Transition in the fractal geometry of Arctic melt ponds The Cryosphere DOI 10.5194/tc-6-1157-2012 19 October 2012 By analyzing data from hundreds of thousands of melt ponds, we find an unexpected separation of scales, where pond fractal dimension D transitions from 1 to 2 around a critical length scale of 100 m2 in area. The results impact sea ice albedo, the transmitted radiation fields under melting sea ice, the heat balance of sea ice and the upper ocean, and biological productivity such as under ice phytoplankton blooms. Read more
Combined wind measurements by two different lidar instruments in the Arctic middle atmosphere Atmospheric Measurement Techniques DOI 10.5194/amt-5-2433-2012 19 October 2012 The comparison of winds derived by RMR and sodium lidar is excellent for long integration times of 10 h as well as shorter ones of 1 h. Combination of data from both lidars allows identifying wavy structures between 30 and 110 km altitude, whose amplitudes increase with height. Read more
Assessment of remotely sensed drought features in vulnerable agriculture Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/nhess-12-3139-2012 19 October 2012 In this paper, the remotely sensed Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI) is employed for the quantification of drought. RDI enables the assessment of hydro-meteorological drought, since it uses hydrometeorological parameters, such as precipitation and potential evapotranspiration. Read more
Rainfall intensity–duration thresholds for bedload transport initiation in small Alpine watersheds Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/nhess-12-3091-2012 18 October 2012 In this study, the characteristics of rainfall events leading to bedload transport were investigated in five small Alpine catchments located in different geographical and morphological regions of Switzerland, Italy and France. Read more
High-resolution interpolar difference of atmospheric methane around the Last Glacial Maximum Biogeosciences DOI 10.5194/bg-9-3961-2012 16 October 2012 Here we present new high-resolution methane records from the North Greenland Ice Core Project and the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica Dronning Maud Land ice cores covering Termination 1, the Last Glacial Maximum, and parts of the last glacial back to 32 000 years before present. Read more
Contrasting trends of mass and optical properties of aerosols over the Northern Hemisphere from 1992 to 2011 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-12-9387-2012 15 October 2012 This study compares the long-term variation of mass and optical properties of atmospheric aerosols over the Northern Hemisphere, including China, the US, Canada and Europe. Contrasting trends of mass and optical properties were found from 1992 to 2011. Read more
Particle backscatter and relative humidity measured across cirrus clouds and comparison with microphysical cirrus modelling Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics DOI 10.5194/acp-12-9135-2012 5 October 2012 Advanced measurement and modelling techniques are employed to estimate the partitioning of atmospheric water between the gas phase and the condensed phase in and around cirrus clouds, and thus to identify in-cloud and out-of-cloud supersaturations with respect to ice. Read more
Marine bacteria in deep Arctic and Antarctic ice cores: a proxy for evolution in oceans over 300 million generations Biogeosciences DOI 10.5194/bg-9-3799-2012 5 October 2012 Ice cores offer the opportunity to study evolution of marine microbes over ~ 300 million generations by analysing their genomes vs. depth in glacial ice over the last 700 000 yr as frozen proxies for changes in their genomes in oceans. Read more
It takes a community to raise a hydrologist: the Modular Curriculum for Hydrologic Advancement (MOCHA) Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-16-3405-2012 21 September 2012 In this paper we combine literature review, community survey, discussion and assessment to provide a holistic baseline for the future of hydrology education. The ultimate objective of our educational initiative is to enable educators to train a new generation of “renaissance hydrologists,” who can master the holistic nature of our field and of the problems we encounter. Read more
Should we apply bias correction to global and regional climate model data? Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-16-3391-2012 21 September 2012 With this article, we advocate communicating the entire uncertainty range associated with climate change predictions openly and hope to stimulate a lively discussion on bias correction among the atmospheric and hydrological community and end users of climate change impact studies. Read more