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Towards an operational European Drought Impacts Database (EDID)

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DOI 10.5194/nhess-26-845-2026
20 February 2026

Drought impact information is important for risk assessment. But, there is little consensus on impact data monitoring. The European Drought Impacts Database (EDID) combines several existing text-based datasets with the results from new searches for impact information into a structured database with spatial and temporal attributes. Allowing research as well as operational use, its contents show where and when in Europe drought has affected agriculture, water supply, ecosystems, and other sectors.

Enhancing dust aerosols monitoring capabilities across North Africa and the Middle East using the A-Train satellite constellation

North Africa and the Middle East are home to the world’s most active dust sources, but accurately monitoring airborne dust remains challenging. We combine active and passive satellite aerosol products to dynamically estimate dust lidar ratios over a 12-year period. The results reveal pronounced and physically meaningful regional variability, improving aerosol characterization and supporting climate and air-quality applications.

NorESM2–DIAM: a coupled model for investigating global and regional climate-economy interactions

We introduce NorESM2-DIAM (Norwegian Earth System Model version 2-Disaggregated Integrated Assessment Model), a first-of-its-kind tool linking a climate model with a high-resolution economic model to study how climate change, internal variability, and economic activity interact across the world. The model reveals strong regional differences and large annual swings in economic impacts, offers insights for climate policy discussions, and provides a strong foundation for future model development.

Water vapour isotope anomalies during an atmospheric river event at Dome C, East Antarctica

In December 2018, an atmospheric river event from the Atlantic reached Dome C, East Antarctica, causing a +18 °C warming, tripled water vapour, and a strong isotopic anomaly in water vapour (+ 17 ‰ for δ¹⁸O) at the surface. During the peak of the event, we found 70 % of the water vapour came from local snow sublimation, and 30 % from the atmospheric river itself, highlighting both long-range moisture advection and interactions between the boundary layer and the snowpack.

Phytoplankton blooms affect microscale differences of oxygen and temperature across the sea surface microlayer

Microsensors measuring oxygen and temperature were used to gain high-resolution profiles across the surface of a water basin, in which an algal bloom was induced. These novel data show that the oxygen at the sea surface is highly influenced by algal blooms, while the temperature is only indirectly affected by them. Since algal blooms occur globally, this has considerable implications for calculating global air-sea exchanges of gases or heat, especially under low-wind conditions.

Northward shift of boreal tree cover confirmed by satellite record

Analysis of 36 years of satellite tree cover data provide the first comprehensive confirmation of the northward advance of the boreal forest. Boreal tree cover expanded by 0.84 million km² (12%) from 1985 to 2020 and shifted northward by 0.43°. Gains outpaced losses across most latitudes, confirming a biome-wide poleward shift. Young forests now comprise 15% of the area of the world’s largest forest biome, storing 1–6 Pg C and potentially sequestering an additional 2–4 Pg C as they mature.

Investigating controls on fluvial grain sizes in post-glacial landscapes using citizen science

We explore controls on channel sediment characteristics in post-glacial landscapes. In contrast to other studies that have focused on landscapes with little glacial influence, we find no apparent controls. We propose that Scotland's post-glacial legacy drives the lack of sedimentological trends, and that changes in landscape morphology and sediment sources caused by glacial processes lead to a decoupling between fluvial sediment grain size and environmental variables.

The largest crop production shocks: magnitude, causes and frequency

Large crop failures happen regularly around the world, threatening food security. We analyzed sixty years of global crop production data and found that every country has experienced major crop losses. Climate events like droughts cause most severe disruptions, with some African nations losing up to eighty percent of production. While global crop shocks above five percent are rare, regional disruptions occur frequently. These findings show our food system faces regular large-scale threats.

Machine-learning models of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N isoscapes in Amazonian wood

Illegal logging is a major environmental concern in the Amazon. We tested whether the isotopic composition of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) in wood can support timber traceability. Using machine-learning models, we generated basin-wide isoscapes showing that both isotopes capture consistent environmental gradients, providing a scientific basis to improve provenance verification and guide enforcement efforts.

Flood risks to the financial stability of residential mortgage borrowers: an integrated modeling approach

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DOI 10.5194/nhess-26-675-2026
30 January 2026

Uninsured flood damage can destabilize household finances, particularly when access to affordable credit is limited. Across seven floods in North Carolina, 66% of damage was found to be uninsured. Among affected mortgage borrowers, 32% lacked sufficient income or collateral to finance repairs through home equity-based borrowing, making their recovery uncertain. These findings suggest that uninsured flood damage poses a serious and under-recognized threat to residential mortgage borrowers.

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