Italian network of four permanent observatories: implementation of background data selection (BaDSfit) and 5-year analysis of the atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Trisolino ◽  
Alcide di Sarra ◽  
Damiano Sferlazzo ◽  
Salvatore Piacentino ◽  
Francesco Monteleone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Data Selection ◽  
Background Data ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

<p>The Mediterranean basin is considered a global hot-spot region for climate change and air-quality. CO<sub>2</sub> is the single most-important anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) in the atmosphere, accounting approximatively for ∼63% of the anthropogenic radiative forcing by long-lived GHG. According to Le Quérée et al. (2018), the increasing of the atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> mixing ratios in the global atmosphere is driven by fossil fuel and cement production.<br>In order to reduce GHG emissions and taking into account the needs for economy and society development, schemes of regulation and emission trading have been adopted at international, national, and city levels. The implementation of these regulation, to achieve the goal successfully, needs scientific evidence and information provided on consistent datasets. In the last year, efforts are dedicated to set up harmonized reference networks at difference scales (WMO/GAW, AGAGE, ICOS).<br>In this work, we analysed a set of continuous long-term measurements of CO<sub>2</sub> carried out at 4 atmospheric observatories in Italy belonging to the WMO/GAW network and spanning from the Alpine region to central Mediterranean Sea: Plateau Rosa (western Italian Alps, 3480 m a.s.l.), Mt. Cimone (northern Apennines, 2165 m a.s.l.), Capo Granitola (southern Sicily coastline) and Lampedusa Island. Mt. Cimone is also a “class-2” ICOS station, while Plateau Rosa and Lampedusa are in the labelling process. Starting time of GHG observations range from 1979 for Mt. Cimone to 2015 for Capo Granitola. Due to their different locations and ecosystems, they provide useful hints to investigate CO<sub>2</sub> variability on different latitudinal and altitudinal ranges in the Mediterranean basin and to study of natural and anthropogenic-related processes able to affect the observed variability.<br>The study addresses primarily differences in daily and seasonal cycles at the different sites, and implemented a procedure to identify background conditions called BaDSfit (Background Data Selection for Italian stations; Trisolino et al., submitted). This methodology was originally used at Plateau Rosa station (Apadula, 2019) and it is based on the Mauna Loa data selection method (Tans and Thoning, 2008). BaDSfit consist of three steps and an optimization of the procedure was carried out with a sensitivity study.  Marked differences among the daily cycles at the various sites exist. The effect of the data selection on the seasonal and diurnal cycle and long-term evolution is investigated. The BaDSfit lead to a more coherent diurnal and seasonal evolution of the different datasets, is able to identify background condition and allows the separation of local/regional scale from large scale phenomena in the CO<sub>2</sub> time series.</p>

scholarly journals Dust emission size distribution impact on aerosol budget and radiative forcing over the Mediterranean region: a regional climate model approach

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 10545-10567 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Nabat ◽  
F. Solmon ◽  
M. Mallet ◽  
J. F. Kok ◽  
S. Somot
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Dust Deposition ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Dust Distribution ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. The present study investigates the dust emission and load over the Mediterranean basin using the coupled chemistry–aerosol–regional climate model RegCM-4. The first step of this work focuses on dust particle emission size distribution modeling. We compare a parameterization in which the emission is based on the individual kinetic energy of the aggregates striking the surface to a recent parameterization based on an analogy with the fragmentation of brittle materials. The main difference between the two dust schemes concerns the mass proportion of fine aerosol that is reduced in the case of the new dust parameterization, with consequences for optical properties. At the episodic scale, comparisons between RegCM-4 simulations, satellite and ground-based data show a clear improvement using the new dust distribution in terms of aerosol optical depth (AOD) values and geographic gradients. These results are confirmed at the seasonal scale for the investigated year 2008. This change of dust distribution has sensitive impacts on the simulated regional dust budget, notably dry dust deposition and the regional direct aerosol radiative forcing over the Mediterranean basin. In particular, we find that the new size distribution produces a higher dust deposition flux, and smaller top of atmosphere (TOA) dust radiative cooling. A multi-annual simulation is finally carried out using the new dust distribution over the period 2000–2009. The average SW radiative forcing over the Mediterranean Sea reaches −13.6 W m−2 at the surface, and −5.5 W m−2 at TOA. The LW radiative forcing is positive over the basin: 1.7 W m−2 on average over the Mediterranean Sea at the surface, and 0.6 W m−2 at TOA.

scholarly journals A modelling study of photochemical regimes over Europe: robustness and variability

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1521-1560 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Beekmann ◽  
R. Vautard
Keyword(s):  
Model Uncertainty ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Relative Sensitivity ◽  
Time Variability ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
North Western ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. The variability of the relative sensitivity to volatile organic compounds (VOC) or NOx emissions, the chemical regime, over Europe during summers 2001 to 2003 is simulated with a regional scale transport-chemistry model. The robustness of chemical regimes is shown. A VOC sensitive regime over North-Western Europe and a mainly NOx sensitive regime over the Mediterranean basin and Eastern Europe are found, confirming earlier published results. The chemical regime time variability, its robustness to several environmental factors (seasonality, interannual variability) and to model uncertainty are thoroughly analysed. The chemical regime spatial structure only slightly depends on the ozone target considered (daily ozone maximum or AOT40, SOMO35, ...). Differences between particular years and summer months are weak. Day to day variability is significant but does not change the occurrence of one or another chemical regime over North-Western Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Expected decreases in anthropogenic NOx emissions over Europe since the last and for the next few decades have shifted and will shift chemical regimes to more NOx sensitive. The predictive and explanatory use of chemical regime indicator species is also investigated. For all cases but near ship tracks over the Mediterranean basin, the spatial pattern of chemical regimes appears to be robust with respect to model uncertainty.

scholarly journals Evidence for long‐term prevalence of cucumber vein yellowing virus in Sudan and genetic variation of the virus in Sudan and the Mediterranean Basin

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 1268-1275 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Desbiez ◽  
P. Caciagli ◽  
C. Wipf‐Scheibel ◽  
P. Millot ◽  
L. Ruiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Yellowing Virus

scholarly journals The origin and spread of olive cultivation in the Mediterranean Basin: The fossil pollen evidence

The Holocene ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 902-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dafna Langgut ◽  
Rachid Cheddadi ◽  
Josѐ Sebastián Carrión ◽  
Mark Cavanagh ◽  
Daniele Colombaroli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fossil Pollen ◽  
Southern Levant ◽  
Secondary Products ◽  
Early Management ◽  
Olive Cultivation ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Pollen Records

Olive ( Olea europaea L.) was one of the most important fruit trees in the ancient Mediterranean region and a founder species of horticulture in the Mediterranean Basin. Different views have been expressed regarding the geographical origins and timing of olive cultivation. Since genetic studies and macro-botanical remains point in different directions, we turn to another proxy – the palynological evidence. This study uses pollen records to shed new light on the history of olive cultivation and large-scale olive management. We employ a fossil pollen dataset composed of high-resolution pollen records obtained across the Mediterranean Basin covering most of the Holocene. Human activity is indicated when Olea pollen percentages rise fairly suddenly, are not accompanied by an increase of other Mediterranean sclerophyllous trees, and when the rise occurs in combination with consistent archaeological and archaeobotanical evidence. Based on these criteria, our results show that the southern Levant served as the locus of primary olive cultivation as early as ~6500 years BP (yBP), and that a later, early/mid 6th millennium BP cultivation process occurred in the Aegean (Crete) – whether as an independent large-scale management event or as a result of knowledge and/or seedling transfer from the southern Levant. Thus, the early management of olive trees corresponds to the establishment of the Mediterranean village economy and the completion of the ‘secondary products revolution’, rather than urbanization or state formation. From these two areas of origin, the southern Levant and the Aegean olive cultivation spread across the Mediterranean, with the beginning of olive horticulture in the northern Levant dated to ~4800 yBP. In Anatolia, large-scale olive horticulture was palynologically recorded by ~3200 yBP, in mainland Italy at ~3400 yBP, and in the Iberian Peninsula at mid/late 3rd millennium BP.

Large scale moisture flux characteristics of the mediterranean basin and their relationships with drier and wetter climate conditions

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 3381-3401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sinan Şahin ◽  
Murat Türkeş ◽  
Sheng-Hung Wang ◽  
David Hannah ◽  
Warren Eastwood
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Moisture Flux ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

scholarly journals Hot spot maps of forest presence in the Mediterranean basin

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 766-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Noce ◽  
A Collalti ◽  
R Valentini ◽  
M Santini
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Increasing compound warm spells and droughts during the growing season in the Mediterranean Basin

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Vogel ◽  
Eva Paton
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Drought Indices ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Daily Maximum ◽  
Standardised Precipitation Index ◽  
Compound Events ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

<p>The Mediterranean Basin is known as a hot spot of climate change and therefore especially prone to increasing frequencies of warm spells and droughts. Investigating these events in isolation neglects their interactions, which illustrates the need to account for such compound events in a holistic manner. We analysed during which months the frequency of compound warm spells and droughts increased most over the 40-year period from 1979 – 2018. Warm spells and droughts were detected using daily maximum air temperature, precipitation and potential evaporation data from ERA 5. The two drought indices Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) were calculated.</p><p>Our results show the number of compound events increases substantially for almost the entire Mediterranean indicating that novel climatic conditions are occurring. The increases in compound events are predominantly driven by the rising number of warm spells, whereas SPI droughts remain almost constant. However, the rising temperatures lead to higher evapotranspiration, which alters the water balance in the Mediterranean. Therefore, the SPEI droughts shows significant increases in contrast to the SPI, indicating that even though the amount of precipitation does not decrease, the Mediterranean Basin is likely facing drier conditions due to increasing evapotranspiration. The highest changes in the number of compound warm spells and droughts occur in the time span from late winter to early summer. This finding is particularly relevant for Mediterranean ecosystems because this period encompasses the main growing season, and therefore ecosystem productivity and carbon sequestration might be reduced.</p>

scholarly journals Long-Term Yields of Switchgrass, Giant Reed, and Miscanthus in the Mediterranean Basin

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1492-1499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efthymia Alexopoulou ◽  
Federica Zanetti ◽  
Danilo Scordia ◽  
Walter Zegada-Lizarazu ◽  
Myrsini Christou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Giant Reed ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

scholarly journals The Iberian Peninsula’s Burning Heart—Long-Term Fire History in the Toledo Mountains (Central Spain)

Fire ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Luelmo-Lautenschlaeger ◽  
Blarquez ◽  
Pérez-Díaz ◽  
Morales-Molino ◽  
López-Sáez
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Nature Management ◽  
Central Spain ◽  
Fire Activity ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
In Fire ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Long-term fire ecology can help to better understand the major role played by fire in driving vegetation composition and structure over decadal to millennial timescales, along with climate change and human agency, especially in fire-prone areas such as the Mediterranean basin. Investigating past ecosystem dynamics in response to changing fire activity, climate, and land use, and how these landscape drivers interact in the long-term is needed for efficient nature management, protection, and restoration. The Toledo Mountains of central Spain are a mid-elevation mountain complex with scarce current anthropic intervention located on the westernmost edge of the Mediterranean basin. These features provide a perfect setting to study patterns of late Holocene fire activity and landscape transformation. Here, we have combined macroscopic charcoal analysis with palynological data in three peat sequences (El Perro, Brezoso, and Viñuelas mires) to reconstruct fire regimes during recent millennia and their linkages to changes in vegetation, land use, and climatic conditions. During a first phase (5000–3000 cal. BP) characterized by mixed oak woodlands and low anthropogenic impact, climate exerted an evident influence over fire regimes. Later, the data show two phases of increasing human influence dated at 3000–500 cal. BP and 500 cal. BP–present, which translated into significant changes in fire regimes increasingly driven by human activity. These results contribute to prove how fire regimes have changed along with human societies, being more related to land use and less dependent on climatic cycles.

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