A novel post-1950 CE atmospheric 14C record for the tropics using absolutely dated tree rings in the equatorial Amazon.

In this study, we present a comprehensive atmospheric radiocarbon (14C) record spanning from 1940 to 2016, derived from 77 single tree rings of Cedrela odorata located in the Eastern Amazon Basin (EAB). This record, comprising 175 high-precision 14C measurements obtained through accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), offers a detailed chronology of post-1950 CE (Common Era) 14C fluctuations in the Tropical Low-Pressure Belt (TLPB). To ensure accuracy and reliability, we included 14C-AMS results from intra-annual successive cuts of the tree rings associated to the calendar years 1962 and 1963 and conducted interlaboratory comparisons. In addition, 14C concentrations in 1962 and 1963 single-year cuts also allowed to verify tissue growth seasonality. The strategic location of the tree, just above the Amazon River and estuary areas, prevented the influence of local fossil-CO2 emissions from mining and trade activities in the Central Amazon Basin on the 14C record. Our findings reveal a notable increase in 14C from land-respired CO2 starting in the 1970s, a decade earlier than previously predicted, followed by a slight decrease after 2000, signaling a transition towards the fossil fuel era. This shift is likely attributed to changes in reservoir sources or global atmospheric dynamics. The EAB 14C record, when compared with a shorter record from Muna Island, Indonesia, highlights regional differences and contributes to a more nuanced understanding of global 14C variations at low latitudes. This study not only fills critical spatial gaps in existing 14C compilations but also aids in refining the demarcation of 14C variations over South America. The extended tree-ring 14C record from the EAB is pivotal for reevaluating global patterns, particularly in the context of the current global carbon budget, and underscores the importance of tropical regions in understanding carbon-climate feedbacks.

Climate influence on the 2019 fires in Amazonia.

Amazonia experienced unusually devastating fires in August 2019, leading to huge regional and global environmental and economic losses. The increase in fires has been largely attributed to anthropogenic deforestation, but anomalous climate conditions could also have contributed. This study investigates the climate influence on Amazonia fires in August 2019 and underlying mechanisms, based on statistical correlation and multiple linear regression analyses of 2001-2019 satellite-based fire products and multiple observational or reanalyzed climate datasets. Positive fire anomalies in August 2019 were mainly located in southern Amazonia. These anomalies were mainly driven by low precipitation and relative humidity, which increased fuel dryness and contributed to 38.9 ± 9.5% of the 2019 anomaly in pyrogenic carbon emissions over the southern Amazonia. The dry conditions were associated with southerly wind anomalies over southern Amazonia that suppressed the climatological southward transport of water vapor originating from the Atlantic. The southerly wind anomalies were caused by the combination of a Gill-type cyclonic response to the warmer North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST), and enhancement of the Walker and Hadley circulations over South America due to the colder SST in the eastern Pacific, and a mid-latitude wave train triggered by the warmer condition in the western Indian Ocean. Our study highlights, for the first time, the important role of Indian Ocean SST for fires in Amazonia. It also reveals how cold SST anomalies in the tropical eastern Pacific link the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the preceding December-January to the dry-season fires in Amazonia. Our findings can develop theoretical basis of global tropical SST-based fire prediction, and have potential to improve prediction skill of extreme fires in Amazonia and thus to take steps to mitigate their impacts which is urgency given that dry conditions led to the extreme fires are becoming common in Amazonia.

Radiocarbon bomb-peak signal in tree-rings from the tropical Andes register low latitude atmospheric dynamics in the Southern Hemisphere.

South American tropical climate is strongly related to the tropical low-pressure belt associated with the South American monsoon system. Despite its central societal role as a modulating agent of rainfall in tropical South America, its long-term dynamical variability is still poorly understood. Here we combine a new (and world's highest) tree-ring 14C record from the Altiplano plateau in the central Andes with other 14C records from the Southern Hemisphere during the second half of the 20th century in order to elucidate the latitudinal gradients associated with the dissemination of the bomb 14C signal. Our tree-ring 14C record faithfully captured the bomb signal of the 1960's with an excellent match to atmospheric 14C measured in New Zealand but with significant differences with a recent record from Southeast Brazil located at almost equal latitude. These results imply that the spreading of the bomb signal throughout the Southern Hemisphere was a complex process that depended on atmospheric dynamics and surface topography generating reversals on the expected north-south gradient in certain years. We applied air-parcel modeling based on climate data to disentangle their different geographical provenances and their preformed (reservoir affected) radiocarbon content. We found that air parcel trajectories arriving at the Altiplano during the bomb period were sourced i) from the boundary layer in contact with the Pacific Ocean (41%), ii) from the upper troposphere (air above the boundary layer, with no contact with oceanic or continental carbon reservoirs) (38%) and iii) from the Amazon basin (21%). Based on these results we estimated the ∆14C endmember values for the different carbon reservoirs affecting our record which suggest that the Amazon basin biospheric 14C isoflux could have been reversed from negative to positive as early as the beginning of the 1970's. This would imply a much faster carbon turnover rate in the Amazon than previously modelled.

Storyline description of Southern Hemisphere midlatitude circulation and precipitation response to greenhouse gas forcing.

As evidence of climate change strengthens, knowledge of its regional implications becomes an urgent need for decision making. Current understanding of regional precipitation changes is substantially limited by our understanding of the atmospheric circulation response to climate change, which to a high degree remains uncertain. This uncertainty is reflected in the wide spread in atmospheric circulation changes projected in multimodel ensembles, which cannot be directly interpreted in a probabilistic sense. The uncertainty can instead be represented by studying a discrete set of physically plausible storylines of atmospheric circulation changes. By mining CMIP5 model output, here we take this broader perspective and develop storylines for Southern Hemisphere (SH) midlatitude circulation changes, conditioned on the degree of global-mean warming, based on the climate responses of two remote drivers: the enhanced warming of the tropical upper troposphere and the strengthening of the stratospheric polar vortex. For the three continental domains in the SH, we analyse the precipitation changes under each storyline. To allow comparison with previous studies, we also link both circulation and precipitation changes with those of the Southern Annular Mode. Our results show that the response to tropical warming leads to a strengthening of the midlatitude westerly winds, whilst the response to a delayed breakdown (for DJF) or strengthening (for JJA) of the stratospheric vortex leads to a poleward shift of the westerly winds and the storm tracks. However, the circulation response is not zonally symmetric and the regional precipitation storylines for South America, South Africa, South of Australia and New Zealand exhibit quite specific dependencies on the two remote drivers, which are not well represented by changes in the Southern Annular Mode.

Estudio climatológico de los vientos para la ciudad de Bogotá en el periodo 2010 - 2016 / Climatological study of the winds for the city of Bogotá in the period 2010-2016 / Estudo climatológico dos ventos para a cidade de Bogotá no período de 2010 a 2016

Resumen En Colombia, hay una carencia en los estudios climatológicos del viento, ya que, los que existen actualmente no aplican técnicas estadísticas ni periodos representativos adecuados. Por consiguiente, el presente estudio analiza el comportamiento climatológico del viento en la ciudad de Bogotá, para el periodo 2010 a 2016, buscando describir estadística, espacial y vectorialmente esta variable climatológica. Para empezar se realizó un análisis estadístico del conjunto de datos, de la velocidad del viento, mediante el software Windographer©, utilizando las técnicas exploratorias para la distribución Weibull, describiendo así los parámetros estadísticos de las estaciones en las principales zonas de la ciudad. Del mismo modo, se elaboraron las rosas de los vientos por estación, con el software WRPLOT™; y para finalizar se realizó un mapa vectorial mediante el método de interpolación Co-Kriging utilizando el sistema de información geográfica ArcGis®. Observando que el régimen de circulación atmosférico en Bogotá está estrechamente relacionado con la presencia de los cerros orientales y con la predominancia de los vientos alisios; así mismo, se encontró que la mayor velocidad del viento se presenta al suroeste, y las magnitudes más débiles, al norte y en cercanía a los cerros orientales.

Abstract In Colombia, there is a lack in wind weather studies, since those that currently exist do not apply statistical techniques or adequate representative periods. Therefore, the present study analyzes the wind weather behavior in the city of Bogotá, for the period 2010 to 2016, seeking to describe this weather variable statistically spatially and vectorially. To begin with, a statistical analysis of the data set, of the wind speed, was performed using the Windographer© software, using the exploratory techniques for the Weibull distribution, thus describing the statistical parameters of the stations in the main areas of the city. Similarly wind roses were made per season, using the WRPLOT ™ software; and, finally, a vector map was made using the Co-Kriging interpolation method, using the ArcGis® geographic information system. Noting that the atmospheric circulation regime in Bogotá is closely related to the presence of the eastern hills and the predominance of trade winds; Likewise, it was found that the highest wind speed is presented to the southwest, and the weakest magnitudes, to the north and in proximity to the eastern hills.

Resumo Na Colômbia, há falta de estudos sobre o clima do vento, uma vez que os existentes atualmente não aplicam técnicas estatísticas ou períodos representativos adequados. Portanto, o presente estudo analisa o comportamento do clima eólico na cidade de Bogotá, no período de 2010 a 2016, buscando descrever esta variável climática de forma estatística, espacial e vetorial. Para começar foi realizada uma análise estatística do conjunto de dados, da velocidade do vento, utilizando o software Windographer©, utilizando as técnicas exploratórias para a distribuição de Weibull, descrevendo assim os parâmetros estatísticos das estacoes nas principais áreas da cidade. Da mesma forma, foram feitas rosas de vento por temporada, usando o software WRPLOT ™; e, finalmente, foi feito um mapa vetorial usando o método de interpolação Co-Kriging, usando o sistema de informação geográfica ArcGis®. Observando que o regime de circulação atmosférica em Bogotá está intimamente relacionado com a presença dos montes orientais e predominância de ventos alísios; da mesma forma, verificou-se que a maior velocidade do vento é apresentada na região sudeste, e as magnitudes mais fracas, ao norte e nas proximidades das colinas orientais.