Environmental Research Letters最新文献

{"title":"Divergent impacts of seasonal precipitation deficiency on grassland growth in drylands of Central Asia","authors":"Ye Yuan, Anming Bao, Cun Chang, Liangliang Jiang, Guoxiong Zheng, Tao Yu, Ping Jiang","doi":"10.1088/1748-9326/ad6ea7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad6ea7","url":null,"abstract":"Water availability and its timing are essential for determining dryland dynamics, and grasslands in Central Asia are particularly vulnerable to water provided by precipitation. Climate change is projected to alter the seasonal distribution of precipitation patterns and increase the frequency of extreme events. Little is known about the response of grasslands to seasonal precipitation deficiency (PD), especially considering the time lag effect. Here, we evaluated the impacts of PD on grassland growth at the seasonal scale based on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Our findings showed that grassland growth during spring was mostly affected by PD in arid regions, with PD occurring during the nongrowing season and spring causing mean standardized anomalies (SAs) of −0.83 and −0.54, respectively, for the NDVI. In semiarid and subhumid regions, summer PD caused not only the largest negative response in summer (with SAs of −0.94 and −0.80 for semiarid and subhumid regions, respectively) but also in autumn (−0.80 and −0.74). PD in autumn had a less adverse effect on grassland growth. The divergent seasonal responses primarily stemmed from shifts in the dominant factors influencing grassland growth across seasons. PD reduced soil moisture in spring and summer, which in turn affected grassland growth. However, summer PD affected autumn grassland growth primarily through the carryover effect. Our results highlighted the importance of the timing of PD and suggested that precipitation in the previous season should receive more attention when considering the relationship between vegetation and precipitation at the seasonal scale.","PeriodicalId":11747,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Letters","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142213556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exposure to ambient PM2.5 and its association with the loss of labor productivity of manufacturing plants in India","authors":"Piyali Majumder, Ekta Chaudhary, Sagnik Dey","doi":"10.1088/1748-9326/ad6ea4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad6ea4","url":null,"abstract":"Evidence of the impacts of ambient air pollution on health in India has been expanding. However, the economic impact of air pollution has rarely been explored. Here, we examined the impact of exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) derived from satellite data at 1 km × 1 km resolution on the productivity of the manufacturing plants using a micro-level dataset for the period 2008–2009 and 2009–2010 across 465 districts in India. Using a system generalized methods of moments techniques, we estimated that for every 10% increase in PM_2.5 exposure, labor productivity decreases by 14.8% after controlling for the confounding factors. For exposure exceeding the national ambient air quality standard of annual PM_2.5 in India (40 <italic toggle=\"yes\">μ</italic>g m⁻³), the labor productivity decreases by a bigger margin (20%) for the same margin of increase in PM_2.5. We found that labor productivity loss due to ambient air pollution was lower for plants using capital-intensive production techniques. The labor productivity in plants with a higher share of blue-collar workers was more sensitive to exposure to PM_2.5 as opposed to plants with a higher share of supervisors or managerial staff. This suggests that plant-level managerial skill and capital-intensive production techniques (including expenditure on pollution control and abatement equipment) will be critical in mitigating air pollution-induced labor productivity loss across manufacturing plants in India.","PeriodicalId":11747,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Letters","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142213576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimating effects of monsoon flooding on household water access.","authors":"Lauren M T Broyles, Emily L Pakhtigian, Alfonso Mejia","doi":"10.1088/1748-9326/ad6ce9","DOIUrl":"10.1088/1748-9326/ad6ce9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The importance of climate in water resources management is well recognized, but less is known about how climate affects water access at the household level. Understanding this is crucial for identifying vulnerable households, reducing health and well-being risks, and finding equitable solutions. Using difference-in-differences regression analyses and relying on temporal variation in interview timing from multiple, cross-sectional surveys, we examine the effects of monsoon riverine flooding on household water access among 34 000 households in Bangladesh in 2011 and 2014. We compare water access, a combined measure of both water source and time for collection, among households living in flood-affected and non-flood-affected districts before and after monsoon flooding events. We find that households in monsoon flood-affected districts surveyed after the flooding had between 2.27 and 4.42 times higher odds of experiencing low water access. Separating geographically, we find that while households in coastal districts have lower water access than those in non-coastal districts, monsoon flood exposure is a stronger predictor of low water access in non-coastal districts. Non-coastal districts were particularly burdened in 2014, when households affected by monsoon flooding had 4.71 times higher odds of low water access. We also find that household wealth is a consistent predictor of household water access. Overall, our results show that monsoon flooding is associated with a higher prevalence of low water access; socioeconomically vulnerable households are especially burdened.</p>","PeriodicalId":11747,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Letters","volume":"19 9","pages":"094038"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11327760/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141999620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimated mortality attributable to the urban heat island during the record-breaking 2022 heatwave in London.","authors":"Charles H Simpson, Oscar Brousse, Clare Heaviside","doi":"10.1088/1748-9326/ad6c65","DOIUrl":"10.1088/1748-9326/ad6c65","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The United Kingdom experienced its most extreme heatwave to date during late July 2022, with maximum air temperatures exceeding 40 °C recorded for the first time in history on July 19th. High ambient temperatures have been statistically shown to lead to increased mortality. Higher nighttime temperatures that occur in more urbanised areas, called the urban heat island (UHI), may contribute to the mortality burden of heat. In this study, we applied health impact assessment methods with advanced urban climate modelling to estimate what contribution the UHI had on the mortality impact of the 10-25 July 2022 heatwave in Greater London. Estimated mortality due to heat and due to the UHI were compared with estimated mortality due to air pollution in the same period, based on monitored concentrations. We estimate that of the 1773 deaths in Greater London in this period 370 (95% confidence interval 328-410) could be attributed to heat. We estimate that 38% of these heat-related deaths could be attributed to the UHI. In the same period is estimate deaths attributable to PM2.5 were 20.6 (10.4-30.8) and to ozone were 52.3 (95% confidence interval 18.6-85.2). Despite not contributing to the record-breaking maximum air temperature observed during this period, the UHI may have contributed to the heatwave's mortality burden through raised nighttime temperature. While air pollutant concentrations were elevated during the period, deaths attributable to air pollution were relatively few compared to deaths attributable to heat.</p>","PeriodicalId":11747,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Letters","volume":"19 9","pages":"094047"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11334115/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142016772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Water usage in cooling systems for electricity production: an event study of retrofitted coal-fired power plants in the United States","authors":"Kate Hua-Ke Chi, Melissa McCracken","doi":"10.1088/1748-9326/ad6fb8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad6fb8","url":null,"abstract":"Thermoelectric power plants account for approximately 40% of total U.S. water withdrawals each year. In 2022, 48.5 trillion gallons of water were withdrawn for cooling systems in electricity production, of which 962.9 billion gallons of water were consumed and no longer available for downstream use. Conventional steam coal plants, in particular, withdrew 18.3 trillion gallons of water for once-through and recirculating cooling systems in 2022 while contributing to 19.7% of total U.S. net electricity generation. As coal-fueled electricity production becomes less competitive, cases of coal-to-gas retrofits occur to avoid stranded assets. Two retrofitting methods are adopted in practice: coal-fired power plants are repurposed and replaced by natural gas combined-cycle plants, or the boiler of a coal plant is converted to burn natural gas. In this study, we construct panel data and employ an event study framework to examine changes in water withdrawal, water consumption, water discharge, and carbon emissions resulting from coal-to-gas retrofits in the continental United States from 2013 to 2022. Seventeen coal-fired power plants have been replaced with natural gas combined-cycle plants, and 167 coal steam units in 85 plants have undergone coal-to-gas boiler conversions. We find a sharp and sustained reduction in water withdrawal of 40.2–53.9 thousand gallons per megawatt-hour of net electricity produced when a coal plant transitioned to a natural gas combined-cycle plant. Water discharge was also reduced by 30.7 thousand gallons, and carbon emissions decreased by 0.59 short tons per megawatt-hour. Yet, boiler conversion did not lead to statistically significant changes in per megawatt-hour water withdrawal, water consumption, water discharge, or carbon emissions. Spatial assessment further informs resource planning of projected water-stressed regions, as 204.6 gigawatts of coal-fired power plants remain operable in the United States in 2022. Fuel transition should adopt a nexus approach and account for the interdependence between water resources and electricity production to realize sustainable development commitments.","PeriodicalId":11747,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Letters","volume":"95 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142213398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of land surface model resolution on fluxes and soil state in the Arctic","authors":"Meike Schickhoff, Philipp de Vrese, Annett Bartsch, Barbara Widhalm, Victor Brovkin","doi":"10.1088/1748-9326/ad6019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad6019","url":null,"abstract":"Arctic land is characterized by a high surface and subsurface heterogeneity on different scales. However, the effects of land surface model resolution on fluxes and soil state variables in the Arctic have never been systematically studied, even though smaller scale heterogeneities are resolved in high-resolution land boundary condition datasets. Here, we compare 210 km and 5 km setups of the land surface model JSBACH3 for an idealized case study in eastern Siberia to investigate the effects of high versus low-resolution land boundary conditions on simulating the interactions of soil physics, hydrology and vegetation. We show for the first time that there are differences in the spatial averages of the simulated fluxes and soil state variables between resolution setups. Most differences are small in the summer mean, but larger within individual months. Heterogeneous soil properties induce large parts of the differences while vegetation characteristics play a minor role. Active layer depth shows a statistically significant increase of +20% in the 5 km setup relative to the 210 km setup for the summer mean and +43% for August. The differences are due to the nonlinear vertical discretization of the soil column amplifying the impact of the heterogeneous distributions of soil organic matter content and supercooled water. Resolution-induced differences in evaporation fluxes amount to +43% in July and are statistically significant. Our results show that spatial resolution significantly affects model outcomes due to nonlinear processes in heterogenous land surfaces. This suggests that resolution needs to be accounted in simulations of land surface models in the Arctic.","PeriodicalId":11747,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Letters","volume":"77 4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142213555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global pattern of soil temperature exceeding air temperature and its linkages with surface energy fluxes","authors":"Ren Wang, Jiang Lu, Pierre Gentine, Haishan Chen","doi":"10.1088/1748-9326/ad7279","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad7279","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding the pattern of changes in extreme heat is crucial to developing climate change adaptation strategies. Existing studies mostly focus on changes in air temperature and tend to overlook soil temperature; however, changes in extreme heat in air and soil can be inconsistent under global change and water–carbon cycling may be more sensitive to soil condition. In this study, we examine the global pattern of long-term trends in the difference between air temperature and soil temperature (<italic toggle=\"yes\">T</italic>_soil − <italic toggle=\"yes\">T</italic>_2m) for the hottest month of the year during the period of 1961–2022. The results show that in certain hotspots, such as the middle and high latitudes of Eurasia, the Mediterranean, and the Western United States, the increasing trend in soil temperature has exceeded the increasing trend in 2 m air temperature during the warm season, implying that the land surface can contribute to the increase in air temperature extreme by releasing more heat than before. Our study suggest that the effect of soil temperature to air temperature is strongly related to the partitioning of surface latent heat, sensible heat (<italic toggle=\"yes\">H</italic>) and soil heat flux (<italic toggle=\"yes\">G</italic>). In the hot spots, <italic toggle=\"yes\">T</italic>_soil − <italic toggle=\"yes\">T</italic>_2m was significantly positively correlated with <italic toggle=\"yes\">H</italic> and <italic toggle=\"yes\">G</italic> while a significant negative correlation was found with evaporative fraction (EF) (<italic toggle=\"yes\">p</italic>&lt; 0.05), and the significant correlations with <italic toggle=\"yes\">G</italic> and EF exhibit greater spatial heterogeneity. Moreover, the higher the degree of vegetation cover and soil moisture the smaller the difference between soil and air high temperatures. Therefore, changes in vegetation cover and land use management may play an important role in regulating the range of soil and air temperature differences as well as land-atmosphere coupling effects on heat extreme.","PeriodicalId":11747,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Letters","volume":"94 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142213558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring antecedents to climate migration: sense of place, fear and worry, and experience","authors":"Nina Berlin Rubin, Dana Rose Garfin, Gabrielle Wong-Parodi","doi":"10.1088/1748-9326/ad6fb9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad6fb9","url":null,"abstract":"The bond between people and the place they live has significant implications for their migration decisions. However, few studies have examined how this relationship endures in the face of experience with climate-related hazards and associated emotions, and whether detachment from place may be related to future migration. Here we address this gap using cross-sectional survey data from a representative probability-based sample of 1479 residents of Texas and Florida—areas frequently affected by coastal hazards—to investigate the interplay between place attachment, place detachment, negative hazard experiences, hazard-related fear and worry, and prospective migration. We found that place attachment and detachment were inversely associated with one another, and that hazard-related fear and worry was associated with higher place detachment. Results indicated that place detachment and hazard-related fear and worry were positively associated with prospective migration, while place attachment was negatively associated with prospective migration. The absence of place attachment and presence of detachment may lower psychological barriers to relocation in the face of climate change. Negative hazard experiences were not associated with place attachment, place detachment, or prospective migration. However, our post-hoc analyses found an indirect association between negative hazard experiences and prospective migration, mediated by hazard-related fear and worry. This suggests that psychological correlates of climate hazards, possibly arising from experiencing them, may inform people’s sense of place and future migration decisions. Our findings highlight the salience of relationships with place in migration decisions and stress the importance of explicitly examining negative sentiments towards place in migration studies. These insights can both improve climate migration models and help tailor policies and programs aimed at supporting detached, fearful, and worried individuals in anticipation of future climate-related hazards.","PeriodicalId":11747,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Letters","volume":"109 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142213559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impacts of 10–30-day atmospheric oscillation on persistent compound heatwaves in the Yangtze River Delta with implications for local electricity demand and supply","authors":"Jianying Li, Qingyao Xiao, Yang Chen, Jiangyu Mao, Lili Song, Panmao Zhai, Shu Wang","doi":"10.1088/1748-9326/ad6886","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad6886","url":null,"abstract":"The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) is a hotspot of compound heatwaves characterized by scorching day and sweltering night persisting for more than 3 days. The YRD compound heatwaves are intimately associated with the 10–30-day variations of air temperature, with 46 identified heatwaves during the summers of 1979–2022 mostly occurring within the positive phases of 10–30-day <italic toggle=\"yes\">T</italic>_max and <italic toggle=\"yes\">T</italic>_min anomalies. The coincidence of positive phases in 10–30-day <italic toggle=\"yes\">T</italic>_max and <italic toggle=\"yes\">T</italic>_min comes from a dipole pattern of the corresponding potential vorticity (PV) anomalies in the upper troposphere. This dipole PV pattern leads to anomalous descents in the YRD and associated anticyclones in the lower troposphere. As a result, the increased adiabatic heating and incident solar radiation cause the extreme daytime heat. The enhanced humidity in the YRD increases the downward longwave radiation, resulting in the extreme nighttime temperatures. As the increased temperature and humidity enhance stratification stability in the lower troposphere, the coupling between daytime and nighttime heat extremes persists, leading to a compound heatwave. During a YRD compound heatwave, the 10–30-day atmospheric intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) exerts a potential influence on the electricity demand and supply. Continuous extreme heat leads to a dramatic surge in cooling demand. While the influence of 10–30-day ISO on wind energy resources is weak, the dipole pattern of 10–30-day PV anomalies strongly reduces solar energy resources over the mid–lower reaches of the Yellow River, thus exerting greater challenges for electricity supply to the YRD.","PeriodicalId":11747,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Letters","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142213577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Socio-environmental impacts of mineral mining and conflicts in Southern and West Africa: navigating reflexive governance for environmental justice","authors":"Llewellyn Leonard","doi":"10.1088/1748-9326/ad7047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad7047","url":null,"abstract":"Mineral mining activities in Africa have long been associated with a myriad of socio-environmental impacts and conflicts, posing significant challenges to sustainable development and environmental justice. This paper explores the complex interplay between mineral mining, socio-environmental impacts, and conflicts in the Southern and West African region, with a focus on the imperative of reflexive governance for achieving just transitions and environmental justice. Drawing on a comprehensive literature review and cases from Southern and Western African countries, this paper examines the multifaceted nature of socio-environmental impacts resulting from mineral mining. These impacts encompass ecological degradation and social inequalities, among others. Furthermore, the paper delves into the dynamics of conflicts arising from mineral mining and competing interests such as natural resources and land rights. Additionally, the paper examines governance structures aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability, and environmental sustainability. The paper concludes by highlighting the implications of reflexive governance as a transformative tool for addressing the socio-environmental impacts of mineral mining and conflicts in Southern and West Africa. It underscores the urgency of adopting holistic and integrated approaches that prioritize environmental protection, social equity, and community well-being in the context of mineral resource extraction. The African Union can serve as the catalyst for reflexive governance and environmental justice in mineral resource extraction, with citizens also holding national governments accountable.","PeriodicalId":11747,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Letters","volume":"97 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142213583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}