Search

This article explores the importance of adopting a social-ecological approach to management learning and education (MLE) in response to the ecological crisis and climate emergency. It acknowledges the severe consequences of these crises and emphasizes the interconnectedness between the environment, society, and business. The article argues that while MLE has contributed to exacerbating these issues in the past, it also has the potential to address them. It calls for a transformation of MLE to prioritize the well-being of both humans and the environment, and suggests areas of inquiry to foster the development of a social-ecological approach. Additionally, the article highlights the need for management educators and business school leaders to take action and incorporate social-ecological approaches into their teaching and research. [Extracted from the article]

This summary discusses the importance of preserving and utilizing old data in the geosciences. It emphasizes the need to digitize and preserve non-digital records, as they provide unique insights into past events and enhance our understanding of the changing Earth. The article also highlights the challenges involved in converting analog data to digital format and the importance of preserving metadata. It showcases examples of how historical records have been used in geophysical research and emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of scientific data rescue. The document is a summary of a special issue on the preservation and use of old geoscientific data, covering various topics related to digitizing historical observations, data portals, and data applications. The authors stress the importance of preserving and utilizing old data for future research and recommend further exploration of topics such as data principles, repository compatibility, and physical record preservation. [Extracted from the article]

The root zone is a vital part of the Earth system and a key element in hydrology, ecology, agronomy, and land surface processes. However, its definition varies across disciplines, creating barriers to interdisciplinary understanding. Moreover, characterizing the root zone is challenging due to a lack of consensus on definitions, estimation methods, and their merits and limitations. This opinion paper provides a holistic definition of the root zone from a hydrology perspective, including its moisture storage, deficit, and storage capacity. We demonstrate that the root zone plays a critical role in the biosphere, pedosphere, rhizosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and cryosphere of the Earth system. We underscore the limitations of the traditional reductionist approach in modelling this complex and dynamic zone and advocate for a shift towards a holistic, ecosystem-centred approach. We argue that a holistic approach offers a more systematic, simple, dynamic, scalable, and observable way to describe and predict the role of the root zone in Earth system science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article summarizes a study on the impact of leaf mining on the chemical composition of plant leaves. Leaf mining, a feeding strategy employed by insect larvae, can have both positive and negative effects on host plants. The study used attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to analyze the chemical characteristics of modern and fossil leaves. The results showed that leaf mining can lead to changes in the chemical composition of leaves, particularly in the content of polysaccharides, carboxylic acids, and phenolic compounds. Another study discussed in the text focuses specifically on the chemical defense mechanisms of Ginkgo biloba against leaf mining. The researchers used the same spectroscopy technique to analyze the chemical composition of modern and fossil leaves and found evidence of defense mechanisms. The text also mentions that the given article is a list of references and supporting information for a research article published in the New Phytologist journal. The research explores the use of spectroscopy to study leaf mining in ginkgophytes during the Late Triassic period and provides insights into the ecological interactions and evolutionary history of plant-insect interactions. [Extracted from the article]

Zusammenfassung: Unser Beitrag ist ein theoretischer Artikel, der die Bildung im Anthropozän durch die Brille einer kritischen Pädagogik betrachtet. Die Diskussion stützt sich vor allem auf Philosophie und Anthropologie, greift aber auch auf zahlreiche Konzepte der Erziehungswissenschaften und der Bildung zurück. Wir beginnen mit einer Beschreibung des globalen Systemphänomens Anthropozän und der Gefahr plötzlicher irreversibler Veränderungen, die die Fähigkeit des Menschen, in einer Gesellschaft zu leben, gefährden würden, wenn bestimmte Kipppunkte überschritten werden. Es wird gezeigt, dass die Menschheit und insbesondere die Pädagog_innen angesichts der anstehenden Probleme vor einer großen Herausforderung stehen, aber auch angesichts der Tatsache, dass der politische und soziale Wandel nur sehr langsam vonstatten geht, obwohl wir uns der Situation durchaus bewusst sind. Es gilt also, spezifische Formen der Entfremdung zu berücksichtigen, die über das Problem der Unwissenheit hinausgehen, das seit der Zeit der Aufklärung angeklagt wird. Unter diesem Gesichtspunkt mag es schließlich angebracht sein, eine Pädagogik der Befreiung, wie die von Paulo Freire, zu unterstützen, da sie den Wunsch nach individueller und politischer Emanzipation – d.h. die verschiedenen Ebenen, die im Zusammenhang mit dem Phänomen des Anthropozäns eine Rolle spielen – klar zum Ausdruck bringt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the text of a speech by philosopher Frédéric Neyrat, delivered before the American Comparative Literature Association at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Topics discussed include geocentrism of contemporary ecological thought, celestial democracy as a result of anarchist act, planetary philosophy, ecological isolation, postcolonial theory and earth system science approach to planetary thinking, and terrestrial and celestial elements of planetary liberation.

This article discusses the impact of human-caused climate change on tree mortality and biome shifts. Research conducted in the Sahel region of Africa found that temperature and rainfall were the main factors contributing to tree mortality, with one in every five trees dying from 1954 to 1989. Climate change has also caused biome shifts in various ecosystems worldwide. The article emphasizes the need to reduce carbon pollution and take action at all levels to address climate change. It also highlights the negative environmental impacts of excessive material consumption and the importance of adopting sustainable practices. The Paris Agreement and policies promoting renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions are mentioned as steps towards halting climate change. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of individual actions in minimizing material consumption and living simply to protect the environment. The given text provides a list of references and citations from various sources related to climate change, environmental impact, and related topics, which can be valuable for library patrons conducting research on these subjects. [Extracted from the article]

The North Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM) is the strongest interannual air‐sea coupled system in the subtropical northeastern Pacific, which can significantly impact the development of El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This study examines performance of the second version of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Earth System Model (CAS‐ESM2), developed primarily at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAP/CAS), in simulating the PMM, ENSO, and their relationship. It reveals that CAS‐ESM2 can well reproduce the tropical climate mean states, including sea surface temperature (SST), surface winds, and precipitation. Furthermore, the model shows a good ability in reproducing the seasonal evolutions of the PMM and ENSO. Moreover, CAS‐ESM2 effectively simulates the influence of the PMM on subsequent ENSO and the underlying physical mechanisms, including the wind‐evaporation‐SST feedback process, the trade wind charging mechanism and summer deep convection mechanism. However, some improvements are still needed, particularly in representing the periodicity of the PMM, an overestimation of the ENSO intensity and westward extension of ENSO‐related SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific. The results obtained from the CAS‐ESM2 showcase significant progress in understanding the interaction between air‐sea interaction systems over the tropics and subtropics. Plain Language Summary: El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the strongest interannual atmosphere‐ocean coupling variability in the tropical Pacific. ENSO can trigger extreme weather and climate events worldwide, and lead to substantial economic losses. While tropical processes are acknowledged to influence ENSO, many recent studies have emphasized the important role of extratropical air‐sea variabilities in modulating the occurrence and development of ENSO events. The Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM) has been identified as a key channel in transmitting the impact of extratropical forcing on ENSO. Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate the performance of current climate models in representing the PMM and its relationship with the ENSO. This evaluation holds significant scientific value as it can enhance our understanding of the dynamics underlying the ENSO and help improve the prediction of ENSO. The second version of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Earth System Model (CAS‐ESM2), developed primarily at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, represents a significant milestone in advancing atmospheric science in China. This study aims to assess the capabilities of CAS‐ESM2 in simulating the ENSO, PMM, and the impact of PMM on ENSO. Our findings indicate that CAS‐ESM2 well reproduces these two air‐sea coupling systems and captures their relation. Key Points: Chinese Academy of Sciences Earth System Model (CAS‐ESM2) has eliminated the double Intertropical Convergence Zone bias to some extentCAS‐ESM2 can reasonably well simulate the spatial‐temporal features of Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM) and El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO)The influence of the spring PMM on ENSO and the underlying mechanism can be captured by the CAS‐ESM2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new, Earth System Model of Intermediate Complexity, DCESS II, is presented that builds upon, improves and extends the Danish Center for Earth System Science (DCESS) Earth System model (DCESS I). DCESS II has considerably greater spatial resolution than DCESS I while retaining the fine, 100 m vertical resolution in the ocean. It contains modules for the atmosphere, ocean, ocean sediment, land biosphere and lithosphere and is designed to deal with global change simulations on scales of years to millions of years while using limited computational resources. Tracers of the atmospheric module are temperature, nitrous oxide, methane (12,13C isotopes), carbon dioxide (12,13,14C isotopes) and atmospheric oxygen. For the ocean module, tracers are conservative temperature, absolute salinity, water 18O, phosphate, dissolved inorganic carbon (12,13,14C isotopes), alkalinity and dissolved oxygen. Furthermore, the ocean module considers simplified dynamical schemes for large-scale meridional circulation and sea-ice dynamics, stratification-dependent vertical diffusion, a gravity current approach to the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water and improvements in ocean biogeochemistry. DCESS II has two hemispheres with six zonal-averaged atmospheric boxes and twelve ocean boxes distributed across the Indian-Pacific, the Atlantic, the Arctic and the Southern Oceans. A new, extended land biosphere scheme is implemented that considers three different vegetation types whereby net primary production depends on sunlight and atmospheric carbon dioxide. The ocean sediment and lithosphere model formulations are adopted from DCESS I but now applied to the multiple ocean and land regions of the new model. A model calibration was carried out for the pre-industrial climate and model steady-state solutions were compared against available modern-day observations. For the most part, calibration results agree well with observed data, included excellent agreement with ocean carbon species. This serves to demonstrate model utility for dealing with the global carbon cycle. Finally, two idealized experiments were carried out in order to explore model performance. First, we forced the model by varying Ekman transport out of the model Southern Ocean, mimicking the effect of Southern Hemisphere westerly wind variations and second, we imposed freshwater melting pulses from the Antarctic ice sheet on to the model Southern Ocean shelf. Changes in ocean circulation and in the global carbon cycle found in these experiments are reasonable and agree with results for much more complex models. Thus, we find DCESS II to be a useful and computational-friendly tool for simulations of past climates as well as for future Earth System projections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an editorial that discusses the development and ecological functions of biological soil crusts (biocrusts). Biocrusts are composed of microorganisms and play important roles in soil stabilization, microbial diversity, and ecosystem development. The editorial emphasizes the need for further research on biocrust communities and their impact on landscape-scale outcomes. It also highlights the ecological functions of biocrusts, such as reducing erosion and influencing biogeochemical cycles. The article concludes by discussing the importance of understanding biocrusts for ecological restoration and land management strategies. Another document provides a list of references for articles related to biological soil crusts, covering topics such as land degradation neutrality, ecological restoration, and the impact of biocrusts on microbial communities. The articles also explore the composition and response of biocrusts to climate change and physical disturbance, as well as their effects on soil properties and metabolic response to hydration. [Extracted from the article]

The Earth and life sciences are replete with portmanteau (blended) words and neologisms. Researchers at the interfaces between the traditional disciplines within the Earth and life sciences have coined dual titles for 'new' disciplines, such as geobiology/biogeology and ecohydrology/hydroecology. An upsurge in such coinage over the last few decades reflects a healthy willingness of many researchers to cross traditional disciplinary boundaries and to include the human sphere within their domains. However, some of the titles cause confusion because their meanings are not self-evident; rather, they sometimes demand extra research to reveal their meanings, thus rendering science less 'open' at a time when Open Science is being vigorously encouraged. After discussing the question of disciplinary neologisms, the paper probes the interchangeability of 15 dual 'new' discipline titles and concludes that six are more-or-less synonymous, three are nonsynonymous, and six are indeterminate for varying reasons. We question the usefulness of some, but by no means all, disciplinary neologisms, given that their meanings are not immediately apparent. Looking beyond portmanteau titles and other neologisms, the paper discusses the rise of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research, as seen in the concepts of the Critical Zone, multifunctional landscapes, and Earth System Science, the last of which supports a conceptual model of the planet as an interdependent set of spheres from global to local scales that has the advantages of combining the biotic, abiotic, and human spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems regulate climate at local to global scales through exchanges of energy and matter with the atmosphere and assist with climate change mitigation through nature‐based climate solutions. Climate science is no longer a study of the physics of the atmosphere and oceans, but also the ecology of the biosphere. This is the promise of Earth system science: to transcend academic disciplines to enable study of the interacting physics, chemistry, and biology of the planet. However, long‐standing tension in protecting, restoring, and managing forest ecosystems to purposely improve climate evidences the difficulties of interdisciplinary science. For four centuries, forest management for climate betterment was argued, legislated, and ultimately dismissed, when nineteenth century atmospheric scientists narrowly defined climate science to the exclusion of ecology. Today's Earth system science, with its roots in global models of climate, unfolds in similar ways to the past. With Earth system models, geoscientists are again defining the ecology of the Earth system. Here we reframe Earth system science so that the biosphere and its ecology are equally integrated with the fluid Earth to enable Earth system prediction for planetary stewardship. Central to this is the need to overcome an intellectual heritage to the models that elevates geoscience and marginalizes ecology and local land knowledge. The call for kilometer‐scale atmospheric and ocean models, without concomitant scientific and computational investment in the land and biosphere, perpetuates the geophysical view of Earth and will not fully provide the comprehensive actionable information needed for a changing climate. Plain Language Summary: Terrestrial ecosystems provide a natural solution to planetary warming by storing carbon, dissipating surface heating through evapotranspiration, and other processes. That forests, in particular, influence climate is a centuries‐old premise, but its potential for planetary stewardship has not been realized. In an acrimonious controversy spanning several centuries, managing forests to purposely change climate was advocated, legislated, and resoundingly dismissed as unscientific. Similar intellectual bias is evident in today's Earth system science and the associated Earth system models, which are the state‐of‐the‐art models used to inform climate policy. The popular characterization of Earth system science lauds its interdisciplinary melding of physics, chemistry, and biology, but the models emphasize the physics and fluid dynamics of the atmosphere and oceans and present a limited perspective of terrestrial ecosystems in the Earth system. Ecologists studying the living world increasingly have a voice in Earth system science as we move beyond the physical basis for climate change to Earth system prediction for planetary stewardship. As we once again look to forests to solve a climate problem, we must surmount the disciplinary narrowness that failed to answer the forest‐climate question in the past and that continues to limit the interdisciplinary potential of Earth system science. Key Points: Nature‐based climate solutions have been advocated for centuries, but have been distorted by academic bias and colonialist prejudiceEarth system science, while recognizing the climate services of the biosphere, has a geophysical bias in interdisciplinary collaborationTo realize the potential for planetary stewardship, Earth system models must embrace the living world equally with the fluid world [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the ecological factors affecting zooplankton diversity in the Ravi River and its implications for water quality. Topics include the dominant zooplankton species observed, the impact of environmental parameters like water temperature and turbidity on zooplankton distribution, and the influence of anthropogenic activities on river health and zooplankton diversity.

The article focuses on analyzing groundwater storage anomalies in Ethiopia's Rift Valley Basin using advanced techniques. Topics include downscaling Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data with Artificial Neural Networks, assessing regional groundwater storage changes, and understanding the impacts of data scarcity on groundwater management.

The article focuses on using the MIKE SHE model to analyze the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) changes on streamflow in Ethiopia's upper Omo Gibe catchment. Topics include the effects of LULC changes on hydrological patterns, the application of statistical tests to identify trends and changes, and the implications for water management strategies in the region.

Based on the ongoing large climatic and environmental changes and the history of science coordination in Svalbard leading to the development of Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS), we present an overview of the current gaps in knowledge and infrastructure based on a synthesis of the recommendations presented in the annual State of Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) reporting of SIOS. Recommendations from the first 4 years of SESS reporting represent the point of view of the wide scientific community operating the large observing system implemented in Svalbard (SIOS) since 2018 and aim to identify the scientific potential to further develop the observing system. The recommendations are bottom-up inputs for a continuous process that aims to accomplish the vision and mission of SIOS: optimizing, integrating and further developing the observing system in an Earth system science (ESS) perspective. The primary outcome of the synthesis work is the evidence that ESS in SIOS has, during the first 4 years of operation, naturally developed from individual scientists or smaller groups of scientists to larger disciplinary international groups of scientists working together within the different environments (the atmosphere, the cryosphere, and marine and terrestrial environments). It is clear that strategic efforts towards interdisciplinarity are necessary for operating fully at ESS scale in Svalbard. As Svalbard is experiencing the largest ongoing warming in the Arctic and worldwide, SIOS is in a unique position to perform a full-scale study of all processes impacting ESS dynamics and controlling the water cycle using all parts of the SIOS observation network, with a large potential for increasing the understanding of key mechanisms in the Earth system. We also identify the potential to upscale Svalbard-based observations collected in SIOS to pan-Arctic and global scales, contributing to full-scale ESS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the ongoing issue of hydrocarbon pollution and the need to harness the hydrocarbon-degrading microbiome to mitigate its impact on the environment. It highlights the various sources of hydrocarbon pollution, including industrial and petroleum activities, wildfires, and natural sources. The article also explores the microbial communities that inhabit hydrocarbon-contaminated sites and their role in hydrocarbon degradation. It discusses the challenges and potential of using synthetic biology approaches to design engineered microbial communities for bioremediation. The article emphasizes the importance of monitoring methods and holistic approaches for evaluating the effectiveness of bioremediation treatments. The research work of the authors was funded by various projects, and they declare no competing interests. [Extracted from the article]

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) pose a challenge for achieving science that is both reproducible and replicable. The challenge is compounded in supervised models that depend on manually labeled training data, as they introduce additional decision‐making and processes that require thorough documentation and reporting. We address these limitations by providing an approach to hand labeling training data for supervised ML that integrates quantitative content analysis (QCA)—a method from social science research. The QCA approach provides a rigorous and well‐documented hand labeling procedure to improve the replicability and reproducibility of supervised ML applications in Earth systems science (ESS), as well as the ability to evaluate them. Specifically, the approach requires (a) the articulation and documentation of the exact decision‐making process used for assigning hand labels in a "codebook" and (b) an empirical evaluation of the reliability" of the hand labelers. In this paper, we outline the contributions of QCA to the field, along with an overview of the general approach. We then provide a case study to further demonstrate how this framework has and can be applied when developing supervised ML models for applications in ESS. With this approach, we provide an actionable path forward for addressing ethical considerations and goals outlined by recent AGU work on ML ethics in ESS. Plain Language Summary: Artificial intelligence and machine learning can make it hard to do science in a way that can be repeated. This can mean redoing a study in the exact same way to see if you can get the same or similar results (reproducibility) or trying to use the same study design on a new problem to see if the results are the same or similar (replicability). These types of scientific repetitions is important for developing robust knowledge, but is hard to do with certain types of machine learning that rely on data that were categorized by researchers. The researchers have to make decisions and categorize their data, which the machine learning algorithm then uses as a guide to make its own decisions. Generally, there is not enough information shared by the researchers about how these decisions were made to repeat the science or evaluate how good it is. In this paper, we provide a way to address these shortcomings. The approach and example we offer illustrates how to (a) create a rulebook that can be shared for how to make decisions and (b) quantitatively measure how consistent the researchers are at using that rulebook to make their decisions. Key Points: We provide a rigorous hand labeling procedure to improve the replicability and reproducibility of supervised machine learning (ML)Our case study and step‐by‐step guide clearly outline how the procedure can be appliedThe procedure is an actionable path forward for addressing ethical considerations and goals for ML development in Earth systems science [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite microwave radiance observations are strongly sensitive to sea ice, but physical descriptions of the radiative transfer of sea ice and snow are incomplete. Further, the radiative transfer is controlled by poorly‐known microstructural properties that vary strongly in time and space. A consequence is that surface‐sensitive microwave observations are not assimilated over sea ice areas, and sea ice retrievals use heuristic rather than physical methods. An empirical model for sea ice radiative transfer would be helpful but it cannot be trained using standard machine learning techniques because the inputs are mostly unknown. The solution is to simultaneously train the empirical model and a set of empirical inputs: an "empirical state" method, which draws on both generative machine learning and physical data assimilation methodology. A hybrid physical‐empirical network describes the known and unknown physics of sea ice and atmospheric radiative transfer. The network is then trained to fit a year of radiance observations from Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2, using the atmospheric profiles, skin temperature and ocean water emissivity taken from a weather forecasting system. This process estimates maps of the daily sea ice concentration while also learning an empirical model for the sea ice emissivity. The model learns to define its own empirical input space along with daily maps of these empirical inputs. These maps represent the otherwise unknown microstructural properties of the sea ice and snow that affect the radiative transfer. This "empirical state" approach could be used to solve many other problems of earth system data assimilation. Plain Language Summary: One way to learn about the earth system would be through machine learning, but typical "supervised learning" already requires good knowledge of the geophysical variables of interest. Quite often this "geophysical state" is not well known and the main observations are from satellites, which measure earth‐emitted radiation. In many cases the links between this observed radiation and the geophysical state are poorly known. This work illustrates a new method which allows both the geophysical state and its links to the satellite observations to be learned at the same time. The specific application is finding the sea ice concentration, which is a difficult problem because there is poor knowledge of the properties of sea ice, such as the air bubbles within it, which can strongly affect the radiation measured by satellites, and poor knowledge of exactly how this affects the satellite observations. The new approach solves this double problem by making daily maps of the sea ice and its properties, along with learning a new model to simulate the satellite measured radiation from the sea ice properties. Similar approaches could improve knowledge of both models and geophysical state in other areas of earth system science. Key Points: A new hybrid of machine learning and data assimilation can infer an unknown state and an unknown model simultaneouslyThis empirical state method could help other chicken and egg earth system problems that are not suitable for supervised machine learningThis work finds a new sea ice surface emissivity model and makes global all‐season maps of sea ice concentration using inverse methods [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Where do Cultivating Genus Pursuits fit into science learning? In this article, 5th grade teachers are adding the pursuits into a freshwater project-based science unit. Focusing on identity and joy, in particular, they find that science learning can be enriched when the pursuits are attended to. One student developed his identity through realizing rigorous science learning and recognizing his joy in reflecting on and acting toward social justice and fresh water in his community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airborne measurements are pivotal for providing detailed, spatiotemporally resolved information about atmospheric parameters, and aerosol and cloud properties, thereby enhancing our understanding of dynamic atmospheric processes. For 30 years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science supported an instrumented Gulfstream-1 (G-1) aircraft for atmospheric field campaigns. Data from the final decade of G-1 operations were archived by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility Data Center and made publicly available at no cost to all registered users. To ensure a consistent data format and to improve the accessibility of the ARM airborne data, an integrated dataset was recently developed covering the final six years of G-1 operations (2013 to 2018). The integrated dataset includes data collected from 236 flights (766.4 hours), which covered the Arctic, the U.S. Southern Great Plains (SGP), the U.S. West Coast, the Eastern North Atlantic (ENA), the Amazon Basin in Brazil, and the Sierras de Córdoba range in Argentina. These comprehensive data streams provide much-needed insight into spatiotemporal variability of thermodynamic quantities, aerosol and cloud states and properties for addressing essential science questions in Earth system process studies. This manuscript describes the DOE ARM merged G-1 datasets, including information on the acquisition, collection, and quality control processes. It further illustrates the usage of this merged dataset to evaluate the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) with the Earth System Model Aerosol-Cloud Diagnostics (ESMAC Diags) package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the work of NOAA Ocean Exploration in exploring deep waters and discovering scientific, economic, and cultural treasures. Between 2024 and 2026, NOAA Ocean Exploration will conduct exploratory seafloor mapping and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) explorations in the Pacific Basin. The article emphasizes the importance of community-driven archaeology and the involvement of the Asia-Pacific archaeology community in contributing to research prioritization and participating in live operations. NOAA Ocean Exploration aims to fill gaps in our understanding of the marine environment and protect ocean health while enhancing our appreciation of the ocean's significance. The article highlights the community-driven model of exploration, which involves collaboration with various stakeholders, including state, local, and tribal governments, as well as Indigenous communities, to address data gaps and prioritize archaeological research. The program invites archaeologists, historians, and resource managers to submit their priorities directly to NOAA Ocean Exploration, and sensitive data is protected through non-disclosure agreements. The article provides two case studies that demonstrate the importance of partner collaboration in marine archaeology investigations. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of partnerships and international collaboration in exploring and protecting underwater cultural heritage resources in the Pacific Basin. [Extracted from the article]

The article provides an overview of the use of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) polarimetric radio occultation (PRO) measurements for weather prediction and applications. It summarizes a workshop that brought together participants from various countries to discuss the status and potential of PRO. The article highlights the benefits of PRO in improving weather forecasts and validating cloud microphysical processes. It also discusses ongoing experiments and the potential use of PRO observations in weather forecasting, climate modeling, and evaluating satellite precipitation products. The article also mentions the consideration of future constellations of small satellites for PRO measurements. [Extracted from the article]

The classic model of the carbon cycle suggests that the extensive burial of 12C-enriched organic carbon leads to a positive carbon isotope (δ13C) excursion (CIE), while massive oxidation of organic carbon results in a negative CIE. However, global events such as the BAsal Cambrian Carbon isotope Excursion (BACE) and the Steptoean Positive Carbon Isotope Excursion (SPICE) are global negative and positive δ13C excursions, respectively, and they also exhibit significant organic carbon burial anomalies, displaying decoupling between carbon isotope anomalies and organic carbon burial. Based on the analyses of the Cambrian carbon cycle and paleoceanographic evolution records from well Tadong2 in the Tarim Basin, we propose a novel model of the carbon cycle in the Cambrian ocean that incorporates oceanic dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Our findings are as follows. (1) The Cambrian ocean maintained substantial DOC reservoirs, which were regulated by ocean currents and paleo-redox conditions and exerted significant influence on the oceanic carbon cycle. (2) The oxidation of the oceanic DOC reservoirs during the early Cambrian led to the BACE and the Asian Phenomenon of the Cambrian petroleum systems, while the expansion of the oceanic DOC reservoirs during the SPICE resulted in a global positive δ13C excursion and the absence of significant organic carbon burial. (3) The deep-basin sedimentary environment in the eastern depression of the Tarim Basin may have fostered the development of organic-rich black shales during the Furongian Series, corresponding to organic carbon burial during the SPICE and representing potential prospects for ultra-deep oil and gas exploration. Future research should focus on the formation mechanism, reserve scale, and influencing factors of the oceanic DOC reservoirs, as well as their resource and environmental effects. It is expected that new breakthroughs will be made in the fields of Earth system science and oil and gas exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil moisture (SM) plays an important role in regulating regional weather and climate. However, the simulations of SM in current land surface models (LSMs) contain large biases and model spreads. One primary reason contributing to such model biases could be the misrepresentation of soil texture in LSMs, since current available large‐scale soil texture data are often generated from extrapolation algorithm based on a scarce number of in‐situ geological measurements. Fortunately, recent advancements in satellite technology provide a unique opportunity to constrain the soil texture data sets by introducing observed information at large spatial scales. Here, two major soil texture baseline data sets (Global Soil Data sets for Earth system science, GSDE and Harmonized World Soil Data from Food and Agriculture Organization, HWSD) are optimized with satellite‐estimated soil hydraulic parameters. The optimized soil maps show increased (decreased) sand (clay) content over arid regions. The soil organic carbon (SOC) content increases globally especially over regions with dense vegetation cover. The optimized soil texture data sets are then used to run simulations in one example LSM, that is, Noah LSM with Multiple Parameters. Results show that the simulated SM with satellite‐optimized soil texture maps is improved at both grid and in‐situ scales. Intercase comparison analyses show the SM improvement differs between simulations using different soil maps and soil hydraulic schemes. Our results highlight the importance of incorporating observation‐oriented calibration on soil texture in current LSMs. This study also joins the call for a better soil profile representation in the next generation of Earth System Models (ESMs). Plain Language Summary: Soil moisture (SM) is important for weather and climate but is often poorly simulated by Land Surface Models (LSMs). One possible reason could be the inappropriate representation of soil texture maps utilized in LSMs since current gridded soil texture maps are often derived from a limited number of in‐situ measurements. In this study, we leverage the benefits of modern satellite products and land surface theories to improve several major global soil texture maps, and use the calibrated soil maps to improve SM simulation in one example LSM. Results show increased sand content over arid areas while the results for clay content show the opposite pattern. The SOC result shows an overall increase over the entire globe but is more evident in dense vegetation land covers. The model simulated SM using the calibrated soil maps generally outperforms those with the baseline soil maps. The improvement is more significant in the experiment with soil maps considering SOC. Our results here provide successful evidence for constraining soil texture data from large‐scale observations. We also show that observation‐oriented calibration on soil texture maps is necessary for a better land surface simulation, which is critically important for the development of ESMs. Key Points: Satellite Soil moisture (SM) data is used to improve the representativeness of two major soil texture data sets at the global scaleSM simulations using the updated soil maps outperform those using the baseline soil texture productsSM improvement is more significant in simulations considering soil organic carbon (SOC) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the problem with the Effective Altruism (EA) and Longtermist (LT) worldview, which is rooted in a mechanistic and dualistic understanding of reality. It argues that this worldview overlooks the interconnectedness and intelligence of all living beings within a sentient ecology and cosmos. The article proposes a post-capitalist, life-centric approach as an alternative, which values symbiotic relationships, reciprocity, and cooperation with all beings. It suggests that philanthropy should move away from control and attribution and instead embrace humble contribution, solidarity, and cooperation. The article emphasizes the need to transition to an ecosystemic lens and to think and behave like good ancestors for the sake of our collective social and ecological well-being. [Extracted from the article]

This document explores the relationship between soil physics and catchment hydrology, two fields that have different focuses but are closely related. It emphasizes the importance of parameters such as saturated hydraulic conductivity and infiltration capacity in catchment hydrology models. The document also discusses scaling issues and challenges in accurately predicting water flow at larger scales. It suggests using innovative measurement approaches and advanced modeling techniques to bridge the gaps between these disciplines. Collaboration between soil physicists and catchment hydrologists is crucial in addressing complex environmental issues related to water in a changing world. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the use of spatial and temporal visualization techniques to understand the production and transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in a high-elevation Andean catchment. The authors introduce a new model called STARR-DOC, which simulates the dynamics of DOC alongside water movement. The study focuses on the Zhurucay catchment and provides visualizations of water movement and DOC production in different soil types. The findings suggest that the production of DOC is influenced by soil water content, with the valley bottom areas exhibiting faster response times compared to the hillslopes. The visualization helps to identify areas within the catchment that have higher or lower DOC production and transport under different meteorological conditions. [Extracted from the article]

The need to develop and provide integrated observation systems to better understand and manage global and regional environmental change is one of the major challenges facing Earth system science today. In 2008, the German Helmholtz Association took up this challenge and launched the German research infrastructure TERrestrial ENvironmental Observatories (TERENO). The aim of TERENO is the establishment and maintenance of a network of observatories as a basis for an interdisciplinary and long‐term research program to investigate the effects of global environmental change on terrestrial ecosystems and their socio‐economic consequences. State‐of‐the‐art methods from the field of environmental monitoring, geophysics, remote sensing, and modeling are used to record and analyze states and fluxes in different environmental disciplines from groundwater through the vadose zone, surface water, and biosphere, up to the lower atmosphere. Over the past 15 years we have collectively gained experience in operating a long‐term observing network, thereby overcoming unexpected operational and institutional challenges, exceeding expectations, and facilitating new research. Today, the TERENO network is a key pillar for environmental modeling and forecasting in Germany, an information hub for practitioners and policy stakeholders in agriculture, forestry, and water management at regional to national levels, a nucleus for international collaboration, academic training and scientific outreach, an important anchor for large‐scale experiments, and a trigger for methodological innovation and technological progress. This article describes TERENO's key services and functions, presents the main lessons learned from this 15‐year effort, and emphasizes the need to continue long‐term integrated environmental monitoring programmes in the future. Plain Language Summary: This paper discusses the importance of creating comprehensive environmental observation systems to better understand and address global and regional environmental changes. In 2008, a German research infrastructure named Terrestrial Environmental Observatories (TERENO) was established to build and maintain a network of observatories. The goal is to conduct interdisciplinary, long‐term research on the impacts of global environmental changes on terrestrial ecosystems and their socio‐economic effects. The TERENO network employs advanced methods from environmental monitoring, geophysics, remote sensing, and modeling to study various environmental aspects. Over the past 15 years, four observatories have been part of this network, contributing to valuable experience in overcoming challenges and exceeding expectations. Today, TERENO is a crucial component for environmental modeling and forecasting in Germany, serving as an information hub for practitioners and policymakers. It also fosters international collaboration, supports large‐scale experiments, and drives methodological and technological advancements. The article highlights key lessons learned from this 15‐year effort and emphasizes the importance of continuing such integrated environmental monitoring programs in the future. Key Points: Integrated observatories ensure a holistic Earth Systems perspective, offering data for current and future ecological challengesThe scientific and societal value of observatories is invaluable, but their design, construction and operation require considerable effortFor assured long‐term data collection, research infrastructure must have flexible design for adapting to changing research needs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Planetary Boundaries (PBs) pioneering approach defines environmental sustainability in terms of a Safe Operating Space (SOS) for human’s society to develop and thrive. The approach has found fertile ground in combination with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) - a standardised method for assessing the environmental impacts of product systems. In this article, we conduct a detailed review of existing approaches to embed PBs in LCA. We start by exploring the links between PBs control variables and LCA impact categories and then focus on reviewing three approaches (i) absolute environmental sustainability assessment (AESA), (ii) PBs-based normalisation and (iii) PBs-based weighting. We examine four key methodological aspects covering harmonisation of units (between PBs control variables and LCA indicators), definition and allocation of the SOS, regionalisation of boundaries and temporal aspects. We conclude the review with a discussion on applicability, limitations, policy implications and conclusions.

The editorial "Dynamics of Asia's and Australasia's forests in a changing world" published in Frontiers in Forests & Global Change discusses the pressures faced by forests due to climate change, anthropogenic disturbances, and biological invasions. The research topic explores various aspects of forest science in Asia and Australasia, focusing on carbon sequestration, ecosystem management, biodiversity conservation, and policy implications. The articles highlight the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to address the challenges of climate change and ecological degradation, aiming to inform policy and promote sustainable forest management practices in the region. [Extracted from the article]

This article is an interview with David L. Des Marais, a plant biologist and Associate Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Des Marais discusses his interest in plant science, his decision to pursue a career in research, and his motivations on a day-to-day basis. He also talks about his role model, his favorite New Phytologist papers, and his favorite plant, the Coastal Redwoods. Des Marais' research focuses on understanding how plants perceive and respond to environmental cues, and how these processes are influenced by genetics and evolution. [Extracted from the article]

Deep learning (DL) has demonstrated strong potential in addressing key challenges in spatiotemporal forecasting across various Earth system science (ESS) domains. This review examines 69 studies applying DL to forecasting tasks within climate modeling and weather prediction, disaster management, air quality modeling, hydrological modeling, renewable energy forecasting, oceanography, and environmental monitoring. We summarize commonly used DL architectures for spatiotemporal forecasting in ESS, key technical innovations, and the latest advancements in spatiotemporal predictive applications. While DL architectures have proven capable of handling spatiotemporal data, challenges remain in tackling the complexities specific to ESS, such as complex spatiotemporal data, scale dependencies, model interpretability, and integration of physical knowledge. Recent innovations demonstrate growing efforts to integrate physical knowledge, improve model explainability, adapt DL architectures for domain-specific needs, and quantify uncertainties. Finally, this review highlights key future directions, including (1) developing more interpretable hybrid models that synergize DL and traditional physical approaches, (2) extending model generalizability through techniques like domain adaptation and transfer learning, and (3) advancing methods for uncertainty quantification and missing data handling.

Freshwater ecosystems are characterized by their unique longitudinal and lateral habitat connectivity. As a result, spatial units in freshwater-specific analyses can often not be considered independent of each other. Accounting for this connectivity in modelling analyses requires advanced skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for adequately processing and managing the data. To address this challenge, we developed the GeoFRESH online platform, which is available at https://geofresh.org. The platform provides a graphical, easy-to-use interface to create freshwater-specific analysis-ready data for any given location in the world, based on a high-resolution stream network (https://hydrography.org/hydrography90m/hydrography90m_layers). Users can (i) upload and visualize point coordinates, (ii) automatically assign points to the closest stream network segment, (iii) annotate the point data with a suite of 104 local and/or upstream-aggregated topographic, climatic, land-cover and soil variables, (iv) visualize summary plots, and (v) download the data in csv-format for further analyses. The platform can be expanded given its modular structure and it can serve as a key element to support freshwater science and management relying on high-resolution geospatial analyses. GeoFRESH provides a low-entry interface while being complementary to the hydrographr R-package, and contributes importantly to the re-usability of data as an important aspect of the FAIR principles.

Professor Malin Falkenmark, a renowned hydrologist, passed away in 2023 at the age of 98. She was a pioneer in the field of water science and advocated for global water stewardship and eradicating water poverty. Falkenmark challenged traditional views of the water cycle, emphasizing the importance of "green water" stored in soils and promoting a fair balance of water for humans and nature. Her work, including the development of the Falkenmark Index and the concept of green and blue water, has had a significant impact on water resource research and management. This text discusses Falkenmark's contributions and legacy, highlighting her role in advancing the understanding of water scarcity, climate change, and the importance of water management for sustainable development. Her initiatives and emphasis on building social-ecological resilience continue to inspire water professionals worldwide in finding solutions to the global water crisis. [Extracted from the article]

Understanding the response of the Earth system to varying concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) is critical for projecting possible future climate change and for providing insight into mitigation and adaptation strategies in the near future. In this study, we generate a dataset by conducting an experiment involving carbon dioxide removal (CDR)—a potential way to suppress global warming—using the Chinese Academy of Sciences Earth System Model version 2.0 (CAS-ESM2.0). A preliminary evaluation is provided. The model is integrated from 200–340 years as a 1% yr−1 CO2 concentration increase experiment, and then to ~478 years as a carbon dioxide removal experiment until CO2 returns to its original value. Finally, another 80 years is integrated in which CO2 is kept constant. Changes in the 2-m temperature, precipitation, sea surface temperature, ocean temperature, Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), and sea surface height are all analyzed. In the ramp-up period, the global mean 2-m temperature and precipitation both increase while the AMOC weakens. Values of all the above variables change in the opposite direction in the ramp-down period, with a delayed peak relative to the CO2 peak. After CO2 returns to its original value, the global mean 2-m temperature is still ~1 K higher than in the original state, and precipitation is ~0.07 mm d−1 higher. At the end of the simulation, there is a ~0.5°C increase in ocean temperature and a 1 Sv weakening of the AMOC. Our model simulation produces similar results to those of comparable experiments previously reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document provides information about the recipients of the 2023 awards from the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). The recipients come from diverse backgrounds and are pursuing degrees and conducting research in various areas of soil science and agronomy. Their research focuses on topics such as crop science, soil health, plant pathogen interactions, and water resources. These individuals have demonstrated leadership, academic excellence, and a commitment to advancing sustainable agriculture practices. The document also includes profiles of individuals involved in the field of agronomy and plant science, as well as highlighting the recipients of the SSSA Presidential Award, specifically recognizing the SSSA Diversity Trailblazers who have made important contributions as women, people of color, indigenous individuals, and LGBTQ+ scientists in leadership roles within the society. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the importance of integrating biodiversity into climate change mitigation efforts. It highlights six key points where biodiversity can improve climate change mitigation, including the conservation of carbon stocks and sinks, biodiverse restoration, integrated conservation of local fauna and flora, using existing areas of agriculture and silviculture, incorporating biodiversity into business models, and holding joint biodiversity-climate conferences. The article emphasizes the need for a more integrated approach to address the climate and biodiversity crises and calls for urgent action to protect and restore ecosystems. [Extracted from the article]

"Double ITCZ" is a common precipitation bias over the tropical Pacific in current climate models and Earth system models, but the reasons for its formation are still worth exploring and discussing. In this study, we adopted the second version of Chinese Academy of Sciences Earth System Model (CAS-ESM2), by comparing a set of sea surface temperature (SST) bias correction experiments over the tropical Pacific, to explore the possible mechanism of SST bias on inducing the "Double ITCZ" from the perspective of the climatic annual mean bias in the coupled model. We revealed that the simulated climatic annual mean SST bias over the tropical Pacific can affect the bias of latent heat flux through the saturation specific humidity, and the bias of latent heat flux can further affect that of vertical velocity of humid air by the condensation release mechanism, and finally modulate the simulated bias in precipitation. Furthermore, through the inter-comparison between different experiments, it is found that the source of Double ITCZ might mainly come from the annual mean SST bias over the tropical western Pacific through the proposed air-sea coupled process of "SST-saturated specific humidity-latent heat flux-vertical velocity-precipitation", indicating a possible way on reducing the couple biases in models over the tropical Pacific to improve the accuracy of CAS-ESM2 for climate simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the impact of increased precipitation on the degradation of permafrost on the Tibetan Plateau. It acknowledges that global warming is causing permafrost to degrade and that increased precipitation can potentially accelerate this process. However, the relationship between precipitation and permafrost degradation is complex and varies depending on regional factors such as topography and vegetation. In some arid and semi-arid regions, increased precipitation may actually alleviate permafrost degradation, while in humid and semi-humid regions, it may worsen it. The authors stress the need for further research to fully understand the connection between precipitation and permafrost dynamics. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores the issue of data uncertainty in hydrometeorological data used by hydrologists. It emphasizes that data users often assume the data is error-free, but significant uncertainties and errors can exist. The article suggests using "soft" information, such as factors that affect the measurement process, to understand the likelihood of data uncertainty. It presents a perceptual model that summarizes qualitative understanding of uncertainty sources in discharge data, including station characteristics, climate and flow regime, and catchment characteristics. The article aims to encourage the sharing of soft information to make more informed decisions about data uncertainty in hydrological studies. [Extracted from the article]

The article "Will Wealth Weaken Weather Wars?" discusses a study that examines the connection between economic development, climate shocks, and civil conflict in Africa. The researchers analyze data on weather, conflict events, household wealth, and national GDP per capita to understand how economic development affects the relationship between temperature shocks and civil conflict. The findings indicate that countries with higher GDP per capita are less likely to experience conflict due to temperature shocks, while the impact of local household wealth is less clear. This research contributes to our understanding of how economic development can influence conflict risk and vulnerability to climate change. [Extracted from the article]