Monitoring changes in precipitation and radiative energy using satellite data and climate models

Current changes in the tropical hydrological cycle, including water vapour and precipitation, are presented over the period 1979-2008 based on a diverse suite of observational datasets and atmosphere-only climate models. Models capture the observed variability in tropical moisture while reanalyses cannot. Observed variability in precipitation is highly dependent upon the satellite instruments employed and only cursory agreement with model simulations, primarily relating to the interannual variability associated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation. All datasets display a positive relationship between precipitation and surface temperature but with a large spread. The tendency for wet, ascending regions to become wetter at the expense of dry, descending regimes is in general reproduced. Finally, the frequency of extreme precipitation is shown to rise with warming in the observations and for the model ensemble mean but with large spread in the model simulations. The influence of the Earth’s radiative energy balance in relation to changes in the tropical water cycle are discusse

Observations of changes in marine boundary layer clouds

Recent research outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights the response of marine boundary layer (MBL) clouds to warming associated with increasing greenhouse gases as a major contributor to uncertainties in model projections of climate change. Understanding how MBL clouds respond to increasing temperatures is hampered by the relative scarcity of marine surface observations and the difficulty of retrieving accurate parameters remotely from satellites. In this study we combine data from surface observations with that from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP), CloudSat and CALIPSO, with a view to investigating the spatial distribution and variations in MBL cloud fraction and cloud liquid water path (LWP). These results are then compared with the treatment of MBL clouds in the UK Met Office HadGEM models. Future work will assess how variations in LWP impact the top of atmosphere radiative energy balance using data from the Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB), in order to quantify the response of MBL clouds on interannual timescales to a changing climat

How well do high resolution models reproduce tropical convection?

Cascade is a multi-institution project studying the temporal and spatial organization of tropical convective systems. While cloud resolving numerical models can reproduce the observed diurnal cycle of such systems they are sensitive to the chosen resolution. As part of this effort, we are comparing results from the Met. Office Unified Model to data from the Global Earth Radiation Budget satellite instrument over the African Monsoon Interdisciplinary Analyses region of North Africa. We use a variety of mathematical techniques to study the outgoing radiation and the evolution of properties such as the cloud size distribution. The effectiveness of various model resolutions is tested with a view to determining the optimum balance between resolution and the need to reproduce the observations

Invasive Propionibacterium acnes infections in a non-selective patient cohort: clinical manifestations, management and outcome

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Purpose An increasing number of reports suggest that Propionibacterium acnes can cause serious invasive infections. Currently only limited data exist regarding the spectrum of invasive P. acnes infections. Methods Non-selective cohort study at a tertiary hospital in the UK over a nine-year-period (2003-2012) investigating clinical manifestations, risk factors, management and outcome of invasive P. acnes infections. Results Forty-nine cases were identified; the majority were neurosurgical infections and orthopaedic infections (n=28 and n=15, respectively). Only two cases had no predisposing factors; all neurosurgical and 93.3% of orthopaedic cases had a history of previous surgery and/or trauma. Foreign material was in situ at the infection site in 59.3% and 80.0% of neurosurgical and orthopaedic cases, respectively. All neurosurgical and orthopaedic cases required one or more surgical interventions to treat P. acnes infection, with or without concomitant antibiotic therapy; the duration of antibiotic therapy was significantly longer in the group of orthopaedic cases (median 53 versus 19 days; p=0.0025). All tested P. acnes isolates were susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin and chloramphenicol; only one was clindamycin-resistant. Conclusions Neurosurgical and orthopaedic infections account for the majority of invasive P. acnes infections. The majority of cases have predisposing factors, including previous surgery and/or trauma; spontaneous infections are rare. Foreign material is commonly present at the site of infection, indicating that the pathogenesis of invasive P. acnes infections likely involves biofilm formation. Since invasive P. acnes infections are associated with considerable morbidity, further studies are needed to establish effective prevention and optimal treatment strategies

The complex and spatially diverse patterns of hydrological droughts across Europe

This study presents a new data set of gauged streamflow (N = 3,224) for Europe spanning the period 1962–2017. The Monthly Streamflow of Europe Dataset (MSED) is freely available at http://msed.csic.es/. Based on this data set, changes in the characteristics of hydrological drought (i.e., frequency, duration, and severity) were assessed for different regions of Europe. Due to the density of the database, it is possible to delimit spatial patterns in hydrological droughts trend with the greatest detail available to date. Results reveal bidirectional changes in monthly streamflow, with negative changes predominating over central and southern Europe, while positive trends dominate over northern Europe. Temporally, two dominant patterns were noted. The first pattern corresponds to a consistent downward trend in all months, evident for southern Europe. A second pattern was noted over central and northern Europe and western France, with a predominant negative trend during warm months and a positive trend in cold months. For hydrological drought events, results suggest a positive trend toward more frequent and severe droughts in southern and central Europe and conversely a negative trend over northern Europe. This study emphasizes that hydrological droughts show complex spatial patterns across Europe over the past six decades, implying that hydrological drought behavior in Europe has a regional character. Accordingly it is challenging to adopt “efficient” strategies and policies to monitor and mitigate drought impacts at the continental level

The role of anthropogenic habitats in freshwater mussel conservation

Anthropogenic freshwater habitats may provide undervalued prospects for long-term conservation as part of species conservation planning. This fundamental, but overlooked, issue requires attention considering the pace that humans have been altering natural freshwater ecosystems and the accelerated levels of biodiversity decline in recent decades. We compiled 709 records of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia, Unionida) inhabiting a broad variety of anthropogenic habitat types (from small ponds to large reservoirs and canals) and reviewed their importance as refuges for this faunal group. Most records came from Europe and North America, with a clear dominance of canals and reservoirs. The dataset covered 228 species, including 34 threatened species on the IUCN Red List. We discuss the conservation importance and provide guidance on how these anthropogenic habitats could be managed to provide optimal conservation value to freshwater mussels. This review also shows that some of these habitats may function as ecological traps owing to conflicting management practices or because they act as a sink for some populations. Therefore, anthropogenic habitats should not be seen as a panacea to resolve conservation problems. More information is necessary to better understand the trade-offs between human use and the conservation of freshwater mussels (and other biota) within anthropogenic habitats, given the low number of quantitative studies and the strong biogeographic knowledge bias that persists.This publication is based upon work from COST Action CA18239, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). A.M.L. was financed by the Institute of Environmental Sciences Jagiellonian University (N18/DBS/000003) and K.N. by the Aragón Government. The authors acknowledge Jarosław Andrzejewski, Bartosz Czader, Anna Fica, Marcin Horbacz, Tomasz Jonderko, Steinar Kålås, Tomasz Kapela, Bjørn Mejdell Larsen, Maciej Pabijan, Katarzyna Pawlik, Ilona Popławska, Joanna Przybylska, Tomasz Przybył, Mateusz Rybak, Kjell Sandaas, Jarosław Słowikowski, Tomasz Szczasny, Michał Zawadzki and Paweł Zowada for providing detailed information on specific examples concerning freshwater mussels in anthropogenic habitats. We thank the editor and two anonymous referees for the valuable suggestions made, which increased the clarity of our manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Rapid and highly variable warming of lake surface waters around the globe

In this first worldwide synthesis of in situ and satellite-derived lake data, we find that lake summer surface water temperatures rose rapidly (global mean = 0.34°C decade−1) between 1985 and 2009. Our analyses show that surface water warming rates are dependent on combinations of climate and local characteristics, rather than just lake location, leading to the counterintuitive result that regional consistency in lake warming is the exception, rather than the rule. The most rapidly warming lakes are widely geographically distributed, and their warming is associated with interactions among different climatic factors—from seasonally ice-covered lakes in areas where temperature and solar radiation are increasing while cloud cover is diminishing (0.72°C decade−1) to ice-free lakes experiencing increases in air temperature and solar radiation (0.53°C decade−1). The pervasive and rapid warming observed here signals the urgent need to incorporate climate impacts into vulnerability assessments and adaptation efforts for lakes.Peer reviewe

A global database of lake surface temperatures collected by in situ and satellite methods from 1985–2009

Peer reviewe