2026年1月
Adaptive multimodal swimming gaits in a reconfigurable modular soft robotic fish
Wang, Bo; Li, Lei; Xu, Mengfan; Hu, Nannan; Gao, Wenzhuo; Zhang, Jie; Yin, Bo; Xin, Zhanhua; Yu, Junzhi
Abstract
Fish swim with four main gaits-anguilliform, subcarangiform, carangiform, and thunniform-produced by waves along varying portions of the body. However, how muscle activation length influences swimming performance remains poorly understood. We present a reconfigurable robotic fish that replicates all four gaits in a single platform by rapidly tuning its body stiffness. Vacuum-driven layer jamming muscles in four tensegrity joints enable quick (<= 1 s) stiffness modulation (stiffness ratio of 46.6) and gait switching. In thunniform gait, the robot reaches 1.24 body lengths per second, whereas in anguilliform gait, it achieves agile maneuvering with a turning radius of 0.26 body lengths. Fluid simulations show that the thunniform gait generates stronger vortices and 142% more thrust compared with anguilliform motion at 5 Hz, explaining its high-speed performance. The robot dynamically adapts gaits during locomotion-using thunniform for fast traversal and anguilliform for obstacle negotiation-demonstrating environmental adaptability. This work advances understanding of aquatic multimodal locomotion.
Source
SCIENCE ADVANCES
Volume12Issue1
DOI10.1126/sciadv.aea1299
2026年1月
Self-reconfigurable robotic fish swarms: Collective achievement of diverse locomotion and challenging aquatic tasks
Si, Bowen; Chang, Liyao; Li, Shuai; Ding, Zhenyu; Xie, Guangming
Abstract
Conventional aquatic robots are typically constrained by fixed morphology and single-mode locomotion, limiting adaptability to unstructured environments. Inspired by the diverse fin-driven locomotion strategies of natural fish, we present a self-reconfigurable robotic fish swarm system capable of operating across a wide range of aquatic conditions and tasks. Each robotic fish unit features autonomous physical assembly and disassembly capabilities by electropermanent magnets, enabling both connection and intermodule communication, allowing the swarm to dynamically reconfigure its morphology. Systematic evaluation reveals that swarm configurations substantially outperform individual units in various locomotion performance, including stability, maneuverability, swimming speed, energy efficiency, and multimodal locomotion ability. The swarm also demonstrates collaborative capabilities in navigating through complex environments, manipulating obstacles, and transporting objects, both in laboratory and outdoor aquatic settings. This work provides a framework for aquatic robots to adapt to unstructured environments and complex tasks, contributing to the advancement of multifunctional, reconfigurable robotic systems.
Source
SCIENCE ADVANCES
Volume12Issue2
DOI10.1126/sciadv.adz2458
2026年1月
Game-based scheduling of mobile charging robots for electric vehicle charging: A relay-like scheme
Qiuyang Fang, Chunyan Zhang, Chen Wang, Guangming Xie, Jianlei Zhang
Abstract
The growing demand for electric-vehicle (EV) charging poses substantial challenges for power grids. In response, mobile charging robots (MCRs) have emerged as a promising solution for flexible, on-demand energy delivery. This paper proposes a novel relay-like EV-charging scheme for public parking facilities, in which long-duration charging tasks are decomposed into sequential time slots and collaboratively managed by multiple MCRs. The coordination problem is cast as an overlapping coalition formation (OCF) game with a holistic-altruistic preference order, enabling MCRs to autonomously allocate energy and cooperatively fulfill charging tasks while balancing self-interest and social welfare. Based on this framework, we develop a simulated annealing-inspired, decentralized OCF (SA-OCF) algorithm that effectively explores the solution space under stringent energy and time-window constraints and converges to a stable overlapping coalition structure. Simulation results show that the proposed approach outperforms baseline methods in social welfare and energy delivered. Furthermore, the algorithm exhibits strong scalability across scenarios with heterogeneous EV-charging behaviors.
Source
APPLIED ENERGY
Volume402PartB
DOI10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126956
2026年1月
Thresholds in the controls of denudation rates: A global analysis of tectonic climatic and biological factors based on machine learning
Jiaxi Zhao, Yonggang Liu, Gaojun Li, Haoyue Zuo
Abstract
Denudation is one of the most important processes on Earth's surface determining the landscape evolution, weathering release and consumption of CO2, soil/sediment production. While many studies attribute topography as the primary control on denudation rates, slope-based models explain only half of the observed variance with systematic biases on both the high and low ends. This model-data discrepancy may arise from secondary unidentified environmental factors and/or the insensitivity of denudation to slope beyond certain thresholds. Here we train a machine learning model utilizing denudation rates measured for similar to 4000 river basins worldwide to predict global denudation rates based on 14 environmental predictors. Our results indicate that denudation has prominent threshold behavior, and we identify key slope thresholds at 3 degrees, 12 degrees and 15 degrees (calculated with 1 km-resolution DEM, equivalent to 8 degrees, 21 degrees, and 25 degrees with 90 m DEM). For slopes below 3 degrees, denudation is most affected by temperature which potentially enhances denudation by creating conditions conducive to faster chemical weathering. As slope increases, precipitation seasonality, precipitation of the wettest month, and runoff become important by activating river incision. Over the steepest mountains, denudation transitions from transport-limited to detachment-limited regimes, where intense tectonic activity or discharge triggers landslide adjustments that maximize denudation rates. Globally, the relationship between median denudation rates and slope is better described by a logistic rather than exponential function. We use the model to predict global denudation rates at 1-km resolution, and explain > 80 % of the observed variance with systematic biases substantially reduced. Our results provide quantitative constraints for understanding Earth surface dynamics over the last millennia and throughout geologic history.
Source
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
Volume674
DOI10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119750
2026年1月
Decomposition of Pacific Decadal Oscillation using linear inverse models sheds light on its dominant modes and future response
Wu, Sheng; Di Lorenzo, Emanuele; Zhao, Yingying; Newman, Matthew; Liu, Zhengyu; Capotondi, Antonietta; Sun, Daoxun; Stevenson, Samantha; Liu, Yonggang
Abstract
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is the leading mode of North Pacific climate variability, yet its response to climate change remains uncertain. Here, we use Linear Inverse Model (LIM) diagnostics to decompose PDO into three dynamical constituents: the Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension (KOE) mode, the North Pacific-Central Tropical Pacific (NP-CP) mode, and the El Ni & ntilde;o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) mode. Applying an observationally derived LIM large ensemble, we show that the relative importance of these modes varies substantially over 85-year periods due to internal climate variability-requiring at least 300 years for stationary estimates. LIMs trained on climate model ensembles reveal that, despite comparable variability, models exhibit systematic biases in representing the spatial structures of the KOE and NP-CP modes. Under global warming, models project a more dominant ENSO contribution and a diminished KOE influence, leading to a shortened PDO timescale. This LIM-based dynamical decomposition enables more direct comparisons of PDO mechanisms between models and observations.
Source
NPJ CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE
Volume9Issue1
DOI10.1038/s41612-025-01315-2
2026年1月
Uncertainty in Antarctic precipitation projections under global warming
Man, Kai; Miao, Yujie; Wang, Yonghao; Feng, Yusi; Li, Xichen
Abstract
The Antarctic Ice Sheet is a critical driver of global sea level rise, yet future projections of Antarctic precipitation remain highly uncertain, posing challenges to modeling ice sheet changes. This study examines uncertainties in Antarctic precipitation projections using simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 and investigates their underlying sources. We find that uncertainties in precipitation projections are substantially larger than those for surface temperature. Integrated precipitation uncertainties are strongly linked to uncertainties in both global and Antarctic surface temperatures, while atmospheric circulation-particularly the Pacific South American modes-plays a critical role in regional precipitation patterns of precipitation uncertainties. Further analysis reveals that tropical sea surface temperatures contribute to uncertainties in Antarctic precipitation patterns through atmospheric teleconnections. These findings highlight the need to improve polar processes in climate models to reduce uncertainties in Antarctic precipitation projections and better predict ice sheet contributions to sea level rise.
Source
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
Volume21Issue1
DOI10.1088/1748-9326/ae2ca9
2026年1月
Comparing the Linkage between Springtime Central Pacific Cross-Equatorial Winds and Wintertime ENSO Events in Reanalyses and CMIP6 Models
Miao, Yujie; Lian, Tao; Feng, Juan; Yu, Yueyue; Li, Yadi; Wang, Wenzhu; Li, Xichen
Abstract
Recent studies highlighted the springtime cross-equatorial meridional wind anomaly over the central Pacific as an important precursor to El Ni & ntilde;o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events in the following winter, primarily through atmosphere-ocean interactions such as the wind-evaporation-sea surface temperature (SST) feedback. The cross-equatorial wind leads ENSO events by 8 months in reanalysis datasets, with the correlation coefficient of up to 0.63. Here, we assess the fidelity of this relationship in climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6). Our analysis reveals that all CMIP6 models substantially underestimate this relationship. Further investigation suggests that this deficiency is largely due to the overestimation of ENSO persistence in models, as evidenced by the elevated autocorrelation between springtime and wintertime ENSO indices. In reanalyses, the springtime cross-equatorial wind anomaly over the central Pacific often coincides with a cold SST anomaly in the cold tongue but precedes a warm SST anomaly in the following winter. Most CMIP6 models overestimate the autocorrelation between springtime and wintertime ENSO events, which overshadows the "springtime wind-wintertime ENSO" relationship. However, upon removing the springtime ENSO signal from the analysis, most models successfully reproduce a strong linkage between springtime cross-equatorial winds and subsequent ENSO events. These findings reaffirm the critical role of springtime meridional wind anomalies in shaping ENSO evolution and offer valuable insights for correcting model biases and improving model performance in simulating ENSO dynamics and predictability.
Source
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
Volume39Issue2Page459-474
DOI10.1175/JCLI-D-25-0240.1
2026年1月
Electro-SLAM: Distributed underwater multi-robot SLAM via bio-inspired active and passive electro-sensing
Yang, Qiye; Zheng, Junzheng; Wang, Chen; Xiong, Minglei; Xie, Guangming
Abstract
This paper presents Electro-SLAM, a novel and fully distributed SLAM system for underwater single- and multi-robot applications, inspired by the electroreception capabilities of weakly electric fish. Departing from conventional vision- or sonar-based methods, Electro-SLAM employs a compact, custom-designed sensing module that supports both active and passive electro-sensing, enabling perception of geometric boundaries and material properties even in visually degraded, dark, or turbid environments, without relying on external infrastructure. At the foundational level, we develop a complete electro-sensing solution, including a compact hardware unit, theoretical electric field models under representative underwater boundary conditions, and estimation methods for localization. Building on this, for single-robot scenarios, we propose an active electro-sensing SLAM pipeline that integrates boundary detection, boundary tracking, and hierarchical localization strategies leveraging both geometric and material-aware features of boundaries. Finally, the framework is extended to multi-robot scenarios, forming the full Electro-SLAM system that integrates passive electro-sensing-based inter-robot relative pose estimation, decentralized semantic map merging, and collaborative localization via merged semantic maps, enabling asynchronous cooperation among multiple low-cost robots. The proposed Electro-SLAM is validated through real-world underwater experiments using custom-built small robots. Results demonstrate that Electro-SLAM significantly outperforms odometry-only baselines in localization accuracy, mapping quality, and semantic map completeness. By combining bio-inspired sensing with distributed multi-robot autonomy, Electro-SLAM offers a scalable SLAM paradigm for dark, turbid, and communication-constrained underwater environments, opening new directions for embodied intelligence in aquatic domains.
Source
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBOTICS RESEARCH
DOI10.1177/02783649251414426
2026年1月
全球变暖下的“汞陷阱”：南极地区汞污染放大效应
周诚真，刘茂甸，张倩茹，王学军
Abstract
重金属汞及其某些化合物是具全球迁移能力的持久性污染物，目前主要来自人为排放，对人类健康和生态系统构成严重威胁。包括南极大陆和南大洋在内的南极地区作为地球重要的“冷源”系统，对调节全球汞循环具有重要作用。研究发现，过去1万多年的全新世气候变暖触发的冰架退缩导致南极汞积累量激增，预示未来全球变暖将促使南大洋演变为“汞陷阱”，加剧南极地区乃至全球的环境风险。为应对这种危机，保障世界人民的食品安全，全球应协同减排，遏制汞污染随气候变暖而恶化的趋势，并推动更具包容性的极地科研合作与环境治理机制的协同建设。
Source
科学. 2026 ,78 (01): 1-6+69
2026年1月
全球河流汞污染的历史背景值与现状
彭栋，刘茂甸，张彦旭
Abstract
汞及其化合物是具有神经毒性的污染物，通过食物链对野生动物和人类健康构成威胁，而河流是陆地与海洋间汞循环的重要通道。随着近现代工业化进程的推进，人为排放显著增加，当前河流汞通量提高至工业革命前的2～3倍，加剧了河流和滨海地区居民汞暴露风险。建立全球河流汞传输模型有助于污染治理评估与目标设定，是推动全球汞减排与修复的重要参考，为制定科学、高效、系统的汞减排策略提供依据。汞是最具毒性的污染物之一，对人体神经系统和生态环境危害极大，已被纳入2017年生效的国际间《关于汞的水俣公约》（简称《水俣公约》）进行重点监管。我国于2017年正式开展《水俣公约》履约工作，出台了一系列条例和法规来控制汞污染排放，并进行汞污染治理。
Source
科学. 2026 ,78 (01): 7-11+69
2026年1月
全球的人为源大气汞排放与中国的角色
邱新然，刘茂甸，蔡兴瑞，王学军
Abstract
含汞体温计（水银体温计）是陪伴过很多人、可靠的健康测量工具，但从2026年1月1日起，我国全面禁止生产。这是为什么呢？其实，汞是一种全球性污染物，而人为的汞排放在过去60年大幅上升。《水俣公约》生效8年多来，发达国家的汞减排努力正被部分新兴发展中国家汞排放的增长所抵消，全球汞污染重心已然“南移”。然而，中国通过严格的环境治理政策和独特的协同减排措施，成功实现了从“最大排放国”向“关键减排者”的转型，按下了汞污染的减速键，为全球环境保护和治理提供了宝贵的“中国经验”。
Source
科学. 2026 ,78 (01): 12-16+69
2026年1月
中国水产品汞污染控制策略和经验对全球的启示
蔡兴瑞，刘茂甸，张倩茹，孟靖，王学军
Abstract
水产品是人类自身优质营养和养殖业经济收入的重要来源，其安全性直接关系到全球30多亿人的健康和福祉，然而汞污染已成为影响以鱼类为代表的水产品安全的全球性环境难题。中国作为全球最大的水产品生产和汞排放国，通过先进的市政污水处理措施，成功实现了水产品汞含量持续下降的“逆势突围”，为全球汞污染治理提供了宝贵的“中国经验”。近年来，水产品中重金属汞污染问题持续受到全球广泛关注，其中甲基汞作为汞常见的有机形态具有显著的生物富集性和神经毒性，严重威胁以鱼类为代表的水产品安全和人类健康。中国由于人口数量庞大和经济快速发展的需要，已成为全球最大的大气汞排放国，同时其水产品中汞含量却在过去40年显著下降，为全球汞污染治理提供了重要参考。
Source
科学. 2026 ,78 (01): 17-22+69
2026年2月
Lamprey-Inspired Amphibious Suction Disc with Hybrid Adhesion Mechanism
Li, Lei; Gao, Wenzhuo; Qin, Boyang; Zhang, Yiyuan; Linghu, Changhong Wang, Bo; Ma, Yitian; Kong, Shihan; Yu, Junzhi
Abstract
Bioinspired adhesives mimicking octopuses, tree frogs, and geckos enable robots to grip and manipulate diverse surfaces. However, most existing systems use a single adhesion mechanism, limiting adaptability and hindering strong, reversible attachment across diverse surface conditions and environmental media. Here, inspired by the oral sucker of the lamprey (Lethenteron reissneri), we present a hybrid suction disc that integrates a thermally switchable shape-memory polymer (SMP) panel for surface conformity and a soft silicone lip for vacuum suction. When heated, the SMP softens to conform to surface irregularities; subsequent cooling restiffens it, enabling mechanical interlocking with surface asperities under vacuum. This synergistic design achieves robust, reversible, and cross-medium adhesion on challenging surfaces, both in air and underwater. The disc generated peak pull-off forces of 562 N in air and 590 N underwater on smooth substrates, over 850 times its own weight, and maintained strong adhesion even on rough surfaces (>707 mu m) where conventional suction fails. Incorporating the SMP improved adhesion by 377% in air and 270% underwater compared to vacuum alone. Shear friction tests showed similar enhancements, and attachments remained secure for 26.8 h under load. The hybrid disc also enabled robotic demonstrations of gripping and cross-medium manipulation when mounted on a mechanical arm, highlighting its potential for real-world robotic applications. This work paves the way for developing multimodal adhesion systems and amphibious robots capable of adaptive gripping and reliable operation across diverse environments.
Source
CYBORG AND BIONIC SYSTEMS
Volume7
DOI10.34133/cbsystems.0527
2026年2月
Tripole-like Antarctic sea ice pattern linked to remote forcing from the Indian Ocean and Maritime Continent
Ma, Weihan; Yuan, Xiaojun; Hou, Yurong; Man, Kai; Miao, Yujie; Zhang, Li; Li, Xichen
Abstract
Antarctic sea ice variability has long been characterized by a dipole pattern primarily located in West Antarctica, attributed to the Amundsen Sea Low and remote forcing from the tropical Pacific, while variability in other sectors has received less attention. Here we reveal a tripole-like pattern of sea ice variability spanning multiple sectors of Antarctica, comprising the classic dipole together with seasonally varying centers in East Antarctica during austral winter and spring. Using observational analyses and numerical experiments, we demonstrate that, unlike the dipole, this tripole is not governed solely by the Amundsen Sea Low. Instead, it emerges from paired atmospheric circulation anomalies that impose coherent wind forcing along the sea ice edge, initiated by Rossby wave trains from the Pacific, Indian Ocean and Maritime Continent. These findings provide a broader framework for Antarctic sea ice variability and highlight previously overlooked Indian Ocean-Maritime Continent drivers of Antarctic climate predictability.
Source
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
Volume7Issue1
DOI10.1038/s43247-026-03292-7
2026年2月
Interaction between atmospheric rivers and marine heatwaves in the North Pacific
Zhang, Lujia; Song, Yurong; Huang, Wen; Lu, Mengqian; Dong, Tianyun; Li, Xichen
Abstract
Atmospheric rivers (ARs) and marine heatwaves (MHWs) are two major extreme events of the climate system that strongly influence the ocean-atmosphere interface, yet their mutual interactions remain poorly understood. Here we use long-term oceanic and atmospheric reanalysis datasets (OISST and ERA5) from 1982 to 2023 to quantify the interactions and feedbacks between ARs and MHWs over the North Pacific. Longer and more intense events exhibit a higher probability of overlapping, resulting in nearly 85% of ARs and 57% of MHWs being linked to the other system. Pronounced hotspots of co-occurrence emerge in the mid-latitudes, where both systems frequently develop. ARs promote ocean surface warming and exacerbate MHW intensity by enhancing surface heat fluxes dominated by latent heat, together with increased downward longwave and sensible heat fluxes over the North Pacific north of 40 degrees N. Conversely, MHWs slightly suppress local AR intensity by weakening horizontal winds, while mesoscale convection and cyclonic disturbances disrupt integrated vapor transport. This effect is partially offset by enhanced moisture associated with stronger convection. These findings reveal a bidirectional coupling between oceanic and atmospheric extremes and highlight the need to examine their relationship across other ocean basins and under future warming scenarios to better anticipate compound climate risks.
Source
NPJ CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE
Volume9Issue1
DOI10.1038/s41612-026-01350-7
2026年2月
Ocean Circulation on Tide-locked Lava Worlds: 3D Modeling with a Simple Boundary Iteration Method
Jun Yang, Chengyao Tang, Zimu Wang, Yanhong Lai, Wanying Kang
Abstract
Tide-locked lava worlds are surface-melted rocky planets under 1:1 tidally locked orbit (i.e., synchronously rotating) with orbital period being equal to rotation period and with permanent hot dayside and cold nightside. Previous studies on this type of planets employed scaling analyses and two-dimensional (2D) simulations. This work is a continuation of the previous researches but including the effect of the Coriolis force and the simulation domain is extended to a 3D global sphere. We find that under the condition with thermal-only forcing (without surface wind stresses), the area-mean ocean depth is about 50–300 m (depending on vertical diffusivity) and the area-mean effect of horizontal ocean heat transport (in the order of 103 to 104 W m?2) is significantly smaller than stellar radiation (in the order of 106 W m?2 at the substellar region), being consistent with previous results. Different from 2D results, due to the effect of the Coriolis force, large-scale horizontal gyres form on the dayside, ocean currents near the west boundaries are much stronger than that near the east boundaries (called as "western intensification"), the deepest ocean is not right at the substellar point but in the middle latitudes as the vertical diffusivity is moderate or large, and meanwhile there exists significant asymmetry between the west and the east of the substellar point. These results establish a first picture for the 3D thermal-driven ocean circulation and confirm that the lava ocean should be shallow on tide-locked lava worlds.
Source
arXiv, February 1, 2026
2026年2月
Achieving Explainable ENSO Prediction Using Small Data Training
Feng, Jie; Lian, Tao; Liu, Ting; Chen, Dake; Li, Xichen; Tang, Youmin; Gao, Yanqiu; Song, Xunshu
Abstract
Despite substantial progress over the past four decades, accurately predicting the spatiotemporal structure of the El Ni & ntilde;o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) remains a persistent challenge for dynamical models. While deep learning models have demonstrated improved prediction skills, their performances are constrained by biases in climate models used for training and lack dynamic interpretability. Here we construct a novel hybrid model that integrates deep learning techniques into a dynamical model, enabling information exchanging during integration. Training on physical-informed data, the model continuously adapts and improves forecasts, achieves unprecedented ENSO prediction skills, particularly in El Ni & ntilde;o diversity and the spring predictability barrier. Moreover, as the hybrid model requires only a small volume of data by training on observations, it circumvents biases in climate models. Enhanced prediction skills arise primarily from improved representation of the leading feedbacks associated with ENSO. Our results suggest that training models with physical-informed data is an effective approach for ENSO prediction.
Source
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
Volume53Issue3
DOI10.1029/2025GL117573
2026年2月
Distinct spatiotemporal patterns of atmospheric total and soluble iron from three sources revealed by shipboard online observations in the Northwest Pacific
Zhang, Tianle; Xiang, Yaxin; Zhu, Bingxing; Yao, Xiaohong; Fan, Xuehua; Wang, Yinan; Wang, Yuntao; Chen, Shuangling; Wang, Shunyao; Zhang, Yan; Chai, Fei; Zheng, Mei
Abstract
Non-dust emissions have been increasingly recognized as important contributors to atmospheric iron (Fe), influencing marine productivity through enhanced bioavailable Fe inputs. However, accurately quantifying the contributions and spatiotemporal variability of non-dust sources remains challenging due to relatively low time-resolution of traditional filter-based analytical methods. In this study, the contributions of non-dust emissions to atmospheric total and soluble Fe in the Northwest Pacific were quantified based on online measurements from three ship-based observation campaigns in 2021-2022. A Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model was applied for source apportionment. Results showed non-dust emissions were notable contributors to atmospheric total Fe, representing 24 %-41 % of total Fe in PM10 and 30 %-56 % in PM2.5 samples across different cruise legs. Importantly, their contributions to soluble Fe were significantly higher, reaching 88 %-97 % in PM10 and 85 %-98 % in PM2.5 samples. Among non-dust sources, land anthropogenic emissions contributed substantially to both total and soluble Fe, whereas ship emission contributed a small portion to total Fe but was a major source of soluble Fe, particularly in summer, when its contribution reached 79 % of soluble Fe in PM10 samples in coastal regions. Additionally, Fe from non-dust sources exhibited stronger spatial variability than dust source. The concentrations of land anthropogenic Fe differed by 3-5 times between coastal and open-ocean areas during the same cruises, while ship-derived Fe varied by an order of magnitude or more. This study offers critical observational evidence to advance understanding of how diverse emission sources shape atmospheric composition in Asian continental outflow regions.
Source
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
Volume26Issue4Page3001-3024
DOI10.5194/acp-26-3001-2026
2026年2月
Impact of Inter-Basin Interactions on ENSO-Associated Hadley Circulation Adjustments
Miao, Yujie; Lian, Tao; Wang, Ya; Yu, Yueyue; Hou, Yurong; Wang, Weiqi; Li, Yadi; Tao, Weichen; Li, Xichen
Abstract
El Ni & ntilde;o events are usually accompanied by Hadley circulation (HC) adjustment extending beyond the Pacific to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. These remote HC adjustments arise through both pure atmospheric and ocean-atmosphere coupling mechanisms, yet their relative importance remains unclear. In this study, we integrate observations with climate model experiments to assess the roles of pure atmospheric and coupled ocean-atmosphere pathways linking ENSO to the global HC adjustments. Results show that El Ni & ntilde;o intensifies deep convection over the Pacific but suppresses convection over the Atlantic and Indian Oceans via the tropospheric temperature mechanism. Meanwhile, El Ni & ntilde;o-induced Atlantic and Indian Oceans warming enhances convection and regional HC. These two pathways exert opposing influences, with pure atmospheric pathway as the dominant driver. These findings establish a novel inter-basin dynamical perspective for ENSO-related tropical circulation adjustments and clarify the relative importance of different pathways, offering important implications for understanding ENSO-induced global climate impacts.
Source
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
Volume53Issue3
DOI10.1029/2025GL118492
2026年3月
Octopus-Inspired Underwater Gripper with Rapid Stiffness Tuning and Robot Enabling Upward Transport
Wu, Mingxin; Liu, Yurong; Wu, Jiaxi; Afridi, Waqar Hussain; Zheng, Xingwen; Wang, Chen; Xie, Guangming
Abstract
Underwater operations-such as marine environmental protection, resource recovery, and seabed exploration-require grippers with high adaptability. Existing rigid and soft grippers are constrained by their inherent material limitations, restricting their manipulation versatility. In this work, we introduce an octopus-inspired underwater gripper with rapidly tunable stiffness, integrated into an upward transport robot designed for efficient underwater object manipulation. Achieving softening in 1.3 s and rigidification in 0.8 s, the gripper demonstrates the shortest stiffness transition time reported to date, substantially advancing rapid and adaptive underwater manipulation. Emulating the octopus's multimodal grasping strategy, the system can handle a wide range of objects-from light to heavy and soft to rigid-even in cluttered underwater environments. The integrated robot combines active buoyancy control with manipulation to enable continuous grasping and vertical transport of submerged objects. This study offers a robust solution for adaptive underwater manipulation, with potential applications in autonomous marine operations, ecological restoration, and ocean missions.
Source
CYBORG AND BIONIC SYSTEMS
Volume7
DOI10.34133/cbsystems.0528
2026年3月
Effect of Wettability on Nucleation Thermodynamics of Natural Gas Hydrate in Nanopores
Xu, Chao; Li, Zhenchao; Lu, Hailong
Abstract
Natural gas hydrate is taken as a promising future energy source that primarily forms and occurs in the pores of natural sediments. In this study, the effects of thermodynamics and surface wettability of mineral substrates on gas hydrate nucleation are investigated with a modified classical nucleation theory framework, revealing that the hydrophobic concave of a surface will lead to a lower energy barrier (Delta G*) and smaller equivalent critical radii (r e c) for hydrate formation, and surface wettability exerts a greater influence in hydrate nucleation than pore curvature. As to the contact angles on minerals, layered silicates such as kaolinite (17.5 +/- 2.5 degrees) and montmorillonite (21.5 +/- 6.5 degrees) have strong hydrophilicity versus pronounced hydrophobicity as compared with nonpolar materials such as graphene (127 +/- 4 degrees) and graphite (98 +/- 5 degrees), while sulfide minerals are recognized with intermediate wettability due to their metal-sulfur bond polarity. The polarity based on the dielectric constant predicts that the contact angle of hydrate is greater than that of water on the hydrophilic surface while lower on hydrophobic substrates, and such a phenomenon can be demonstrated with the brass surface. Through a thermodynamic evaluation, this work elucidates the influence of curvature and wettability on hydrate nucleation and identifies a qualitative polarity-contact angle correlation, thereby contributing to the foundational knowledge of nucleation media.
Source
CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN
Volume26Issue5Page1970-1978
DOI10.1021/acs.cgd.5c01528
2026年3月
Influence of East Asian cold surges on tropical precipitation over the Maritime continent
Yang, Wenwen; Cui, Wenling; Li, Xichen; Spengler, Thomas; Dunstone, Nick; Hardiman, Steven C.; Pang, Bo; Wang, Lin
Abstract
Cold surges are typical weather phenomena of the East Asian winter monsoon and can substantially influence tropical precipitation from the South China Sea (SCS) across the Maritime Continent (MC). This study proposes a revised definition of cold surge events by merging intermittent surges separated by brief (1-2 day) interruptions into continuous episodes. It then classifies cold surge events from 1980 to 2023 into short- and long-lived categories. Composite and lead-lag analyses show that while cold surges of both categories enhance precipitation over the SCS and MC, long-lived events produce not only more persistent but also more intense rainfall. These prolonged cold surges are characterized by sustained northerly winds, enhanced diabatic heating in the mid- to upper troposphere, and deeper convective development. Thermodynamic analyses reveal that long-lived cold surges are more effective in transporting heat and moisture from mid-latitudes and initiate robust ascent when sea surface temperature (SST) exceeds a convective threshold (similar to 27 degrees C). Sea level pressure indices over East Asia and Siberia emerge as robust precursors for cold surge occurrence, leading MC precipitation by several days and offering promise for sub-seasonal prediction. Additionally, long-lived cold surges drive persistent SST cooling over the SCS and East China Sea through enhanced surface fluxes. These results highlight the critical role of coupled tropical-extratropical and ocean-atmosphere interactions in cold surge dynamics and underscore their potential for improving intra-seasonal forecast skill in Southeast Asia.
Source
WEATHER AND CLIMATE EXTREMES
Volume51
DOI10.1016/j.wace.2026.100868
2026年3月
Regional Hadley Circulation Adjustments Associated With Eastern-Pacific and Central-Pacific ENSO
Wang, Weiqi; Feng, Juan; Miao, Yujie; Ma, Weihan; Li, Yadi; Li, Xichen
Abstract
The El Ni & ntilde;o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) exhibits pronounced spatial diversity between its eastern Pacific (EP) and central Pacific expressions, with distinct impacts on the global atmospheric circulation, including the Hadley circulation (HC). However, the traditional zonal-mean perspective of the HC masks the longitudinal structure of the circulation responses to different ENSO types, thereby concealing basin-dependent overturning contrasts and their implications for HC-subtropical jet interactions. In this study, we show that different ENSO types induce distinct three-dimensional adjustments of the HC. During CP-type events, Pacific HC cells exhibit a broader meridional extent with centers shifted farther west, resulting in a stronger coupling with the subtropical jet, whereas EP-type events are characterized by a more zonally broadened HC confined near the equator. These contrasts extend beyond the Pacific basin, with Atlantic HC anomalies during CP-type events also displaced farther westward than those associated with EP-type events. The differing HC responses are closely linked to the distinct spatial patterns and seasonal evolution of sea surface temperature and precipitation anomalies associated with different ENSO types. Together, these findings enhance our understanding of ENSO diversity and its climatic impacts, particularly in the context of the projected increase in CP-type events under global warming.
Source
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
Volume131Issue7
DOI10.1029/2025JD046200
2026年3月
A geometric optimization framework for a bio-inspired flexible hydrofoil energy harvester
Abstract
Conventional flow-induced energy harvesters often rely on idealized NACA foils or simplified shapes that omit key morphological features of natural swimmers—such as curvature, camber variation, and tapering—that govern vortex capture and pressure recovery. Recognizing the performance advantages embedded in these biological traits and building on vortex-exploitation strategies observed in Kármán gaiting, this study develops a koi-carp-derived flexible hydrofoil and systematically optimizes its geometry for bio-inspired flow-energy harvesting. A compact parametric representation of the fish cross-section is formulated, enabling direct geometric manipulation and surrogate-based refinement of the foil's thickness distribution. Two-way coupled fluid–structure interaction (FSI) simulations evaluate sampled geometries and train a data-driven surrogate model, forming the basis of a multi-objective optimization strategy that enhances synchronization with the unsteady bluff-body wake. FSI comparisons show that the real fish foil outperforms canonical NACA profiles by up to 157% in harvested mechanical power, while the optimized hydrofoil achieves a further 122% increase. Fabricated foils were tested in a controlled water channel, where the optimized configuration delivered up to 30% higher electrical output with reduced numerical drag. A four-foil hydroelastic cascade harvester (HCH) deployed downstream of a bluff body produced a cumulative output of 2.34 μW and a peak single-foil power of 0.713 μW. Field deployment in a natural stream generated 3.82 mJ of electrical energy over 1 h under low-velocity conditions, confirming stable passive operation. These results demonstrate that biologically derived geometry and surrogate-based optimization enable compact, fully passive hydroelastic harvesters for low-power underwater sensing and distributed flow-energy conversion.
Source
Energy, Volume 353, June 15, 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2026.140825
2026年4月
EMG-Driven Telemetry and Inference System for Fish: Pose Reconstruction and Flow Sensing
Afridi, Rahdar Hussain; Afridi, Waqar Hussain; Hamza, Muhammad; Tanveer, Ahsan; Wu, Mingxin; Zheng, Xingwen; Li, Liang; Xie, Guangming
Abstract
Intelligent sensing systems that integrate biological signals with machine learning open new opportunities to understand and replicate animal locomotion in natural environments. Conventional telemetry methods capture only limited variables and cannot reconstruct detailed kinematics or hydrodynamic context. An electromyography (EMG)-driven intelligent telemetry framework is introduced that decodes both body pose and environmental conditions in freely swimming fish. A custom 16-channel telemetry unit recorded intramuscular EMG synchronized with kinematics across laminar flows at multiple speeds, two K & aacute;rm & aacute;n vortex streets, a reverse K & aacute;rm & aacute;n vortex street, and free-swimming trials. A deep neural network mapped feature-augmented EMG to joint angles in a head-fixed frame, enabling midline reconstruction with sub-centimeter accuracy (similar to 3.8% body length) and joint angle prediction within 4 degrees root mean squared erroFir (R approximate to 0.81). The same pipeline classified flow regimes and discrete flow speeds with high accuracy. Channel-efficiency analysis identified mid-body axial electrodes as sufficient to capture most flow-relevant information, guiding minimizing electrode count and invasiveness. Predicted kinematics were validated through computational fluid dynamics simulations and robotic embodiment that replayed decoded swimming motions. These results establish EMG as a dual-purpose bio-signal for locomotor and environmental inference, demonstrating an AI-driven telemetry framework that links muscle activity, kinematics, and fluid interactions.
Source
ADVANCED INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS
DOI10.1002/aisy.202501085
2026年4月
Revealing the Mechanisms of Heat Extremes Using an AI Enabled Diagnostic Framework
Xiang, Longzhen; Wang, Ya; Clark, Robin T.; Yang, Kai; Huang, Gang; Li, Xichen; Lin, Pengfei; Hu, Kaiming; Tao, Weichen; Qu, Xia
Abstract
Heat extremes have become a major health hazard around the world. Understanding their mechanisms remains a major challenge because the physical drivers interact in a nonlinear way. Here we introduce a globally perturbed reforecast framework driven by the Neural general circulation model (NeuralGCM). Sensitivity reforecast experiments that independently remove initial condition anomalies over spatially distinct patches identified the high impact regions (HIRs) for the record-breaking August 2022 South China heatwave (SCH22) in Europe and North America (NA) through changes in forecast skill, which are further confirmed by dynamic diagnostics. Forecasts initialized using anomalies only from HIRs covering just 25% of the global domain successfully reproduce the evolution and spatial pattern of SCH22. These findings can also generalize to another AI-based weather model FuXi. Our proposed framework helps to improve accessibility to global-scale diagnostic for extreme events with robust results.
Source
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
Volume53Issue7
DOI10.1029/2025GL120917
2026年4月
Tropical Indian Ocean warming intensifies drought over South America during the dry season
Yang, Wenwen; Li, Xichen; Wang, Lin; Ma, Weihan ; Li, Yancong
Abstract
In recent decades, dry-season droughts over South America have intensified under the background of global warming. While previous work has emphasized the roles of tropical Pacific and Atlantic variability in shaping South American hydroclimate, the role of tropical Indian Ocean warming remains less well constrained. In this study, we combine observational analysis together with atmospheric model experiments to show that Indian Ocean Basin Mode (IOBM) warming excites a stationary Rossby wave train that propagates into the South Pacific-South American sector, producing an anomalous upper-tropospheric high-pressure over South America and an enhanced South Atlantic anticyclone. These circulation anomalies strengthen subsidence and reduce moisture supply over the southern Amazon and central Brazil, thereby suppressing precipitation and intensifying drought. In addition, reduced cloudiness further increases surface downward shortwave radiation and near-surface warming, providing a local cloud-radiation amplification. Together, our results identify tropical Indian Ocean warming as an important and underappreciated source of dry-season predictability for South American hydroclimate and associated drought risk.
Source
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
Volume8Issue4
DOI10.1088/2515-7620/ae4cf8
2026年4月
The role of the mid-atlantic ridge in modulating the atlantic meridional overturning circulation and its response to warming
Mei, Jie; Liu, Yonggang
Abstract
Mid-ocean ridges are prevalent features of the ocean bottom, but how they influence ocean circulation is unclear. Here we investigate this problem by conducting idealized simulations using an ocean general circulation model, with a focus on how the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) affects the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and its response to abrupt surface warming. The results show that 1) the depth of AMOC increases with the width and height of MAR because it induces cooling and densification of seawater at the northwestern corner of the ocean basin. 2) the strength of AMOC at latitudes higher than similar to 40 degrees N increases with the width and height of MAR but the strength at lower latitudes changes little and may become slightly weaker. 3) overall, the density of the abyssal seawater increases with the width and height of MAR mainly due to the less effective vertical mixing when an MAR is present. 4) after an abrupt surface warming is applied, the AMOC eventually deepens and strengthens, with an adjustment timescale controlled by the diapycnal mixing at depth as previously found but shortens with the MAR height and width. For example, the timescale shortens from over 10,000 years for the case with no MAR to less than 5,000 years for the case with a wide MAR. This shortening is mainly because the early development of a cold anomaly at the surface around the northwestern corner of the ocean basin. These results imply that basal topographic features, often simplified in idealized models, deserve greater attention in long-term climate projections and paleoclimate interpretations.
Source
OCEAN MODELLING
Volume201
DOI10.1016/j.ocemod.2026.102715
2026年4月
Bioinspired underwater soft robots: from biology to robotics and back
Lei Li, Boyang Qin, Wenzhuo Gao, Yanyu Li, Yiyuan Zhang, Bo Wang, Shihan Kong, Jian Wang, Dekui He & Junzhi Yu
Abstract
Soft-bodied marine organisms inspire underwater soft robots. We distill four biological principles that guide robotic design, including locomotion, compliant morphologies and materials, distributed sensing, and adaptive control. We frame a bidirectional loop from biology to robotics and back in which robots act as physical models to probe biological mechanisms that are difficult to isolate in living animals. We further propose a biouniversal design strategy that moves beyond any single organism.
Source
npj Robotics volume 4, Article number: 25 (2026)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s44182-026-00088-x
2026年5月
Effect of Hadley Circulation-Subtropical Jet Interaction: The Seasonal Contrast of ENSO-Induced Atmospheric Teleconnection Patterns between Boreal Autumn and Winter
Ma, Weihan; Wang, Ya; Miao, Yujie; Hu, Yongyun; Li, Xichen
Abstract
El Ni & ntilde;o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) generates teleconnection patterns that show a marked seasonal contrast in amplitude, with much stronger impacts in boreal winter than in autumn, even when tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies are of similar magnitude. While previous studies have focused on the effect of background SST in generating convective precipitation anomalies, this study reveals the importance of the position and extent of ENSOinduced regional Hadley circulation (HC) anomalies in forming this seasonal contrast. Unlike traditional zonal-mean diagnostics, the regional HC captures the three-dimensional structure of its interaction with the subtropical jet (STJ), which generates the Rossby wave sources. In winter, the descending branch of the ENSO-induced HC anomaly aligns with the exit of the intensified and eastward-extended STJ. This alignment enhances divergence anomalies, amplifies the Rossby wave source, and drives a stronger downstream teleconnection. In contrast, during autumn, the weaker and polewardshifted STJ is poorly coupled with the regional HC, limiting wave source generation and weakening the response. This contrast is well captured in observation-based analyses and further validated by numerical model experiments, emphasizing the critical role of regional HC-STJ interaction in shaping ENSO teleconnection seasonality and clarifying the associated Rossby wave dynamics.
Source
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
Volume39Issue9Page2157-2169
DOI10.1175/JCLI-D-25-0462.1
2026年6月
Preseason ENSO signals and the underlying mechanisms driving soybean yield anomaly in the Americas
Li, Menghan; Li, Xichen
Abstract
Soybean production is heavily concentrated in the United States, Brazil, and Argentina, making global supply sensitive to climate variability. Most studies emphasize El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) impacts during the growing season, but whether ENSO provides useful predictability well before planting and through which pathways remains unclear. Here we assess the preseason influence of ENSO on soybean yield anomalies across the three leading producing countries using gridded yields and observed/reanalysis climate data for 1981-2016. We find that ENSO-related sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies can affect soybean yields 10-17 months before harvest, with strong preseason signals in the United States and Argentina and weak relationships in Brazil. In the United States, a warm Nino3.4 phase is followed by Indian Ocean warming and upper-level circulation anomalies consistent with Rossby-wave forcing, favoring reduced precipitation, lower root-zone soil moisture, and higher maximum temperature during the reproductive stage, which is associated with yield declines. In Argentina, the preseason signal is more spatially uniform and consistent with ENSO persistence and tropical South Atlantic SST variability, which modulate moisture transport and produce cooler, cloudier, and wetter conditions during the reproductive stage, increasing soil moisture and supporting higher yields. These results show that cross-seasonal ENSO signals can shape soybean-growing conditions well before the season begins, offering potential for longer-lead risk outlooks. Uncertainties remain due to errors in gridded yield estimates and the lack of explicit representation of management and other non-climatic yield drivers.
Source
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
Volume177
DOI10.1016/j.eja.2026.128077
2026年7月
Effects of nutrient enrichment on microbial accumulation of RDOC: A microcosm experiment using long-term incubated inert waters
Lu, Xi; Zhang, Mengdie; Lin, Siheng; Hu, Chen
Abstract
Climate change mitigation increasingly relies on understanding the ocean's role as a major carbon sink, in which plankton-mediated processes - particularly the microbial carbon pump (MCP) - facilitate the transformation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) into refractory forms that support long-term carbon sequestration. Here, we examined the effects of nutrient enrichment on MCP efficiency using a 33-day dark microcosm incubation of long-term incubated inert waters amended with graded nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations. Our results suggest that high nutrient enrichment may override chemical constraints on refractory DOC (RDOC) utilization, facilitating its conversion into more bioavailable forms. Nutrient addition also triggered marked microbial community succession, favoring taxa such as Bacteroidota, known for efficient degradation of complex organic matter. These shifts enhanced DOC consumption and accelerated carbon turnover, ultimately reducing RDOC accumulation via MCP pathways. Collectively, these findings highlight how nutrient loading and eutrophication can restructure plankton community dynamics and DOC transformation pathways, with implications for predicting the resilience of marine ecosystems and their long-term carbon sequestration capacity under intensified human activities and climate change.
Source
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volume228
DOI10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119539
hq环球体育:Early Access
MAR 2026
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