2023, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Andrea Di Capua a,b,*, Samuele Miano b, Davide Campagnolo b, Sergio Bonomo c, Antonio Caruso d, Gabriele Carugati b, Alessandro Cavallo e, Franz A. Livio b, Giovanni Vezzoli e
This work explores the significance of sedimentary proxies recorded within the Paleogene fine-grained detritus of the Adriatic foredeep (Northern Italy). Such sequences represent the only sedimentary record describing the source-to-sink system delivering detritus from the growing Alpine belt to the basin during the Eocene - Oligocene boundary. The combination of x-ray powder diffractometric, petrographic, SEM-EDS and biostratigraphic analyses on more than twenty samples from the Ternate-Travedona Formation, the Chiasso Formation, and the Villa Olmo Conglomerate allowed to identify the source areas of detritus and potential fluvial paleo-drainages, possibly ascribable to two different sectors of the Southalpine domain. Comparison between these results and the petrographic composition of the Cretaceous wedge in the same area opens to the possibility that Cenozoic drainages were inherited from more limited paleo-drainages developed during the end of the Mesozoic. Results of provenance analysis also gives new insights on how detrital compositions may vary in function of grain-size in tropical-subtropical environments.
2022, Contributo in volume, ENG
Spizzichino D.; Masini N.; Lasaponara R.; Margottini C.
In this paper, we focus on the environmental and physiographic settings of Machu Picchu which is undoubtedly the result of advanced environmental engineering techniques. The Machu Picchu park is very rich in habitats and species diversity and preserves remarkable endemic and relict flora and fauna and for these reasons unanimously considered of global significance for biodiversity conservation.
2022, Presentazione, ENG
Piero Manna
Landsupport DSS includes several tools applied from local to regional scale thought for specific aspects in agriculture. More in detail, the DSS has the ambition to provide support to winegrowers and wine sector as well as the olive growers through tools designed to support vineyards and olive groves planning and management. The parent tool "d" named "Support Institutions in rural development plan and designation of origin" is the place where the users interested to the viticulture and olive growing can find several instruments delivering data and information in different forms, such as thematic maps, graphs, tables and technical reports. Ranging from the compilation of documents containing environmental data regarding your vineyard or olive grove, to the production of maps about bioclimatic indexes, potential risk of plant disease or viticultural zoning these instruments are able to support your choices. Several data are generated by Landsupport on the fly thanks to modelling procedures, and all the data are delivered within the area of interest drawn by the user. For example, a tool named "Agricultural and agroclimatic services" works processing on the fly weather datacubes (multi temporal raster data) from ERA5 Land and Cosmoleps services as well as local weather data, to generate in the area of interest graphs and tables reporting weather information (temperatures, rainfall and solar radiation) including past, current and forecast (five days) data. A tool named "Enotourism - cultural and environmental tool" has been recently completed and launched. It is designed to support cultural and environmental wine tourism by providing on the fly cultural or naturalistic data (i.e. historic residences, archaeological sites, monuments, museums, monumental trees, particular viewpoints, etc.) in the surroundings defined by the user of a point or place in the territory he is interested to.
2022, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Corella, Juan Pablo; Maffezzoli, Niccolo; Spolaor, Andrea; Vallelonga, Paul; Cuevas, Carlos A.; Scoto, Federico; Müller, Juliane; Vinther, Bo; Kjær, Helle A.; Cozzi, Giulio; Edwards, Ross; Barbante, Carlo; Saiz-Lopez, Alfonso
Iodine has a significant impact on promoting the formation of new ultrafine aerosol particles and accelerating tropospheric ozone loss, thereby affecting radiative forcing and climate. Therefore, understanding the long-term natural evolution of iodine, and its coupling with climate variability, is key to adequately assess its effect on climate on centennial to millennial timescales. Here, using two Greenland ice cores (NEEM and RECAP), we report the Arctic iodine variability during the last 127,000 years. We find the highest and lowest iodine levels recorded during interglacial and glacial periods, respectively, modulated by ocean bioproductivity and sea ice dynamics. Our sub-decadal resolution measurements reveal that high frequency iodine emission variability occurred in pace with Dansgaard/Oeschger events, highlighting the rapid Arctic ocean-ice-atmosphere iodine exchange response to abrupt climate changes. Finally, we discuss if iodine levels during past warmer-than-present climate phases can serve as analogues of future scenarios under an expected ice-free Arctic Ocean. We argue that the combination of natural biogenic ocean iodine release (boosted by ongoing Arctic warming and sea ice retreat) and anthropogenic ozone-induced iodine emissions may lead to a near future scenario with the highest iodine levels of the last 127,000 years.
2021, Contributo in volume, ITA
Lucilla Capotondi1, Mariangela Ravaioli1, Maurizio Ribera d'Alcalà 2, Leone Tarozzi1, Maria Grazia Mazzocchi2
The LTER-Italy network encompasses 79 sites distributed in terrestrial, freshwater and marine domains and reflects the great variety and biodiversity of environments present in Italy and in two extraterritorial areas under Italian responsibility. The research activities carried out at these sites allow following and understanding the short and long term ecosystem dynamics. This chapter provides a synthetic overview of the results achieved by researches focused on the environmental changes detected in the different types of ecosystems. Studies of the terrestrial sites have shown changes, even on relatively short scales, due to the increase in temperature and the variation in the rainfall regime, and the decrease in snow cover. It has been observed an increase in: i) vegetation cover at medium and high altitudes, ii) distribution of thermophilic species, and iii) microbial biomass in the soil. In addition, variations have been recorded in the composition of insect communities and aquatic fauna. On the other hand, variations observed in the fragile environments of coastal dunes seem to be caused more by anthropogenic activities than by climate change. In the freshwater ecosystems, the most evident effect in large and medium-sized lakes is related to temperature increase, which has affected the winter mixing, especially in large lakes, and the production and seasonal cycle of plankton. In contrast, the decreased impact of reduced acid and non-acid atmospheric depositions and the appearance of alien species, especially in the benthic systems, are connected to the anthropic activities. In marine and transitional ecosystems, plankton seem to respond to the climatic variation with changes in phenology and variations in production, which is, however, also linked to anthropogenic impact such as external nutrient supply. Benthic systems show a more marked response, likely due to a tight interplay of climatic variation and anthropogenic pressure, such as the introduction and establishment of alien species mainly linked to commercial use. Terrestrial and aquatic systems, especially the marine ones, respond differently to climate change and anthropogenic activity even if both systems show responses to the temperature increasing. However, it is still difficult to completely disentangle anthropogenic from natural factors that tightly interplay and affect ecosystem components and dynamics.
2021, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Almagro, André; Oliveira, Paulo Tarso Sanches; Brocca, Luca
Satellite rainfall products are one of the most valuable tools for water resources monitoring in data-scarce regions, due to their low latency and quasi-global range. However, there are still uncertainties associated with rainfall products performance used to estimate hydrologic signatures in several regions, such as Brazil. Here, we investigate the performance of three rainfall products in estimating daily precipitation, daily river discharge, and hydrologic signatures over Brazil: the SM2RAIN-ASCAT and the GPM+SM2RAIN satellite products, and the ERA5 reanalysis product. We used a subset of 520 catchments from the Catchments Attributes for Brazil (CABra) dataset and the hydrologic modeling was carried out using the MISDc hydrologic model. Satellite-based products performed better than ERA5 for most Brazilian biomes in estimating daily precipitation when compared with ground observations used as reference. Daily river discharge was also better modeled with SM2RAIN-ASCAT and GPM+SM2RAIN. Hydrologic modeling presented low values of bias and >80% of catchments with KGE > 0.5 in calibration. Lastly, hydrologic signatures were well estimated by SM2RAIN-ASCAT and GPM+SM2RAIN, and for some biomes (Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Caatinga) they are better predictors than ground-based observations. We showed that there is a significant added value when using SM2RAIN-ASCAT and GPM+SM2RAIN products in tropical catchments, allowing a high-quality continuous water resources monitoring even in data-scarce regions. Besides, our findings pave the way for a better understanding of hydrologic extremes (droughts and floods) using these satellite rainfall products on multiple spatial and temporal scales.
2021, Contributo in volume, FRE
Gaptia Lawan Katiellou, Vieri Tarchiani, Maurizio Tiepolo
Cet ouvrage visait à montrer, à travers le cas de la région Dosso (Niger), comment il est possible d'améliorer la gestion locale du risque hydroclimatique en milieu rural au moyen d'analyses et d'évaluations des risques et de mesures d'adaptation appropriées. Les onze chapitres présentent la sécheresse agricole, les précipitations intenses et les inondations fluviales qui menacent les établissements humains et les moyens de subsistance de la population rurale de cette région, en réduisant la sécurité alimentaire et entravant le développement durable. Les températures, les pluies intenses, les séquences sèches devraient augmenter dans les années à venir et leurs impacts sur les communautés rurales sont destinés à se répéter et à s'aggraver s'ils ne sont pas traités par des mesures adéquates. Ces menaces se traduisent par des impacts sur les communautés locales. Dans la région de Dosso, ce ne sont pas les villes qui sont les plus touchées par les inondations mais les villages administratifs et les hameaux, où 70 % des dégâts aux habitations s'accumulent. Au cours des vingt dernières années, ces localités semblent subir une transformation rapide. Tout d'abord, elles se développent plus rapidement (5,4 % en moyenne annuelle) que les villes (3,0 %). Ensuite les bâtiments utilisent de plus en plus des toitures en tôle : + 14 % en moyenne annuelle dans les villages administratifs et + 15 % en moyenne annuelle dans les hameaux. Cependant, cette consolidation positive du cadre bâti n'est pas suffisante pour protéger les maisons des inondations pluviales.
2021, Contributo in volume, FRE
Edoardo Fiorillo, Issa Hassimou, Vieri Tarchiani
climatiques, leurs conséquences et leurs impacts sont souvent rares et spatialement non homogènes, et il en va de même pour les données sur les inondations. Dans le passé, les chercheurs ont analysé les séries chronologiques des inondations en utilisant principalement des informations tirées des media et des bases de données mondiales sur les catastrophes. Tarhule et al. (2005) ont utilisé des informations tirées de comptes rendus de journaux entre 1970 et 2000 pour analyser la fréquence des inondations et leurs impacts au Sahel. Aich et al. (2015) ont analysé les séries chronologiques des inondations à travers le bassin du fleuve Niger dérivées de trois sources différentes : le NatCatService de la société de réassurance de Munich, la base de données (EM-DAT) de l'Université de Louvain et la base de données du Dartmouth Flood Observatory. Toutes les données sont basées sur des revues de presse des organisations respectives et la collecte de données provenant de sources officielles. Comme l'ont déclaré les auteurs eux-mêmes, les chiffres rapportés dans ces enquêtes diffèrent souvent considérablement d'une source à l'autre. Depuis 1998, le Dispositif national de prévention et de gestion des catastrophes et crises alimentaires (DNPGCA) a collecté au Niger des données sur les inondations enregistrant les localités et les populations affectées, les dates des inondations et les dommages. Initialement, ces données ont été collectées dans la plupart des cas au niveau départemental ou régional, sous forme papier et sans unités de mesure homogènes ; depuis les premières années de la dernière décennie, le système a été affiné et les informations sur les inondations sont désormais collectées au niveau des localités de manière standardisée. Depuis 2014, la cellule de coordination du système d'alerte précoce (CC/SAP) a mis en place, avec le support du projet ANADIA (Adaptation au changement climatique et réduction des risques de catastrophe en agriculture pour la sécurité alimentaire au Niger), une base de données relationnelle, dénommée BDINA (Base de données sur les inondations au Niger ANADIA) afin de stocker les données numériques et permettre l'évaluation des impacts des inondations. La base de données est en accès libre sur le web (www.inondations-niger.org). Exploitant les informations publiées par la BDINA, l'objectif de cette étude est de fournir à la communauté scientifique et aux décideurs politiques une source de données référencée et fiable concernant les inondations dans la région de Dosso, évaluant les tendances spatiales et temporelles entre 1998 et 2019 au niveau régional et sous-régional.
2021, Curatela di monografia/trattato scientifico, FRE
Maurizio Tiepolo, Gaptia Lawan Katiellou, Vieri Tarchiani
En Afrique tropicale la réduction du risque hydro-climatique peine à devenir une politique publique. La Région de Dosso au Niger (31 000 km2, deux millions d'habitants) a été inondée et frappée par la sécheresse à plusieurs reprises durant les dernières années. Alors, pour mieux comprendre et maîtriser ces aléas les changements climatiques d'ici au 2030 sont caractérisées à l'échelle locale. La base de données sur les inondations est transférée dans une archive ouverte. La dynamique spatiale des localités rurales est observée durant les 20 dernières années, L'analyse-évaluation du risque d'inondation et de sécheresse est développée à l'échelle régionale, communale et de localité rurale. Des services climatologiques sont offerts aux petits producteurs ruraux. Les méthodes proposées utilisent des informations en libre accès et sont donc aisément reproductibles dans d'autres régions du Pays et d'Afrique francophone. Ce livre présente des outils pour connaître et gérer le risque hydro-climatique à l'échelle locale (Sous Presse).
2021, Contributo in volume, ENG
Pasini A.
In the framework of global climate, Africa and in particular its sub-Saharian region, also known as Sahel, showa high vulnerability to climatic changes, and their consequences in terms of impacts are very strong. Here I will describe the present climate and its changes in the recent decades, initially at global scale and then in more details for Africa and Sahel. The problem of attribution will also be dealt with, in order to understand which factors are the main causes of the recent global warming. Once discovered that the human influences are the fundamental drivers for the climatic changes of the last decades, the common and differentiated responsabilities are examined. The final result shows that the sub-Saharian region is influenced by a climate change induced by human activities in developed countries, thus triggering an exacerbation of global inequality.
2020, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Petrizzo, Maria Rose; Huber, Brian T.; Falzoni, Francesca; MacLeod, Kenneth G.
The biogeographic distribution of planktonic foraminifera from southern mid-to high latitudes region are discussed to identify links between species distribution patterns and the changes in Late Cretaceous climate. We present relative abundance data for planktonic foraminifera spanning from the hot greenhouse climate of the Turonian to the cooler green-house of the Maastrichtian based on study of Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) holes 690C (Maud Rise), 7006 (Northeast Georgia Rise), 1138A (Kerguelen Plateau) and 762C (Exmouth Plateau). These drill sites were located between 47 degrees and 65 S paleolatitude in the southern South Atlantic and southern Indian Ocean where there is a good record of changes in vertical gradients and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and shifts are well expressed due to amplification of global climatic variations in the circum-Antarctic region. The stratigraphic distribution of planktonic foraminiferal marker species that consistently occur at all sites enables construction of a new biozonation scheme that is applicable to the southern mid -to high latitude region. Quantitative data from planktonic foraminifera are used to examine variation in assemblage composition, permitting interpretation of changes in the patterns of surface water stratification. In addition, temporal biogeographic patterns are documented from the stratigraphic record of endemic species of the Southern Ocean and of species displaying poleward or equatorward migration.
2020, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Canale, Caterina; Barbaro, Giuseppe; Petrucci, Olga; Besio, Giovanni; Foti, Giandomenico; Barillà , Giuseppina Chiara; Puntorieri, Pierfabrizio
The considerable anthropogenic pressure that has occurred since the second half of the last century has increased the vulnerability of coastal areas to the effects of natural events such as floods and sea storms, especially if these events occur simultaneously. This paper analyses the conditions that favour the concurrence of floods and sea storms through a case study near Crotone, a city in southern Italy on the Ionian Sea. The study area has a coastal extension of about 34 km, is characterized by typical rivers called "fiumare" and has been hit by several events of concurrent floods and sea storms. The conditions that favour the concurrence of floods and sea storms are mainly related to geomorphologic and climatic factors. Among these latter factors, atmospheric pressure is very important. Indeed the formation of low-pressure areas is the cause of atmospheric disturbances which can affect both the sea and the coast causing heavy rains and intense sea storms. The analysis was divided into two phases. In the first, the concurrence between floods and sea storms was verified. In the second phase, the possible correlations between the main factors involved were identified: the rainfall heights, the maximum significant wave heights and the atmospheric pressure variations observed during each atmospheric disturbance. The analysis showed that the rainfall heights and the maximum significant wave heights, that are both generally independent factors, are related to a common factor, the atmospheric pressure. This result is useful in predicting concurrent events. Indeed, by predicting atmospheric pressure variations, it is possible to estimate the expected rainfall height and the expected maximum significant wave height. The methodology described in this paper can be extended to other areas with geomorphologic and climatic characteristics that are similar to those of Crotone.
2020, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Lembo, Valerio; Lucarini, Valerio; Ragone, Francesco
Global Climate Models are key tools for predicting the future response of the climate system to a variety of natural and anthropogenic forcings. Here we show how to use statistical mechanics to construct operators able to flexibly predict climate change. We perform our study using a fully coupled model MPI-ESM v.1.2 - and for the first time we prove the effectiveness of response theory in predicting future climate response to CO2 increase on a vast range of temporal scales, from inter-annual to centennial, and for very diverse climatic variables. We investigate within a unified perspective the transient climate response and the equilibrium climate sensitivity, and assess the role of fast and slow processes. The prediction of the ocean heat uptake highlights the very slow relaxation to a newly established steady state. The change in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is accurately predicted. The AMOC strength is initially reduced and then undergoes a slow and partial recovery. The ACC strength initially increases due to changes in the wind stress, then undergoes a slowdown, followed by a recovery leading to a overshoot with respect to the initial value. Finally, we are able to predict accurately the temperature change in the North Atlantic.
2020, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Marchi, Maurizio; Castellanos-Acuña, Dante; Hamann, Andreas; Wang, Tongli; Ray, Duncan; Menzel, Annette
Interpolated climate data have become essential for regional or local climate change impact assessments and the development of climate change adaptation strategies. Here, we contribute an accessible, comprehensive database of interpolated climate data for Europe that includes monthly, annual, decadal, and 30-year normal climate data for the last 119 years (1901 to 2019) as well as multi-model CMIP5 climate change projections for the 21 century. The database also includes variables relevant for ecological research and infrastructure planning, comprising more than 20,000 climate grids that can be queried with a provided ClimateEU software package. In addition, 1 km and 2.5 km resolution gridded data generated by the software are available for download. The quality of ClimateEU estimates was evaluated against weather station data for a representative subset of climate variables. Dynamic environmental lapse rate algorithms employed by the software to generate scale-free climate variables for specific locations lead to improvements of 10 to 50% in accuracy compared to gridded data. We conclude with a discussion of applications and limitations of this database.
2020, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Bergante, Sara; Facciotto, Gianni; Marchi, Maurizio
The influence of environmental drivers and management strategies on crops growth is a focal point to deal with the potential impact of the climate changes on forest yields. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of irrigation and fertilization on growth dynamics of 'Imola' clone, an elite poplar crossed from Populus deltoides Bartr. and Populus nigra L. for short rotation coppice purposes. Using a split-plot design with three replications, two treatments were applied (irrigation and fertilization) with two levels each one: 'no' and 'yes'; 4 theses were considered: irrigation-only (IRR), fertilization-only (FRT) the irrigation with fertilization (IRF) and control (CRT). At the end of the first 5-year cycle the average yield, in dry matter, was 36.8 Mg ha for non-irrigated plots and 80.8 Mg ha for irrigated plots. While no statistical evidence was detectable for fertilization treatment, a Linear Mixed Model analysis applied to data highlighted the Summer (June-August) as key season for the irrigation of trees. Conversely, interaction between irrigation and fertilization negatively affected growth in the same period. Overall, this trial demonstrated a low impact of fertilization on growth dynamics. Water availability was confirmed as the most important factor for poplar growth, in such site, focusing on the importance of studying alternative, less impacting methods to irrigate such crops.
2020, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Jackson, L. C.; Roberts, M. J.; Hewitt, H. T.; Iovino, D.; Koenigk, T.; Meccia, V. L.; Roberts, C. D.; Ruprich-Robert, Y.; Wood, R. A.
We examine the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in response to increasing CO2 at different horizontal resolutions in a state-of-the-art climate model and in a small ensemble of models with differing resolutions. There is a strong influence of the ocean mean state on the AMOC weakening: models with a more saline western subpolar gyre have a greater formation of deep water there. This makes the AMOC more susceptible to weakening from an increase in CO2 since weakening ocean heat transports weaken the contrast between ocean and atmospheric temperatures and hence weaken the buoyancy loss. In models with a greater proportion of deep water formation further north (in the Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian basin), deep-water formation can be maintained by shifting further north to where there is a greater ocean-atmosphere temperature contrast. We show that ocean horizontal resolution can have an impact on the mean state, and hence AMOC weakening. In the models examined, those with higher resolutions tend to have a more westerly location of the North Atlantic Current and stronger subpolar gyre. This likely leads to a greater impact of the warm, saline subtropical Atlantic waters on the western subpolar gyre resulting in greater dense water formation there. Although there is some improvement of the higher resolution models over the lower resolution models in terms of the mean state, both still have biases and it is not clear which biases are the most important for influencing the AMOC strength and response to increasing CO2.
2020, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Mairech, Hanene; Lopez-Bernal, Alvaro; Moriondo, Marco; Dibari, Camilla; Regni, Luca; Proietti, Primo; Villalobos, Francisco J.; Testi, Luca
Olive (Olea europaea L.) is a widely spread tree species in the Mediterranean. In the last decades, olive farming has known major management changes with high economic and environmental impacts. The fast track expansion of this modern olive farming in these recent years casts doubts on the sustainability of such important tree plantation across the Mediterranean. In this work, we performed a spatial modelling analysis to investigate the implications of climate variability and farming management on the productivity and environmental performances of olive orchards around the Mediterranean. Implementation of this research is based on the use of OliveCan; a process-based model able to illustrate responses of water and carbon balances to weather variables, soil characteristics and management techniques enabling the comprehension of olive orchard dynamics under heterogeneous conditions of climate and agricultural practices. Four main intensification levels were adopted to reflect the main olive grove types from traditional to new intensive plantations: low density LD (100 trees ha(-1)), medium density MD (200 trees ha(-1)), high density HD (400 trees ha(-1)) and super high density SHD (1650 trees ha(-1)). Managements tested were intensification, water supply (rainfed, deficit and full irrigated) and the fate of pruning residues (exported or left on the soil). Two cases studies in two of the main Mediterranean olive-growing regions with contrasting environmental conditions, Tuscany and Jaen regions, focused on mitigation alternative managements for carbon sequestration. Results showed that olive orchards responses in terms of yield and Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP) vary along with climatic conditions. Water supply was the main driver with a production function that varies for different atmospheric demands. Application of deficit irrigation proved to boost water use efficiency. Besides, intensification from LD to SHD, presented the greatest improvements, 28-73% for yield and 50-100% for NEP. The C sequestration potential of olive orchards was confirmed. In fact, soil organic carbon (SOC) increased continuously over 400 years of simulation, reaching a state of equilibrium. Moreover, intensification and irrigation improved total carbon sequestration. Management of incorporating pruning residues in the soil increased SOC of 10.5 t C ha(-1) for Tuscany and 10.8 t C ha(-1) for Jaen. Findings of this research enabled the identification of the main drivers influencing the productive and environmental performance of olive groves in the different Mediterranean sub-climates. Impacts of management innovations on olive farming sustainability were also quantified which may help improve production systems for a more sustainable olive cultivation.
2020, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Dario Camuffo, Antonio della Valle, Francesca Becherini, Daniel Rousseau
The earliest temperature series in Paris, from May 1658 to September 1660, taken by Boulliau has now been made available at daily resolution after a careful work of homogenization, correction and calculation of the average values. New results have been achieved concerning the Little Florentine Thermometer, building location, thermometer exposure, observations methodologies followed by Boulliau and the climate in the mid 17th century. Two methods have been used and compared to calculate the daily average from readings taken at random sampling times. The first one is based on the reading needing the smallest correction to be transformed into a daily average; the second considers all the readings of the day and makes a bulk average of the individual results. The series has been compared with the temperature record by the Grand Duke Ferdinand II in Florence, that was the primary station of the Medici Network (1654-70). In addition, the comparison of the earliest temperature series in Paris and Florence with their respective 1961-90 reference period give a clear image on the climate in Europe in the middle of the 17th century. Key features were a strong variability for warm-air and cold-air outbreaks, severe winters and cold summers in Paris, not affecting Florence.
2020, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Mansour K.; Decesari S.; Bellacicco M.; Marullo S.; Santoleri R.; Bonasoni P.; Facchini M.C.; Ovadnevaite J.; Ceburnis D.; O'Dowd C.; Rinaldi M.
Many efforts have been dedicated toward understanding the role of biogenic sulfur particles as a climate regulator. Herein, we investigate the relationship between the atmospheric concentration of methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and phytoplankton biomass in the Mediterranean Sea by identifying the main MSA source regions during a springtime intensive observation period. The study approach combines i) spatio-temporal correlation analysis between in situ aerosol data measured in April 2016 at Capo Granitola (southern Sicily), and high-resolution ocean color composites, ii) back-trajectory analysis, and iii) potential source contribution function (PSCF) algorithm. The southwestern Mediterranean region (between Sardinia and the Algerian coast) was identified as the most probable dimethylsulfide (DMS) source region contributing to the observed MSA concentrations. Conversely, the blooming northwestern Mediterranean Sea region did not appear to contribute significantly. The present analysis shows that the reasons may be biotic (phytoplankton type, stress level) or abiotic (sea surface temperature), or a combination of both. We also postulate that the identified source region is associated with the production of non-sea-salt-sulfate and secondary organic aerosols from the processing of sea-released volatile organic compounds.
2019, Articolo in rivista, ENG
Bartsch, S.; Stegehuis, A. I.; Boissard, C.; Lathiere, J.; Peterschmitt, J. -Y.; Reiter, I. M.; Gauquelin, T.; Baldy, V.; Genesio, L.; Matteucci, G.; Fernandez, C.; Guenet, B.
Mediterranean ecosystems are significant carbon sinks and are particularly sensitive to climate change. However, the carbon dynamics in such ecosystems are still not fully understood. An improved understanding of the drivers of carbon fixation by vegetation is needed to better predict how these ecosystems will respond to climate change. In this study, a large dataset collected through the FLUXNET network is used to estimate how the gross primary production (GPP) of different Mediterranean ecosystems was affected by air temperature and precipitation between 1996 and 2013. We showed that annual precipitation and temperature were not significant drivers of annual GPP. However, inter-annual variations of GPP seemed largely controlled by the precipitation during early spring (March-April). Late spring and early summer temperature also had a positive effect on annual GPP. We furthermore show that GPP may also have been influenced by both summer rainfall pulses and abiotic emissions due to carbonates precipitation/dissolution. Finally, the sensitivity of GPP in the Mediterranean region to climate drivers seemed not to be ecosystem-type dependent. Our results can provide general information for modeling exercises and improve future biomass projections on a regional scale.