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Results of the second Ice Shelf–Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (ISOMIP+)

The second Ice Shelf-Ocean Model Intercomparison Project, ISOMIP+, compares 12 ice shelf-ocean models with a common, idealised, static configuration, aiming to assess inter-model variability. Models show similar basal melt rate patterns, ocean profiles and circulation but differ in ice-ocean boundary layer properties. Ice-ocean boundary layer representation is a key area for future work, as are realistic-domain ice sheet-ocean model intercomparisons.

Emerging Climate Signals in Tropical Oxygen Minimum Zones

The ocean is losing oxygen due to climate change, threatening ecosystems, especially in naturally low-oxygen areas called Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs). Using the IPSL-CM6A-LR Large Ensemble, this study identifies when climate-driven changes in OMZ volumes and regional deoxygenation emerge from natural variability. We highlight hemispheric asymmetries due to ocean ventilation and provide model-based estimates for the timing of detectable OMZ evolution.

The Scenario Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP7 (ScenarioMIP-CMIP7)

We propose a set of seven plausible 21st century emission scenarios, and their multi-century extensions, that will be used by the international community of climate modeling centers to produce the next generation of climate projections. These projections will support climate, impact and mitigation researchers, provide information to practitioners to address future risks from climate change, and contribute to policymakers’ considerations of the trade-offs among various levels of mitigation.

Emerging low-cloud feedback and adjustment in global satellite observations

Recent decades have seen a marked decrease in global low-level cloud cover, leading to more sunlight heating the Earth. This trend is poorly understood, raising the concern that clouds may amplify global warming more than previously thought. We show that the cloud decrease is mostly caused by human forcing on climate, and that it agrees with previous estimates of how clouds respond to decreasing aerosol pollution, increasing greenhouse gas concentration, and their effects on global temperature.

The terrestrial ice margin morphology in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland)

Nearly 95% of the Greenland ice margin ends on land, where meltwater leaves the ice to supply surrounding ecosystems. Here we show that nearly 30% of this land-terminating margin ends in extremely steep, often vertical sections, previously only described in individual locations. Less than 20% are shallow ramps. Knowledge of these margin shapes and their locations allows us to further investigate what they can potentially tell us about the current ice sheet health and its future evolution.

Limited influence of bedrock strength on river profiles: the dominant role of sediment dynamics

Bedrock strength in bedrock river is often seen as controlling incision rates and river profiles, natural changes in rock type do not always match slope changes. In the Abukuma River basin, Japan, we measured bedrock strength and despite large strength differences, slopes were nearly uniform. Numerical tests showed that the model, which includes sediment cover and erosion effects, best explained river profiles. Thus, sediment plays a greater role than bedrock strength in shaping river profiles.

A lesson in preparedness: assessing the effectiveness of low-cost post-wildfire flood protection measures for the catastrophic flood in Kineta, Greece

Wildfires can exacerbate flood risks, as seen in a Greek town where heavy rain caused significant damage following a recent fire. This study examined how simple, low-cost protection measures, such as Log Erosion Barriers and wooden check-dams, might have mitigated the damage. Using models and real data, we found these measures could have lowered the flood's impact by 25 % and saved millions in damage. Therefore, investing in such prevention can be cheaper than paying for repairs after disasters.

Thermodynamic concepts used in physical oceanography

Marine science has adopted the Conservative Temperature and Absolute Salinity variables of TEOS-10 (the International Thermodynamic Equation Of Seawater - 2010), and here we review the thermodynamic theory behind this change of practice. Ocean heat content and the poleward oceanic heat flux are accurately evaluated using Conservative Temperature. Absolute Salinity incorporates the variable composition of seawater, and ocean models now need to incorporate this feature. The available methods for evaluating approximately neutral surfaces are also discussed.

Mapping the fertosphere's phosphorus availability distribution in a field trial using a novel diffusive gradients in thin-films (fDGT) technique

SOIL
DOI 10.5194/soil-12-253-2026
17 March 2026

The first report of the field deployment of a new soil sampling device to investigate phosphorus (P) fertiliser strategies. The approach was combined with X-ray fluorescence microscopy to produce 2D spatially-resolved P availability maps to visualise distinct differences between new and conventional P fertilisers. This technique shows great potential for optimising P application and material sciences development; potentially leading to improved productivity and more sustainable P fertiliser use.

The impact of Aeolus observations on wind and rainfall predictions

This study shows that Aeolus satellite wind lidar observations significantly improve wind forecasts and that these improvements lead to more accurate rainfall predictions, particularly at longer lead times and during winter seasons in the extratropics. The benefits are likely due to better representation of large-scale atmospheric features such as jet streams and Rossby waves, highlighting Aeolus's value for numerical weather prediction.

Numerical experiments of cloud seeding for mitigating localization of heavy rainfall: a case study of Mesoscale Convective System in Japan

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DOI 10.5194/nhess-26-1287-2026
11 March 2026

Can disasters caused by extreme rainfall be mitigated through human intervention? Using numerical simulations reproducing a devastating rainfall event, we show that injecting large amounts of ice nuclei into convective clouds can trigger an “overseeding” effect that suppresses raindrop growth. This process disperses intense rainfall downstream and reduces peak 3-hour rainfall by up to 32 %, highlighting the potential of cloud seeding as a new strategy for mitigating heavy rainfall disasters.

The role of cyclonic eddies in the detachment and separation of Loop Current eddies

We analyze 29 years of satellite altimetry to investigate the detachment of Loop Current Eddies in the Gulf of Mexico. Over half of the Loop Current eddies reattach within a month, while 42 % separate and drift westward. Detachment requires the Loop Current to reach the Mississippi Fan and is strongly influenced by cyclonic eddies, whose configuration determines whether an eddy separates or reattaches to the Loop Current.

Feldspar alteration by disequilibrium CO₂-H₂O fluids in reservoir sandstones: implications for CCS

Contrary to current CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) models, reaction experiments conducted at subsurface stress and temperature conditions reveal that feldspars, common, reactive grains in sandstone reservoirs, can undergo significant chemical and mechanical changes when exposed to CO₂ enriched water. These chemo-mechanical processes, including grain fracturing, dissolution, and clay precipitation, can modify fluid pathways and rock strength, potentially reducing reservoir productivity and increasing leakage risk.

Wine must yields as indicators of May to July climate in Central Europe, 1416–1988

Narrative historical records of wine production in Central Europe date back to 1200. A study of taxes paid to authorities in the French-Luxembourg Moselle region, Germany, and the Swiss Plateau over the last few centuries shows that wine yields provide indirect indications of summer temperatures when the impact of heavy frosts is taken into account. This enables climate reconstructions based on tree rings to be refined and confirmed. Occasionally, poor harvests gave rise to witch hunts.

Mitigating Mazuku hazards: implementation and effectiveness of local dry-gas degassing measures in the Goma area (Virunga Volcanic Province)

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DOI 10.5194/nhess-26-1141-2026
6 March 2026

This paper studies how households in Goma (Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo) respond to mazuku – invisible, odourless carbon dioxide gas that accumulates in depressions. Surveys and interviews show that resource-intensive measures are adopted only by those who can afford them, while awareness measures are valued by all. The findings highlight that involving communities in designing risk mitigation that match their economic realities is essential.

Where curling stones collide with rock mechanics: cyclical damage accumulation and fatigue in granitoids

Curling stones often collide with each other during a game. Over time, these collisions cause damage in the striking bands on the sides of the stones. We determined experimentally how hard these stones collide into one another. We then looked at old curling stones to understand how damage builds up in these rocks. We found that early, fast impacts produce fractures until the striking band is saturated in fractures. Repeated impacts after this stage make fractures grow.

Evaluation of nine gridded daily weather reconstructions for the European heatwave summer of 1807

We test nine reconstructions of Europe’s hot summer of 1807, using weather records, reanalyses, machine-learning (ML), and data assimilation. Most approaches match observed temperature and pressure well. Approaches based on physics of atmospheric flow capture weather patterns well, while ML approaches better reflect station records. Ingestion of accurate records from new regions improves the reconstructions markedly. In all, the approaches provide new insights to pre-industrial extreme weather.

Drivers of long-term grassland CO₂ fluxes: effects of management and meteorological conditions during regrowth periods

Analyzing 20 years (2005–2024) of CO₂ flux, meteorological, and agricultural management data from an intensively managed grassland in Switzerland using machine learning, we identified drivers of ecosystem productivity (gross primary production (GPP)), respiration (ecosystem respiration (Reco)) and their changes over time. Moreover, we showed how agricultural management interacted and could partly offset negative impacts of extreme events on GPP. Our findings offer observational evidence to inform climate adaptation strategies in grasslands.

Lessons learned in institutional preparedness and response during the 2022 European drought

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DOI 10.5194/nhess-26-955-2026
27 February 2026

This research by the Drought in the Anthropocene (DitA) network highlights the crucial role of forecasting systems and Drought Management Plans in European drought risk management. Based on a survey of water managers during the 2022 European drought, it underscores the impact of preparedness on response and the evolution of drought management strategies across the continent, showing how organisations with preparedness measures in place responded faster and more effectively.

Nutrient flows and biogeomorphic feedbacks: linking seabird guano to plant traits and morphological change on sandy islands

Seabird guano enriches nitrogen-loving plants and boost plants to trap sediment, driving the gradual growth and reshaping of coastal islands. By pairing on-site plant surveys with satellite imagery and elevation data, we show these effects vary with elevation, soil type, and season. Birds thus engineer and sustain their own breeding habitats. For conservation managers, protecting colonies is key to preserving the dynamic island landscapes these and other species rely on.