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At least 55 records · Page 3

Rapid growth of anthropogenic organic nanoparticles greatly alters cloud life cycle in the Amazon rainforest

Aerosol-cloud interactions remain uncertain in assessing climate change. While anthropogenic activities produce copious aerosol nanoparticles smaller than 10 nanometers, they are too small to act as efficient cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). The mechanisms responsible for particle growth to CCN-relevant sizes are poorly understood. Here, we present aircraft observations of rapid growth of anthropogenic nanoparticles downwind of an isolated metropolis in the Amazon rainforest. Model analysis reveals that the sustained particle growth to CCN sizes is predominantly caused by particle-phase diffusion-limited partitioning of semivolatile oxidation products of biogenic hydrocarbons. Cloud-resolving numerical simulations show that the enhanced CCN concentrations in the urban plume substantially alter the formation of shallow convective clouds, suppress precipitation, and enhance the transition to deep convective clouds. The proposed nanoparticle growth mechanism, expressly enabled by the abundantly formed semivolatile organics, suggests an appreciable impact of anthropogenic aerosols on cloud life cycle in previously unpolluted forests of the world.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

PMEL Passive Acoustics Research: Quantifying the Ocean Soundscape from Whales to Wave Energy

Passive acoustic monitoring of the global ocean has increased dramatically over the last decade, providing insights into seasonal sea ice and wind/wave variability, biodiversity, geophysical hazards, and anthropogenic noise impacts. All of these phenomena are sentinels of marine ecosystem health and ocean climate change. Recognizing the utility of underwater sound, the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) formed a passive acoustic research program with the goal of quantifying deep-ocean and coastal soundscapes in support of NOAA’s mission to conserve and manage marine ecosystems. PMEL Acoustics Program researchers have built a stable of novel ocean technologies, including autonomous stationary hydrophones, mobile platforms, and near-real-time surface buoys with satellite communication capability. These passive acoustic monitoring systems have been deployed in every major ocean basin on Earth, enabling significant advancements in understanding of natural and anthropogenic sounds. This progress includes evaluation of human-made sound levels across US waters, observations of ship noise fluctuations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and evaluation of noise levels from offshore wave-energy devices. Progress in natural sound research includes assessment of seasonal variability in the presence of endangered cetacean species due to population recovery and/or changing ocean temperatures as well as early detection of the collapse of an Antarctic ice shelf.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Global urban growth between 1870 and 2100 from integrated high resolution mapped data and urban dynamic modeling

Long term, global records of urban extent can help evaluate environmental impacts of anthropogenic activities. Remotely sensed observations can provide insights into historical urban dynamics, but only during the satellite era. Here, we develop a 1 km resolution global dataset of annual urban dynamics between 1870 and 2100 using an urban cellular automata model trained on satellite observations of urban extent between 1992 and 2013. Hindcast (1870–1990) and projected (2020–2100) urban dynamics under the five Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) were modeled. We find that global urban growth under SSP5, the fossil-fuelled development scenario, was largest with a greater than 40-fold increase in urban extent since 1870. The high resolution dataset captures grid level urban sprawl over 200 years, which can provide insights into the urbanization life cycle of cities and help assess long-term environmental impacts of urbanization and human–environment interactions at a global scale.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Impact of Changes to the Atmospheric Soluble Iron Deposition Flux on Ocean Biogeochemical Cycles in the Anthropocene

Abstract Iron can be a growth‐limiting nutrient for phytoplankton, modifying rates of net primary production, nitrogen fixation, and carbon export ‐ highlighting the importance of new iron inputs from the atmosphere. The bioavailable iron fraction depends on the emission source and the dissolution during transport. The impacts of anthropogenic combustion and land use change on emissions from industrial, domestic, shipping, desert, and wildfire sources suggest that Northern Hemisphere soluble iron deposition has likely been enhanced between 2% and 68% over the Industrial Era. If policy and climate follow the intermediate Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 trajectory, then results suggest that Southern Ocean (>30°S) soluble iron deposition would be enhanced between 63% and 95% by 2100. Marine net primary productivity and carbon export within the open ocean are most sensitive to changes in soluble iron deposition in the Southern Hemisphere; this is predominantly driven by fire rather than dust iron sources. Changes in iron deposition cause large perturbations to the marine nitrogen cycle, up to 70% increase in denitrification and 15% increase in nitrogen fixation, but only modestly impacts the carbon cycle and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations (1–3 ppm). Regionally, primary productivity increases due to increased iron deposition are often compensated by offsetting decreases downstream corresponding to equivalent changes in the rate of phytoplankton macronutrient uptake, particularly in the equatorial Pacific. These effects are weaker in the Southern Ocean, suggesting that changes in iron deposition in this region dominates the global carbon cycle and climate response.

Hamilton, Douglas S.↗

Long-Term Dynamics of Atmospheric Sulfur Dioxide in Urban and Rural Regions of China: Urbanization and Policy Impacts

High levels of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) due to human activities pose a serious air pollution issue in China, especially in urban agglomerations. However, limited research has investigated the impact of anthropogenic emissions on higher SO 2 concentrations in urban regions compared to rural areas in China. Here, we analyzed the trends in SO 2 concentrations from 1980 to 2021 in China using the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2) dataset. SO 2 column concentrations from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) during the years 2007–2021 were also examined for validation and comparison purposes. Eight representative areas, including four urban regions (Pearl River Delta [PRD], Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei [BTH], Yangtze River Delta [YRD], and Sichuan Basin [SCB]) and four rural regions (Northeast Region [NER], Mongolian Region [MR], West Region [WR], and Tibetan Plateau Region [TR]) were selected for the analysis. Overall, a significant but fluctuating increase in SO 2 concentrations over China was observed during 1980–2021. During 1980–1997 and 2000–2010, there was an increase in SO 2 concentration, while during 1997–2000 and 2010–2021, a decreasing trend was observed. The average increase in SO 2 concentration was approximately 16 times higher in urban regions than in the rural background. We also found that SO 2 dynamics were highly associated with expansion of urban areas, population density, and gross domestic product. Nonetheless, since 2007, SO 2 concentrations have exhibited a downward trend, which is mainly attributed to the air pollution policies implemented by the Chinese government. Our findings highlight the need for further studies on the impact of SO 2 on regional climate change in China.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Converting Carbon Dioxide into Carbon Nanotubes by Reacting with Ethane

In this study, the urgency to mitigate environmental impacts from anthropogenic CO 2 emissions has propelled extensive research efforts on CO 2 reduction. The current work reports a novel approach involving transforming CO 2 and ethane into carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using earth-abundant metals (Fe, Co, Ni) at 750 °C. This route facilitates long-term carbon storage via generating high-value CNTs and produces valuable syngas with adjustable H 2 /CO ratios as byproducts. Without CO 2 , direct pyrolysis of ethane undergoes rapid deactivation. The participation of CO 2 not only enhances the durability of the catalyst, but also contributes about 30 % of the CNTs production, presenting a viable solution to CO 2 challenges. The CNT morphology depends on the catalyst used. Co- and Ni-based catalysts produce CNT with a 20 nm diameter and micrometer length, whereas Fe-based catalysts yield bamboo-like structures. This work represents a pioneering effort in utilizing CO 2 and ethane for CNT production with potential environmental and economic benefits.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Movement Models to Predict Low‐Altitude Flight of Soaring Birds Using Look‐Ahead Environmental Factors

Advances in fine-scale movement modeling of soaring birds can aid efforts to understand and resolve the impacts of anthropogenic activities on such birds. Soaring birds often rely on underlying terrain and low-altitude updrafts to govern their flights at rotor-swept altitudes (≤ 200 m above ground level), which puts them at risk of collision with wind turbines. We developed a data-driven Markov model at 1-s resolution that predicts the fine-scale flight behavior of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) as a function of ecological covariates at the current location as well as those within an eagle's line of sight. We only considered ecological covariates that are readily available in real-time (ground elevation and wind conditions). Latent factors (age, sex, species, behavioral intent, migratory status) were intentionally left out of the model. We calibrated the model using golden eagle telemetry data collected in two different ecoregions of the United States. Given a starting location, the calibrated model simulates multiple stochastic 3D paths to produce a time-explicit and spatially explicit risk map of turbine collisions. We discovered an empirical relation between the rate of change of heading and the orographic updraft conditions within an eagle's line of sight. Our model performed most effectively when predicting predominantly-soaring flights at rotor-swept altitudes during wind conditions in which turbines are likely to be operational. The calibrated model could be used in concert with automated eagle detection and turbine curtailment technologies. Specifically, once an eagle is detected by those systems, our model could then provide accurate predictions of turbines the eagle is likely to interact with in the near term.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Assessment of potential impact of magnetic fields from a subsea high-voltage DC power cable on migrating green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris

Abstract Empirical evidence suggests that marine animals perceive and orient to local distortions in the earth’s natural magnetic field. Magnetic fields (MFs) generated by electrified underwater cables may produce similar local distortions in the earth’s main field. Concern exists that these distortions may impact migration movements of MF-sensitive animals. The Trans Bay Cable (TBC) is a ± 200-kV, 400-megawatt, 85-km high-voltage direct current transmission line buried through San Francisco Bay (37° 56′ 8.81″ N, 122° 27′ 0.19″ W). Detections of adult green sturgeon implanted with acoustic transmitters were used from six cross-bay receiver arrays from 2006 to 2015 to investigate how inbound and outbound migration movements through lower portions of their route to/from upstream breeding grounds are related to the TBC’s energization status (off/on) and other local environmental variables. Here, we assess how these variables impacted transit success, misdirection from the migration route, transit times, and migration path locations within stretches between the Bay’s mouth and the start of the Sacramento River. Overall, there was varied evidence for any effect on migration behavior associated with cable status (off/on). A higher percentage of inbound fish successfully transited after the cable was energized, but this effect was nonsignificant in models including temperature. Outbound fish took longer to transit after cable energization. Inbound and outbound migration path locations were not significantly influenced by cable energization, but results suggest a potential subtle relationship between energization and both inbound and outbound paths. Overall, additional migration-based studies are needed to investigate the impact of anthropogenic cables on marine species.

Wyman, Megan T. (ORCID:0000000256844603)↗

Discovery of single-atom alloy catalysts for CO 2 -to-methanol reaction by density functional theory calculations

The transformations of CO 2 molecules into valuable products are of increasing interest due to the negative impact of anthropogenic CO 2 emissions on global warming. The CO 2 -to-methanol hydrogenation is an economically profitable reaction of carbon fixation, but it still steps away from widespread industrialization because of the lack of efficient and selective catalysts. Recently, single-atom alloy (SAA) catalysts have been developed to work remarkably in CO 2 hydrogenation reactions. Doping isolated single atoms into metallic catalyst can dramatically alter the catalytic performance of the host. Here, we have performed a screening discovery on Ru and 6 RuX (X = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ir and Pt) SAAs using density functional theory (DFT) computations. We considered 13 possible elementary reactions in 4 possible reaction pathways on Ru and all RuX surfaces. In the computed mechanisms, we found that the formation of *H 2 COOH and *HCOO intermediates plays a critical role in determining catalysts’ activities. Doping Co and Pt isolated single atoms into Ru surface can thermodynamically and kinetically facilitate these intermediates formation processes, eventually promoting the production of methanol. The combination of weak binding and enhanced charge redistribution on RuCo and RuPt surfaces give them improved catalytic activities over pure Ru. This work will ultimately facilitate the discovery and development of SAAs for CO 2 to methanol, serving as guidance to experiments and theoreticians alike.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Enhancing carbon nanotube production from carbon dioxide and ethane using bimetallic catalysts

Converting CO 2 into carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offers a promising way for CO 2 utilization and sequestration, potentially mitigating environmental impacts from anthropogenic emissions. This study reports that bimetallic CoFe catalysts can increase CNT production from the reaction of CO 2 and C 2 H 6 by an order of magnitude compared to their monometallic counterparts. The active sites and CNT morphologies are composition-dependent: Co-rich catalysts (Co/Fe ratio ≥ 5) form stable face-centered cubic (fcc) CoFe alloys, producing cylindrical CNTs; Fe-containing catalysts (Co/Fe ≤ 2) favor body-centered cubic (bcc) CoFe alloy upon reduction, which transforms into carbides, resulting in bamboo-like CNTs. Experimental evidence and DFT calculations reveal that adjacent Fe and Co atoms modulate CO and C x H y adsorption, regulating CNT production pathways through the CO Boudouard reaction and C 2 H 6 decomposition. In conclusion, these results highlight the dual benefits of bimetallic catalysts in enhancing CNT yield and controlling CNT morphology through adjustment of catalyst compositions.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Multi-decadal trends in mercury and methylmercury concentrations in the brown watersnake (Nerodia taxispilota)

Mercury (Hg) is an environmental contaminant that poses a threat to aquatic systems globally. Temporal evaluations of Hg contamination have increased in recent years, with studies focusing on how anthropogenic activities impact Hg bioavailability in a variety of aquatic systems. While it is common for these studies and ecological risk assessments to evaluate Hg bioaccumulation and effects in wildlife, there is a paucity of information regarding Hg dynamics in reptiles. The goal of this study was to investigate temporal patterns in total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations across a 36-year period, as well as evaluate relationships among and between destructive (kidney, liver, muscle) and non-destructive (blood, tail) tissue types in a common watersnake species. To accomplish this, we measured THg and MeHg concentrations in multiple tissues from brown watersnakes (Nerodia taxispilota) collected from Steel Creek on the Savannah River Site (SRS; Aiken, SC, USA) from two time periods (1983–1986 and 2019). We discovered significant and positive relationships between tail tips and destructive tissues. In both time periods, THg concentrations varied significantly by tissue type, and destructive tissues exhibited higher but predictable THg values relative to tail tissue. Methylmercury concentrations did not differ among tissues from the 1980s but was significantly higher in muscle compared to other tissues from snakes collected in 2019. Percent MeHg of THg in N. taxispilota tissues mirrored patterns reported in other reptiles, although the range of % MeHg in liver and kidney differed between time periods. Both THg and MeHg concentrations in N. taxispilota declined significantly from the 1980s to 2019, with average values 1.6 to 4-fold lower in contemporary samples. Overall, our data add further evidence to the utility of watersnakes to monitor Hg pollution in aquatic environments and suggest attenuation of this contaminant in watersnakes in our study system.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Enhanced mid-latitude warming due to poleward shift of sea salt aerosols in a warmer future

Natural aerosols provide large uncertainties regarding the quantification of the climate effects of aerosols, especially those related to aerosol-cloud interactions. Advancing research on the interaction of natural aerosols and climate can provide a better assessment of the climate impacts of anthropogenic activities. Furthermore, as one of the most dominant natural aerosols, sea salt has the highest proportion of mass in natural aerosols. Sea salt can be regarded as a purely scattering aerosol, causing a negative radiative effect by scattering shortwave solar radiation and acting as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) through aerosol-cloud interactions. Future climate change will influence sea salt distribution, thus modifying the radiative effects of sea salt, which will further affect the climate. However, few previous studies have explored the interactions between sea salt changes under warming scenarios and climate change.

Yang, Yang [Nanjing Univ. of Information Science a↗

Different Strategies of Stratospheric Aerosol Injection Would Significantly Affect Climate Extreme Mitigation

Abstract Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) has been proposed as a potential supplement to mitigate some climate impacts of anthropogenic warming. Using Community Earth System Model ensemble simulation results, we analyze the response of temperature and precipitation extremes to two different SAI strategies: one injects SO 2 at the equator to stabilize global mean temperature and the other injects SO 2 at multiple locations to stabilize global mean temperature as well as the interhemispheric and equator‐to‐pole temperature gradients. Our analysis shows that in the late 21st century, compared with the present‐day climate, both equatorial and multi‐location injection lead to reduced hot extremes in the tropics, corresponding to overcooling of the mean climate state. In mid‐to‐high latitude regions, in comparison to the present‐day climate, substantial decreases in cold extremes are observed under both equatorial and multi‐location injection, corresponding to residual winter warming of the mean climate state. Both equatorial and multi‐location injection reduce precipitation extremes in the tropics below the present‐day level, associated with the decrease in mean precipitation. Overall, for most regions, temperature and precipitation extremes show reduced change in response to multi‐location injection than to equatorial injection, corresponding to reduced mean climate change for multi‐location injection. In comparison with equatorial injection, in response to multi‐location injection, most land regions experience fewer years with significant change in cold extremes from the present‐day level, and most tropical regions experience fewer years with significant change in hot extremes. The design of SAI strategies to mitigate anthropogenic climate extremes merits further study.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Increased Asian Sulfate Aerosol Emissions Remarkably Enhance Sahel Summer Precipitation

Observational evidence shows that Sahel summer precipitation has experienced a considerable increase since the 1980s, coinciding with significant diverging trends of increased sulfate emissions in Asia and decreased emissions in Europe (dipole pattern of aerosols between Asia and Europe). The decrease in European sulfate aerosols has substantial effects on the Sahel summer precipitation increase, but the corresponding effect of increased Asian sulfate is unknown. Multi-model simulations in the Precipitation Driver and Response Model Intercomparison Project (PDRMIP) show, compared to decreased European aerosols, that increased Asian aerosols similarly enhance the Sahel summer precipitation but with different large-scale atmospheric circulation changes. Further analysis of the Sixth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) simulations under historical attribution and various emission scenarios reinforces the results about the climate impacts of anthropogenic aerosols and suggests that in future scenarios with strong international cooperation and rapid climate mitigations (SSP2-45), the Sahel drought will be intensified likely due to the decline in Asian aerosol emissions. Our results suggest that Asian anthropogenic aerosols are likely a non-negligible driver of the recent recovery in Sahel precipitation amounts

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Soft x-ray spectroscopy of ammonium sulfate aerosols at varied pH conditions

Aqueous aerosols are useful model systems for understanding the physical chemistry that takes place in the Earth’s atmosphere, as well as the chemistry of other solar system objects. Ammonium sulfate aerosols are impacted by anthropogenic sources such as farming and shipping and are understood to be important seeds of cloud nucleation in the atmosphere, affecting climate. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and near edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy were used in tandem to probe the surface and bulk properties of aqueous (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , respectively. Aerosolized solutions of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , some altered with NaOH to modify pH, were introduced via an aerodynamic lens to a velocity map imaging instrument for detection. The results show that as pH and sodium cation concentration increase, sulfate anion and ammonia become more prevalent at the surface, and the aerosol surface appears to become drier. However, most of the aerosol remains aqueous, with ion concentrations insensitive to the addition of NaOH. Density functional theory calculations were also performed to probe the coordination environment at the aerosol surfaces to understand the underlying phenomena. Finally, the changes seen on the surface of the aerosol underscore the importance of pH in regulating the structure and chemical properties of atmospherically relevant aerosols.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Increased frequency of planetary wave resonance events over the past half-century

We demonstrate a tripling in the frequency of planetary wave resonance events over the past halfcentury, coinciding with the rise in persistent boreal summer weather extremes. This increase aligns with changes in the underlying climate conditions favoring these events, including amplified Arctic warming and land-sea thermal contrast. We also observe increased prevalence of resonant amplification events following the mature phase of strong El Niño events, suggesting that such events may precondition the mean state conditions in ways that favor large-scale quasi-stationary wave patterns and quasi-resonant wave amplification. Since the impact of anthropogenic warming on quasi-resonant amplification is not well captured by current-generation climate models, it is likely that models are underpredicting the potential increase, indicating even greater risk of persistent extreme summer weather events with ongoing warming.

Arctic amplification↗

Mixing and dilution controls on marine CO 2 removal using alkalinity enhancement

Marine CO 2 removal (CDR) using enhanced-alkalinity seawater discharge was simulated in the estuarine waters of the Salish Sea, Washington, US. The high-alkalinity seawater would be generated using bipolar membrane electrodialysis technology to remove acid and the alkaline stream returned to the sea. Response of the receiving waters was evaluated using a shoreline resolving hydrodynamic model with biogeochemistry, and carbonate chemistry. Two sites, and two deployment scales, each with enhanced TA of 2997 mmol m -3 and a pH of 9 were simulated. The effects on air-sea CO 2 flux and pH in the near-field as well as over the larger estuary wide domain were assessed. The large-scale deployment (addition of 164 Mmoles TA yr -1 ) in a small embayment (Sequim Bay, 12.5 km 2 ) resulted in removal of 2066 T of CO 2 (45% of total simulated) at rate of 3756 mmol m -2 yr -1 , higher than the 63 mmol m -2 yr -1 required globally to remove 1.0 GT CO 2 yr -1 . It also reduced acidity in the bay, ΔpH ≈ +0.1 pH units, an amount comparable to the historic impacts of anthropogenic acidification in the Salish Sea. The mixing and dilution of added TA with distance from the source results in reduced CDR rates such that comparable amount 2176 T CO 2 yr -1 was removed over >1000 fold larger area of the rest of the model domain. There is the potential for more removal occurring beyond the region modeled. The CDR from reduction of outgassing between October and May accounts for as much as 90% of total CDR simulated. Of the total, only 375 T CO 2 yr -1 (8%) was from the open shelf portion of the model domain. With shallow depths limiting vertical mixing, nearshore estuarine waters may provide a more rapid removal of CO 2 using alkalinity enhancement relative to deeper oceanic sites.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Time series methods for the analysis of soundscapes and other cyclical ecological data

Biodiversity monitoring has entered an era of ‘big data’, exemplified by a near-continuous collection of sounds, images, chemical and other signals from organisms in diverse ecosystems. Such data streams have the potential to help identify new threats, assess the effectiveness of conservation interventions, as well as generate new ecological insights. However, appropriate analytical methods are often still missing, particularly with respect to characterizing cyclical temporal patterns. Here, we present a framework for characterizing and analysing ecological responses that represent nonstationary, complex temporal patterns and demonstrate the value of using Fourier transforms to decorrelate continuous data points. In our example, we use a framework based on three approaches (spectral analysis, magnitude squared coherence, and principal component analysis) to characterize differences in tropical forest soundscapes within and across sites and seasons in Gabon. By reconstructing the underlying, cyclic behaviour of the soundscape for each site, we show how one can identify circadian patterns in acoustic activity. Soundscapes in the dry season had a complex diel cycle, requiring multiple harmonics to represent daily variation, while in the wet season there was less variance attributable to the daily cyclic patterns. Our framework can be applied to most continuous, or near-continuous ecological data collected at a fine temporal resolution, allowing ecologists to explore patterns of temporal autocorrelation at multiple levels for biologically meaningful trends. Such methods will become indispensable as biological big data are used to understand the impact of anthropogenic pressures on biodiversity and to inform efforts to mitigate them.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗