Effects of soil- and climate data aggregation on simulated potato yield and irrigation water requirement.

Input data aggregation affects crop model estimates at the regional level. Previous studies have focused on the impact of aggregating climate data used to compute crop yields. However, little is known about the combined data aggregation effect of climate (DAEc) and soil (DAEs) on irrigation water requirement (IWR) in cool-temperate and spatially heterogeneous environments. The aims of this study were to quantify DAEc and DAEs of model input data and their combined impacts for simulated irrigated and rainfed yield and IWR. The Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator Next Generation model was applied for the period 1998-2017 across areas suitable for potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in Tasmania, Australia, using data at 5, 15, 25 and 40 km resolution. Spatial variances of inputs and outputs were evaluated by the relative absolute difference (rAD¯) between the aggregated grids and the 5 km grids. Climate data aggregation resulted in a rAD¯ of 0.7-12.1%, with high values especially for areas with pronounced differences in elevation. The rAD¯ of soil data was higher (5.6-26.3%) than rAD¯ of climate data and was mainly affected by aggregation of organic carbon and maximum plant available water capacity (i.e. the difference between field capacity and wilting point in the effective root zone). For yield estimates, the difference among resolutions (5 km vs. 40 km) was more pronounced for rainfed (rAD¯ = 14.5%) than irrigated conditions (rAD¯ = 3.0%). The rAD¯ of IWR was 15.7% when using input data at 40 km resolution. Therefore, reliable simulations of rainfed yield require a higher spatial resolution than simulation of irrigated yields. This needs to be considered when conducting regional modelling studies across Tasmania. This study also highlights the need to separately quantify the impact of input data aggregation on model outputs to inform about data aggregation errors and identify those variables that explain these errors.

The Value of Local Heatwave Impact Assessment: A Case-Crossover Analysis of Hospital Emergency Department Presentations in Tasmania, Australia.

Heatwaves have been identified as a threat to human health, with this impact projected to rise in a warming climate. Gaps in local knowledge can potentially undermine appropriate policy and preparedness actions. Using a case-crossover methodology, we examined the impact of heatwave events on hospital emergency department (ED) presentations in the two most populous regions of Tasmania, Australia, from 2008-2016. Using conditional logistic regression, we analyzed the relationship between ED presentations and severe/extreme heatwaves for the whole population, specific demographics including age, gender and socio-economic advantage, and diagnostic conditions that are known to be impacted in high temperatures. ED presentations increased by 5% (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09) across the whole population, by 13% (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03-1.24) for children 15 years and under, and by 19% (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.04-1.36) for children 5 years and under. A less precise association in the same direction was found for those over 65 years. For diagnostic subgroups, non-significant increases in ED presentations were observed for asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation. These findings may assist ED surge capacity planning and public health preparedness and response activities for heatwave events in Tasmania, highlighting the importance of using local research to inform local practice.

Evaluating the Risk of Epidemic Thunderstorm Asthma: Lessons from Australia.

Epidemic thunderstorm asthma (ETA) is an emerging public health threat in Australia, highlighted by the 2016 event in Melbourne, Victoria, that overwhelmed health services and caused loss of life. However, there is limited understanding of the regional variations in risk. We evaluated the public health risk of ETA in the nearby state of Tasmania by quantifying the frequency of potential ETA episodes and applying a standardized natural disaster risk assessment framework. Using a case⁻control approach, we analyzed emergency presentations in Tasmania's public hospitals from 2002 to 2017. Cases were defined as days when asthma presentations exceeded four standard deviations from the mean, and controls as days when asthma presentations were less than one standard deviation from the mean. Four controls were randomly selected for each case. Independently, a meteorologist identified the dates of potential high-risk thunderstorm events. No case days coincided with thunderstorms during the study period. ETA was assessed as a very low risk to the Tasmanian population, with these findings informing risk prioritization and resource allocation. This approach may be scaled and applied in other settings to determine local ETA risk. Furthermore, the identification of hazards using this method allows for critical analysis of existing public health systems.

Heatwave and health impact research: A global review.

BACKGROUND: Observed increases in the frequency and intensity of heatwave events, together with the projected acceleration of these events worldwide, has led to a rapid expansion in research on the health impacts of extreme heat. OBJECTIVE: To examine how research on heatwaves and their health-related impact is distributed globally. METHODS: A systematic review was undertaken. Four online databases were searched for articles examining links between specific historical heatwave events and their impact on mortality or morbidity. The locations of these events were mapped at a global scale, and compared to other known characteristics that influence heat-related illness and death. RESULTS: When examining the location of heatwave and health impact research worldwide, studies were concentrated on mid-latitude, high-income countries of low- to medium-population density. Regions projected to experience the most extreme heatwaves in the future were not represented. Furthermore, the majority of studies examined mortality as a key indicator of population-wide impact, rather than the more sensitive indicator of morbidity. CONCLUSION: While global heatwave and health impact research is prolific in some regions, the global population most at risk of death and illness from extreme heat is under-represented. Heatwave and health impact research is needed in regions where this impact is expected to be most severe.

Modern sampling and analytical methods for the determination of trace elements in marine particulate material using magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

Trace elements often limit phytoplankton growth in the ocean, and the quantification of particulate forms is essential to fully understand their biogeochemical cycling. There is presently a lack of reliable measurements on the trace elemental content of marine particles, in part due to the inadequacies of the sampling and analytical methods employed. Here we report on the development of a series of state-of-the-art trace metal clean methods to collect and process oceanic particulate material in open-ocean and sea ice environments, including sampling, size-fractionated filtration, particle digestions and analysis by magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Particular attention was paid to the analysis of certified reference materials (CRMs) and field blanks, which are typically the limiting factor for the accurate analysis of low concentrations of trace metals in marine particulate samples. Theoretical detection limits (3 s of the blank) were low for all 17 elements considered, and varied according to filter material and porosity (sub-microg L(-1) for polycarbonate filters and 1-2 microg L(-1) for quartz and polyester filters). Analytical accuracy was verified using fresh water CRMs, with excellent recoveries noted (93-103%). Digestion efficiencies for various acid combinations were assessed using sediment and plankton CRMs. Using nitric acid only, good recoveries (79-90%) were achieved for Mo, Cd, Ba, Pb, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Ga. The addition of HF was necessary for the quantitative recovery of the more refractory trace elements such as U, Al, V and Cr. Bioactive elements such as P can also be analysed and used as a biomass normaliser. Our developed sampling and analytical methods proved reliable when applied during two major field programs in both the open Southern Ocean and Antarctic sea ice environments during the International Polar Year in 2007. Trace elemental data are presented for particulate samples collected in both suspended and sinking marine material, and also within sea ice cores.