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Abstract The circumgalactic medium (CGM) is a reservoir of metals and star-forming fuel. Most baryons in the Universe are in the CGM or the intergalactic medium (IGM). The baryon cycle—how mass and metals reach the CGM from the inner regions of the galaxy and how gas from the CGM replenishes star-forming activity in the inner regions—is an essential question in galaxy evolution. In this paper, we study the flow of mass and metals in a stacked sample of 2770 isolated halos from the IllustrisTNG100 cosmological hydrodynamic simulation. The mean gas flow as a function of radius and angle is similar across a large galactic mass range when accounting for different feedback modes. Although both star formation and black holes cause powerful outflows, the flows from star formation are more angularly restricted. Black hole feedback dominates mass flow throughout the halo, while star formation feedback mainly affects the inner region. When scaling by virial radius (Rv), large dynamical changes occur at 0.2Rvfor most halos, suggesting a characteristic size for the inner galaxy. Despite kinetic-mode feedback from black holes being the primary quenching mechanism in IllustrisTNG, a small population of high-mass kinetic-mode disks are able to form stars.more » « lessFree, publicly-accessible full text available September 1, 2026
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Abstract. Here we present a newly developed ice core gas-phase proxy that directlysamples a component of the large-scale atmospheric circulation:synoptic-scale pressure variability. Surface pressure changes weakly disrupt gravitational isotopic settling in the firn layer, which is recorded in krypton-86 excess (86Krxs). The 86Krxs may therefore reflect the time-averaged synoptic pressure variability over several years (site “storminess”), but it likely cannot record individual synoptic events as ice core gas samples typically average over several years. We validate 86Krxs using late Holocene ice samples from 11 Antarctic ice cores and 1 Greenland ice core that collectively represent a wide range of surface pressure variability in the modern climate. We find a strong spatial correlation (r=-0.94, p<0.01) between site average 86Krxs and time-averaged synoptic variability from reanalysis data. The main uncertainties in the analysis are the corrections for gas loss and thermal fractionation and the relatively large scatter in the data. Limited scientific understanding of the firn physics and potential biases of 86Krxs require caution in interpreting this proxy at present. We show that Antarctic 86Krxs appears to be linked to the position of the Southern Hemisphere eddy-driven subpolar jet (SPJ), with a southern position enhancing pressure variability. We present a 86Krxs record covering the last 24 kyr from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core. Based on the empirical spatial correlation of synoptic activity and 86Krxs at various Antarctic sites, we interpret this record to show that West Antarctic synoptic activity is slightly below modern levels during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), increases during the Heinrich Stadial 1 and Younger Dryas North Atlantic cold periods, weakens abruptly at the Holocene onset, remains low during the early and mid-Holocene, and gradually increases to its modern value. The WAIS Divide 86Krxs record resembles records of monsoon intensity thought to reflect changes in the meridional position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) on orbital and millennial timescales such that West Antarctic storminess is weaker when the ITCZ is displaced northward and stronger when it is displaced southward. We interpret variations in synoptic activity as reflecting movement of the South Pacific SPJ in parallel to the ITCZ migrations, which is the expected zonal mean response of the eddy-driven jet in models and proxy data. Past changes to Pacific climate and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) may amplify the signal of the SPJ migration. Our interpretation is broadly consistent with opal flux records from the Pacific Antarctic zone thought to reflect wind-driven upwelling. We emphasize that 86Krxs is a new proxy, and more work is called for to confirm, replicate, and better understand these results; until such time, our conclusions regarding past atmospheric dynamics remainspeculative. Current scientific understanding of firn air transport andtrapping is insufficient to explain all the observed variations in86Krxs. A list of suggested future studies is provided.more » « less
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Abstract Changes in the severity and likelihood of flooding events are typically associated with changes in the intensity and frequency of streamflows, but temporal adjustments in a river's conveyance capacity can also contribute to shifts in flood hazard. To assess the relative importance of channel conveyance to flood hazard, we compare variations in channel conveyance to variations in the flow magnitude of moderate (1.2 years) floods at 50 river gauges in western Washington State between 1930 and 2020. In unregulated rivers, moderate floods have increased across the region, but in regulated rivers this trend is suppressed and in some cases reversed. Variations in channel conveyance are ubiquitous, but the magnitude and timing of adjustments are not regionally uniform. At 40% of gages, conveyance changes steadily and gradually. More often, however, conveyance variability is nonlinear, consisting of multidecadal oscillations (36% of gages), rapid changes due to unusually large sediment‐supply events (14% of gages), and increases or decreases to conveyance following flow regulation (10% of gages). The relative importance of conveyance variability for flood risk depends on the mode of adjustment; in certain locations with historic landslides, extreme floods, and flow regulation, the influence of conveyance changes on flood risk matches or exceeds that of streamflow at the same site. Flood hazard management would benefit from incorporating historic long‐term and short‐term conveyance changes in predictions of future flood hazard variability.more » « less
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