Articles | Volume 21, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-609-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-609-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
10 Mar 2025
Research article |
| 10 Mar 2025
| 10 Mar 2025
Multi-century mean summer temperature variations in the Southern Rhaetian Alps reconstructed from Larix decidua blue intensity data
Riccardo Cerrato
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Earth Sciences Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, 56124, Italy
Maria Cristina Salvatore
Earth Sciences Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, 56124, Italy
Geosciences and Earth Resources, National Research Council of Italy, Pisa, 56124, Italy
Michele Brunetti
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, 40129, Italy
Andrea Somma
Earth Sciences Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, 56124, Italy
Carlo Baroni
Earth Sciences Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, 56124, Italy
Geosciences and Earth Resources, National Research Council of Italy, Pisa, 56124, Italy
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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS).
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This study investigates changes in extreme hourly precipitation across Italy using a high-resolution reanalysis, a dataset that combines observations and weather models to reconstruct past atmospheric conditions. By analysing over 35 years of hourly data, the study identifies an increase in extreme precipitation events in Alpine areas during summer and southern coastal regions in autumn, providing insights into evolving precipitation patterns and supporting climate resilience planning.
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Understanding the long-term behaviour of ice sheets is essential to projecting future changes due to climate change. In this study, we use rocks deposited along the margin of the David Glacier, one of the largest glacier systems in the world, to reveal a rapid thinning event initiated over 7000 years ago and endured for ~ 2000 years. Using physical models, we show that subglacial topography and ocean heat are important drivers for change along this sector of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
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Short summary
Understanding past climates requires data extending beyond modern instrumental records. This study shows that blue intensity (BI) measurements from European larch trees in the Southern Rhaetian Alps provide a stronger proxy for reconstructing past summer temperatures than traditional tree-ring-width data. BI processing enables regional-scale reconstructions and helps extend these reconstructions to the Mediterranean Basin and northern Europe, with excellent correlations to existing data.
Understanding past climates requires data extending beyond modern instrumental records. This...
