Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Water Holding Capacity Of Soil And Resilience To Drought, Taro Mieno

Cornhusker Economics

For the past two years, I have been involved in an NSF-funded research project titled “RII Track-2 FEC: Supporting Rural Livelihoods in the Water-Stressed Central High Plains.” The overarching goal of this project is to evaluate the potential of microbials and biochar to enhance soil water holding capacity (hereafter, WHC), thereby improving drought resilience in crop production and reducing irrigation demand to slow aquifer depletion. Visit the project website for more details. A key component of this research is assessing the economic viability of these interventions, a task for which I am responsible.

To understand the economic benefits of increasing …

Changes In The Western Flank Of The North Atlantic Subtropical High Since 1140 Ce: Extremes, Drivers, And Hydroclimatic Patterns, Joshua C. Bregy, Justin T. Maxwell, Scott M. Robeson, Grant L. Harley, Valerie Trouet

Publications

Summer circulation and moisture patterns in the Southeast United States are controlled by the position of the North Atlantic subtropical high. In a warming climate, the subtropical high is projected to strengthen and expand west, but there remains uncertainty regarding its variability and linkages to natural drivers. Here, we use a tree-ring network across the Southeast United States to reconstruct the relative intensity of the pressure gradient across the subtropical high’s western flank over the past 870 years. Variations in the flank’s position and the pressure gradient have been a major driver of the hydroclimate—including creating a Southeast-Caribbean moisture dipole—since …

2025 April - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

Hi All,

April was a very active weather month across Tennessee! Consequently, this is one of our longer monthly reports. The main weather and climate stories for April 2025 were the deadly severe weather, extreme rainfall and associated flooding, and record-setting heat that all occurred in the first week of the month. A series of weather systems set up across the central U.S. in the first week of April, with warm, moist air funneled into Tennessee from the Gulf. This pattern produced severe thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and high temperatures from April 2nd to 6th. The series of storms began on …

Innovative Soil Classification Approach For Achieving Global Biodiversity Framework Utilizing Integrated Data Fusion Of Emit And Multispectral Satellite Observations: Case Study Of Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Royal Reserve, Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Hesham Morgan, Ali Elgendy, Surendra Maharjan, Wenzhao Li, Tamer Ismail, Yehya Kh. Shehadeh, Ahmed Elgharib, Ahmed Abdullah Al-Dughairi, Ali El Muburak, Khaled Allam Harhash, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Soil classification is essential for sustainable land management, ecological conservation, and combating desertification, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. This study integrates hyperspectral data from the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) and multispectral imagery from Sentinel-2 to achieve accurate soil classification for the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve (ITBA) in Saudi Arabia. Using advanced Machine Learning (ML) techniques, including Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), the study highlights the power of data fusion in addressing the limitations of standalone remote sensing methods. The integration of hyperspectral and multispectral data combines the spectral richness of hyperspectral imaging with the spatial …

The Impact Of Drought And Socio-Economic Factors On Attitudes Toward Immigrants In South Africa, Pamela Antwi-Nimarko

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Estimates of the global migrant population have steadily increased, with current data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reporting approximately 281 million migrants worldwide. Alongside this growth, anti-immigrant sentiments have risen in many host countries. This study seeks to contribute to the research on attitudes toward immigrants by exploring climate-related factors, particularly drought, as a key influence.

Leveraging a unique dataset combining the World Values Survey (WVS) and Afrobarometer, the study examines how drought, along with individual and contextual factors, affects attitudes toward immigrants. This dataset allows for an in-depth analysis of the direct impact of drought on public …

2025 March 27 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Marine Heatwave Conditions In Western Australia Marine Waters - 26th March 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

Marine heatwave (MHW) conditions across the state have persisted. Category 1 – Moderate conditions continue for the Gascoyne and South Coast Bioregions. The North Coast Bioregion has returned to Category 1 – Moderate conditions. The West Coast Bioregion remains warm but is not categorised as experiencing MHW conditions.

Western Australia’S Marine Heatwave Update - 27 March 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia, Arani Chandrapavan

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

No abstract provided.

Glacial Isostatic Adjustments And Their Impact On Sea-Level Predictions, Dayne M. Williams, Jeanne Sumrall

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Relative sea level adjustments and their effects directly contribute to modern day climate change and ocean knowledge. This is shown through Glacial isostatic adjustment models which depend on ice thickness, time period, and core analyzations within a local region. These models demonstrate a direct correlation between RSL, era of retreat, and ice thickness even with comparison of other similar models, with some minor discrepancies. These discoveries led to several new advancements within the field of glaciology regionally and nationally. Generally concluding that the research done isn’t sufficient and more data regionally is needed to study its impacts more detailed.

Soft Law, Activism, And Climate Displacement: Rethinking International Protections For The Environmentally Displaced, Guljannat Huseynli, Andrea G. Brown

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

Climate change is displacing millions of people globally, yet those forced to migrate due to environmental factors remain unprotected under existing international refugee law. This paper argues that legal recognition for climate refugees can emerge not through immediate treaty reform but through the evolution of soft law and norm creation. Drawing on constructivist theory, it examines how activism, international organizations, and legal precedents contribute to shifting global norms. Through case studies such as Ioane Teitiota v. New Zealand and the Fridays for Future movement, the paper shows how strategic litigation and advocacy can build momentum for future legal protections. It …

2025 March 20 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

2025 March 13 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Transcriptional Profiles Reveal Physiological Mechanisms For Compensation During A Simulated Marine Heatwave In Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola Lalandi), Sharon E. Hook, Ryan J. Farr, Jenny Su, Alistair J. Hobday, Catherine Wingate, Lindsey Woolley, Luke Pilmer

Fisheries Research Articles

Background

Changing ocean temperatures are already causing declines in populations of marine organisms. Predicting the capacity of organisms to adjust to the pressures posed by climate change is a topic of much current research effort, particularly for species we farm or harvest. To explore one measure of phenotypic plasticity, the physiological compensations in response to heat stress as might be experienced in a marine heatwave, we exposed Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) to sublethal heat stress, and used the transcriptome in gill and muscle, benchmarked against heat shock proteins and oxidative stress indicators, to characterise the acute heat stress …

Predicting Precipitation And Ndvi Utilization Of The Multi-Level Linear Mixed-Effects Model And The Ca-Markov Simulation Model, Fatima Belhaj, Hlila Rachid, Ouallali Abdessalam, Aqil Tariq, Belkendil Abdeldjalil, Beroho Mohamed, Hassan Alzahrani, Hajra Mustafa, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The current work intends to reconstruct the spatiotemporal evolution of precipitation and the Normalized Differentiate Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the Loukkos watershed and provide scenarios for their recent and future evolution, therefore determining the degree of association. We conducted a study on the time series data of precipitation and NDVI from 1999 to 2019. The NDVI prediction is conducted using the CA-Markov model and the linear mixed-effects multi-level model (LME) with precipitation data from 2019 to 2040. The CA-Markov model was employed to predict the vegetation indices for 2029 and 2040 using 1999, 2009, and 2019 data. The model simulates …

Meeting Carbon Dioxide Removal Demand In 2030: The Potential Of Macroalgae Cultivation And Harvest, Lotta Siebert, Jiajun Wu, Lena-Katharina Bednarz, David Keller, Felix Meier, Christine Merk, Sonja Peterson, Wilfried Rickels

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

A growing number of countries have announced net-zero and net-negative emissions targets, but only a few countries provide incentives for carbon dioxide removal (CDR). We derive estimates of countries' hypothetical demand for CDR in 2030 based on their emissions reduction targets under the Paris Agreement. The aggregated average global demand for CDR in the compliance year 2030 is 1064 MtCO₂, 353 MtCO₂, and 124 MtCO₂ for the low, medium, and high-cost CDR scenarios, respectively. This demand comes exclusively from countries and regions with relatively high GDP per capita, relatively high abatement costs and a limited …

2025 March 6 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Urban Heat Dynamics In Pune: The Influence Of Land Cover And Local Climate, Arpit Tiwari, Preethi Nanjundan, Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Ananya Karmakar, Satyaban Bishoyi Ratna

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Urban areas with high population density and extensive infrastructure development have been experiencing an increasing strain on the local heat budget, leading to a surge in heat-related illnesses and discomfort. This study examined the impact of climate and land use as heat islands in Pune, India, from 2012 to 2023 at six different locations representing varying degree of urbanization. Satellite land cover observations revealed that 55.17% of the total area was urbanized in the city itself, which was limited to 44.8% in 2012. This urbanization has significantly impacted the increasing tendency of maximum temperature (T_max; 0.13℃ to 1.63℃ …

A Feedback-Guided Analysis Of Environmental, Health And Socio-Economic Factors Affecting Drivers’ Willingness To Shift To E-Jeepneys, Charlotte Kendra Gotangco Gonzales, Katrina Abenojar, Carlos Rosauro Manalo, Melliza Templonuevo Cruz, Maria Obiminda L. Cambaliza, James Bernard Simpas, Imee Delos Reyes, John Wong, Bernell Go, Krizelle Cleo Fowler, Rene Marlon Panti, Emma E. Porio, Jean Jardeleza Mijares

Environmental Science Faculty Publications

The Jeepney Modernization Program involves the replacement of traditional jeepneys with more efficient alternatives, including modern enclosed electric vehicles, alongside operational improvements to the public transportation system. This study aims to assess the environmental, health and socio-economic factors impacting drivers’ willingness to shift to e-jeepneys. Feedback-Guided Analysis was used as a framework for designing an interdisciplinary approach towards understanding the decision-making paradigms of drivers plying a specific route in Quezon City, Metro Manila. Measurements of drivers’ exposure to PM2.5 and associated health parameters were complemented by key informant interviews delving into income, expenses, valuation of benefits and decision-making paradigms. A …

2025 March - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

Hi All, March and April were very eventful weather months across the state. We're starting to work through April data but below are the highlights for March. March continued the pattern of extremes in weather that Tennessee has seen in 2025, with high winds and fires, record-setting rainfall, and severe storms impacting the state. Several small to moderate sized grass, brush, and forest fires popped up around the state driven by days with high winds and low relative humidity in early March. One of the largest fires was in Sevier County, where the Pittman Center/Webb Mountain fire burned over 1,000 …

Going Green In Dermatology, Rahib K. Islam, Victoria T. Tong, Shari R. Lipner

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Reducing Medical Waste, George M. Jeha, Stanislav N. Tolkachjov

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Variation In Thermal Tolerance Plasticity And The Costs Of Heat Exposure In The Estuarine Sea Hare, Phyllaplysia Taylori, Richelle L. Tanner, Rauri C. K. Bowie, Cynthia Y. Wang-Claypool, Jonathan H. Stillman

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Climate change is increasing average temperatures and the frequency and intensity of thermal extremes in coastal marine environments. Organisms in coastal marine habitats are accustomed to environmental fluctuations and possess physiological plasticity that may be advantageous in response to increased occurrence of extremes. To examine whether such plasticity is locally adapted to environmental conditions, we investigated the relationship between genetic diversity and thermal tolerance plasticity in 11 populations of the direct-developing intertidal sea hare, Phyllaplysia taylori, on the western coast of the United States. Using whole-organism metrics of muscle function and metabolic rate and a ddRADseq genomic approach, we …

Marine Heatwave Conditions In Western Australia Marine Waters - 20 February 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

Marine heatwave (MHW) conditions across all Bioregions of Western Australia have eased over the last two weeks. MHW status no longer applies to the majority of the North Coast and West Coast Bioregions. MHW conditions in the Gascoyne and South Coast Bioregion have eased to Category 1 - Moderate.

2025 February 20 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Western Australia’S Marine Heatwave Update - 16 February 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

No abstract provided.

2025 February 13 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

2025 February 6 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Exploring Single Cell Microbial Protein As A Sustainable Fishmeal Alternative In Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola Lalandi) Diets: Impacts On Health And Gut Microbiome, Luke Pilmer, Lindsey Woolley, Alan Lymbery, Chinh Dam, Abigail Elizur, Md Javed Foysal, Gavin Partridge

Fisheries Research Articles

Background

With the global expansion of aquaculture and the increasing demand for fish meal, identifying appropriate and sustainable alternative protein sources for aquafeeds has become essential. Single-cell protein (SCP), derived from methanotrophic bacteria, presents a promising alternative by converting methane into protein, potentially addressing both the need for alternative protein sources and reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different levels of SCP inclusion (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% fish meal replacement) on the health, gene expression, and gut microbiome of yellowtail kingfish (YTK, Seriola lalandi) following a 35-day growth trial.

Results

The …

Operationalizing And Measuring Climate Change Adaptation Success, Henry A. Bartelet, Michele L. Barnes, Lalu A.A. Bakti, Graeme S. Cumming

Quantitative Methods and Information Technology Faculty Publications

In a context of rapid global change, understanding whether and how adaptation to climate change can be considered successful has become an important research gap within the climate change adaptation literature. Although definitions of adaptation success have been formulated, it remains unclear how they can be operationalized and tested empirically. To address this gap, we operationalized one of the most prominent definitions of successful adaptation within the academic literature, which describes success as adaptations that support reductions in risk and vulnerability without compromising sustainability. Specifically, drawing on data collected from 209 coral reef tourism operators across 28 locations and eight …

2025 February - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

Hi All,

February 2025 brought a wide range of weather to Tennessee including severe storms, snow, flooding, and large temperature fluctuations. Warm temperatures in the first week of the month brought a taste of spring after a much colder than normal January across the state, with high temperatures climbing into the upper 70’s for many locations on February 4th. This warm airmass set the stage for severe weather to impact northern areas of the state on February 6th, with six reports of tornadoes (four EF1 tornadoes and two EF2 tornadoes). Cooler and wetter weather then returned to the state for …