Highlight articles

Coordinating an operational data distribution network for CMIP6 data

The distribution of data contributed to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) is via the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF). The ESGF is a network of internationally distributed sites that together work as a federated data archive.

Intercomparison of freshwater fluxes over ocean and investigations into water budget closure

The net exchange of water between the surface and atmosphere is mainly determined by the freshwater flux: the difference between evaporation ( E ) and precipitation ( P ), or E−P . Although there is consensus among modelers that with a warming climate E−P will increase, evidence from satellite data is still not conclusive, mainly due to sensor calibration issues. We here investigate the degree of correspondence among six recent
satellite-based climate data records and ERA5 reanalysis E−P data.

Iron and aluminum association with microbially processed organic matter viameso-density aggregate formation across soils: organo-metallic gluehypothesis

SOIL
DOI 10.5194/soil-6-597-2020
1 January 2021

Global significance of metals (extractable Fe and Al phases) to control organic matter (OM) in recognized. Next key questions include the identification of their localization and mechanism behind OM–metal relationships. Across 23 soils of contrasting mineralogy, Fe and Al phases were mainly associated with microbially processed OM as meso-density microaggregates. OM- and metal-rich nanocomposites with a narrow OM : metal ratio likely acted as binding agents. A new conceptual model was proposed.

New flood frequency estimates for the largest river in Norway based on the combination of short and long time series

We combine systematic, historical, and paleo information to obtain flood information from the last 10 300 years for the Glomma River in Norway. We identify periods with increased flood activity (4000–2000 years ago and the recent 1000 years) that correspond broadly to periods with low summer temperatures and glacier growth. The design floods in Glomma were more than 20 % higher during the 18th century than today. We suggest that trends in flood variability are linked to snow in late spring.

European daily precipitation according to EURO-CORDEX regionalclimate models (RCMs) andhigh-resolution globalclimate models (GCMs) from the High-Resolution Model Intercomparison Project (HighResMIP)

Now that global climate models (GCMs) can run at similar resolutions to regional climate models (RCMs), one may wonder whether GCMs and RCMs provide similar regional climate information. We perform an evaluation for daily precipitation distribution in PRIMAVERA GCMs (25–50 km resolution) and CORDEX RCMs (12–50 km resolution) over Europe. We show that PRIMAVERA and CORDEX simulate similar distributions. Considering both datasets at such a resolution results in large benefits for impact studies.

Soil: the great connector of our lives now and beyond COVID-19

SOIL
DOI 10.5194/soil-6-541-2020
8 December 2020

Humanity depends on the existence of healthy soils, both for the production of food and for ensuring a healthy, biodiverse environment. In the face of global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, a sustainable soil management strategy is essential to ensure food security based on more diverse, locally oriented, and resilient food production systems through improving access to land, sound land use planning, sustainable soil management, enhanced research, and investment in education and extension.

The pulse of a montane ecosystem: coupling between daily cycles in solar flux, snowmelt, transpiration, groundwater, and streamflow at Sagehen Creek and Independence Creek, Sierra Nevada, USA

Streams and groundwaters often show daily cycles in response to snowmelt and evapotranspiration. These typically have a roughly 6 h time lag, which is often interpreted as a travel-time lag. Here we show that it is instead primarily a phase lag that arises because aquifers integrate their inputs over time. We further show how these cycles shift seasonally, mirroring the springtime retreat of snow cover to higher elevations and the seasonal advance and retreat of photosynthetic activity.

The Making of the New European Wind Atlas – Part 2: Production and evaluation

This is the second of two papers that document the creation of the New European Wind Atlas (NEWA). The paper includes a detailed description of the technical and practical aspects that went into running the mesoscale simulations and the microscale downscaling for generating the climatology. A comprehensive evaluation of each component of the NEWA model chain is presented using observations from a large set of tall masts located all over Europe.

Ionic aluminium concentrations exceed thresholds for aquatic health in Nova Scotian rivers, even during conditions of high dissolved organic carbon and low flow

Wild salmon numbers in Nova Scotia, Canada, have been plummeting in recent decades. In 2014, we launched an ionic aluminium monitoring program in Nova Scotia to see if this toxic element was a threat to salmon populations. We found that all 10 monitored rivers had ionic aluminium concentrations that exceeded the threshold for aquatic health. Our results demonstrate that elevated aluminium still threatens aquatic ecosystems and that delays in recovery from acid rain remains a critical issue.

Hydrology and water resources management in ancient India

Like in all ancient civilisations, the need to manage water propelled the growth of hydrological science in ancient India also. In this paper, we provide some fascinating glimpses into the hydrological, hydraulic, and related engineering knowledge that existed in ancient India, as discussed in contemporary literature and recent explorations and findings. Many interesting dimensions of early scientific endeavours emerge as we investigate deeper into ancient texts, including Indian mythology.

HS Hydrological Sciences Highlight articles

Highlight articles

Coordinating an operational data distribution network for CMIP6 data

Intercomparison of freshwater fluxes over ocean and investigations into water budget closure

Iron and aluminum association with microbially processed organic matter viameso-density aggregate formation across soils: organo-metallic gluehypothesis

New flood frequency estimates for the largest river in Norway based on the combination of short and long time series

European daily precipitation according to EURO-CORDEX regionalclimate models (RCMs) andhigh-resolution globalclimate models (GCMs) from the High-Resolution Model Intercomparison Project (HighResMIP)

Soil: the great connector of our lives now and beyond COVID-19

The pulse of a montane ecosystem: coupling between daily cycles in solar flux, snowmelt, transpiration, groundwater, and streamflow at Sagehen Creek and Independence Creek, Sierra Nevada, USA

The Making of the New European Wind Atlas – Part 2: Production and evaluation

Ionic aluminium concentrations exceed thresholds for aquatic health in Nova Scotian rivers, even during conditions of high dissolved organic carbon and low flow

Hydrology and water resources management in ancient India

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