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Abstract The monthly and hourly climatology of Saharan dust layer height over the Atlantic, at a spatial resolution of ∼10 km, is obtained for the first time, via a passive remote sensing technique. The technique is applied to multiple years of Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) data collected at the Lagrange‐1 point, generating a climate data record (CDR) of aerosol optical centroid height (AOCH). This CDR offers unprecedented spatial coverage and diurnal sampling compared to spaceborne lidars (CALIOP and CATS). Our results show high correspondence with CALIOP data in domain‐averaged monthly variations and with CATS data in diurnal variations, respectively. A principal component analysis (PCA) reveals the dominant role of dust transport in regulating AOCH variation, whereas the impact of the boundary layer is less significant. MERRA‐2 and satellite retrievals respectively display zero and 200–1,000 m of diurnal variation of AOCH, highlighting the uniqueness of EPIC AOCH CDR in constraining climate models.

Abstract The evolution of gas hydrates influenced by the seawater environment is unknown. We present a model of structural transformation from sI hydrate to sII hydrate due to the influence of seawater environment and vent fluid in nature through in situ experiments of gas hydrate formation in the Haima cold seep area. The in situ experimental results indicate that gas hydrates preferentially form as sI hydrates even in cold seep environments where C2+ hydrocarbons are present. During subsequent evolution, the sI hydrates could restructured at the effect of seawater environment and vent fluid, causing transformation to sII hydrates under the influence of hydrate stability. The supply of gas and direct contact with seawater environment are critical factors for structural transformation. Such structural transformation is the result of gas hydrates seeking thermodynamic stability and may be common in active cold seep areas.

Abstract Hydrothermal H2S is an important energy source for hydrothermal ecosystems. However, it is difficult to obtain accurate hydrogen sulfide concentrations in high‐temperature hydrothermal fluids because they are highly susceptible to oxidation and compositional variability with mixing. In this study, a new in situ approach for measuring H2S, HS− and pH in hydrothermal fluids was developed and applied to the detections of Okinawa Trough hydrothermal activities. The in situ total H2S concentrations in the Jade and Biwako fluids were determined to be 31.4 and 76.7 mmol/kg, respectively. The in situ measured pH of the Jade fluids was determined to be 6.3, which has exceeded that of a neutral fluid at a specific temperature and pressure, indicating that the pH of Jade fluids is weakly alkaline. The pH transition of hydrothermal fluids from alkaline to acidic may be attributed to the thermal decomposition of organic matter and sulfide precipitation.