, we propose a method to estimate the significant wave height (SWH) over a wide swath (typically ±100 km on each side of the nadir track) that aims to achieve an accuracy as good as the SWIM nadir and an improved spatial coverage. The method is developed by using the deep neural network approach. With the advantage of both a significantly increased spatial coverage and reasonable accuracy, the wide swath SWH has the potential to enhance the positive impacts of wave assimilation. Assimilation experiments demonstrate that the wide swath SWH achieves impacts as good as the assimilation of the SWIM nadir SWH and enhances the accuracy of the wave model when assimilated together with the nadir SWH. Hence, synchronous observations from CFOSAT will facilitate relevant applications in operational wave forecasting. Key Points: An innovative method for extending significant wave height (SWH) from nadir to a wide swath is presentedA deep neural network model is developed based on simultaneous observations from the nadir beam and wind scatterometer of the CFOSATSignificant positive impacts are found in the assimilation of the "wide swath" SWH compared to the assimilation of the Surface Waves Investigation and Monitoring nadir only [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of continuous improvements of ocean wave models in the last decades, large errors still remain in particular under strongly forced conditions, often encountered in the Southern Ocean, where strong westerly winds generate some of the fiercest waves on Earth in almost unlimited fetch conditions. The newly launched China‐France Oceanography SATellite (CFOSAT) provides directional spectra of ocean waves for both wind seas and swells. Compared to Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), it can resolve shorter wavelengths in all directions, which dominate in non‐fully developed wind waves. Here, the assimilation of these CFOSAT wavenumber components is proved to bring more accurate predictions of wave growth compared to the assimilation of significant wave height alone. A notable reduction of model bias is found in the Southern Ocean, especially in the Pacific Ocean sector. Results further exhibit a downward shift of the wave age, consistent with theoretical wave growth curves. Plain Language Summary: This work focuses on the importance of using directional wave observations to improve model wave prediction in the Southern Ocean. The results indicate a significant impact on the transition from a wind‐dependent sea to a well‐developed sea. A direct consequence of this work will concern a better understanding of the wave climate in the Southern Ocean and therefore, an improvement of coupled ocean/waves/atmosphere systems. Key Points: The assimilation of directional wavenumber components in the wave model MFWAM induces a significant reduction of Significant Wave Height (SWH) bias in the Southern OceanData assimilation reveals the improvement of the energy transfer of wind waves during the wave growth phase under unlimited fetch conditions in the Pacific sector of the Southern OceanThe wave age and dominant wavenumber can significantly be corrected by assimilating directional observations of Surface Wave Investigation Measurements, compared with assimilation of SWH‐nadir only [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stomatal movements are enabled by changes in guard cell turgor facilitated via transient accumulation of inorganic and organic ions imported from the apoplast or biosynthesized within guard cells. Under salinity, excess salt ions accumulate within plant tissues resulting in osmotic and ionic stress. To elucidate whether (a) Na+ and Cl− concentrations increase in guard cells in response to long‐term NaCl exposure and how (b) guard cell metabolism acclimates to the anticipated stress, we profiled the ions and primary metabolites of leaves, the apoplast and isolated guard cells at darkness and during light, that is, closed and fully opened stomata. In contrast to leaves, the primary metabolism of guard cell preparations remained predominantly unaffected by increased salt ion concentrations. Orchestrated reductions of stomatal aperture and guard cell osmolyte synthesis were found, but unlike in leaves, no increases of stress responsive metabolites or compatible solutes occurred. Diverging regulation of guard cell metabolism might be a prerequisite to facilitate the constant adjustment of turgor that affects aperture. Moreover, the photoperiod‐dependent sucrose accumulation in the apoplast and guard cells changed to a permanently replete condition under NaCl, indicating that stress‐related photosynthate accumulation in leaves contributes to the permanent closing response of stomata under stress. Guard cell metabolism differentially responds to altered ion composition resulting from salt stress (NaCl) compared with whole leaf tissue in Vicia faba L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that increase in physical heterogeneity by deflectors would improve the water quality of urban regulated (straight and prismatic) waterways. Deflectors changed the near‐uniform flow to a rapidly varied flow, as such the depth, velocity, and Froude number (Fr) variations were four, 10, and 14 times more than the without deflector scenario, respectively. Removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), the main focus of the study, was significantly high when deflectors were placed in the laboratory urban waterway. Introduction of a sediment bed further improved H2S removal; however, in this case turbidity and color were significantly high too. These observations endorse the fact that attenuation induced by deflectors and assimilation promoted by the sediment bed aids the H2S removal. These facts were further strengthened by the significant strong negative correlations H2S made with DO and pH for all experiments. Further studies are recommended for different deflector orientations and modified sediment beds (e.g., mixture of sediment and gravel), identification of localized water quality hot spots to capture spatial variation of water quality, and impact of increased heterogeneity on flood safety. Practitioner points: Increase in physical heterogeneity (by deflectors) on water quality improvement was studied in a laboratory set up.Deflectors changed the near‐uniform flow to rapidly varied flow with several mesoscale physical habitats.Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) removal was greatest with deflectors and the sediment bed, but was characterized by high turbidity.H2S removal showed strong negative correlations with dissolved oxygen and pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study assesses the viability of including water vapor data from Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) in the initialization of numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, using already available Sentinel‐1 A and B products. Despite the limitations resulting from the 6‐day return period of images produced by the 2‐satellite system, it is found that for a sufficiently large domain designed to contain a set of images every 12 h (at varying locations), the impact on model performance is beneficial or at least neutral. The proposed methodology is tested in 24 consecutive 12 h forecasts, covering two cycles of the Sentinel‐1 system and 214 images, for a domain containing Iberia. A statistical analysis of the forecast precipitable water vapor (PWV) against independent GNSS observations concluded for relevant improvements in the different scores, especially during a consecutive 3‐day period where the standard initial data were less accurate. An analysis of the rain forecasts against gridded remote sensing observations further indicates an overall improvement in the grid‐point distribution of different precipitation classes throughout the simulation, even when the mean impact of PWV assimilation was not significant. It is suggested that current InSAR data are already a useful source of NWP data and will only become more relevant as new systems are put into operation. Key Points: First test of a continuous Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) water vapor data assimilation systemImproved initial integrated water vapor distribution leads to better profiles of specific humidity and more skillful forecastsThe assimilation of InSAR water vapor leads to a better spatial distribution of precipitation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preliminary study was conducted to demonstrate fate of the bacterial storage compound poly‐β‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB) once ingested and degraded in vivo in crustaceans. The 2% supplementation of 13C‐labeled Ralstonia eutropha DSM545 containing 75% PHB on dry weight in postlarval whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei resulted in consistent enrichment of two fatty acids (containing 14–24 carbons [C] in length) pentadecanoic acid (15:0) and palmitic acid (16:0) in all lipid fractions. This could indicate that 13C signal may not only originate from the PHB but partly from the structural components of the bacterial cell. There was a trend of lower 13C enrichment in various lipid fractions of the postlarvae as compared to the diet. These findings may have important implications as to potential of PHB as energy source rather than as building block. There was a rapid transfer of 13C in the postlarvae as seen by the significant 13C enrichment in the tissues 4 hr after feeding with labeled bacterial cells. Overall, the assimilation of PHB in crustacean tissues is demonstrated for the first time. Our results indicate that PHB once ingested is rapidly assimilated in the tissues and could probably act as an energy source rather than as a building block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic as a case study, this paper engages with debates on the assimilation of Asian Americans into the US mainstream. While a burgeoning scholarship holds that Asians are "entering into the dominant group" or becoming "White," the prevalent practices of othering Asians and surging anti‐Asian discrimination since the pandemic outbreak present a challenge to the assimilation thesis. This paper explains how anger against China quickly expands to Asian American population more broadly. Our explanation focuses on different forms of othering practices, deep‐seated stereotypes of Asians, and the role of politicians and media in activating or exacerbating anti‐Asian hatred. Through this scrutiny, this paper augments the theses that Asian Americans are still treated as "forever foreigners" and race is still a prominent factor in the assimilation of Asians in the United States. This paper also sheds light on the limitations of current measures of assimilation. More broadly, the paper questions the notion of color‐blindness or post‐racial America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing human activities in recent decades have collectively resulted in large amounts of nutrients export into coastal oceans. As the most reactive nitrogen species, ammonium (NH4+) plays the critical role in biogeochemical cycles in estuaries and the coastal ocean. In the highly polluted Pearl River Estuary (PRE), NH4+ predominates to be the energy source for nitrification and to be the material source for bacteria and phytoplankton to grow. Both above processes are affected by light, yet in opposite ways. Nevertheless, rare studies paid attention to dual NH4+ transformation processes specifically during dark conditions. By using nitrogen isotope tracer technique, we quantitatively and simultaneously differentiated two distinctive NH4+ consumption pathways, that is, NH4+ oxidation (AOD) and assimilation (AAD) rates, especially under dark conditions along the PRE during the 2015 and 2017 summer cruises when biological activities were the highest. We found the NH4+ transformations display a bilayer structure with AAD > AOD in almost all the surface waters and vice versa in all bottom waters, suggesting bacteria and phytoplankton (mainly bacteria) control NH4+ consumption in surface during the night while nitrifiers are the major NH4+ consumer in the bottom waters. Through redundancy analysis, we found that both processes are mainly driven by NH4+ in the PRE during summer. In addition, in the downstream PRE during two cruises, AOD at most contributed 27% and 8% of the water column community dissolved oxygen (DO) consumption assuming the Redfield stoichiometry has no direct effect on hypoxia formation in the PRE during summer. Key Points: Under dark condition, ammonium transformation presents a bilayer structure in the PREAmmonium concentration drives both oxidation and assimilation pathways in similar magnitude in the dark [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is increasingly recognized that symbiotic microbiota (especially those present in the gut) have important influences on the functioning of their host. Here, we review the interplay between this microbial community and the growth, metabolic rate and nutritional energy harvest of the host.We show how recent developments in experimental and analytical methods have allowed much easier characterization of the nature, and increasingly the functioning, of the gut microbiota. Manipulation studies that remove or augment gut microorganisms or transfer them between hosts have allowed unprecedented insights into their impact. Whilst much of the information to date has come from studies of laboratory model organisms, recent studies have used a more diverse range of host species, including those living in natural conditions, revealing their ecological relevance.The gut microbiota can provide the host with dietary nutrients that would be otherwise unobtainable, as well as allow the host flexibility in its capacity to cope with changing environments. The composition of the gut microbial community of a species can vary seasonally or when the host moves between environments (e.g. fresh and sea water in the case of migratory fish). It can also change with host diet choice, metabolic rate (or demands) and life stage. These changes in gut microbial community composition enable the host to live within different environments, adapt to seasonal changes in diet and maintain performance throughout its entire life history, highlighting the ecological relevance of the gut microbiota.Whilst it is evident that gut microbes can underpin host metabolic plasticity, the causal nature of associations between particular microorganisms and host performance is not always clear unless a manipulative approach has been used. Many studies have focussed on a correlative approach by characterizing microbial community composition, but there is now a need for more experimental studies in both wild and laboratory‐based environments, to reveal the true role of gut microbiota in influencing the functioning of their hosts, including its capacity to tolerate environmental change. We highlight areas where these would be particularly fruitful in the context of ecological energetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct assimilation of space‐borne cloud radar and lidar observations into a global numerical weather prediction model has not previously been attempted for several reasons. Firstly, the modification of a data assimilation system to handle space‐borne profiling observations is a technical challenge. Secondly, the relationship between model‐scale control variables and the relatively narrow footprint of the radar and lidar instruments were thought to be unrepresentative and too nonlinear for a variational assimilation system that is based on assumptions of linearity. However, motivation was provided when previous experiments assimilating cloud radar and lidar profiles showed, using an intermediary step to generate pseudo‐observations of temperature and humidity, that there was potential for the observations to improve both the analysis and the subsequent forecast. This article presents the developments made to facilitate the direct assimilation of cloud radar and lidar observations into the four‐dimensional variational assimilation (4D‐Var) system of the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). A review of the observation operators shows how they have been optimised for data assimilation with an emphasis on efficiency, consistency and differentiability. A key part of this work is the specification of a new fully flow‐dependent characterisation of the observation error. By taking an error inventory approach, we account for different sources of error in a physical way. Also, to avoid degrading the analysis, careful screening, quality control and bias correction is necessary and is described herein. Finally, an initial assessment of the impact of the observations is achieved through single‐analysis tests that show that the analysis fit to the new observations is improved. In‐depth results demonstrating the impact of these observations are shown in the second part of this two‐part series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key to the content diversity on user‐generated content platforms is what subject users choose to contribute on. This research investigates how two factors can shape contributors' subject choice decisions, namely, the amount of existing content and content contributed by online friends or "friend content." Our experimental findings show that both the amount of existing content and friend content can shape a contributor's subject choice decisions: ceteris paribus, contributors prefer subjects with less existing content and ones with friend content when the amount of existing content is the same. In addition, contributors' preference for subjects with friend content weakens as the amount of existing content on other subject's decreases. Our findings hold important implications for research and practice in user‐generated content platforms and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rare disturbance of the stratospheric Antarctic polar vortex in September 2019 led to a significantly higher than usual polar total ozone column. We use assimilation of ozone, HCl, and N2O data from the Microwave Limb Sounder with the Global Earth Observing System (GEOS) Constituent Data Assimilation System driven by reanalysis meteorology to study the evolution of the 2019 Antarctic polar ozone. We find that the maximum 2019 ozone hole area was near 10 × 106 km2, and as little as 20% of that in 2018 in mid‐September. However, the magnitude of vortex‐averaged chemical ozone depletion was not significantly different between the 2 years despite earlier chlorine deactivation in 2019. The assimilation results show that most of the differences between 2018 and 2019 Antarctic ozone resulted from two factors: (1) the geometry of the 2019 vortex, with ozone‐rich middle‐stratospheric air masses overlying the lower portion of the vortex and leading to a significant reduction of the total column, and (2) significantly reduced vortex volume. The anomalously small ozone hole of 2019 was comparable in size to the record breaking 2002 case and the mechanisms responsible were similar in the two cases. While the 2019 sudden stratospheric warming is classified as minor, its impact on ozone was very significant. Plain Language Summary: A significant dynamical disturbance of the stratospheric polar vortex occurred over Antarctica in September 2019. Named sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs), such events are relatively common in the Northern Hemisphere but exceedingly rare over the southern high latitudes. SSWs are known to disturb the chemical composition of the polar vortex, which slows down the reactions that lead to ozone depletion. In this paper we use observations of chemical composition of the 2019 Antarctic polar vortex from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s satellite sensor, the Microwave Limb Sounder, combined with a Global Earth Observing System model simulation to study the chemistry and dynamics of this unusual polar winter/spring season. We show that the 2019 SSW, although not classified as "major," led to more than a 50% reduction of the ozone hole area at its peak extent, compared to other years since 2004. Furthermore, we demonstrate that most of this reduction was caused by an unusual geometry and small size of the polar vortex, while the chemistry of the 2019 ozone hole was comparable to that in the undisturbed year 2018. The 2019 event can be regarded as an example of a minor sudden stratospheric warming with a major impact. Key Points: The 2019 ozone hole area was about 10 ×106 km2 or less, compared to over 20×106 km2 typical for Septembers 2005–2018The anomalously high Antarctic total ozone resulted from an unusual polar vortex size and geometry rather than from chemistryEven a minor sudden stratospheric warming in the Southern Hemisphere can have a big impact on polar total ozone [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the accuracy of Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF‐Chem) generated 72 hr fine particulate matter (PM2.5) forecasts in Delhi during the crop residue burning season of October‐November 2017 with respect to assimilation of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrievals, persistent fire emission assumption, and aerosol‐radiation interactions. The assimilation significantly pushes the model AOD and PM2.5 toward the observations with the largest changes below 5 km altitude in the fire source regions (northeastern Pakistan, Punjab, and Haryana) as well as the receptor New Delhi. WRF‐Chem forecast with MODIS AOD assimilation, aerosol‐radiation feedback turned on, and real‐time fire emissions reduce the mean bias by 88–195 μg/m3 (70–86%) with the largest improvement during the peak air pollution episode of 6–13 November 2017. Aerosol‐radiation feedback contributes ~21%, ~25%, and ~24% to reduction in mean bias of the first, second, and third days of PM2.5 forecast. Persistence fire emission assumption is found to work really well, as the accuracy of PM2.5 forecasts driven by persistent fire emissions was only 6% lower compared to those driven by real fire emissions. Aerosol‐radiation feedback extends the benefits of assimilating satellite AOD beyond PM2.5 forecasts to surface temperature forecast with a reduction in the mean bias of 0.9–1.5°C (17–30%). These results demonstrate that air quality forecasting can benefit substantially from satellite AOD observations particularly in developing countries that lack resources to rapidly build dense air quality monitoring networks. Key Points: MODIS AOD assimilation and aerosol‐radiation feedback improved accuracy of 72 hr PM2.5 forecasts in New Delhi by 70–86%Persistent fire emission assumption works really well for Delhi air quality forecasting system and introduces uncertainty of less than 6%Improved air quality forecasts also lead to improved surface temperature forecast through aerosol‐radiation feedback [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weather forecasts play essential parts in economic activity. Assimilation of meteorological observations from aircraft improves forecasts greatly. However, global lockdown during the COVID‐19 pandemic (March to May 2020) has eliminated 50‐75% aircraft observations and imperiled weather forecasting. Here, we verify global forecasts against reanalysis to quantify the impact of the pandemic. We find a large deterioration in forecasts of surface meteorology over regions with busy air flights, such as North America, southeast China, and Australia. Forecasts over remote regions are also substantially worse during March to May 2020 than 2017–2019, and the deterioration increases for longer‐term forecasts. This could handicap early warning of extreme weather and cause additional economic damage on the top of that from the pandemic. The impact over Western Europe is buffered by the high density of conventional observations, suggesting that introduction of new observations in data‐sparse regions would be needed to minimize the impact of global emergencies on weather forecasts. Key Points: The COVID‐19 pandemic eliminated 50–75% of aircraft meteorological observationsAccuracy of weather forecast reduced significantly especially over southeast China and USA, and error develops as forecast goes longerThis could handicap early warning of extreme weather; establishing more meteorology stations can buffer the impact of global emergencies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assimilation serves as a significant part during magma's evolution. Because of rapid cooling of mafic–ultramafic magma, assimilation between mantle‐derived magma and crustal rocks (wall rocks) is often neglected. The Beidaihe diabase dyke in North China Craton suggests that assimilation of the rapidly cooled mantle‐derived magma cannot be ignored. The diabase dyke is very thin (~1 m in width) with chilled margin. The dyke centre is porphyritic texture while the chilled margin is aphanitic texture, suggesting a rapid crystallization process. From the centre to margin of the dyke, contents of SiO2 (from 48.12–49.94 wt.% to 38.29–46.63 wt.%), MgO (from 7.46–9.17 wt.% to 3.39–4.71 wt.%), Ni (from 91.5–118 ppm to 6.5–45.8 ppm), and Cr (from 243–306 ppm to 1.7–80.5 ppm) are obviously decreased, but contents of Fe2O3T (from 8.71–9.39 wt.% to 9.21–12.30 wt.%), CaO (from 5.67–7.08 wt.% to 6.91–10.26 wt.%), and CO2 (from 0.25–1.92 wt.% to 4.52–6.58 wt.%) are distinctly increased. The dyke intruded discordantly into Ordovician limestone. Limestone far away from the dyke mainly consists of micro calcites with low MgO (0.55–0.77 wt.%) and FeO (0.07–0.09 wt.%) but high CaO (53.82–55.51 wt.%) and CO2 (44.46–45.02 wt.%) contents. Limestone close to the dyke metamorphosed into marble, which mainly comprises of recrystallized calcite/dolomite and diopside, with high MgO (1.85–2.35 wt.%) and FeO (0.17–1.36 wt.%) but relatively low CaO (52.30–54.15 wt.%) and CO2 (38.77–41.04 wt.%). All these suggest an assimilation process of the mantle‐derived magma with wall rocks limestone. Based on the chemical balance at the interface between the diabase and limestone, CO2 exchange model is used to estimate the degree of assimilation. The calculated assimilation degree is about 8–12% at the dyke margin. There is obvious elements exchange between magma and wall rocks, and the transfer ability of Mg is greater than that of Ca. Meanwhile, Fe oxides quickly precipitated at the margins of the dyke for the increase of fO2. Therefore, even for mantle‐derived magma which chilled rapidly, it may also be obviously influenced by assimilation, especially when wall rocks are carbonate sediments. Simultaneously, this study provides a possible explanation for some mantle‐derived rocks in carbonate areas with high LOI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]