The effects of climate change on the Pleistocene rock art of Sulawesi

AbstractThe equatorial tropics house some of the earliest rock art yet known, and it is weathering at an alarming rate. Here we present evidence for haloclasty (salt crystallisation) from Pleistocene-aged rock art panels at 11 sites in the Maros-Pangkep limestone karsts of southern Sulawesi. We show how quickly rock art panels have degraded in recent decades, contending that climate-catalysed salt efflorescence is responsible for increasing exfoliation of the limestone cave surfaces that house the ~ 45 to 20-thousand-year-old paintings. These artworks are located in the world’s most atmospherically dynamic region, the Australasian monsoon domain. The rising frequency and severity of El Niño-induced droughts from anthropogenic climate change (that is, higher ambient temperatures and more consecutive dry days), combined with seasonal moisture injected via monsoonal rains retained as standing water in the rice fields and aquaculture ponds of the region, increasingly provide ideal conditions for evaporation and haloclasty, accelerating rock art deterioration.

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Contrasting capabilities of two ungulate species to cope with extremes of aridity

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-83732-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Melinda Boyers ◽

Francesca Parrini ◽

Norman Owen-Smith ◽

Barend F. N. Erasmus ◽

Robyn S. Hetem

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

High Water ◽

Future Climate Change ◽

Body Temperatures ◽

Wet Season ◽

Trade Off ◽

Ambient Temperatures ◽

Mammalian Herbivores ◽

Dry Seasons ◽

Connochaetes Taurinus

AbstractSouthern Africa is expected to experience increased frequency and intensity of droughts through climate change, which will adversely affect mammalian herbivores. Using bio-loggers, we tested the expectation that wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), a grazer with high water-dependence, would be more sensitive to drought conditions than the arid-adapted gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella). The study, conducted in the Kalahari, encompassed two hot-dry seasons with similar ambient temperatures but differing rainfall patterns during the preceding wet season. In the drier year both ungulates selected similar cooler microclimates, but wildebeest travelled larger distances than gemsbok, presumably in search of water. Body temperatures in both species reached lower daily minimums and higher daily maximums in the drier season but daily fluctuations were wider in wildebeest than in gemsbok. Lower daily minimum body temperatures displayed by wildebeest suggest that wildebeest were under greater nutritional stress than gemsbok. Moving large distances when water is scarce may have compromised the energy balance of the water dependent wildebeest, a trade-off likely to be exacerbated with future climate change.

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Potential Impact of Climate Change on Schistosomiasis: A Global Assessment Attempt

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease ◽

10.3390/tropicalmed3040117 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 117 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Guo-Jing Yang ◽

Robert Bergquist

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Coupled Model ◽

Maximum Temperature ◽

Intergovernmental Panel ◽

Meteorological Model ◽

Ambient Temperatures ◽

Global Circulation ◽

Global Circulation Models ◽

Parasite Stage ◽

Near Future

Based on an ensemble of global circulation models (GCMs), four representative concentration pathways (RCPs) and several ongoing and planned Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects (CMIPs), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that global, average temperatures will increase by at least 1.5 °C in the near future and more by the end of the century if greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions are not genuinely tempered. While the RCPs are indicative of various amounts of GHGs in the atmosphere the CMIPs are designed to improve the workings of the GCMs. We chose RCP4.5 which represented a medium GHG emission increase and CMIP5, the most recently completed CMIP phase. Combining this meteorological model with a biological counterpart model accounted for replication and survival of the snail intermediate host as well as maturation of the parasite stage inside the snail at different ambient temperatures. The potential geographical distribution of the three main schistosome species: Schistosoma japonicum, S. mansoni and S. haematobium was investigated with reference to their different transmission capabilities at the monthly mean temperature, the maximum temperature of the warmest month(s) and the minimum temperature of the coldest month(s). The set of six maps representing the predicted situations in 2021–2050 and 2071–2100 for each species mainly showed increased transmission areas for all three species but they also left room for potential shrinkages in certain areas.

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Counteracting Climate Science Politicization With Effective Frames and Imagery

Science Communication ◽

10.1177/1075547019834565 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 147-171 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Toby Bolsen ◽

Risa Palm ◽

Justin T. Kingsland

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Visual Imagery ◽

Climate Science ◽

Environmental Hazards ◽

Survey Experiment ◽

Present Evidence ◽

Cast Doubt ◽

Change Beliefs

Politicization of science occurs when the inherent uncertainty of science is emphasized to cast doubt on scientific consensus. Climate change has become particularly susceptible to this kind of politicization. In this article, we report the results of a survey experiment in which we manipulated text frames and visual imagery associated with two types of environmental hazards linked to climate change—sea level rise with associated flooding and increased heat levels with associated drought and wildfires. We present evidence that the use of visual imagery can counter the effects that science politicization has on climate change beliefs and behaviors.

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Holocene environmental change resets lichen surface dates on Recess Peak glacial deposits in the Sierra Nevada, California

Quaternary Research ◽

10.1016/j.yqres.2013.05.009 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 80 (2) ◽

pp. 180-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Louis A. Scuderi ◽

Peter J. Fawcett

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Environmental Change ◽

Sierra Nevada ◽

Radiocarbon Dating ◽

Late Holocene ◽

Tree Line ◽

Glacial Deposits ◽

Present Evidence ◽

Holocene Environmental Change ◽

Age Estimates

Development of an accurate chronology for glacial deposits in the Sierra Nevada has long been problematic given the lack of suitable organic material for radiocarbon dating. Lichenometry initially appeared promising as ages showed an increase from cirque headwalls to down-canyon moraines. However, while Recess Peak lichen age estimates range from 2 to 3 ka, recent work shows these deposits to be at least 10 ka older. Here, we present evidence for a late Holocene reset of Recess Peak lichen ages by significant post-depositional climate change. Following late-Pleistocene deposition of Recess Peak moraines, warming through the mid-Holocene allowed forests to advance into shallow basins eliminating local inverted tree lines. This produced a partial canopy where shading killed the original post-Pleistocene crustose lichen colonies. Late-Holocene cooling resulted in forest retreat from these basins as alpine tree line fell. Lichens then recolonized the re-exposed Recess Peak deposits. We conclude that while Recess Peak lichen ages are accurate to within the dating uncertainty of the technique, existing lichen ages actually date the timing of post-mid-Holocene cooling and recolonization, and not the original emplacement of these deposits. Thus, applications of Lichenometry should consider post-depositional environmental change when interpreting the meaning of these dates.

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Ancient bird stencils discovered in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia

Antiquity ◽

10.1017/s0003598x00066679 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 84 (324) ◽

pp. 416-427 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Paul S.C. Taçon ◽

Michelle Langley ◽

Sally K. May ◽

Ronald Lamilami ◽

Wayne Brennan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Rock Art ◽

Northern Territory ◽

Arnhem Land

The discovery of rare bird stencils from a unique Australian rock art complex is reported, the species they most closely resemble is discussed and their significance in terms of world rock art and climate change is highlighted.

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Responding to the Climate Crisis: The Importance of Virtual Conferencing Post-Pandemic

Collabra Psychology ◽

10.1525/collabra.17966 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lilia Rissman ◽

Cassandra Jacobs

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Intergovernmental Panel ◽

Environmentally Conscious ◽

Present Evidence ◽

Carbon Footprints ◽

Conference Attendance ◽

Virtual Experiences ◽

Climate Crisis ◽

A Current ◽

Behavior And Cognition

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought in-person academic conferences to a halt. A current pressing question among researchers in our field is whether we should return to the pre-pandemic conference model when travel is safe again. We present evidence suggesting that the answer is no. We surveyed 489 researchers studying human behavior and cognition about their pre-pandemic conference attendance, what they value in conferencing, and their attitudes toward solutions for making conferences more sustainable. We found that researchers’ average carbon footprints from conference travel are unsustainable in light of recommendations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We also found that researchers are positively inclined towards a variety of changes that would make conferences more sustainable. Given these results, it will be essential for future conference organizers to provide more sustainable and accessible options, including a virtual option for participation at every conference. For attendees to choose virtual formats, it will be important for conference organizers to provide virtual experiences that are as fulfilling as possible, changes which can also be applied to in-person conferencing. We envision a future of conferencing that is more productive, accessible, and environmentally conscious.

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Analysis of Impact of Aral Sea Catastrophe on Anomaly Climate Variables and Hydrological Processes

International Journal of Geoinformatics ◽

10.52939/ijg.v17i1.1711 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 65-74

Author(s):

T. Berdimbetov ◽

S. Nietullaeva ◽

A. Yegizbayeva

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Global Climate ◽

Aral Sea ◽

Hydrological Processes ◽

Time Interval ◽

Climate Data ◽

Ambient Temperatures ◽

The Difference ◽

Normal Trend ◽

The Impact

Since 1960, water level began to decline considerably due to anthropogenic impact of the Aral Sea (AS), and it is continued to this day, which has led to dramatic changes in the climate around the AS, including ambient temperatures and sharp increases in evapotranspiration. Although, it isn't possible to see normal trend in this precipitation. Time series analysis of the FTI (First Time Interval 1901-1960) and STI (Second Time Interval, 1960-2015), highlighting climate change around the AS, based on Global Climate Data, suggests that there is a significant negative difference between precipitation and evapotranspiration during the drying of the AS. It is possible to see the logical compatibility of the air temperature and difference between precipitation and evapotranspiration observed around the AS, i.e. the temperature fluctuation trend is positive and contrary to the difference between precipitation and evapotranspiration negative trend, which means that the annual hydrological budget was reduced according to the time scale. In this article, determining the AS as the central point, we analyze the changes in the thermal and hydrological processes observed on the AS, as well as the impact to the environment of anomalous climate change observed on and around the sea like the drying out of the AS.

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Remote Sensing Approach for Monitoring Coastal Wetland in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: Change Trends and Their Driving Forces

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13173359 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (17) ◽

pp. 3359

Author(s):

An T. N. Dang ◽

Lalit Kumar ◽

Michael Reid ◽

Ho Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Mekong Delta ◽

Forested Wetlands ◽

Rice Fields ◽

Shoreline Erosion ◽

Wetland Protection ◽

Mangrove Forests ◽

Aquaculture Ponds ◽

Coastal Lands

Coastal wetlands in the Mekong Delta (MD), Vietnam, provide various vital ecosystem services for the region. These wetlands have experienced critical changes due to the increase in regional anthropogenic activities, global climate change, and the associated sea level rise (SLR). However, documented information and research on the dynamics and drivers of these important wetland areas remain limited for the region. The present study aims to determine the long-term dynamics of wetlands in the south-west coast of the MD using remote sensing approaches, and analyse the potential factors driving these dynamics. Wetland maps from the years 1995, 2002, 2013, and 2020 at a 15 m spatial resolution were derived from Landsat images with the aid of a hybrid classification approach. The accuracy of the wetland maps was relatively high, with overall accuracies ranging from 86–93%. The findings showed that the critical changes over the period 1995/2020 included the expansion of marine water into coastal lands, showing 129% shoreline erosion; a remarkable increase of 345% in aquaculture ponds; and a reduction of forested wetlands and rice fields/other crops by 32% and 73%, respectively. Although mangrove forests slightly increased for the period 2013/2020, the overall trend was also a reduction of 5%. Our findings show that the substantial increase in aquaculture ponds is at the expense of mangroves, forested wetlands, and rice fields/other crops, while shoreline erosion significantly affected coastal lands, especially mangrove forests. The interaction of a set of environmental and socioeconomic factors were responsible for the dynamics. In particular, SLR was identified as one of the main underlying drivers; however, the rapid changes were directly driven by policies on land-use for economic development in the region. The trends of wetland changes and SLR implicate their significant effects on environment, natural resources, food security, and likelihood of communities in the region sustaining for the long-term. These findings can assist in developing and planning appropriate management strategies and policies for wetland protection and conservation, and for sustainable development in the region.

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The Shield Motif in Plains Rock Art

American Antiquity ◽

10.1017/s0002731600095147 ◽

1966 ◽

Vol 31 (5Part1) ◽

pp. 721-732 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

David Gebhard

Keyword(s):

Rock Art ◽

Late Prehistoric ◽

Late Period ◽

Northern Plains ◽

Southern Plains ◽

Present Evidence ◽

Mural Paintings ◽

Rock Paintings ◽

Lower Pecos ◽

Important Form

AbstractThe representation in the prehistoric and the early historic art of North America of circular shields or human figures whose torsos are depicted in the form of a shield provide a revealing indication of how widespread and complex was the diffusion of objects, ideas, and forms on the continent. Drawings of the shields and of shield figures are found in rock paintings and engravings, on paintings and skins, and on incised bark scattered throughout the continent. The origin of the motif is still in question, although present evidence would seem to point to central Mexico. The earliest examples north of the Rio Grande would appear to be in the rock paintings of the lower Pecos area of Texas. It next appears as an important form in the rock art of Utah which has been attributed to the Fremont Culture. From this latter area in late Prehistoric times, it apparently spread to the northern Plains, and thence into the central and southern Plains where it briefly became an element in the rock art and the mural paintings of the late Pueblo cultures. During this late period it also entered into the art of the region east of the Mississippi and into the rock art of the far western part of the continent.

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Effect of Climate Change on Mental Health

International Journal of Indian Psychology ◽

10.25215/0304.054 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Dr. Ratan P. Solanki

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Mental Health ◽

Adjustment Disorder ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Acculturation Stress ◽

Health Issues ◽

Ambient Temperatures ◽

Global Challenge ◽

The World ◽

Farmer Suicides

On 5th of June the entire world celebrated the World Environment Day (WED) WED is being celebrated every year since 1973.To involve people all over the world, a slogan has also been coined for this year’s WED. The slogan is: ‘Raise Your Voice Not the Sea Level.’ The idea is that there is need to raise voice against the ongoing climate change so that brake is applied to the raising global temperature. 23We all know that 2014 has been declared as the hottest year globally by the Meteorological department of United States of America. Climate change is a global challenge which is likely to affect the mankind in substantial ways. Not only climate change is expected to affect physical health, it is also likely to affect mental health. Increasing ambient temperatures is likely to increase rates of aggression and violent suicides, while prolonged droughts due to climate change can lead to more number of farmer suicides. Droughts otherwise can lead to impaired mental health and stress. Increased frequency of disasters with climate change can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder, and depression. Changes in climate and global warming may require population to migrate, which can lead to acculturation stress. It can also lead to increased rates of physical illnesses, which secondarily would be associated with psychological distress. The possible effects of mitigation measures on mental health are also discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of what can and should be done to tackle the expected mental health issues consequent to climate change.

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