Nonlinear effects of agricultural drought on vegetation productivity in the Yellow River Basin, China.

Agricultural drought (AD) is the main environmental factor affecting vegetation productivity (VP) in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). In recent years, the nonlinear effects of AD on VP in the YRB have attracted much attention. However, it is still unclear whether fluctuating AD will have complex nonlinear effects on VP in the YRB, and there are scant previous studies at large scale on whether there is a threshold for nonlinear effects of AD on VP in the YRB.

Changes in aerosol properties at the El Arenosillo site in Southern Europe as a result of the 2023 Canadian forest fires.

From the beginning of May 2023 to the end of August 2023, the Northern Hemisphere experienced significant wildfire activity with the most widespread fires occurring in Canada. Forest fires in Canada destroyed more than 15.6 million hectares of forests.

Greenhouse gas emissions and reduction strategies for the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters.

In the context of climate change, it is crucial to examine the contributions of leading countries in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This research provides an overview of global GHG emissions from 1970 to 2022 for the world's most polluting countries: the United States, China, India, Russia, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, Iran, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. These countries collectively account for approximately 64% of GHG emissions.

Greenhouse gases emissions and global climate change: Examining the influence of CO, CH, and NO.

An in-depth analysis of the role of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in climate change is examined here along with their diverse sources, including the combustion of fossil fuels, agriculture, and industrial processes. Key GHG components such as carbon dioxide (CO), methane (CH), and nitrous oxide (NO) are considered, along with data on emissions across various economic sectors. The consequences of climate change are also highlighted, ranging from more frequent and intense extreme weather events to rising sea levels and impacts on ecosystems and human health.

Spatiotemporal evolution of agricultural drought and its attribution under different climate zones and vegetation types in the Yellow River Basin of China.

Ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin (YRB) are major national strategies in China. Agricultural drought (AD) is one of the most important stress factors of the ecological security of the YRB. Currently, there is a lack of exploration of the spatiotemporal evolution of AD in the YRB under different climatic zones and vegetation types, and the mechanisms by the driving factors influence AD remain unclear.

NO emissions from oil refineries in the Mississippi Delta.

Of the >17,943 thousand barrels per calendar day (bbl/d) of oil refining capacity located in the US, the Petroleum Administration for Defense District 3 (PADD-3) region has the largest number of refineries and accounts for >53 % (or 9607 tbbl/d) of all US oil refining capacity. Processing facilities in this area are mainly located on the Gulf of Mexico coast in Texas and Louisiana. This study selected a sub-region for analysis within the Mississippi River delta in the state of Louisiana between the cities of New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Measuring air pollution from the 2021 Canary Islands volcanic eruption.

The eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain) began on September 19, 2021 and ended on December 13, 2021. It lasted continuously for 85 days with short periods of calm when lava did not exit the cone of the volcano. Vast amounts of volcanic material, including ash and gases, were emitted into the environment.

Deterioration of air quality associated with the 2020 US wildfires.

The wildfires of August and September 2020 in the western part of the United States were characterized by an unparalleled duration and wide geographical coverage. A particular consequence of massive wildfires includes serious health effects due to short and long-term exposure to poor air quality. Using a variety of data sources including aerosol optical depth (AOD) and ultraviolet aerosol index (UVAI), obtained with the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) and Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), combined with meteorological information from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and other supporting data, the impact of wildfires on air quality is examined in the three western US states, California, Oregon, and Washington, and areas to the east.

Characteristics of the severe March 2021 Gobi Desert dust storm and its impact on air pollution in China.

A dust storm that formed in the north of China and the southeastern part of Mongolia in March 2021 significantly deteriorated air quality over a large area of East Asia. According to the synoptic pattern, the cause of the dust storm was a cyclone with a significant drop in pressure leading to high winds and dry components of the soil over parts of the Gobi Desert becoming airborne. Data obtained from ground-based air quality monitoring stations show that the observed hourly PM concentration greatly exceeded the recommended maximum of 150 μg/m with readings above 1500 μg/m in the cities of Tianjin, Baoding, Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Zhoukou.

Impact of Covid-19 lockdown on air quality in the Poland, Eastern Europe.

The first case of COVID-19 in Poland was registered on 4 March 2020. Governmental measures significantly restricted social and economic activities. This study investigates the impact on air quality resulting from the preventive measures taken by the government to manage Covid-19.

Spatial distribution and temporal variation of atmospheric pollution in the South Gobi Desert, China, during 2016-2019.

The rapid pace of economic growth and urbanization in China affects both large and small cities of the country, causing an increase of pollutant concentrations in the air. The South Gobi is one of the main deserts and semidesert regions of the country; therefore, the study of air pollution near the potential source of natural aerosols is of great importance. Data obtained in the period from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2019 was used to analyze spatial-temporal characteristics of atmospheric pollutants (PM, PM, SO, NO, and CO) in eight cities.

Author Correction: Combined use of satellite and surface observations to study aerosol optical depth in different regions of China.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Combined use of satellite and surface observations to study aerosol optical depth in different regions of China.

Aerosol optical depth (AOD) is one of essential atmosphere parameters for climate change assessment as well as for total ecological situation study. This study presents long-term data (2000-2017) on time-space distribution and trends in AOD over various ecological regions of China, received from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (combined Dark Target and Deep Blue) and Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR), based on satellite Terra. Ground-based stations Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) were used to validate the data obtained.