Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate

A Machine Learning Framework for Objective Definition and Projection of Meteorological Seasons: An Application to the Indian Subcontinent

Abstract Meteorological seasons are typically defined through fixed calendar intervals or region‐specific thresholds, yet such approaches fail to capture the actual variability of the annual cycle. Here we present a machine learning framework that objectively detects meteorologic...

Regime-Dependent Effectiveness of Spectral Nudging in WRF–Chem: Meteorological and Saharan Dust Skill over the Central Mediterranean

Regional WRF–Chem dust simulations may require continuous integrations when state continuity is scientifically important, yet extended limited-area runs can depart dynamically from the driving analysis. We use a two-tier controlled design that separates dynamical attribution from...

The reactivation of the Niscemi landslide (southern Italy) after the Cyclone Harry

Abstract On January 25, 2026, a large compound slide affected the southern and western slopes of the Niscemi mesa (SE Sicily), causing severe damage to settlements and the evacuation of approximately 1500 people. The event occurred approximately one week after Cyclone Harry, whic...

Drivers governing the seasonality of new particle formation in the Arctic

New particle formation (NPF) is the phenomenon wherein gaseous precursors form critical clusters of barely a few nanometres in diameter, after which, under favourable conditions, these particles can grow to climate-relevant sizes. Here we present measurements from 2022 to 2024 of...

On Estimating the Convective Mixing‑Layer Height from Near‑Surface Horizontal Wind Spectra: A Comment on Liu & Otaki (1997) with New Proposals

Abstract Estimating and monitoring the mixing‑layer height remains a crucial but difficult task, as it cannot be measured directly by routine surface observations and is typically inferred from remote-sensing measurements with limited spatial coverage. In this context, the invers...

Ecosystem-scale biogenic volatile organic compound fluxes over rapeseed by eddy-covariance

Abstract. Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are key precursors of ozone and secondary organic aerosols, yet their emissions from croplands remain poorly characterized. Here, we report what is, to our knowledge, the first ecosystem-scale quantification of BVOC fluxes ove...

Importance of hydrated aerosol particles for aerosol–fog relationships in the Italian Po Valley

Abstract. Air pollution and fog are closely connected, influencing both visibility and human health. As relative humidity rises, aerosol particles absorb water and grow hygroscopically, potentially activating into fog droplets when supersaturation is reached. Distinguishing betwe...

Assessing the Climate and Habitability of Tidally Locked Rocky Exoplanets

Tidally locked exoplanets orbiting M dwarf stars are prime targets in the search for habitable worlds, yet their complex climate dynamics challenge conventional models of habitability. We homogeneously estimated the liquid–water habitability of exoplanets with the highest up-to-d...

A Dynamic Mechanism for Prevalence of Triangles in Competitive Networks

Abstract Triangles are abundant in real-world networks but rare in standard null models for sparse graphs. Existing explanations typically rely on explicit triadic closure mechanisms or geometry-based connection rules. We propose an alternative hypothesis: the frequent appearance...

Experimental determination of the lidar ratio for cirrus and polar stratospheric clouds at Dome C, Antarctica, using a Young inversion

Abstract. We present 3 years (2022–2024) of polarisation lidar observations of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) and tropospheric cirrus above Concordia Station (Dome C, Antarctica). Layer-mean lidar ratios (LR) at 532 nm are retrieved using the Young inversion method applied to...