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. Read more
Nutrient flows and biogeomorphic feedbacks: linking seabird guano to plant traits and morphological change on sandy islands Biogeosciences DOI 10.5194/bg-23-1527-2026 27 February 2026 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. Read more
Challenges and opportunities for understanding societal impacts of climate extremes Earth System Dynamics DOI 10.5194/esd-17-199-2026 26 February 2026 Understanding impacts of climate extremes is very important for society and the economy. We identify three challenges restricting this understanding: limited availability and quality of impact data, difficulties in understanding why given impacts occur and lack of reliable projections of future impacts. We also identify key opportunities, including newly released datasets, recent methodological and technical advances and interdisciplinary collaborations between the social and natural sciences. Read more
A source or a sink? How the altitude of particle precipitation influence high-latitude electrodynamics Annales Geophysicae DOI 10.5194/angeo-44-149-2026 26 February 2026 When energetic particles rain into Earth’s lower ionosphere, they ionize the gas, creating a highly conductive base layer. Using a large database of observations from four orbiting space weather satellites, we demonstrate that this plasma foundation acts as a giant electrical short-circuit: it actively neutralizes the electric fields that would otherwise power plasma turbulence higher up. Without this conductive base to drain the energy, topside turbulence freely grows and persists. Read more
FAIR fission track analysis with geochron@home Geochronology DOI 10.5194/gchron-8-109-2026 25 February 2026 geochron@home is a free and open-source platform that makes fission track dating more transparent and reliable. It combines a virtual microscope with an online database to share images and data openly, following FAIR principles. Researchers can analyse tracks privately, archive data for peer review, teach students, or involve citizen scientists. By improving data access and reproducibility, geochron@home helps build trust and supports future advances in Earth science. Read more
Mesoscale variability and water mass transport of the Caribbean Current revealed by high-resolution glider observations Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-22-735-2026 23 February 2026 The Caribbean Through-Flow carries warm Atlantic water westward, influencing climate and ocean circulation, yet its variability is poorly resolved. Using over 90 days of autonomous underwater glider data collected in the central Caribbean, we observed a sharp drop in transport linked to mesoscale eddy activity. While transport varied, the water mass composition remained stable. These results demonstrate how gliders can capture dynamic ocean processes that shape inter-basin exchange. Read more
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. Read more
Enhancing dust aerosols monitoring capabilities across North Africa and the Middle East using the A-Train satellite constellation Atmospheric Measurement Techniques DOI 10.5194/amt-19-1201-2026 18 February 2026 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. Read more
NorESM2–DIAM: a coupled model for investigating global and regional climate-economy interactions Geoscientific Model Development DOI 10.5194/gmd-19-1337-2026 12 February 2026 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. Read more
Water vapour isotope anomalies during an atmospheric river event at Dome C, East Antarctica The Cryosphere DOI 10.5194/tc-20-1025-2026 11 February 2026 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. Read more
