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Topic Review
NOx Emission Reduction and Recovery
Since its first confirmed case at the end of 2019, COVID-19 has become a global pandemic in three months with more than 1.4 million confirmed cases worldwide, as of early April 2020. Quantifying the changes of pollutant emissions due to COVID-19 and associated governmental control measures is crucial to understand its impacts on economy, air pollution, and society. We used the WRF-GC model and the tropospheric NO2 column observations retrieved by the TROPOMI instrument to derive the top-down NOx emission change estimation between the three periods: P1 (January 1st to January 22nd, 2020), P2 (January 23rd, Wuhan lockdown, to February 9th, 2020), and P3 (February 10th, back-to-work day, to March 12th, 2020). We found that NOx emissions in East China averaged during P2 decreased by 50% compared to those averaged during P1. The NOx emissions averaged during P3 increased by 26% compared to those during P2. Most provinces in East China gradually regained some of their NOx emissions after February 10, the official back-to-work day, but NOx emissions in most provinces have not yet to return to their previous levels in early January. NOx emissions in Wuhan, the first epicenter of COVID-19, had no sign of emission recovering by March 12. A few provinces, such as Zhejiang and Shanxi, have recovered fast, with their averaged NOx emissions during P3 almost back to pre-lockdown levels.
  • 875
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review Video
Coexisting Attractors within Classical and Generalized Lorenz Models
An in-depth analysis of classical Lorenz models and newly developed, generalized Lorenz models suggested a revised view that “the entirety of weather possesses a dual nature of chaos and order with distinct predictability”, in contrast to the conventional view of “weather is chaotic”.  Major features that yield distinct predictability include three types of solutions (for monostability), two kinds of attractor coexistence (for multistability), and their concurrent and alternative appearance.  The distinct predictability suggests limited predictability for chaotic solutions and unlimited predictability (or up to their lifetime) for non-chaotic solutions. Here, the following features are discussed: (1) an analogy for monostability and multistability using skiing vs. kayaking; (2) single-types of attractors, SDIC, and monostability within the Lorenz 1963 (L63) model; (3) coexisting attractors and multistability within the generalized Lorenz model (GLM); (4) time varying multistability and slow time-varying solutions; and (5) the onset of emerging solutions.
  • 864
  • 29 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Water-Soluble Organic Matter
Inspired by studies on outdoor organic aerosols (OA), recent studies discusses and prioritizes issues related to indoor water-soluble OA and their effects on human health, providing a basis for future research in the field. The following three main topics are addressed: (1) what is known about the origin, mass contribution, and health effects of water-soluble organic matter (WSOM) in outdoor air particles; (2) the current state-of-the-art on the WSOM in indoor air particles, the main challenges and opportunities for its chemical characterization and cytotoxicity evaluation; and (3) why the aerosol WSOM should be considered in future indoor air quality studies.
  • 858
  • 08 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Climate Change and Water Resources
Water resources are highly dependent on climatic variations. The quantification of climate change impacts on surface water availability is critical for agriculture production and flood management. The current study focuses on the projected streamflow variations in the transboundary Mangla Dam watershed. Precipitation and temperature changes combined with future water assessment in the watershed are projected by applying multiple downscaling techniques for three periods (2021–2039, 2040–2069, and 2070–2099). Streamflows are simulated by using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for the outputs of five global circulation models (GCMs) and their ensembles under two representative concentration pathways (RCPs). Spatial and temporal changes in defined future flow indexes, such as base streamflow, average flow, and high streamflow have been investigated in this study. Results depicted an overall increase in average annual flows under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 up until 2099. The maximum values of low flow, median flow, and high flows under RCP 4.5 were found to be 55.96 m3/s, 856.94 m3/s, and 7506.2 m3/s and under RCP 8.5, 63.29 m3/s, 945.26 m3/s, 7569.8 m3/s, respectively, for these ensembles GCMs till 2099. Under RCP 4.5, the maximum increases in maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin), precipitation (Pr), and average annual streamflow were estimated as 5.3 °C, 2.0 °C, 128.4%, and 155.52%, respectively, up until 2099. In the case of RCP 8.5, the maximum increase in these hydro-metrological variables was up to 8.9 °C, 8.2 °C, 180.3%, and 181.56%, respectively, up until 2099. The increases in Tmax, Tmin, and Pr using ensemble GCMs under RCP 4.5 were found to be 1.95 °C, 1.68 °C and 93.28% (2021–2039), 1.84 °C, 1.34 °C, and 75.88%(2040–2069), 1.57 °C, 1.27 °C and 72.7% (2070–2099), respectively. Under RCP 8.5, the projected increases in Tmax, Tmin, and Pr using ensemble GCMs were found as 2.26 °C, 2.23 °C and 78.65% (2021–2039), 2.73 °C, 2.53 °C, and 83.79% (2040–2069), 2.80 °C, 2.63 °C and 67.89% (2070–2099), respectively. Three seasons (spring, winter, and autumn) showed a remarkable increase in streamflow, while the summer season showed a decrease in inflows. Based on modeling results, it is expected that the Mangla Watershed will experience more frequent extreme flow events in the future, due to climate change. These results indicate that the study of climate change's impact on the water resources under a suitable downscaling technique is imperative for proper planning and management of the water resources.
  • 852
  • 23 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Air during New Year’s Eve
Mosses are one of the best bioindicators in the assessment of atmospheric aerosol pollution by heavy metals. Studies using mosses allow both short- and long-term air quality monitoring. The increasing contamination of the environment (including air) is causing a search for new, cheap and effective methods of monitoring its condition. Once such method is the use of mosses in active biomonitoring. The aim of the entry was to assess the atmospheric aerosol pollution with selected heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb) from the smoke of fireworks used during New Year’s Eve in the years 2019/2020 and 2020/2021.
  • 852
  • 16 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Range (Aeronautics)
The maximal total range is the maximum distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing. Powered aircraft range is limited by the aviation fuel energy storage capacity (chemical or electrical) considering both weight and volume limits. Unpowered aircraft range depends on factors such as cross-country speed and environmental conditions. The range can be seen as the cross-country ground speed multiplied by the maximum time in the air. The fuel time limit for powered aircraft is fixed by the available fuel (considering reserve fuel requirements) and rate of consumption. Some aircraft can gain energy while airborne through the environment (e.g. collecting solar energy or through rising air currents from mechanical or thermal lifting) or from in-flight refueling. These aircraft could theoretically have infinite range. Ferry range means the maximum range that a aircraft engaged in ferry flying can achieve. This usually means maximum fuel load, optionally with extra fuel tanks and minimum equipment. It refers to transport of aircraft without any passengers or cargo. Combat radius is a related measure based on the maximum distance a warplane can travel from its base of operations, accomplish some objective, and return to its original airfield with minimal reserves.
  • 846
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Tungurahua Volcano (Ecuador)
Since April of 2015, the ash dispersion and ash fallout due to Vulcanian eruptions at Tungurahua, one of the most active volcanoes in Ecuador, have been forecasted daily. For this purpose, our forecasting system uses the meteorological Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) and the FALL3D models. Previously, and based on field data, laboratory, and numerical studies, corresponding eruption source parameters (ESP) have been defined. We analyzed the historically forecasted results of the ash fallout quantities over four years (April 2015 to March 2019), in order to obtain the average isomass and probability maps for three-month periods: February–March–April (FMA), May–June–July (MJJ), August–September–October (ASO), and November–December–January (NDJ). Our results indicate similar ash fallout shapes during MJJ and ASO, with a clear and defined tendency toward the west of the volcano; this tendency is less defined during NDJ and FMA. The proximal region west of the volcano (about 100 km to the west) has the highest probability (>70%) of being affected by ash fallout. The distant region to the west (more than 100 km west) presented low to medium probabilities (10%–70%) of ash fallout. The cities of Guaranda (W, 60% to 90%), Riobamba (SW, 70%), and Ambato (NW, 50% to 60%) have the highest probabilities of being affected by ash fallout. Among the large Ecuadorian cities, Guayaquil (SW, 10% to 30%) has low probability, and Quito (N, ≤5%) and Cuenca (SSE, <5%) have very low probabilities of being affected by ash fallout. High ash clouds can move in different directions, compared to wind transport near the surface. Therefore, it is possible to detect ash clouds by remote sensing which, in Ecuador, is limited to the layers over the meteorological clouds, which move in a different direction than low wind; the latter produces ash fallout over regions in different directions compared to the detected ash clouds. In addition to the isomass/probability maps and detected ash clouds, forecasting is permanently required in Ecuador.
  • 845
  • 21 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Convective Boundary Layer
The Convective Boundary layer (CBL), also known as the daytime Planetary boundary layer, is the part of the atmosphere most directly affected by solar heating of the earth's surface. This layer extends from the earth surface to a capping inversion that typically locates at a height of 1–2 km by midafternoon over land. Below the capping inversion (10-60% of CBL depth, also called entrainment zone in the daytime), CBL is divided into two sub-layers: mixed layer (35-80% of CBL depth) and surface layer (5-10% of CBL depth). The mixed layer, the major part of CBL, has a nearly constant distribution of quantities such as potential temperature, wind speed, moisture and pollutant concentration because of strong buoyancy generated convective turbulent mixing. Parameterization of turbulent transport is used to simulate the vertical profiles and temporal variation of quantities of interest, because of the randomness and the unknown physics of turbulence. However, turbulence in the mixed layer is not completely random, but is often organized into identifiable structures such as thermals and plumes in the CBL. Simulation of these large eddies is quite different from simulation of smaller eddies generated by local shears in the surface layer. Non-local property of the large eddies should be accounted for in the parameterization.
  • 839
  • 24 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Climate Change and Society
Society is at an important intersection in dealing with the challenges of climate change, while the natural sciences are insufficient to deal with these challenges. Critical aspects of sociological perspectives related to climate change research are brought together in this review in the hope of fostering greater interdisciplinary collaboration between the natural and social sciences.
  • 839
  • 22 Jan 2021
Topic Review Video Peer Reviewed
Lorenz’s View on the Predictability Limit of the Atmosphere
To determine whether (or not) the intrinsic predictability limit of the atmosphere is two weeks and whether (or not) Lorenz’s approaches support this limit, this entry discusses the following topics: (A). The Lorenz 1963 model qualitatively revealed the essence of a finite predictability within a chaotic system such as the atmosphere. However, the Lorenz 1963 model did not determine a precise limit for atmospheric predictability. (B). In the 1960s, using real-world models, the two-week predictability limit was originally estimated based on a doubling time of five days. The finding was documented by Charney et al. in 1966 and has become a consensus. Throughout this entry, Major Point A and B are used as respective references for these topics. A literature review and an analysis suggested that the Lorenz 1963 model qualitatively revealed a finite predictability, and that findings of the Lorenz 1969 model with a saturation assumption supported the idea of the two-week predictability limit, which, in the 1960s, was estimated based on a doubling time of five days obtained using real-world models. However, the theoretical Lorenz 1963 and 1969 models have limitations, such as a lack of certain processes and assumptions, and, therefore, cannot represent an intrinsic predictability limit of the atmosphere. This entry suggests an optimistic view for searching for a predictability limit using different approaches and is supported by recent promising simulations that go beyond two weeks.
  • 836
  • 07 Aug 2023
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