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Wikimpacts 1.0: a new global climate impact database based on automated information extraction from Wikipedia

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DOI 10.5194/nhess-26-2609-2026
4 June 2026

Climate extremes threaten society and ecosystems, making impact understanding critical. Wikimpacts 1.0 provides an automated pipeline processing Wikipedia texts with underexploited information on climate impacts, yielding comprehensive socio-economic impact data for 2726 climate events from 1034–2024. It offers broader storm-related impacts and finer spatial resolution than established databases, showcasing natural language processing's potential to advance climate impact data.

From real-time to long-term source apportionment of PM₁₀ using high-time-resolution measurements of aerosol physical properties: methodology and example application at an urban background site (Aosta, Italy)

RASPBERRY is a new method to identify aerosol emission sources using physical properties (particle size and light absorption) measured at high time resolution by cost-effective optical instruments, instead of labour-intensive chemical analyses. Applied over five years in Aosta, Italy, it identified six main sources – traffic, biomass burning, two types of secondary particles, desert dust, and local resuspension. Validation against chemical apportionment and real-time applications are presented.

Arctic Weather Satellite assessment and assimilation at ECMWF

Satellite data used in weather forecast models needs to be of a very high quality. Previously, this has been delivered by bus-sized satellites. The new Arctic Weather Satellite shifts this paradigm, delivering high quality observations from a small satellite. Here we analyse the performance and test its impact with a state-of-the-art weather forecast model. It compares well to heritage instruments and has a positive impact on forecast skill.

The TSUSY Database: a global database of historical tsunami events and a tsunami-occurrence criterion based on historical earthquakes

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DOI 10.5194/nhess-26-2415-2026
29 May 2026

Tsunamis can have devastating consequences, yet it remains challenging to identify which earthquakes generate them. This study presents a criterion for identifying tsunamigenic events based on numerical simulations, as well as a global database of tsunami simulations based on historical earthquakes. By comparing the results with historical records, this approach can improve tsunami identification and support tsunami warnings worldwide.

Cryptotephra in the East Antarctic Mount Brown South ice core

The ~300 m Mount Brown South ice core (MBS) was drilled in coastal East Antarctica in 2017-2018. Here, we combine atmospheric modeling, ice core chemistry, and eruption records to sample a ~20 m MBS companion core for volcanic ash. We identified two ash layers, geochemically correlated with eruptions of Mt. Erebus (1985) and Cerro Hudson (1991). This study proves long-range transport of ash to East Antarctica, validating MBS as an untapped record of high latitude Southern Hemisphere volcanism.

Shoreline exposure controls teal carbon accumulation in boreal lakes

Aquatic vegetated ecosystems are important for global carbon storage, but freshwater shorelines remain understudied. We found that the sedimentary organic carbon (SOC) stocks ranged from 0 to 40.8 kg m⁻², with a large spatial variability. Large SOC stocks were found in sheltered areas, with the predominance of fine-grained sediments. In exposed areas, vegetation might also impact SOC accumulation. Accounting for shoreline exposure is crucial for improving regional carbon budget estimates.

Stratospheric gravity waves in three high-resolution models and AIRS satellite observations

Gravity waves are small-scale processes that drive the circulation in the middle and upper atmosphere. In this work, we assess 3 new high-resolution (3-5km horizontal resolution) models against satellite data. Generally, models capture the spatial patterns and represent stratospheric northern hemisphere mountain generated waves well. However, they still underestimate amplitudes globally and struggle with the representation of southern hemispheric convective waves.

Tide of the Time: Global tidal characteristics observed from in-situ measurements

Ocean tides are a critical component of the global climate system, influencing a wide range of geophysical processes. Tide gauges have been a valuable source for developing the theory of ocean tides and for understanding their variability. We provide updated and new insights on tidal properties using the Global Extreme Sea Level Analysis tide gauge dataset, intended to be useful to a range of applications, from navigation and fishing communities to ocean scientists and tidal experts.

A novel classifier-guided ensemble framework for global terrestrial evapotranspiration estimates

Existing global evapotranspiration algorithms rely on sparse local measurements and each comes with its own strengths and weaknesses. Here, we proposed an ensemble framework that employed a machine learning system to dynamically select the most appropriate algorithm to be used across spatial and temporal scales, thus fully utilizing the distinct strengths of each method. In multi-scale validations, our framework exhibited enhanced extrapolation performance, stability, and interpretability.

Beyond discrete stratocumulus regimes: a ternary continuum of morphology reveals within-regime variability in cloud susceptibilities

We introduce a new way to describe marine low cloud morphologies as a continuous range rather than discrete types. Using this approach, we show that cloud brightness responses to changes in droplet concentrations vary strongly across cloud morphologies, but the overall effect is small. This suggests that marine cloud brightening may rely more on increasing cloud cover than on making existing clouds brighter.

Increasing earthquake awareness: seismo-at-school Switzerland

Although Switzerland faces moderate seismic hazard, earthquakes represent the natural risk with the greatest impact potential. As most residents have never experienced a damaging earthquake, education is critical for raising awareness and enhancing preparedness. In a recent project, we expanded the seismo@school program in Switzerland by developing new teaching materials in four languages, related classroom activities, and by installing Raspberry Shake seismometers in schools across the country.

Internal tides–cyclonic eddy interaction and intermodal energy pathways: evidence from 3 km NEMO-AMAZON36 simulations

Our research investigates how large waves travel deep within the ocean. Using a detailed computer model, we show that when these deep waves meet giant ocean circulation, their path is dramatically changed. They can be bent off course, split apart, or stopped completely. An underwater mountain works with this circulation to transfer the wave energy between different ocean layers. Understanding this process is vital because it controls ocean mixing.

Mineral-bound organic carbon exposed by hillslope thermokarst terrain: case study in Cape Bounty, Canadian High Arctic

SOIL
DOI 10.5194/soil-12-633-2026
19 May 2026

This study examines organic carbon (OC)–mineral interactions in permafrost soils undergoing thermokarst degradation in Cape Bounty (Melville Island, Canada). Chemically stabilized OC accounts for 13 ± 5 % as organo-metallic complexes and 6 ± 2 % as associations with iron oxides. Including physical protection, up to 64 ± 10 % of OC is mineral-protected. Deeper layers show a sharp decline in mineral-bound OC, suggesting increased vulnerability to degradation when exposed by deep thaw features.

Love number computation within the Ice-sheet and Sea-level System Model (ISSM v4.24)

Presented here is a new model of the solid-Earth response to tides and mass changes in ice sheets, oceans, and groundwater, in of terms of gravity change and bedrock motion. The model is capable simulating mantle deformation including elasticity, transient and steady-state viscous flow. We detail our approach to numerical optimization, and report the accuracy of results with respect to community benchmarks. The resulting coupled system features kilometer-scale resolution and fast computation.

Impact of spectral aerosol radiative forcing at the Izaña observatory during the August 2023 extreme wildfires

This study presents a unique near-source observational analysis of the spectral radiative effects of extreme biomass-burning aerosols during the August 2023 wildfire on Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). The exceptional proximity of the wildfire to the Izaña Observatory (2400 m a.s.l.) enabled a rare characterisation of aerosol optical properties, spectral solar irradiance, and surface radiative forcing under free-tropospheric conditions.

Climate change drove Late Miocene to Pliocene rise and fall of C₄ vegetation at the crossroads of Africa and Eurasia (Anatolia, Türkiye)

We present a new stable carbon isotope dataset from Anatolian Late Miocene to Holocene soil carbonates, which reveals that C₄ grasslands emerged during Late Miocene Cooling. Uniquely, Anatolia saw a persistent return to C₃ vegetation in the Early Pliocene, which impacted mammal populations. We link the return to C₃vegetation to changes in rainfall seasonality, thereby tying ecosystem responses to climatic shifts in a hotspot of projected anthropogenic climatic change.

High-latitude eddy statistics from SWOT compared with in situ observations

We use new observations from the Surface Water and Ocean Topography Mission (SWOT) satellite to reveal the structure of ocean eddies in the Labrador Sea at unprecedented resolution. By comparison with ship-based measurements, we show that SWOT reliably detects these features even at high latitudes, where conventional altimetry is limited. Our results provide the first detailed view of mesoscale eddies in the Labrador Sea and highlight SWOT's potential in polar regions.

Modelling primary production: multitude of theories, or multitude of languages?

Marine primary production (PP) is a key component of the Earth's climate system, but its current estimates and future projections are highly uncertain. We review the PP uncertainties and discuss their sources both across the ecosystem and satellite models. We propose to reduce the PP uncertainties by better addressing the PP model structures and parametrizations. We also argue that for many models it is desirable to consider spatial and temporal variability in the model parameter values.

Developing Guidelines for working with Multi-Model Ensembles in CMIP

Multi-model ensembles are a key approach in climate model analysis, but their use involves many complex considerations. In this work, we review relevant literature and synthesize existing studies to contribute to the development of guidelines for designing and conducting ensemble analyses. This is complemented by a collection of useful resources and a discussion of emerging trends, supported by statistics tracing the number of publications.

The Scotland–Canada overturning array (SCOTIA): twenty years of meridional overturning in the subpolar North Atlantic

The Atlantic ocean circulation that helps regulate climate is expected to weaken this century. Long-term measurements in the subtropics now show signs of weakening, but northern data are shorter and more variable. By combining several observing systems, we reconstructed northern circulation since 2004 and found strong ups and downs, but no clear long-term weakening so far.

Coastal process understanding through automated identification of recurring surface dynamics in permanent laser scanning data of a sandy beach

We developed a new method to automatically detect and group short-term topographic changes on sandy beaches using hourly 3D laser scans collected over three years. By distinguishing variations in patterns of sand deposition and erosion, the approach allows scientists to study how beaches change at different moments in time and link these changes to environmental conditions like winds, waves or bulldozers, improving understanding and prediction of dynamics of sandy beaches.

First Alps-wide reconstruction of LGM glacial sediment transport enabled by GPU-accelerated particle tracking

This study reconstructs for the first time the transport-pathways of sediments by glaciers during the last glaciation of the European Alps, 24000 years ago. This helps us understand how the European Alps were shaped by past glaciations and helps us better constrain the mechanisms of iceflow, glacier erosion and the movement of large sediment masses by ice. This breakthrough is achieved by coupling a smart particle-tracking algorithm to a machine-learning-enhanced glacier evolution model.

Quantification of the influence of anthropogenic and natural factors on the record-high temperatures in 2023 and 2024

Global mean surface temperature anomalies in 2023 and 2024 were the highest on the modern record. We quantify contributions to these anomalies from human activity, including the steep reduction in sulfur emissions from ships that began in 2020, and numerous natural factors. We attribute about 92% of the observed anomalies to a combination of various human-induced and natural factors, including important contributions from the reduction in marine sulfur emissions and the Indian Ocean Dipole.

A method for quantifying correlation in the shape of oceanographic profile data

Oceanographic profiles comprise measurements of variables across depths. Here, a method is presented to calculate the correlation between profiling datasets by quantifying profile shape variability. This enables dependencies between multiple variables, and spatial or temporal changes in a single variable, to be described. Two case studies demonstrate the method using profiling data from a stationary mooring and drifting floats.

Review article: 30 years of airborne radar surveys on the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets by the Alfred Wegener Institute

This review synthesizes 30 years of Alfred Wegener Institute’s (AWI) airborne radar research in Antarctica and Greenland, detailing six radar systems and their applications in studying ice dynamics, basal properties, and subglacial landscapes. Moreover, it introduces the public release of AWI's airborne radar datasets via the Radar Data over Polar Ice Sheets Viewer and PANGAEA, ensuring findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable access for future polar research.

Ideas and perspectives: Mineralizing fluid control on foreign elements in biogenic CaCO₃: insights from otoliths

Fish otolith formation is key for understanding the incorporation of elements into biominerals. It is often assumed that the final step of biomineralization consists of inorganic precipitation as the fluid where biominerals form can hardly be sampled. Thanks to fish ear anatomy, this can be overcome with otoliths. By comparing otolith formation and inorganic precipitation, we proved that this assumption is not always true. Our findings could refine models and shed light on biomineralization.

Technical note: High Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiencies conceal poor simulations of interannual variance in seasonal regimes

Common metrics used to evaluate hydrologic models make it relatively easy to achieve high performance scores in highly seasonal catchments. However, we analysed 18 hydrologic models and found that almost all were worse at simulating interannual variability and change in seasonal streamflow regimes. This suggests that climate change impacts on streamflow may not be accurately predicted in highly seasonal tropical, alpine, and polar regions, which are highly vulnerable to climate change.

Multi-hazard risk assessment and management: pathways for the Sendai Framework and beyond

Natural hazards like floods, earthquakes, and landslides are often interconnected which may create bigger problems than when they occur alone. We studied expert discussions from an international conference to understand how scientists and policymakers can better prepare for these multi-hazards and use new technologies to protect its communities while contributing to dialogues about future international agreements beyond the Sendai Framework and supporting global sustainability goals.

Evaluation of stratospheric transport in three generations of Chemistry-Climate Models

Accurate representation of stratospheric transport in Chemistry-Climate Models is essential for reliable climate projections. This study evaluates three generations of models using observational data and reanalyses, identifying persistent biases and their potential causes. Some biases persist or even worsen in newer models. These findings highlight key limitations and inform efforts to improve models and advance understanding through process-based studies and enhanced observations.

Interplay of North Atlantic freshening and deep convection during the last deglaciation constrained by Iberian speleothems

Stable isotope data of a precisely dated stalagmite from northwestern Iberia indicate gradual North Atlantic meltwater input during the last glacial maximum, followed by abrupt surges early in the last deglaciation. The first abrupt surge was decoupled from first cooling about 810 years later – unlike later events – which reveals that the Atlantic circulation’s sensitivity to meltwater is variable and related to the evolving background climate boundary conditions.

Growth and decay of the Iceland Ice Sheet through the last glacial cycle

We simulated the Icelandic Ice Sheet over the last 120 kyr using an ice sheet model constrained by geological data with robust uncertainty assessment. At the Last Glacial Maximum, ice reached the continental shelf break, with a potential ice bridge connecting to the Greenland Ice Sheet. Model consistency with geological constraints during deglaciation is only possible with meltwater-driven ice fracture at the ice sheet margin, destabilizing the marine ice sheet and accelerating its collapse.

Proglacial wetlands: an overlooked CO₂ sink within recently deglaciated landscapes

SOIL
DOI 10.5194/soil-12-441-2026
17 April 2026

When glaciers retreat, new land surface is revealed. Using detailed glacial retreat maps, it is possible to determine for how long a location has been ice-free. That age is used in this study to analyse how fast carbon is incorporated into the soil. Our results show that the wetness of the soil strongly determines the CO₂ uptake and carbon incorporation rates. Wetlands cover a small percentage of the land surface but are nonetheless important for the carbon storage in the deglaciated area.

Drivers and implications of declining fossil fuel CO₂ concentrations in Chinese cities revealed by radiocarbon measurements

Our study indicates fossil fuel CO₂ (CO_2ff) reductions in Chinese megacities via atmospheric Δ(¹⁴CO₂) and δ(¹³CO₂) measurements, driven by coal-to-gas transitions and combustion efficiency improvement. The 24-year record show steeper declined urban R_CO/CO2ff ratios than inventory estimates, implying underestimation of efficiency improvements and CO reductions. Integrating top-down observations with inventories is critical to track policy-driven emission shifts and optimize co-benefit strategies.

Widespread occurrence of large molecular methylsiloxanes in ambient aerosols

We identify a previously unrecognized class of synthetic organic compounds, large molecular methylsiloxanes, in ambient aerosols across diverse environments in three countries. These compounds are present at substantial levels, primarily originating from traffic emissions related to engine lubrication. Their high abundance and significant daily human exposure suggest potential, yet still poorly understood, implications for both health and climate.

Geological factors and fracture distribution in deep and ultra-deep sandstones in Kuqa Depression, Tarim Basin, China

This study integrates geological and geophysical data to examine controls of sedimentary factors, earth stress, and tectonic structure on fracture distribution in deep and ultra-deep sandstones in Kuqa Depression. Key findings show fracture density increases with sandbody thickness and paleostress magnitude, is higher near faults and fold hinges, and is favored by thinner sand-mud interbeds. Increased horizontal stress differences contributes to reduced fracture apertures.

Quiet New Particle Formation is a significant aerosol source in the Amazon boundary layer

Aerosols are tiny particles that help clouds form and influence the climate. In the Amazon, clear events of new aerosol particle formation are rare, making it difficult to explain their origin. Using ten years of measurements, we discovered a subtle but frequent process called Quiet New Particle Formation. This hidden mechanism slowly produces and grows small particles and is responsible for nearly half of the smallest aerosols observed during the wet season.

The Destination Earth digital twin for climate change adaptation

The Climate Change Adaptation Digital Twin (Climate DT) pioneers the operationalisation of global climate projections. It produces global simulations with local granularity for adaptation decision-making. Applications are embedded to generate tailored indicators. A unified workflow orchestrates all components in several supercomputers. Data management ensures consistency and streaming enables real-time use. It is a complementary innovation to initiatives like CMIP, CORDEX, and climate services.

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.