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Climate R&D - 2022 Year in Review

Explore summaries of research highlights from 2022

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The Glacier - Climate Connection

The story of the U.S. Geological Survey Benchmark Glacier Project, one of the longest running studies of glaciers on Earth

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Featured Story:

A Disappearing Act in Alaska

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News Release:

Fossilized Footprints Reveal Human Habitation of North America Thousands of Years Earlier than Previously Thought

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The National Climate Change Viewer (NCCV)

A tool that helps land managers and decision makers plan for climate change

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Paleoclimate Research

Lessons from the Past, Roadmap for the Future

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Climate Research and Development Program

The Climate Research and Development (Climate R&D) Program strives to advance the understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological components of the Earth system, the causes and consequences of climate and land use change, and the vulnerability and resilience of the Earth system to such changes.

Earth Science Matters Newsletter

Lassiter Swamp, North Carolina
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Climate history, land cover and land surface data and models are vital for assessing the impacts of climate change, evaluating ecosystem status and health, understanding spatial patterns of biodiversity, and informing land use planning. 

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R/V Pelican Research Cruise with Dr. Julie Richey and Caitlin Reynolds from the Climate R&D Program

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Research to Inform Planning and Implementation of Nature-based Solutions

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Climate R&D - 2022 Year in Review

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Publications

An aridity threshold model of fire sizes and annual area burned in extensively forested ecoregions of the western USA

Wildfire occurrence varies among regions and through time due to the long-term impacts of climate on fuel structure and short-term impacts on fuel flammability. Identifying the climatic conditions that trigger extensive fire years at regional scales can enable development of area burned models that are both spatially and temporally robust, which is crucial for understanding the impacts of past and
By
Ecosystems, Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Assessing the seasonal evolution of snow depth spatial variability and scaling in complex mountain terrain

Dynamic natural processes govern snow distribution in mountainous environments throughout the world. Interactions between these different processes create spatially variable patterns of snow depth across a landscape. Variations in accumulation and redistribution occur at a variety of spatial scales, which are well established for moderate mountain terrain. However, spatial patterns of snow depth v
By
Ecosystems, Climate Research and Development Program, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Marshes and mangroves as nature-based coastal storm buffers

Tidal marshes and mangroves are increasingly valued for nature-based mitigation of coastal storm impacts, such as flooding and shoreline erosion hazards, which are growing due to global change. As this review highlights, however, hazard mitigation by tidal wetlands is limited to certain conditions, and not all hazards are equally reduced. Tidal wetlands are effective in attenuating short-period st
By
Ecosystems, Climate Research and Development Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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Bear Lake, Colorado

Did we start the fire? Climate, Fire and Humans

The past decade encompasses some of the most extensive fire activity in recorded history. An area the size of Vermont (~24,000 km2) burned in a single Siberian fire in the summer of 2019 (Kehrwald et al., 2020 and references therein) while Australia, Indonesia and the Amazon have all experienced their most intense fires in recorded history (van Wees et al, 2021 and references therein). As more...
By
Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
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Did we start the fire? Climate, Fire and Humans

The past decade encompasses some of the most extensive fire activity in recorded history. An area the size of Vermont (~24,000 km2) burned in a single Siberian fire in the summer of 2019 (Kehrwald et al., 2020 and references therein) while Australia, Indonesia and the Amazon have all experienced their most intense fires in recorded history (van Wees et al, 2021 and references therein). As more...
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patch of burned conifers in California

Response of plant, microbial, and soil functions to drought and fire in California

California is experiencing changes in precipitation and wildfire regimes. Longer, hotter fire seasons along with extremes in precipitation are expected to continue. Not only do these disturbances affect the productivity and resilience of ecosystems, they also directly impact human health and wellbeing. Soils hold an immense amount of our terrestrial carbon pool, and the microorganisms and minerals...
By
Climate Research and Development Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
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Response of plant, microbial, and soil functions to drought and fire in California

California is experiencing changes in precipitation and wildfire regimes. Longer, hotter fire seasons along with extremes in precipitation are expected to continue. Not only do these disturbances affect the productivity and resilience of ecosystems, they also directly impact human health and wellbeing. Soils hold an immense amount of our terrestrial carbon pool, and the microorganisms and minerals...
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South Cascade Glacier, northwestern Washington State

Glaciers and Climate Project

Mountain glaciers are dynamic reservoirs of frozen water closely coupled to ecosystems and climate. Glacier change in North America has major socioeconomic impacts, including global sea level change, tourism disruption, natural hazard risk, fishery effects, and water resource alteration. Understanding and quantifying precise connections between glaciers and climate is critical to decision makers...
By
Climate Research and Development Program, Alaska Science Center
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Glaciers and Climate Project

Mountain glaciers are dynamic reservoirs of frozen water closely coupled to ecosystems and climate. Glacier change in North America has major socioeconomic impacts, including global sea level change, tourism disruption, natural hazard risk, fishery effects, and water resource alteration. Understanding and quantifying precise connections between glaciers and climate is critical to decision makers...
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