Under global climate warming, heatwaves have evolved from isolated meteorological events into compound disturbances within social-ecological systems. Current responses, which mainly rely on reactive approaches, cannot effectively address the compound nature of heatwave risks. To address this gap, this study introduces a Prediction-Adaptation-Integration (PAI) framework based on a recursive feedback loop, which reframes heatwave governance as a dynamic system. To put this framework into practice, we outline three design principles: (I) ex-ante risk-informed targeting, (II) in-event risk-proportionate intervention, and (III) ex-post iterative learning. The PAI framework provides a transferable model to strengthen long-term resilience under increasingly severe heatwave conditions.
Zostera japonica beds have declined substantially along the coast of China, highlighting the need for targeted and effective restoration planning. This study develops a restoration roadmap that supports China’s carbon neutrality goals by addressing three key questions: where restoration should occur, when it should be implemented, and which methods should be used. Field surveys, satellite remote sensing, genetic data, and species distribution modelling were integrated to identify restoration opportunities under current and future climate conditions. The results indicate that northern China, particularly the Bohai Sea region, contains the largest extent of suitable and persistent habitat, whereas several southern populations have experienced substantial bed degradation. A rule-based restoration decision framework combined seagrass bed decline and genetic diversity to recommend region-specific restoration strategies across the species range. The phased framework prioritizes areas suitable under current and 2050s conditions, particularly those projected to remain suitable by the 2100s, while treating areas becoming suitable mainly by the 2100s as long-term adaptive reserves. By the 2100s, approximately 103,371 ha of potential suitable habitat is projected, corresponding to an estimated potential carbon stock of 10.86 Tg C. These findings provide a spatially explicit framework for improving Z. japonica restoration planning and evaluating its potential long-term carbon benefits in China.
Climate variability during the last 60,000 years exhibited pronounced fluctuations on glacial-interglacial to sub-orbital timescales, yet fundamental questions remain regarding the timing, phasing, and cyclical structure of global climate fluctuations. Here we present ASM-2026, a composite of multiple high-resolution speleothem oxygen isotope (δ18O) records from the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) domain spanning the last 60 ka. Anchored by a rigorously constrained U-Th chronology (XJTU-1.0), this record resolves monsoon variability at multidecadal to millennial scales and provides robust geochronological benchmarks for correlating inter-regional climate variability. Our analysis indicates that ASM dynamic variability is only weakly linked to high-latitude ice-sheet forcing in either hemisphere, but closely tracks changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Terminations of Heinrich Stadials are consistently preceded by centennial-scale weakening of the South American monsoon, likely associated with a shift in the Antarctic Oscillation from positive to negative phase, implicating a low-latitude and/or Southern Hemisphere trigger for abrupt climate reorganization. The record contains pronounced ~4.5-ka cycle close to one-quarter of the precession period, consistent with the modulation by the equatorial insolation forcing. At multidecadal to centennial timescales, the amplitude and periodicity of variability in the ASM and Greenland climate records diminish from glacial to interglacial conditions, whereas Antarctic variability displays an opposing response, highlighting a fundamental reorganization of teleconnections and forcing pathways across climate states.
Rooftop photovoltaics (RPVs) play an increasingly critical role in global zero-carbon energy transition, yet underexplored is to what extent RPV potential can supply the ever-rising electricity demand under the combined effects of urbanization and climate change. Here, we project that the global RPV potential will grow by 13%—20% from 2015 to 2100 under four different socioeconomic-climate scenarios. This increase is primarily driven by RPV gains associated with urban expansion, although nearly one-fifth of them might be offset by climate-induced losses under high-emissions scenarios. However, future urban densification can drive down per capita RPV potential, which, alongside increasing individual consumption, will diminish RPVs' maximum feasible share in global electricity mix from 117% to 30%—47% by 2100. While simultaneously suffering from more severe and widespread high-emissions-induced losses, many developing countries, particularly the least developed, will undergo stronger urban densification, which shifts their RPV electricity supply-demand ratios from general surpluses over 200% to deficits much larger than those in wealthier countries. Given their reliance on RPVs for access to clean electricity, our results highlight the urgent need for strategic interventions, including embedding climate action into urban planning and accelerating global collaborative technological advancements, to mitigate these disproportionate impacts and foster an equitable energy transition.
Forest restoration is a critical nature-based solution, yet our understanding of its structural development often relies on static, universal assumptions. This study challenges that paradigm by revealing the dynamic, context-dependent principles of forest recovery. By integrating multisource remote sensing data over China’s 30-year period of natural forest regeneration, we find that the positive coupling between canopy structural complexity and aboveground biomass strengthens significantly with stand age. We found that distinct forest biomes exhibit unique structural fingerprints that are established early and persist through early restoration. Crucially, these recovery pathways are characterized by a predictable shift in dominant environmental drivers: from initial filtering mainly by temperature to mid-stage limitation by soil resources, and finally to regulation by precipitation in more mature stands. This work presents a dynamic framework for establishing biome-specific restoration targets and developing adaptive management strategies to increase global ecosystem resilience.
The mid-latitude Asian regions are the world’s second-largest dust source and are sensitive to global climate change. However, the paucity of inland dust records limits our understanding of regional atmospheric circulation, Asian aridification, and the global climatic and ecological impacts of dust emissions. Here, we present the first high-resolution dust flux record from the arid regions of Central Asia, west of the Pamir Plateau, covering the past 2.7 Myr. By integrating this new record with a compilation of existing datasets, we show that enhanced aridification occurred in Central Asia after ~0.8 Ma, with a dominant periodicity shift from 41-kyr to 100-kyr during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT). Further, a source-to-sink spatial comparison of dust fluxes indicates that Asian dust activity reached its highest levels after the MPT, accompanied by increased amplitude of glacial–interglacial fluctuations. These patterns correspond strongly with variations in global ice volume across the time–frequency domains, implying a strong coupling between Asian dust activity and global cooling. We propose that, in addition to an arid climate, intensified glacial erosion, and reduced vegetation cover are critical drivers of enhanced Asian dust emissions and transport during periods of global cooling. Under ongoing and projected future global warming, the rapid glacier retreat across the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding mountains, along with regionally increased precipitation and enhanced vegetation cover in dust source regions, may reduce the availability of fine-grained, erodible sediments and stabilize surface soils, gradually weakening Asian dust emissions and their influence on marine productivity and biodiversity in downwind oceans.
Climate warming has accelerated the melting of cryosphere, substantially affecting the plants biodiversity in global cold regions. However, the spatiotemporal patterns of human-used plants and their responses to climate change remain uncertain. Here, by synthesizing 3,716 investigated plant species from ten use categories in the High Mountain Asia, we show that the potential distribution area of human-used plants species richness is 4.6 ± 0.2 million km2, of which 36% is located in permafrost areas. The change in plant species richness shows an obvious elevation-dependent pattern, and this is most obvious in permafrost regions. The area of regions with increasing species richness of human-used plants is projected to increase by 74%-89% by 2050 under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. Among them, bioclimatic factors, permafrost and snow cover have the greatest impacts on species richness, with respective standardized effects of 40%, 29% and 13%. Based on the conservation gaps of human-used plants, our proposed priority protection strategies will increase conservation efficiency to 68%-79% relative to current natural reserves. These findings highlight the cryosphere melting substantially influences plant biodiversity, and underscore the urgent need to integrate these impacts into the Convention on Biological Diversity.
This study investigates the teleconnection mechanism linking North Atlantic (NA) tropical cyclone (TC) activity to sea ice change in the Kara-Laptev Seas (KLS). Observational analyses indicate significant positive correlations between accumulated cyclone energy over the NA in late September and KLS sea ice concentration in October. It shows that the enhanced NA TC activity excites northeastward-propagating Rossby wave trains via local diabatic heating anomalies, and the wave propagation induces a characteristic upper-tropospheric circulation anomaly pattern, featuring sequential cyclonic, anticyclonic, and cyclonic anomalies over the NA, Greenland and the European sector extending to the KLS, respectively. The cyclonic anomaly over the KLS suppresses adiabatic warming and reduces specific humidity, fostering colder and drier conditions conducive to sea ice growth. Simulations with Community Atmosphere Model version 6 (CAM6) can replicate the teleconnection pathway as well as the observed anomalous circulation structure and planetary-scale Rossby wave propagation. These findings imply that NA TC activity can act as a previously underappreciated contributor to sea ice change over KLS and advance understanding of tropical-Arctic teleconnections.
Auroras have been observed at unusual latitudes of China over the past couple of years, which may be a direct result of the north magnetic pole’s drift and intense solar activity. However, the specific impact on the Asian space environment remains unknown. Here, we present auroral activities recorded in southern Inner Mongolia (~37.2° N in magnetic latitude) and the resulting ionospheric environmental changes detected by the Chinese Dual Auroral Radar Network (CN-DARN) during a recent severe geomagnetic storm. Leveraging the wide spatial coverage and continuous high time resolution monitoring capabilities of the CN-DARN, comprehensive analysis of ground-based and space-based multi-source data reveals that CN-DARN has captured the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of dawnside subauroral polarization streams (SAPS). The study identifies a direct link between auroral intensification and dawnside SAPS acceleration for the first time, establishing a mechanistic connection between auroral activity and ionospheric convection dynamics in subauroral region. Moreover, the observations show that the ionospheric irregularities with high velocity of 1,000 m/s induced by the dawnside SAPS have propagated to Mohe (~ 48.6° N in magnetic latitude), the northernmost region of China. The research also reveals that intense auroral particle precipitation caused severe degradation of high-frequency (HF) communications in the Asian region. This study represents the first comprehensive investigation of auroral activity observed at unusual latitudes of China, unraveling the impact of auroral activities on the ionospheric environment of Asian mid-to-high latitudes. It also showcases the critical capabilities of the Chinese Meridian Project in addressing space environmental challenges of Asia.
Global river sediment flux, a critical component of Earth's material cycles, is undergoing a dramatic reshaping in the Anthropocene. Recent global-scale satellite observations have revealed a developing conundrum: while nearshore waters at many major river deltas are becoming more turbid, vast continental shelf waters are simultaneously experiencing a widespread 'clarification' phenomenon. These seemingly contradictory findings challenge our traditional understanding of global source-to-sink systems. Here, we propose a "sediment spatial redistribution" hypothesis to unify these observations. This perspective represents a paradigm shift, moving the debate from a linear question of whether global sediment flux is simply increasing or decreasing to a more complex, spatial question of how it is being reorganized at the land-ocean interface. We argue that regardless of the net change in total sediment load reaching the coast, a suite of Anthropocene drivers has enhanced the efficiency of nearshore sediment trapping. Sediment is preferentially captured in zones like estuaries and deltas, while transport to the outer continental shelf is diminished. This new perspective not only provides an integrated framework for understanding coastal geomorphic evolution and ecosystem responses but also points to critical directions for future research on the global sediment cycle.
Soluble organic matter (SOM) in meteorites has been suggested to play a significant role in the emergence of early life on Earth. However, the mechanisms that govern its evolution remain unclear. Here, we employed an integrated analytical approach encompassing desorption electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (DESI-HRMS) imaging and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) to comprehensively analyze the composition, abundance, and spatial distribution of methanol-extractable SOM in nine meteorites with different alteration histories. The results show that SOM is preferentially associated with phyllosilicates but depleted in carbonate phases. A positive correlation is observed between the abundance of SOM and the degree of aqueous alteration in CM2 chondrites, although highly altered CI1 chondrites deviate from this trend. Additionally, the composition of SOM appears to be modulated by fluid redox conditions and heliocentric distance, as indicated by systematic differences in molecular features among chondrites from different parent bodies. The findings suggest that the evolution of SOM is governed by the coupled influences of the Solar System environment, parent-body processes, and microscale mineral phases, with aqueous alteration and fluid activity serving as the central driving forces.
The interconnectivity among coral reefs, seagrass ecosystems, and mangroves (CSM) forms a critical ecological continuum that sustains biodiversity, enhances resilience to environmental stressors, and supports coastal communities. This study reviews the synergistic interactions between these interconnected ecosystems under climate change, highlighting their importance in carbon sequestration, ocean acidification, shoreline protection, and biodiversity conservation. We examine how cross-ecosystem fluxes of organisms, nutrients, and energy enhance resistance and recovery to climate stressors, including ocean acidification, sea level rise, and marine heat waves. Despite their critical role, these ecosystems face significant vulnerability, and their continued decline poses a direct threat to coastal resilience and ecosystem services. The review emphasizes the necessity of maintaining habitat connectivity, which is integral to species survival and ecosystem function. A comprehensive conservation strategy is proposed, advocating for a polycentric governance model to address the complexities of CSM interactions, incorporating multiple stakeholders to promote sustainable management and policy coordination. Critical research gaps are identified, particularly in understanding the underappreciated role of seagrasses in marine conservation and the poorly understood spillover effects between CSM ecosystems. The study calls for a unified, evidence-based approach to coastal management that enhances the resilience of CSM ecosystems, mitigates climate impacts, and ensures the long-term sustainability of these invaluable systems for future generations.
