Der US-Klimaforscher Patrick T. Brown klagt an: Wer in renommierten Wissenschaftsblättern publizieren wolle, müsse einem bestimmten Narrativ folgen – dem des schlimmen Klimawandels. Er selber habe eine Forschungsstudie entsprechend manipuliert. Alex Reichmuth ist dem Fall im Nebelspalter (https://www.nebelspalter.ch/renommierter-klimaforscher-klagt-verzerrte-wissenschaft-an) nachgegangen.
Renommierter Klimaforscher klagt verzerrte Wissenschaft an
Der Satz schreckt auf: «In der Klimawissenschaft geht es inzwischen weniger darum, die Komplexität der Welt zu verstehen, als vielmehr darum, als eine Art Kassandra zu dienen und die Öffentlichkeit eindringlich vor den Gefahren des Klimawandels zu warnen.» Geschrieben hat den Satz nicht ein Klimaleugner, sondern Patrick T. Brown, US-Klimaforscher mit hervorragendem Renommee. Brown hat in Stanford und Princeton gearbeitet, war Assistenzprofessor an der San Jose State University und hat in so angesehenen Wissenschaftsblättern wie «Nature», «PNAS» oder «Nature Climate Change» publiziert. Seine Forschungsresultate waren immer wieder auch Thema in den Medien, etwa in der «Washington Post», im «Guardian» oder bei CNN.
Weiterlesen im Nebelspalter (https://www.nebelspalter.ch/renommierter-klimaforscher-klagt-verzerrte-wissenschaft-an).
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Study attributes shift of decadal trend in Middle East dust activities to North Tropical Atlantic variability
A research group led by Associate Professor Jing Li from the School of Physics at Peking University published an article in Science Bulletin titled “The shift of decadal trend in Middle East dust activities attributed to North Tropical Atlantic variability.” The study reveals that variability of the sea surface temperature (SST) of the North Tropical Atlantic is the primary driver of the decadal trend shift in Middle East dust activities.
The Middle East, as the world’s second-largest dust source, contributes to over 10% of the global dust emissions, with a pronounced peak during the summer season. Transported dust particles influence numerous densely populated regions, spanning from North America to South Asia, and have adverse effects on transportation, health, agriculture, and the environment.
Analysis of multi-source data indicates that over the past two decades, summer dust activity in the Middle East has undergone a significant trend shift. Around 2010, the trend transitioned from a notable increase to a marked decline. The underlying causes for this shift nonetheless remained unclear. Consequently, uncovering the factors behind the trend shift and investigating the specific impact mechanisms is of great importance for the study of global climate and environmental change.
To explore this phenomenon, the research group led by Associate Professor Jing Li in the School of Physics at Peking University employed a combination of multi-source data analysis and global climate model simulations. Their findings revealed a close relationship between the trend shift in Middle East dust activities and changes in the North Tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST).
The correlation coefficient between the two exceeds 0.6, whereas no significant correlation is observed between the former and SST variability of other ocean basins. Concurrently, both Middle East dust and North Tropical Atlantic SST display a similar transition from increasing to decreasing decadal trends for the period of 2000-2019, with turning points occurring around 2010.
Forced simulation experiments utilizing observed North Tropical Atlantic SST, in conjunction with a random forest dust prediction model, successfully reproduced the decadal trend shift of dust activities in the Middle East over the past 20 years.
Further investigations by the research group, involving the diagnosis of meteorological variables and physical processes, revealed that the warming of the North Tropical Atlantic triggers an anomalous local meridional circulation. This promotes air uplift in the North Tropical Atlantic and subsidence in the Middle East. Consequently, the surface high pressure and intensified Shamal winds in the north, generated by the subsiding airflow, foster a hot and dry environment in the Middle East, which is conducive to dust emission and transport.
Around 2010, as the SST in the North Tropical Atlantic transitioned from rising to falling, the trend of Middle East dust activity simultaneously altered.
This research not only uncovers the potential drivers behind the decadal variability of Middle East dust activity but also offers a theoretical foundation for enhancing the predictive capabilities of dust activity in the region and on a global scale.
Paper: Guanyu Liu et al, The shift of decadal trend in Middle East dust activities attributed to North Tropical Atlantic variability, Science Bulletin (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.05.031
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Exploring special sea-level and circulation anomalies in the Philippine Sea during El Niño events
The Philippine Sea (PS) is one of the regions with the strongest interannual variability in sea level and upper-layer circulation. During the developing stage of El Niño events, the Philippine Sea shows sea level falling and cyclonic circulation anomaly. However, El Niño is complex, causing diverse Philippine Sea responses across individual events.
A research team led by Prof. Wang Fan from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) has revealed the mechanism behind the special variations of sea level and circulation in the Philippine Sea during 2006 and 2009 El Niño events. The study was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans on June 3.
The researchers investigated the exceptional positive sea-level anomalies and anticyclonic circulation anomalies in the boreal spring and summer of 2006 and 2009 by synthesizing observational and reanalysis data sets. They also found exceptional changes in downstream regions, such as the southward shifted North Equatorial Current bifurcation, enhanced Mindanao Current intrusion into the Sulawesi Sea, and increased Indonesian throughflow transport in the Makassar Strait.
The persistent and strong equatorial easterly winds of the winter preceding 2006 and 2009 El Niño might be a major contributor to these changes. Sensitivity experiments from a simplified ocean model further suggested that the winds from February to March of the preceding year were most critical. Specifically, the negative wind stress curl in the western and central North Pacific played a dominant role, and the equatorial winds played a secondary role.
“The former La Niña builds up the background state of special sea-level anomalies, and a late-onset El Niño is favorable for the special variations of such special changes in the Philippine Sea,” said Li Rui, first author of the study.
“Our findings help understand the sea level and circulation changes in tropical western Pacific under El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) complexity, and will contribute to regional climate prediction and adaptation efforts,” said Prof. Wang, corresponding author of the study.
Rui Li et al, Special Sea‐Level and Circulation Anomalies in the Philippine Sea During the 2006/2007 and 2009/2010 El Niño Events, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans (2023). DOI: 10.1029/2022JC019537
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Impact of March North Atlantic Oscillation on Indian Ocean Dipole: role of air–sea interaction over the Western North Pacific
We investigated the relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), which has remained unknown to date. Reanalysis data and linear baroclinic model experiments were employed in our study. The results showed significant correlation between the March NAO and the boreal summer and autumn IOD, independent of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation signal, verified by partial correlation analysis. Air–sea interaction over the western North Pacific (WNP) is a significant aspect of the physical mechanism through which the March NAO affects the subsequent IOD. A strong positive March NAO induces equivalent barotropic cyclonic circulation over the WNP through a steady Rossby wave, accompanied by a local tripole sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly pattern. Facilitated by local air–sea positive feedback, the low-level cyclonic circulation and associated precipitation anomalies over the WNP persist from early spring to summer and shift equatorward. During May–June, the WNP anomalous cyclone strengthens the southeasterly wind and enhances cooling off Sumatra–Java through local meridional circulation. Such circulation ascends over the WNP and descends over the tropical southeastern Indian Ocean and Maritime Continent. Subsequently, wind–evaporation–SST and wind–thermocline–SST positive feedback in the tropical Indian Ocean contribute to IOD development. A diagnosis of ocean mixed-layer heat budget indicated that the ocean dynamic process associated with the NAO contributes more to IOD development than does atmospheric thermal forcing. Determining the influence mechanism of the March NAO on the subsequent IOD is considered useful in advancing the seasonal prediction of IOD.
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Bild:
Endlagerungs-Problem gelöst? Deutsche Forscher bauen Atommüll-Vernichter
Kommt die Lösung für den Atommüll aus Deutschland?
Physiker des deutsch-kanadischen Unternehmens „Dual Fluid“ wollen einen neuartigen Kernreaktor entwickelt haben, der nicht nur sicher sei, sondern auch mit Atommüll betrieben werden kann. Das Konzept wurde in Berlin entwickelt, ein erstes Modell soll jetzt im afrikanischen Ruanda gebaut und getestet werden.
BILD erklärt, wie der neue Reaktor funktioniert.
Weiterlesen in Bild
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Irrsinn Industriestrompreis-Deutschlands Energiepolitik ist am Ende
Erst wird Strom mutwillig verknappt, dann sollen Milliardenzuschüsse zum Stromverbrauch die energieintensive Industrie im Land halten. Was soll dieser Irrsinn? Das Scheitern der Energiewende kann nicht länger verdeckt werden.
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FAZ:
DEUTSCHLAND ALARMIERT: Frankreich plant Industriestrom im XXL-Format
Paris will die Reform des EU-Strommarkts nutzen, um einen riesigen „Schatten-Atomstrom-Markt“ mit Billigstrom für seine Industrie zu schaffen. Berlin ist alarmiert.
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Europäischer Rechnungshof: Entwicklung erneuerbarer Offshore-Energie ist ein finanzielles und ökologisches Dilemma
Die Fortschritte bei der Entwicklung erneuerbarer Offshore-Energie in Europa sind durchwachsen, so die Einschätzung des Europäischen Rechnungshofs in einem heute veröffentlichten Bericht.
- In den letzten 15 Jahren hat die EU fast 17 Milliarden Euro in die Entwicklung und den Ausbau von “blauer Energie” gesteckt.
- Die ehrgeizigen Wachstumsziele der EU für blaue Energie sind wohl nur schwer zu erreichen.
- Die ökologischen und sozioökonomischen Auswirkungen des geplanten raschen Ausbaus von Offshore-Anlagen wurden nicht ausreichend bewertet.
Maßnahmen und Gelder der EU würden zwar zur Entwicklung der “blauen Energie” und damit zur Verwirklichung der Klima- und Energieziele der EU beitragen