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Remineralisation changes dominate oxygen variability in the North Atlantic

Oxygen is essential to marine life, but the amount of oxygen in the ocean has been decreasing in recent decades. Using observations of oxygen concentration interpolated across a section of the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean, we show that deoxygenation in the region is primarily driven by an increase in oxygen being consumed during remineralisation of organic matter. The impact of this is strongest at depths of around 600 m, where the process drives up to 70 % of the total deoxygenation.

The first Earthquake Early Warning System for the high-speed railway in Italy: enhancing rapidness and operational efficiency during seismic events

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DOI 10.5194/nhess-26-299-2026
20 January 2026

The first Italian Earthquake Early Warning system protects the Naples-Rome high-speed railway by detecting earthquakes in real time and sending alerts within seconds. Using seismic sensors and smart algorithms, it slows or stops trains only where needed, avoiding full-line shutdowns. Directly linked to train control, it boosts safety and minimizes disruption during potentially damaging earthquakes.

Positive feedbacks drive the Greenland ice sheet evolution in millennial-length MAR–GISM simulations under a high-end warming scenario

To study Greenland ice sheet–atmosphere interactions, we coupled an ice sheet model to a regional climate model and performed simulations of differing coupling complexity over 1000 years under a high-warming climate scenario. They reveal that at first melt at the ice sheet margin is reduced by changing wind patterns. But over time, as the ice sheet melts and its surface lowers, precipitation patterns and cloudiness also change and amplify ice mass loss over the entire ice sheet.

Brief Communication: Rejuvenating and strengthening the science–policy interface required to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DOI 10.5194/nhess-26-271-2026
19 January 2026

This article looks at how science connects with policy to reduce disaster risks. Although the Sendai Framework says science is key, current efforts to bring together scientists and share their perspectives with other stakeholders are not as effective as they could be. We suggest three ways to improve this: include more voices, better share research, and create spaces to discuss key topics.

Compounded effects of long-term warming and the exceptional 2023 marine heatwave on North Atlantic coccolithophore bloom dynamics

In 2023, an exceptional marine heatwave occurred in the North Atlantic ocean. This study evaluates changes in G.huxleyi dynamics showing bloom decline in the Celtic Sea and reaching unprecedented levels in the Barents Sea. These shifts reflect the direct impact of temperature extremes driven by human-induced climate change with major effects on ocean life and carbon cycle. Continuous monitoring is vital to understand and monitor regional adaptation of marine ecosystems.

The carbon dioxide removal potential of cement and lime kiln dust via ocean alkalinity enhancement

Cement and lime kiln dust, industrial by-products, could help remove CO₂ from the atmosphere by increasing surface ocean alkalinity. Lab experiments showed that a fraction dissolves rapidly in seawater, releasing substantial alkalinity. Most of the residual fraction may dissolve in marine sediments to drive further carbon storage. Both materials could thus aid in global CO₂ removal, but careful application strategies are required to avoid harm to marine ecosystems.

Global projections of aridity index for mid and long-term future based on CMIP6 scenarios

Our study investigates global dryland dynamics and aridification under future climate scenarios. By employing the Food and Agriculture Organisation Aridity Index and an ensemble of 13 models from the 6th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, we provide projections for dryland distribution and aridity index across three shared socio-economic pathways (2-4.5, 3-7.0, and 5-8.5) for the near-term (2030–2059) and for the long-term (2070–2099) future.

Quantifying agricultural N₂O and CH₄ emissions in the Netherlands using an airborne eddy covariance system

Nitrous oxide and methane emissions from agriculture need to be reduced, therefore emissions must be understood to effectively mitigate them. This is the first approach to measure those emissions aircraft-based, to assess their magnitude and drivers. We identified emission hotspots and temporal changes in agricultural emissions in the Netherlands. Our approach is applicable to further greenhouse gas emitters, therefore it builds a step towards more comprehensive emission quantification.

Historical Droughts in British Colonial Belize (1771–1981)

This work presents the first documentary-derived chronology of droughts in British colonial Belize (1771-1981), integrating archival sources with extended instrumental records. Results show exceptional droughts in the 1880s, 1920s, and 1943-1955. Comparison of extreme colonial droughts with Terminal Classic Period palaeoclimate records shows a similar magnitude of precipitation reduction (29-59%) and provides a context to assess future climate projections for the region.

Review of climate simulation by Simple Climate Models

Simple Climate Models (SCMs) are widely used tools to explore how Earth's climate may change in the future. In recent decades, the number and types of SCMs have increased significantly, hindering efforts to understand cross-model differences. In this study, we provide an overview of the main principles guiding climate simulation by SCMs, as well as a description of most high-profile SCMs. This work offers a clear reference to support the informed use of these important tools.

Integrating fireline observations to characterize fire plumes during pyroconvective extreme wildfire events: implications for firefighter safety and plume modeling

Firefighter entrapments can occur when wildfires escalate suddenly due to fire-atmosphere interactions. This study presents a method to analyze this in real-time using two weather balloon measurements: ambient and in-plume conditions. Researchers launched 156 balloons during wildfire seasons in Spain, Chile, Greece, and the Netherlands. This methodology detects sudden changes in fire behavior by comparing ambient and in-plume data, ultimately enhancing research on fire-atmosphere interactions.

Bridging science and practice on multi-hazard risk drivers: stakeholder insights from five pilot studies in Europe

Disaster risk management faces growing challenges from multiple, changing hazards. Interviews with stakeholders in five European regions reveal that climate change, urban growth, and socio-economic shifts increase vulnerability and exposure. Measures to reduce one risk can worsen others, highlighting the need for better coordination. The study calls for flexible, context-specific strategies that connect scientific risk assessments with real-world decision-making.

A system for analysis of H₂ and Ne in polar ice core samples

This study describes a system for analysis of hydrogen (H₂) and neon (Ne) in polar ice core samples in the field immediately after drilling. The motivation is to reconstruct the atmospheric history of H₂ to improve understanding of global H₂ biogeochemistry and how it has varied over time. This knowledge will help inform models used to project future atmospheric levels of H₂and assess the climate impacts of widespread utilization of H₂ as an energy source.

Estimating the AMOC from Argo profiles with machine learning trained on ocean simulations

Ocean Science
DOI 10.5194/os-21-3541-2025
18 December 2025

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a large current system that helps regulating Earth's climate. Monitoring the AMOC relies on fixed instruments anchored to the seafloor. This study explores, in a high-resolution model, whether data from Argo floats, autonomous drifters collecting hydrographic profiles, can be used to monitor the AMOC cost-effectively with the help of Machine Learning. Results suggest that Argo floats can extend AMOC monitoring beyond current fixed arrays.

An extrapolation algorithm for estimating river bed grain size distributions across basins

Characterizing the grain size of river sediments is necessary for estimating sediment transport rates in rivers. In order to understand sediment transport at large spatial scales, grain size information across river basins is needed, but methods for accomplishing this are limited. Here, I introduce a new method for using measurements of grain size in discrete locations to estimate full grain size distributions across entire watersheds.

Injection near the stratopause mitigates the stratospheric side effects of sulfur-based climate intervention

Injecting sulfur dioxide at 50 km – near the stratopause – offers a far safer and more effective climate intervention than conventional 25 km injection. Rapid downward–poleward transport distributes aerosols across 20–30 km, halving tropical stratospheric warming, reducing ozone recovery delays from decades to about 5 years, and enhancing global and polar cooling by over 20 %, while better preserving Arctic sea ice.

Synergetic retrieval from multi-mission spaceborne measurements for enhanced aerosol and surface characterization

Developed SYREMIS (SYnergetic REtrieval from Multi-MISsion instruments) approach is based on three main principles: (i) harmonization of the multi-instruments L1 measurements, (ii) their “weighting”, and (iii) optimization of the forward models and the retrieval setups. It substantially enhances aerosol and surface characterization from spaceborne measurements. The approach can be extended to future missions, including synergy with multi-angular, multi-spectral, and polarimetric measurements.

Water vapour dynamics as a key determinant of atmospheric composition and transport mechanisms

Humidification of air reduces the abundances of dry-air gas components such as oxygen, explaining why tropical humidity can be "stifling". This is overlooked due to the common expression of gas concentrations as fractions of dry air. Such neglect of water vapour also masks the key role of its sources and sinks in activating transport mechanisms of other gases. Humidity should be quantified whenever reporting gas concentrations.

Feedback-based sea level rise impact modelling for integrated assessment models with FRISIAv1.0

We present FRISIA version 1.0, a model for emulating sea level rise (SLR) and representing SLR impacts and adaptation in integrated assessment models (IAMs). FRISIA includes previously uncaptured coastal socio-economic feedback and a diverse set of impact strains, thereby improving the represenation of SLR impacts in IAMs. Here we describe the baseline behaviour of FRISIA, explore the effects of the additional feedback and showcase the coupling of FRISIA to an IAM.

How do geological map details influence the identification of geology-streamflow relationships in large-sample hydrology studies?

We show that geological maps with varying levels of detail may influence the identification of geology–streamflow relationships across European catchments at multiple scales. At the large scale, controls varied between basins, with no map consistently superior. At the intermediate and small scales, however, higher geological detail consistently strengthened correlations, particularly for baseflow signatures, with the regional map highlighting controls more consistent with process understanding.

Orbital-scale variability in the contribution of foraminifera and coccolithophores to pelagic carbonate production

We present new high-resolution data of the relative contribution of the two main pelagic carbonate producers (coccoliths and foraminifera) to the total pelagic carbonate production from the tropical Atlantic in past warm periods since the Miocene. Our findings suggests that the two groups responded differently to orbital forcing and oceanic changes in tropical ocean, but their proportion changes did not drive the changes in overall pelagic carbonate deposition.

Silicification in the ocean: from molecular pathways to silicifiers' ecology and biogeochemical cycles

Ocean Science
DOI 10.5194/os-21-3427-2025
11 December 2025

This review explores how various forms of marine life, from picoplankton to giant sponges, transform and control silicon to form silica-based structures, and how this process shapes the ocean silicon cycle. It also highlights the overlooked role of dynamic boundary zones where land, seafloor and ice meet seawater, and explains how combining biology and geochemistry can improve paleoceanographic proxies, biogeochemical models, and predictions of climate-driven changes in ocean productivity.

Constitution of a multicentennial multirisk database in a mountainous environment from composite sources: the example of the Vallouise-Pelvoux municipality (Ecrins, France)

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DOI 10.5194/nhess-25-4881-2025
10 December 2025

This paper proposes a methodology to develop a long-range multirisk database. Combining scattered pre-existing records and intensive research in historical archives provides a 1600–2020 record of past events in a valley of the French Alps. It goes far beyond any inventory existing in terms of number of events, temporal coverage and detailed description of events characteristics in a mountain context. Spatio-temporal patterns are analysed, opening perspective for multirisk assessment.

Global inductive magnetosphere-ionosphere- thermosphere coupling

The ionosphere is where Earth’s atmosphere overlaps with a gas of charged particles in space. There, collisions with neutral air and electromagnetic forces driven by the solar wind control plasma motion. We created a global model that includes magnetic induction, explaining how electric currents and fields change, offering a more accurate view of atmosphere–space coupling than conventional models based on electric circuits.

The influence of irradiance and interspecific differences on δ¹¹B, δ¹³C and elemental ratios in four coralline algae complexes from Aotearoa, New Zealand

We address the impact of light on four complexes of coralline red algae using boron and carbon isotopic signatures. We show that the four complexes up-regulated their δ¹¹B derived pH_CF relative to seawater by 0.6 to 0.8 pH unit but pH_CF was not directly impacted by light at the complex level. The differences in calcification between encrusting and branching complexes result from different photosynthetic regimes and carbon concentrating mechanisms, which would be inherent to morphologies.

The global importance of gas-phase peroxy radical accretion reactions for secondary organic aerosol loading

This work outlines an investigation into an understudied atmospheric chemical reaction pathway with the potential to form particulate pollution that has important impacts on air quality and climate. It suggests that this chemical pathway is responsible for a large fraction of the atmospheric particulate matter observed in tropical forested regions, but also highlights the need for further ambient and lab investigations to inform an accurate representation of this process in atmospheric models.

Clear-air turbulence derived from in situ aircraft observation – a weather feature-based typology using ERA5 reanalysis

Turbulence can occur in clear-air conditions at cruising altitude. From around 5000 clear-air turbulence events identified using aircraft measurements, nonlinear breaking of large-scale waves and rapidly ascending airstreams associated with cyclones are found concurrent with 40 % and 30 % of them respectively. The results further show that these weather systems may trigger turbulence by generating highly deformed flow or flow instability, improving our understanding of clear-air turbulence.

Conditions for instability in the climate–carbon cycle system

An increase in CO₂ in the atmosphere warms the climate through the greenhouse effect, but also leads to uptake of CO₂ by the land and ocean. However, the warming is also expected to suppress carbon uptake. If this suppression were strong enough, it could overwhelm the uptake of carbon, leading to a runaway feedback loop causing severe global warming. We find it is possible that this runaway could be relevant in complex climate models and even at the end of the last ice age.

Applications of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Tropospheric Ozone Research

Machine learning is being more widely used across environmental and climate science. This work reviews the use of machine learning in tropospheric ozone research, focusing on three main application areas in which significant progress has been made. Common challenges in using machine learning across the three areas are highlighted, and future directions for the field are indicated.

Including different mesozooplankton feeding strategies in a biogeochemical ocean model impacts global ocean biomass and carbon cycle

Mesozooplankton gather small current-drifting animals. They are very diverse and play key roles in the functioning of marine ecosystem and carbon cycle, especially through the production of rapidly sinking particles. Usually represented as one compartment, here we add three feeding strategies in an ocean biogeochemical model and investigate their impact on carbon cycle at global scale. We find distinct distributions between mesozooplankton types and diverse contributions to carbon export.

Uncovering the deep structure of the Koillismaa Layered Intrusion Complex, Finland using a novel 3D seismic survey

Solid Earth
DOI 10.5194/se-16-1437-2025
24 November 2025

We acquired and processed novel 3D seismic data to reveal the hidden structure of a deep rock formation in northeastern Finland. This study uncovered a complex, layered system rather than a simple magma channel, and identified a major fault that may influence mineral deposits. Our findings offer new tools and insights for exploring valuable underground resources in hard rock environments.

Conflict-induced ship traffic disruptions constrain cloud sensitivity to stricter marine pollution regulations

Militia attacks on ships in the Red Sea disrupted container ship traffic in 2024. We use these traffic changes to quantify how the cloud-altering properties of ship pollution decreased following sulfur regulations in 2020 with measurements of two types of ship pollution, one of which is sensitive to fuel composition and another which is not. Near Africa, cloud changes in 2024 were nearly as large as before the regulations, but only one-third as strong after accounting for increased traffic.

Novel oxalate-carbonate pathways identified in the tropical dry evergreen forest of Tamil Nadu, India

The oxalate-carbonate pathway, where trees and microbes store inorganic carbon as minerals, was studied on four tree species of the threatened tropical dry evergreen forest Indian forest. We used high-throughput sequencing of a gene to detect oxalate-degrading microbes. For all tree species, produced oxalate led to carbonate formation in soils and on wood. This carbon may be leached into water, suggesting a hidden source of inorganic carbon with implications for climate and conservation.

The frosty frontier: redefining the mid-latitude tropopause using the relative humidity over ice

We present a new technique to determine the tropopause based on the gradient of relative humidity over ice. This approach captures the character of the tropopause remarkably well, both in individual vertical profiles and in long-term averages, providing a consistent and physically meaningful representation of the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere.

Recent history and future demise of Jostedalsbreen, the largest ice cap in mainland Europe

We model the historical and future evolution of the Jostedalsbreen ice cap in Norway, projecting substantial and largely irreversible mass loss for the 21st century, and that the ice cap will split into three parts. Further mass loss is in the pipeline, with a disappearance during the 22nd century under high emissions. Our study demonstrates an approach to model complex ice masses, highlights uncertainties due to precipitation, and calls for further research on long-term future glacier change.

An adaptable DTS-based parametric method to probe near-surface vertical temperature profiles at millimeter resolution

We present the the Fine Resolution Adaptable Distributed Temperature Sensing (FRADTS) method, which allows for mm-resolution probing of vertical temperature profiles, using coil-based distributed temperature sensing. The method is fully open source and parametric, such that unique field setups can be generated and reproduced. The method is extensively tested within a ~10cm grass canopy in a field campaign.

The TropoPause Composition TOwed Sensor Shuttle (TPC-TOSS): a new airborne dual platform approach for atmospheric composition measurements at the tropopause

Deployed on a Learjet as a tandem measurement platform during the TPEx I (TropoPause composition gradients and mixing Experiment) campaign in June 2024, the new TPC-TOSS (TropoPause Composition Towed Sensor Shuttle) system delivers high-resolution in situ data on ozone, aerosol, and key meteorological parameters. Laboratory and in-flight tests confirmed its precision and stability. Observed gradients near the tropopause reveal active mixing and transport processes in the tropopause region.

A statistical study of the O₂ atmospheric band aurora observed by the Swedish satellite MATS

This study uses images taken by the Swedish satellite MATS (Mesospheric Airglow Tomography and Spectroscopy) to conduct a statistical analysis of the molecular oxygen atmospheric band emissions in the aurora. This auroral emission can not be observed from the ground, making it one of the least understood auroral emissions. Our results provide a new dataset with information on the peak altitude, geomagnetic location, and auroral intensity of 378 events detected between February and April 2023.

IASI global radiometric uncertainty budget

This study establishes the global radiometric uncertainty budget of the Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer (IASI) instruments onboard Eumetsat first generation MetOp satellites. Major contributions to the budget arise from the correction of the analog non-linearity, the black body characterization, the scan mirror reflectivity and the background radiance instability. The estimated uncertainty remains relatively stable throughout the lifetime of the instruments.

The airborne chicago water isotope spectrometer: an integrated cavity output spectrometer for measurements of the HDO ∕ H₂O isotopic ratio in the Asian Summer Monsoon

The water molecule comes in several different varieties, which are nearly indistinguishable in daily life. However, slight differences between the water molecule types can be exploited to achieve better scientific understanding of parts of Earth's atmosphere. In this work we describe the design, construction, and operation of an instrument meant to measure these molecules aboard research aircraft up to altitudes of 20 km.

Progressive destabilization of a freestanding rock pillar in permafrost on the Matterhorn (Swiss Alps): Hydro-mechanical modeling and analysis

On 13 June 2023, a freestanding rock pillar on the Matterhorn collapsed after years of weakening. Our study examines this progressive destabilization by analyzing field data and integrating lab experiments into a hydro-mechanical model. We highlight the critical role of water infiltration into frozen rock, intensified by climate warming, as a widespread driver of the rising frequency of rockfalls in high mountain permafrost regions.

Reviews and syntheses: Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM)-derived mercury contamination in agricultural systems: what we know and need to know

Artisanal & Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) is rapidly expanding and mercury-use in the sector impacts agricultural systems near these spatially distributed activities. Mercury from ASGM is taken up by crops from both (1) air and (2) soil/water. Mercury in crops can also be passed to humans directly (eating crops) or via livestock/poultry after eating crops. Research in this area requires interdisciplinary, collaborative, and adaptable approaches to improve our comprehension of these impacts.

Drivers and impacts of westerly moisture transport events in East Africa

Anomalous westerly winds bring moisture into East Africa, increasing precipitation in the region. Using the first spatially unconstrained framework to detect this circulation and associated precipitation, we show westerlies contribute up to 60% of rainfall in Tanzania in January and February, and are more likely when the Madden Julian Oscillation and/or tropical cyclones are active over the Indian Ocean. This work highlights the complex interactions driving regional precipitation variability.

Automated mask generation in citizen science smartphone photos and their value for mapping plant species in drone imagery

We introduce an automated approach for generating segmentation masks for citizen science plant photos, making them applicable to computer vision models. This framework effectively transforms citizen science data into a data treasure for segmentation models for plant species identification in aerial imagery. Using automatically labeled photos, we train segmentation models for mapping tree species in drone imagery, showcasing their potential for forestry, agriculture, and biodiversity monitoring.

Observed and modeled Arctic airmass transformations during warm air intrusions and cold air outbreaks

Aircraft observations of air parcels moving into and out of the Arctic are reported. From the data, heating and cooling as well as drying and moistening of the air masses along their way into and out of the Arctic could be measured for the first time. These data are used to evaluate if weather prediction models are able to accurately represent these air mass transformations. This work helps to model the future Arctic climate changes, which may have an impact for mid-latitude weather as well.

Reviews and syntheses: Best practices for the application of marine GDGTs as proxy for paleotemperatures: sampling, processing, analyses, interpretation, and archiving protocols

Many academic laboratories worldwide process environmental samples for analysis of membrane lipid molecules of archaea, for the reconstruction of past environmental conditions. However, the sample workup scheme involves many steps, each of which has a risk of contamination or bias, affecting the results. This paper reviews steps involved in sampling, extraction and analysis of lipids, interpretation and archiving of the data. This ensures reproducible, reusable, comparable and consistent data.

Holocene land cover change in North America: continental trends, regional drivers, and implications for vegetation–atmosphere feedbacks

Holocene vegetation–atmosphere interactions provide insight into intensifying land use impacts and the Holocene Conundrum: a mismatch between data- and model-inferred temperature. Using pollen records and statistical modeling, we reconstruct Holocene land cover for North America. We determine patterns and magnitudes of land cover changes across scales. We attribute land cover changes to ecological, climatic, and human drivers. These reconstructions provide benchmarks for Earth system models.

Milankovitch theory “as an initial value problem”: Implications of the long memory of ice advection

We describe a so far unrecognized physical phenomenon of orbital forcing modifying the terrestrial physics in such a way that instead of erasing the memory of initial conditions this memory is extended and initial values become major governing parameters.

Estimates of Atlantic meridional heat transport from spatiotemporal fusion of Argo, altimetry, and gravimetry data

Understanding how heat moves through the ocean is crucial to predicting future climate change confidently. This requires accurate records of heat transport throughout the ocean, but these are challenging to obtain by direct ocean observation. Here, we combine in situ and satellite-based observations to generate estimates of meridional heat transport for the period 2004–2020 at 3-month resolution across the Atlantic Ocean with improved accuracy compared to existing indirectly inferred estimates.

Global and regional sea-surface temperature changes over the Marine Isotopic Stage 9e and Termination IV

To better understand climate change in past warm periods, we studied global ocean temperature during an interglacial period about 330,000 years ago. Combining 98 records on common timeline, we found regional differences in the timing and amplitude of changes, which smoothed the global signal. We also show that the deglacial warming rate was about three times lower than today's global warming rate.