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Located in the central part of the Western Antarctic Peninsula, the Argentine Islands-Kyiv Peninsula region is a hotspot of moss diversity, with 51 species and one variety currently known. However, no studies have specifically addressed the distribution of rare mosses in this region. Applying the only definition of moss rarity currently available for Antarctica, we identify very rare (one to two unique occurrences) and rare (three to five unique occurrences) moss species in the region and present a biogeographical analysis of their spatial distribution with corresponding maps, based on a comprehensive synthesis of archival published occurrence data. Of the 51 recorded species, 23 were classified as locally very rare or rare. Cape Tuxen, Galindez Island, Darboux Island and Cape Pérez hosted the highest concentrations of rare moss diversity, with eight, seven, seven and six species, respectively. Five rare species were recorded at Petermann Island, four at Booth and Lahille islands and three each at Diorite, ‘Eight’ and Uruguay islands. Additionally, several locations hosted species with unique characteristics, including their only known occurrence in the Antarctic Peninsula or at their known range edge. Very rare and rare species assemblages showed only partial overlap among sites: the four most species-rich sites shared several taxa, but no species occurred at all sites. Uruguay, Diorite and ‘Eight’ islands together represented a full moss species pool of the four most species-rich sites. In addition, some sites supported distinct species not recorded elsewhere in the region. Notwithstanding the limitations of the available survey data, these findings highlight the regional significance of the Argentine Islands-Kyiv Peninsula region within the Western Antarctic Peninsula for moss diversity in terms of the recognized criteria required for developing proposals for formal protection under the Antarctic Treaty.
Rapid warming of the Arctic has accelerated the mass loss of snow and ice. The glacier equilibrium line altitude (ELA) is a suitable location for monitoring the surface energy balance (SEB) and surface mass balance (SMB). This study presents SEB and SMB variations during 2012–2022 around the ELA on the Qaanaaq Ice Cap in northwest Greenland. The SMB was analyzed using SEB analysis and the surface height change method (SHM) with in situ meteorological data. Results revealed that the most significant surface melt occurred in the summers of 2019 (1058 and 1191 mm w.e. a−1) and 2015 (974 and 731 mm w.e. a−1) for the SEB and SHM, respectively. Additionally, the primary energy contributing to the surface melt in 2014/15 was net shortwave radiation caused by snow/ice albedo feedback, whereas in 2018/19, it was not only shortwave radiation but also increased downward longwave radiation from warm cloud cover. Furthermore, the cumulative SMB over the decade (2012–2022) is slightly positive, with a value of +0.26 and +0.28 m w.e., for the SEB and SHM, respectively. The results on the amplification of the SEB and SMB around the ELA provide valuable insights into monitoring environmental changes in the Arctic.
Coastal fisheries are central to Pacific Island nutrition, livelihoods and cultural identity, yet growing microplastic contamination threatens food security and public health. This study integrates fishers’ knowledge of locally important coastal fish species with empirical measurements of microplastic loads to identify priority taxa for monitoring across Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Interviews with 110 fishers documented commonly caught species, and the number of times each taxon was reported was calculated. Family-level catch data and mean microplastic loads were each standardised between 0 and 1 to generate Catch and Microplastic Scores, which were multiplied to create an Exposure Index reflecting both social relevance and contamination levels. Regionally, Lethrinidae and Scombridae had the highest Exposure Index values, while Acanthuridae, Lutjanidae, Scaridae and Serranidae emerged as country-specific priorities. Gendered fishing patterns revealed differences in catch, influencing potential exposure pathways and highlighting the need for gender-disaggregated data in future assessments. This approach of combining local knowledge with contamination studies offers a replicable, regionally-grounded method for identifying key indicator species for future microplastic monitoring. Species within the Lethrinidae family, particularly Lethrinus harak, stand out as regional priorities because of their importance to subsistence and artisanal fisheries, exposure to microplastics and consistent occurrence across the region.
Four new Pleistocene track-bearing aeolianite surfaces have been identified on South Africa’s Cape south coast, each portraying evidence of tortoise tracks. Together, they add to and buttress previous reports of tortoise tracks and trackways from the region. Globally, this remains the only area from which fossilized tortoise tracks have been recorded, and for the first time we illustrate the preservation of typical tortoise trackway morphology (involving a ‘tramline’ pattern with a wide straddle and closely spaced tracks), as observed in the trackways of extant tortoises. One site provides further evidence for the inferred presence of a very large tortoise trackmaker from the region during the Pleistocene. This tortoise was substantially larger than the largest extant tortoises in southern Africa, which bolsters the inference of either an extinct very large tortoise or a large chrono-subspecies of the extant leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis). The mismatch between the body fossil record and trace fossil record with respect to the presence of large tortoises in the southern Cape persists. One trackway was probably registered by a smaller leopard tortoise, and the other trackways may have been registered by an angulate tortoise (Chersina angulata).
Bubble flows from underwater orifices are fundamental to gas–liquid operations, although the influence of orifice geometry on bubble dynamics and induced flows remains underexplored. Shadowgraphy and laser-induced fluorescence particle image velocimetry are employed to investigate bubbles released into a quiescent liquid from circular and elliptical orifices with aspect ratios AR = 1–4. Elliptical orifices produce smaller bubbles with higher aspect ratios and greater morphological complexity. These features result from anisotropic contact angles along the orifice edge, which induce non-uniform capillary forces and strong deformation at detachment. This mechanism drives high-amplitude zigzag trajectories, distinct from the spiral paths observed with circular orifices. A force-budget analysis attributes the enhanced lateral drift to rotation-induced forces. In the wake, circular orifices sustain coherent counter-rotating vortices, whereas elliptical orifices promote irregular shedding and multiscale structures. The induced turbulence spectra follow an approximate $-2$ scaling. Furthermore, flows from elliptical orifices exhibit a higher fractal dimension of the turbulent/non-turbulent interface and stronger entrainment, with a marked increase in the engulfment flux. These results quantify the mechanisms by which orifice geometry determines bubble dynamics and the developing flow field.
Stable carbon isotopes in Holocene soils provide key insights into past climate and ecosystems. This study presents high-resolution isotope analyses of pedogenic carbonates and organic carbon from modern loess-derived soils in northern Iran across a strong precipitation gradient (150–850 mm mean annual precipitation [MAP]). Eight soil profiles span five soil orders: Alfisols, Mollisols, Inceptisols, Aridisols, and Entisols. The mean δ13Cpc values show strong linear relationships with MAP (δ13Cpc = −0.0093 × MAP + 1.8878; R2 = 0.98) and with the ratio of precipitation to potential evapotranspiration, P/PET (δ13Cpc = −8.6842 × P/PET + 1.608; R2 = 0.99), indicating that δ13Cpc reliably reflects moisture availability during carbonate formation. Values range from −6.2‰ in wetter sites to −0.1‰ in dry areas, reflecting changes in soil respiration and CO₂ flux. δ13Coc values (−25.6‰ to −23.3‰) indicate dominant C₃ vegetation and exhibit a bimodal response to precipitation, increasing from arid to semiarid zones and decreasing in wetter forests. Oxygen isotopes in carbonate (δ1⁸Opc = −7.9‰ to −6.6‰) show limited climate sensitivity, reflecting precipitation mainly from the Caspian Sea with minimal evaporative enrichment. Overall, δ13Cpc, δ13Coc, and δ1⁸Opc provide robust proxies for soil moisture, vegetation structure, and water sources, supporting paleoenvironmental reconstruction in loess systems.
We investigate the three-dimensional responses of a floating ice sheet on an ideal fluid subjected to moving loads. This study considers the effects of nonlinearity, viscoelasticity and inertia. We develop a fully dispersive model that incorporates quadratic and cubic nonlinearities by using the Taylor expansion of the Dirichlet–Neumann operator within the boundary conditions; we refer to this model as the cubic model. By using the multiple-scale expansion method at the minimum phase speed, we derive the corresponding envelope equation, known as the Benney–Roskes–Davey–Stewartson (BRDS) system. We also examine the bifurcation diagrams of solitary waves within the cubic model and justify it by comparing the bifurcation mechanism to the BRDS theory. Through numerical simulations, we compare the predictions of the cubic model with previous field observations and find strong agreement, confirming its effectiveness. Furthermore, we explore how the ice sheet responds to moving loads at varying velocities. Our findings indicate that both acceleration and deceleration processes increase ice deflection when the target or initial speed of the load exceeds the minimum phase speed. Finally, we verify the reliability of the cubic model in addressing scenarios involving variable load speeds through comparisons with the analytical solution derived from linear theory.
The orientation dynamics of a spheroidal magnetic particle in a viscous fluid subject to a rotating magnetic field is analysed for realistic two-parameter models for the magnetic moment. It is shown that the equations can be mapped onto those for a spherical magnetic particle in a steady magnetic field subject to shear flow. Time evolution equations for the azimuthal and meridional angles of the orientation vector are derived from the condition that the sum of the hydrodynamic and magnetic torques is zero in the viscous limit. One parameter is $\omega ^{\dagger}$, the ratio of the magnetic field frequency and the particle viscous relaxation rate. For the non-hysteretic Langevin model, the second parameter is the ratio of the saturation moment $m_s$ and the susceptibility $\chi$ times the magnetic field $H,\!(m_s/\chi\! H)$. There is parallel corotation of the particle with the field for $\omega ^{\dagger} \lt \omega _b^{\dagger}$, and parallel slip relative to the magnetic field for high $\omega ^{\dagger} \gt \omega _b^{\dagger}$, where $\omega _b^{\dagger}$ is the breakdown frequency. For the hysteretic Stoner–Wohlfarth model, the second parameter is $h$, the ratio of the Zeeman energy and the anisotropy energy due to the misalignment between the moment and the particle axis. There are three states, parallel corotation for low $\omega ^{\dagger}$, precessed corotation for high $\omega ^{\dagger}$ and low $h$, where the orientation precesses relative to the axis of rotation of the magnetic field, and parallel slip at high $\omega ^{\dagger}$ and high $h$.
We propose a novel machine-learning-based turbulence closure framework in which a tensor basis neural network (TBNN) is directly embedded into a Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) formulation, eliminating reliance on traditional baseline turbulence models. The TBNN is trained to predict the Reynolds stress anisotropic tensor from local invariant inputs and geometry-informed features, including stream function and velocity potential. Its output is processed by a regression model that generates an optimised eddy viscosity field, which is then integrated into the RANS equations as a zero-equation turbulence closure. The framework is evaluated on three turbulent flows over complex geometries: a wavy-bottom channel, a smoothed step and a backward-facing step. Incorporating geometry-informed features significantly enhances model robustness, yielding numerically stable and convergent solutions across all cases. The predicted velocity fields and turbulence distributions closely match large eddy simulation (LES) data, confirming the accuracy of the proposed approach and demonstrating its ability to operate independently of conventional turbulence closures.
The new mineral, babunaite-(Nd) NdAsO4, was discovered in metasomatic rocks of the Mixed Series near the Nežilovo village in Northern Macedonia. These rocks are characterised by an unusual occurrence of Pb-Zn oxide ore mineralisation. This area forms part of the high-grade metamorphic region of the Upper Precambrian Pelagonian massif. Babunaite-(Nd) is an accessory mineral in pink schists, which mainly consists of Mn-bearing muscovite and quartz, with minor braunite. Accessory minerals are hematite, gahnite, almeidaite, långbanite, zircon, piemontite and piemontite-(Pb), nežilovite, Sb-bearing rutile, fluorapatite, As-bearing fluorapatite, gasparite-(La), chernovite-(Y), arsenoflorencite-(La). Babunaite-(Nd) forms single crystals measuring up to 70 μm in size. The transparent crystals exhibit an adamantine lustre and a pale-yellow colour. The microhardness of babunaite-(Nd) is VHN25 = 578(21) kg/mm2, equivalent to a hardness of 5 on the Mohs scale. The mineral is brittle and does not exhibit cleavage. The mean composition of the holotype crystal is as follows: (Nd3+0.39Ca0.14Th0.09Pr3+0.08La0.07Sm3+0.06Y0.06Gd0.05Ce3+0.02Eu3+0.01)Σ0.97(As5+0.95W6+0.05V5+0.01)Σ1.02O4. The calculated density is 5.918 g·cm–3. Babunaite-(Nd), with the general crystal chemical formula ABO4, has a scheelite-type structure and crystallises in the tetragonal I41/a space group: a = 5.1363(2) Å, c = 11.5764(8) Å, V = 305.41(3) Å3 and Z = 4. The main bands at 190, 348, 440 and 833 cm–1 are distinguished in the Raman spectrum of babunaite-(Nd). A synthetic analogue of babunaite-(Nd) is known, which forms under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions of 11 GPa and 1100–1300°C. The genesis of the Mixed Series rocks occurred under metamorphic conditions approaching the parameters of the kyanite–graphite subfacies, at which gasparite-(Nd) with the monazite structure should form. The formation of babunaite-(Nd) is associated with the stabilisation of its structure by a tungsten (W) impurity. It is the first arsenate phase containing rare earth elements (REE) in the scheelite group.
We report the first streamwise-localised travelling-wave solution in square-duct flow that acts as an edge state in the full phase space, without any imposed spatial symmetries. Performing edge tracking and Newton iteration, we identify a steady travelling wave that possesses a codimension-one stable manifold, which (at least locally) forms the boundary between the basins of laminar and turbulent attractors. Parametric continuation identifies this solution as the lower branch of a saddle-node bifurcation pair. Perturbation analysis places both solutions on the laminar–turbulent boundary and uncovers a heteroclinic connection that links the two branches and is likewise confined to the basin boundary. This symmetry-free, localised edge state expands the catalogue of invariant solutions in wall-bounded shear flows and provides a geometric framework for understanding the transition dynamics in extended systems.
We derive the asymptotic solution for the onset of steady, linear, Boussinesq convection in a rapidly rotating system with stress-free, fixed-flux boundary conditions. While the fixed-temperature (FT) case is attainable analytically with relative ease, the fixed-flux (FF) configuration presents greater complexity. However, in the rapidly rotating limit, the leading-order interior solution remains unaffected by the choice of thermal boundary conditions. We exploit this property by employing an asymptotic approach to characterise the differences between the FT and FF systems. Specifically, this involves constructing a composite boundary layer structure comprising an Ekman layer of thickness $ {\textit{Ta}}^{-1/4}$, where $ \textit{Ta}$ is the Taylor number ($ \textit{Ta} \gg 1$ for rapid rotation), and a thermal boundary layer of thickness $ {\textit{Ta}}^{-1/6}$, to accommodate the FF boundary condition. To capture both scales systematically, we introduce the small parameter ${\varepsilon } = {\textit{Ta}}^{-1/12}$, representing the ratio between the two boundary layer thicknesses, and use it to guide the asymptotic expansion. The asymptotic corrections capturing the differences between the two systems are combined with the FT system to construct the corresponding solution for the FF system. We find an asymptotic correction of ${\mathcal{O}} ( {\textit{Ta}}^{-1/2} )$ to the critical Rayleigh number, corresponding wavenumber, vertical velocity and temperature, along with a correction of ${\mathcal{O}} ( {\textit{Ta}}^{-1/6} )$ to the vertical vorticity.
Efforts to tackle climate change are increasingly delayed not through denial but through subtler arguments that emphasize costs, shift blame, or promote weak solutions. We created a tool to measure how much individuals agree with these ‘climate delay’ narratives. Across two studies conducted in Germany, we found that people who endorse these views are less likely to support climate-friendly behaviors or policies. Understanding and countering these arguments could help build public support for stronger climate action.
Technical summary
Opponents of climate action have shifted from outright denial of climate change to strategies that delay mitigation efforts. The framework for discourses of climate delay (DOCD) identified 12 distinct discourses, categorizing them into four broader themes: emphasize the downsides, redirect responsibility, surrender, and push for non-transformative solutions. These discourses frequently appear in advertisements, media coverage, and political debates. However, no validated questionnaire exists to measure agreement with these discourses, and little is known about how they are perceived in the general population or how they relate to pro-environmental behavior. Across two studies (n = 403, n = 966) in Germany, we developed a questionnaire to assess agreement with climate delay discourses and examined their associations with pro-environmental behaviors and attitudes (private-sphere behavior, collective climate action, social influence, and policy support). Contrary to the original four-factor framework, confirmatory factor analysis did not support a four-factor structure. Instead, exploratory factor analysis suggested a unidimensional scale consisting of nine items reflecting support of the status quo. Overall, endorsement of climate delay discourses was negatively associated with pro-environmental behaviors, with the strongest relationship observed for policy support. The scale offers a useful tool for identifying and addressing delay-based opposition in climate communication and policy advocacy.
Social media summary
DOCD undermine climate action – new research shows how to measure their influence.
Stochastic models of near-wall turbulence commonly rely on the Markovian assumption, despite evidence that coherent structures induce long-lived temporal correlations. Here, we test the validity of this assumption using micron-sized particle resuspension from the viscous sublayer. Analysis of direct numerical simulation (DNS) data reveals that while high- and low-drag events occur with Poissonian statistics, their internal dynamics is strongly persistent, with a Hurst exponent $H \approx 0.84$, indicating intrinsic non-Markovian behaviour. We therefore develop a non-Markovian resuspension model based on a fractional Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process, with physical parameters extracted directly from the DNS flow. Comparative simulations show that the empirical success of classical Markovian models arises not from an accurate description of the near-wall dynamics, but from their free parameter $C_{0}$ acting as a phenomenological surrogate for unresolved flow memory. We further identify a critical regime transition controlled by the event decay rate $\lambda$: strong intermittency ($\lambda \lt 0.2$) invalidates the Markovian approximation, whereas weak intermittency ($\lambda \gt 0.2$) renders it physically justifiable. These results define quantitative limits on stochastic modelling in near-wall turbulence.
Supersonic diamond airfoils operating in ground effect exhibit choking phenomena, where slight variations in free-stream Mach number can induce significant alterations in the ground effect flow structure and consequently affect the aerodynamic loading on the airfoil. However, existing models for predicting the choking limit Mach number demonstrate systematic discrepancies. This study establishes a novel predictive model by analysing the steady inviscid supersonic flow field around a two-dimensional diamond airfoil in ground effect. Benchmarking against numerical simulations demonstrates that the prediction errors for the choking limit Mach number across various diamond airfoil geometries are all below 3.5 %. These results affirm the high accuracy of the proposed predictive model. Under critical choking conditions, the ground effect flow field manifests multiple shock structures, including regular reflection, curved reflection and strong Mach reflection. Crucially, all of these configurations share the characteristic feature of the reflected shock impinging on the lower vertex of the airfoil. Consequently, the problem of predicting the choking limit is reformulated as determining the free-stream Mach number at which the reflected shock strikes the lower vertex of the airfoil. To circumvent complications from the reflected shock curvature inherent to critical choking, the model solves mass and momentum conservation equations for a strategically defined control volume. This approach eliminates curvature-induced errors, enabling precise prediction of the choking limit Mach number for supersonic diamond airfoils in ground effect.
This study examines the cross-flow vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a circular cylinder in combined current–oscillatory inflows, revealing a distinct multi-frequency response characterised by beat-like modulation. Systematic water-channel experiments were conducted across a range of reduced velocities, inflow oscillation intensities and frequency ratios to investigate the synchronisation mechanisms among inflow velocity variations, cylinder motion and hydrodynamic loading. Results show that the presence of oscillatory inflow can lead to significant deviations of vibration amplitudes from quasi-steady predictions within the upper-branch regime. At a given reduced velocity, the cylinder motion is dominated by a primary frequency component similar to that observed in steady flow, but accompanied by two secondary components. The contributions of these supplementary frequencies increase with inflow oscillation intensity but diminish as the oscillation frequency rises. Analysis of time-varying hydrodynamic forces reveals that, in the upper-branch regime, the vortex-force phase angle deviates substantially from quasi-steady estimation based on instantaneous reduced velocity, which is associated with non-quasi-steady vortex-shedding patterns. Particle image velocimetry measurements reveal that when the minimum vortex-force phase angle lies between 0$^\circ$ and 180$^\circ$ over the inflow oscillation cycle, a mixed vortex-shedding mode emerges. This mode is characterised by a vortex sequence resembling the ‘2P’ (two-pair) shedding pattern but with negligible secondary vortices, occurring predominantly during intervals of low inflow velocity. A theoretical framework incorporating nonlinear damping and excitation coefficients assuming quasi-steady response well predicts VIV amplitudes and elucidates the influence of inflow oscillation intensity and frequency on the emergence of supplementary vibration frequencies.
The southwestern Atlantic margin plays a crucial role in understanding ocean circulation, with the Brazil Current (BC) driving surface flow and various water masses (TW, SACW, AAIW, UCDW, NADW, LCDW) influencing different depths. The Santos Basin, a marginal basin formed following the breakup of Gondwana, remains understudied with respect to late Quaternary sedimentary processes, and the recent literature offers conflicting interpretations of sediment sources and depositional processes. Additionally, radiocarbon data for this region are scarce, and calibration uncertainties and regional reservoir effects have limited previous studies. This study compiles a comprehensive radiocarbon dataset (264 datings from 70 sediment cores) for the upper to middle slope of the Santos Basin (120–2000 mbsl), combining published and unpublished data (69 new ages). Previously published ages were recalibrated using Marine20 and SHCal20 curves, applying a regional ΔR correction. The dataset, showing minimal age inversions, provides a robust foundation for future research on late Quaternary sedimentary and paleoenvironmental dynamics in the southwestern Atlantic.
This study experimentally investigates bubble size evolution and void fraction redistribution in an unexplored, coalescence-dominated regime of a decaying turbulent bubbly flow. The flow is generated downstream of a regenerative pump in a duct, with bulk Reynolds number (Re) $\sim \mathcal{O}(10^5)$, Taylor-scale Reynolds number (Re$_\lambda$) $\sim \mathcal{O}(10^3)$ and void fraction ($\phi$) $\sim \mathcal{O}(1\,\%)$, where the inlet turbulence is extremely intense (turbulence intensity $\gt 30\,\%$) but decays rapidly along the duct. Shadowgraph imaging and particle shadow velocimetry are used for measurements. The experimentally obtained turbulent dissipation in the duct flow decays as $\varepsilon \sim \mathcal{L}^{-2}$, where $\mathcal{L}$ is the axial position, in close agreement with the homogeneous isotropic turbulence prediction of $\varepsilon \sim \mathcal{L}^{-2.2}$. High-speed imaging and statistical analysis reveal that bubble coalescence dominates over breakup across most of the domain, leading to monotonic growth in the Sauter mean diameter ($d_{32}$) and progressive broadening of the bubble size distribution. The normalised extreme-to-mean diameter ratio ($\mathcal{D}$) increases axially and asymptotically from ${\sim} 1.9$ (breakup regime) and saturates at ${\sim} 2.2$ (coalescence regime), indicating the emergence of a quasi-self-similar bubble size distribution. The probability density function of the bubble diameter exhibits a dual power-law tail with exponents $-10/3$ and $-3/2$ near the duct inlet. However, after a few hydraulic diameters, a single $-3/2$ power-law scaling emerges, indicating a regime of pure coalescence in which all bubbles are smaller than the Hinze scale. The cumulative distribution plotted against $d/d_{32}$ shows that the slope decreases and the distribution width increases with both axial position and void fraction $(\phi )$. Although classical Hinze scaling gives $d_{\textit{H}} \propto \mathcal{L}^{0.9}$, our theory for $d_{32}$ and $d_{99.8}$ (99.8th percentile bubble diameter) in a pure-coalescence regime predicts the slower law $\propto \mathcal{L}^{0.5}$, which our experimental results confirm – indicating negligible breakup and sub-Hinze growth. Concurrently, in contrast to current models, transient $\phi$ profiles evolve from nearly uniform to sharply core-peaked Gaussian distributions in the developing regime, with increasing centreline values and decreasing near-wall values, due to lift-force reversal. These results provide the first spatially resolved characterisation of coalescence-dominated bubbly flows at high Re, advancing the design of industrial systems as in nuclear cooling and multiphase forming processes (e.g. paper manufacturing, chemical reactors).
The ventral structure of the trilobite family Lichakephalidae has hitherto been mainly inferred. A new discovery of a nearly complete internal mold of Archikainella vomerinus Liu, 1982, from the Sandu Formation (Cambrian, Furongian) of South China, shows its rostral plate and conterminant hypostomal condition. It is the first identified lichakephalid rostral plate. The conterminant hypostomal condition of this lichakephalid specimen is similar to that of the more derived Lichidae and supports the hypothesis that lichakephalid trilobites are a primitive group of lichids.