%0 Journal Article %J Global and Planetary Change %D 2016 %T Atlantic multi-decadal oscillation influence on weather regimes over Europe and the Mediterranean in spring and summer %A Zampieri, M %A Toreti, A %A Schindler, A %A Scoccimarro, E %A Gualdi, S %K 20th century reanalysis %K Atmospheric circulation %K Decadal variability %K Mediterranean climate %K Weather regimes %B Global and Planetary Change %G eng %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2016.08.014 %! Glob. Planet. Change %0 Journal Article %J Science of the Total Environment %D 2016 %T Global assessment of heat wave magnitudes from 1901 to 2010 and implications for the river discharge of the Alps %A Zampieri, Matteo %A Russo, Simone %A di Sabatino, Silvana %A Micchetti, Melania %A Scoccimarro, Enrico %A Gualdi, Silvio %K 20th century reanalysis %K Alps %K Heat waves %B Science of the Total Environment %V 571 %P 1330-1339 %G eng %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.07.008 %0 Journal Article %J Atmospheric Environment %D 2016 %T Summer atmospheric composition over the Mediterranean basin: Investigation on transport processes and pollutant export to the free troposphere by observations at the WMO/GAW Mt. Cimone global station (Italy, 2165 m a.s.l.) %A P. Cristofanelli %A T.C. Landi %A F. Calzolari %A R. Duchi %A A. Marinoni %A M. Rinaldi %A P. Bonasoni %K Air-mass age %K Air-mass transport %K Mediterranean Basin %K Po basin %K Short-lived climate forcers/pollutants %B Atmospheric Environment %V 141 %P 139-152 %8 06/2016 %G eng %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2016.06.048 %0 Journal Article %J Environmental Research Letters %D 2013 %T Atlantic influence on spring snowfall over the Alps in the past 150 years %A Zampieri,M. %A Scoccimarro,E. %A Gualdi,S. %K Alpine region %K Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation %K low-frequency climate variability %K snowfall %X Global warming is believed to be responsible for the reduction of snow amount and duration over the Alps. In fact, a rapid shortening of the snowy season has been measured and perceived by ecosystems and society in the past 30 years, despite the large year-to-year variability. This trend is projected to continue during the 21st century in the climate change scenarios with increasing greenhouse gas concentrations. Superimposed on the long-term trend, however, there is a low-frequency variability of snowfall associated with multi-decadal changes in the large-scale circulation. The amplitude of this natural low-frequency variation might be relatively large, determining rapid and substantial changes of snowfall, as recently observed. This is already known for winter snowfall over the Alps in connection with the recent tendency toward the positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation. In this study, we show that the low-frequency variability of Alpine spring snowfall in the past 150 years is affected by the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO), which is a natural periodic fluctuation of Northern Atlantic sea surface temperature. Therefore, the recently observed spring snowfall reduction might be, at least in part, explained by the shift toward a positive AMO phase that happened in the 1990s. %B Environmental Research Letters %V 8 %P 1-8 %G eng %U http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/3/034026/ %R 10.1088/1748-9326/8/3/034026 %0 Journal Article %J Community Ecology %D 2013 %T Patterns of biodiversity in the northwestern Italian Alps: a multi-taxa approach %A Viterbi, R. %A Cerrato, C. %A Bassano, B. %A Bionda, R. %A von Hardenberg, A. %A Provenzale, A. %A Bogliani, G. %K altitudinal gradient %K animal diversity %K climate sensitivity %K community composition %K temperature %X The current loss of biodiversity requires long-term monitoring of the distribution of living organisms, particularly in regions, such as mountains, which are highly sensitive to climatic and environmental changes. In 2007, three alpine parks in N-W Italy started a field program to determine the factors which influence animal biodiversity and identify the most appropriate methods for periodically repeatable monitoring. Twelve altitudinal transects (from montane to alpine belt) were chosen, each composed of 4-7 sampling units, for a total of 69 monitored plots. In each station, five taxonomic groups (Carabids, Butterflies, Spiders, Staphylinids, Birds) were systematically sampled and topographic, environmental and micro-climatic variables were recorded. The aim was to assess the distribution of different taxa along altitudinal gradients and the relative influence of geographical, environmental and climatic factors. The data showed that species richness and community composition of invertebrates are mainly determined by altitude and microclimatic conditions, whereas birds are more sensitive to habitat structure. For invertebrates, the strong relationship with temperature suggests their potential sensitivity to climatic variations. The analysis of biodiversity patterns across vegetation belts indicated that the alpine belt hosts few species but a high percentage of endemic and vulnerable species, highlighting its importance for conservation purposes. This work offers a representative sample of the northwestern Italian Alps and it is a first step of a monitoring effort that will be repeated every five years to highlight the response of alpine biodiversity to climate and land-use changes. %B Community Ecology %V 14 %P 18-30 %G eng %U http://www.akademiai.com/content/w051326544110211/?p=25fd632c1be94a9e8ccd745c194a60e9&pi=2 %R 10.1556/ComEc.14.2013.1.3 %0 Journal Article %J Mountain Research and Development %D 2012 %T Atmospheric Pollution in the Hindu Kush–Himalaya Region %A Bonasoni, P. %A Cristofanelli, P %A Marinoni, A. %A Vuillermoz, E. %A Adhikary, B. %K air pollution %K Black carbon %K brown cloud %K climate change %K Hindu Kush–Himalaya %K ozone %X This paper presents a detailed review of atmospheric pollution observed in the Hindu Kush–Himalaya (HKH) region and its implications for regional climate. Data from in situ measurements made at high-altitude stations in the HKH region, observations from satellite-based instruments, and global climate modeling study results are discussed. Experimental observations discussed include both atmospheric measurements and data from snow and ice core sampling from different glaciers in the HKH region. The paper focuses on the atmospheric brown cloud loadings over the Himalayas, particularly black carbon (BC) and ozone, which have links to regional climate and air-pollution–related impacts. Studies show elevated levels of anthropogenic ozone and BC over the Himalayas during the pre-monsoon season with concentrations sometimes similar to those observed over an average urban environment. The elevated concentration observed over the Himalayas is thought to come from the lowlands, especially the highly populated areas of the Indo-Gangetic Plains. The implications of high BC loading in the Himalayan atmosphere as well as elevated BC deposition on snow and ice surfaces for regional climate, hydrological cycle, and glacial melt are discussed. %B Mountain Research and Development %V 32(4) %P 468-479 %G eng %U http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-12-00066.1 %R http://dx.doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-12-00066.1