Improved prediction of severe thunderstorms over the Indian Monsoon region using high-resolution soil moisture and temperature initialization

The hypothesis that realistic land conditions such as soil moisture/soil temperature (SM/ST) can significantly improve the modeling of mesoscale deep convection is tested over the Indian monsoon region (IMR). A high resolution (3 km foot print) SM/ST dataset prepared from a land data assimilation system, as part of a national monsoon mission project, showed close agreement with observations. Experiments are conducted with (LDAS) and without (CNTL) initialization of SM/ST dataset. Results highlight the significance of realistic land surface conditions on numerical prediction of initiation, movement and timing of severe thunderstorms as compared to that currently being initialized by climatological fields in CNTL run. Realistic land conditions improved mass flux, convective updrafts and diabatic heating in the boundary layer that contributed to low level positive potential vorticity. The LDAS run reproduced reflectivity echoes and associated rainfall bands more efficiently. Improper representation of surface conditions in CNTL run limit the evolution boundary layer processes and thereby failed to simulate convection at right time and place. These findings thus provide strong support to the role land conditions play in impacting the deep convection over the IMR. These findings also have direct implications for improving heavy rain forecasting over the IMR, by developing realistic land conditions

Crop models capture the impacts of climate variability on corn yield

We investigate the ability of three different crop models of varying complexity for capturing El Niño–Southern Oscillation-based climate variability impacts on the U.S. Corn Belt (1981–2010). Results indicate that crop models, irrespective of their complexity, are able to capture the impacts of climate variability on yield. Multiple-model ensemble analysis provides best results. There was no significant difference between using on-site and gridded meteorological data sets to drive the models. These results highlight the ability of using simpler crop models and gridded regional data sets for crop-climate assessments

The Impacts of Indirect Soil Moisture Assimilation and Direct Surface Temperature and Humidity Assimilation on a Mesoscale Model Simulation of an Indian Monsoon Depression

Bosto

The effect of a surface data assimilation technique and the traditional four-dimensional data assimilation on the simulation of a monsoon depression over India using a mesoscale model

Netherland

Assessment of Data Assimilation Approaches for the Simulation of a Monsoon Depression Over the Indian Monsoon Region

Netherland

Recent developments in tropical cyclone analysis using observations and high resolution models

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Fungal Communities and Biomass in Mountain Streams Affected by Mine Drainage

We examined fungi associated with decomposing leaves in streams to understand the effects of mine drainage on this community and to test a general model of ecological response to stress. The community composition and biomass of fungi and microbial activity associated with decomposing willow leaves were determined for 20 Colorado mountain stream sites, some of which were affected by mine drainage. The pH, concentration of dissolved zinc, and deposition rate of metal oxides were measured at each site. The community composition of fungi on willow leaves from litter bags was determined by analysis of conidia from aerated leaves and a particle-plating method. As with other communities in streams, diversity of fungal communities was sensitive to low pH and high concentrations of zinc from mine drainage, whereas bio-mass and functioning were stable under stress from pH or zinc. Diversity was low at sites with high concentrations of dissolved zinc (\u3e1mg/L) or low pH (\u3c6). Fungal biomass (concentration of ergosterol) and microbial activity, in contrast, often were high despite the chemical conditions of the streams and the limited diversity of fungi. Microbial respiration was negatively related to the physical stress of metal oxide deposition. The concentration of ergosterol was significantly related to rates of respiration on leaves at pristine sites. Leaves from sites with high concentration of dissolved zinc often had higher fungal biomass and microbial respiration on leaves and visible fungal growth, but little or no measure ergosterol. Leaves at these sites had ergosterol-like compounds that have yet to be identified