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Invasive alien species continue to spread and proliferate in waterways worldwide, but environmental drivers of invasion dynamics lack assessment. Knowledge gaps are pervasive in the Global South, where the frequent heavy human‐modification of rivers provides high opportunity for invasion. In southern Africa, the spatio‐temporal ecology of a widespread and high‐impact invasive alien snail, Tarebia granifera, and its management status is understudied. Here, an ecological assessment was conducted at seven sites around Nandoni Reservoir on the Luvuvhu River in South Africa. The distribution and densities of T. granifera were mapped and the potential drivers of population structure were explored. T. granifera was widespread at sites impacted to varying extents due to anthropogenic activity, with densities exceeding 500 individuals per square meter at the most impacted areas. T. granifera predominantly preferred shallow and sandy environments, being significantly associated with sediment (i.e., chlorophyll‐a, Mn, SOC, SOM) and water (i.e., pH, conductivity, TDS) variables. T. granifera seemed to exhibit two recruitment peaks in November and March, identified via size‐based stock assessment. Sediment parameters (i.e., sediment organic matter, sediment organic carbon, manganese) and water chemistry (i.e., pH, total dissolved solids, conductivity) were found to be important in structuring T. granifera populations, with overall snail densities highest during the summer season. We provide important autecological information and insights on the distribution and extent of the spread of T. granifera. This may help in the development of invasive alien snail management action plans within the region, as well as modelling efforts to predict invasion patterns elsewhere based on environmental characteristics., Alexander von Humboldt‐Stiftung http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100005156, National Research Foundation http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001321, University of Venda http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100008976

Variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) drives wintertime temperature anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere. Dynamical seasonal prediction systems can skilfully predict the winter NAO. However, prediction of the NAO‐dependent air temperature anomalies remains elusive, partially due to the low variability of predicted NAO. Here, we demonstrate a hidden potential of a multi‐model ensemble of operational seasonal prediction systems for predicting wintertime temperature by increasing the variability of predicted NAO. We identify and subsample those ensemble members which are close to NAO index statistically estimated from initial autumn conditions. In our novel multi‐model approach, the correlation prediction skill for wintertime Central Europe temperature is improved from 0.25 to 0.66, accompanied by an increased winter NAO prediction skill of 0.9. Thereby, temperature anomalies can be skilfully predicted for the upcoming winter over a large part of the Northern Hemisphere through increased variability and skill of predicted NAO., Plain Language Summary: Wintertime temperature in the Northern Hemisphere is regulated by the variations of atmospheric pressure, represented by the so‐called North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO's phase—negative or positive—is associated with the pathways of cold and warm air masses leading to cold or warm winters in Europe. While the NAO phase can be predicted well, predictions of the NAO‐dependent air temperature remain elusive. Specifically, it is challenging to predict the strength of the NAO, the most important requirement for the accurate prediction of wintertime temperature. Here, we improve wintertime temperature prediction by increasing the strength of the predicted NAO. We use observation based autumn Northern Hemisphere ocean and air temperature, as well as ice and snow cover for statistical estimation of the first guess NAO for the upcoming winter. Then, we sub‐select only those simulations from the multi‐model ensemble, which are consistent with our first guess NAO. As a result, based on these selected members, the wintertime temperature prediction is substantially improved over a large part of the Northern Hemisphere., Key Points: Amplitude and skill of predicted North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) improve significantly by subsampling of ensemble of existing seasonal prediction systems. Amplified NAO variability leads to significant improvement in predicting the upcoming winter temperature anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Climate, Climatic Change, and Society, Marine Institute grant, European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/cdsapp#!/dataset/seasonal-original-single-levels?tab=overview, http://www.ecmwf.int/en/forecasts/datasets

Predicting the impact of land use and climate change on the Earth system hinges on credible representation of soil hydrological processes (SHP), adequate availability of parameters and hydrological states and inclusion of key soil properties. There is increasing evidence that extreme events such as droughts and high intensity precipitation, and land use changes, affect fundamental hydrological processes such as infiltration and runoff generation. In this review, we analyse the influence of soil structure on SHP, critically evaluate the parameterization of soil hydrologic properties and their importance in representing the terrestrial water cycle and highlight the key role of soil hydrology in the functioning of carbon-rich soils and in linking the water and carbon cycles. It emerges that linking soil hydrology and pedology will lead to better understanding critical zone processes, especially in tropical regions. Further, we discuss the role of local scale hydrological processes in understanding root water uptake, vegetation and groundwater dynamics and feedbacks. These processes control and modulate the impact of extreme events such as droughts, floods and heatwaves and they are essential to assess drought and flooding. Finally, new emerging technologies such as wireless and automated sensing approaches, soil moisture observation through novel synthetic aperture radars satellites, big data analysis and machine learning approaches offer unique opportunities to advance soil hydrology.

Charcoal‐rich Technosols on century‐old relict charcoal hearths (RCHs) are the subject of ongoing research regarding potential legacy effects that result from historic charcoal production and subsequent charcoal amendments on forest soil properties and forest ecosystems today. RCHs consist mostly of Auh horizons that are substantially enriched in soil organic carbon (SOC), of which the largest part seems to be of pyrogenic origin (PyC). However, the reported range of SOC and PyC contents in RCH soil also suggests that they are enriched in nonpyrogenic SOC. RCH soils are discussed as potential benchmarks for the long‐term influence of biochar amendment and the post‐wildfire influences on soil properties. In this study, we utilised a large soil sample dataset (n = 1245) from 52 RCH sites in north‐western Connecticut, USA, to quantify SOC contents by total element analysis. The contents of condensed highly aromatic carbon as a proxy for black carbon (BC) were predicted by using a modified benzene polycarboxylated acid (BPCA) marker method in combination with diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy‐based partial least square regression (r2 = 0.89). A high vertical spatial sampling resolution allowed the identification of soil organic matter (SOM) enrichment and translocation processes. The results show an average 75% and 1862% increase in TOC and BPCA‐derived carbon, respectively, for technogenic Auh horizons compared to reference soils. In addition to an increase in aromatic properties, increased carboxylic properties of the RCH SOC suggest self‐humification effects of degrading charcoal and thereby the continuing formation of leachable aromatic carbon compounds, which could have effects on pedogenic processes in buried soils. Indeed, we show BPCA‐derived carbon concentrations in intermediate technogenic Cu horizons and buried top/subsoils that suggest vertical translocation of highly aromatic carbon originating in RCH Auh horizons. Topmost Auh horizons showed a gradual decrease in total organic carbon (TOC) contents with increasing depth, suggesting accumulation of recent, non‐pyrogenic SOM. Lower aliphatic absorptions in RCH soil spectra suggest different SOM turnover dynamics compared to reference soils. Furthermore, studied RCH soils featured additional TOC enrichment, which cannot be fully explained now. Highlights BC to TOC ratio and high resolution vertical SOC distribution in 52 RCH sites were studied. RCH soils non‐BC pool was potentially different to reference soils. RCH soils feature TOC accumulation in the topmost horizon. There is BC translocation into buried soils on RCH sites., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659

Observation‐based and modeling studies have identified the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region as a prominent climate change hotspot. While several initiatives have addressed the impacts of climate change in parts of the EMME, here we present an updated assessment, covering a wide range of timescales, phenomena and future pathways. Our assessment is based on a revised analysis of recent observations and projections and an extensive overview of the recent scientific literature on the causes and effects of regional climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions in the EMME are growing rapidly, surpassing those of the European Union, hence contributing significantly to climate change. Over the past half‐century and especially during recent decades, the EMME has warmed significantly faster than other inhabited regions. At the same time, changes in the hydrological cycle have become evident. The observed recent temperature increase of about 0.45°C per decade is projected to continue, although strong global greenhouse gas emission reductions could moderate this trend. In addition to projected changes in mean climate conditions, we call attention to extreme weather events with potentially disruptive societal impacts. These include the strongly increasing severity and duration of heatwaves, droughts and dust storms, as well as torrential rain events that can trigger flash floods. Our review is complemented by a discussion of atmospheric pollution and land‐use change in the region, including urbanization, desertification and forest fires. Finally, we identify sectors that may be critically affected and formulate adaptation and research recommendations toward greater resilience of the EMME region to climate change., Key Points: The Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East is warming almost two times faster than the global average and other inhabited parts of the world. Climate projections indicate a future warming, strongest in summers. Precipitation will likely decrease, particularly in the Mediterranean. Virtually all socio‐economic sectors will be critically affected by the projected changes., European Union Horizon 2020, https://esg-dn1.nsc.liu.se/search/esgf-liu/

Purpose: In urban areas, humans shape the surface, (re-)deposit natural or technogenic material, and thus become the dominant soil formation factor. The 2015 edition of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) describes anthropogenic urban soils as Anthrosols or Technosols, but the methodological approaches and classification criteria of national soil classification systems are rather inconsistent. Stringent criteria for describing and mapping anthropogenic soils in urban areas and their application are still lacking, although more than half (53%) of the urban soils in Berlin are built-up by or contain anthropogenic material., Materials and methods: On behalf of the Berlin Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection and in close cooperation with the German Working Group for Urban Soils, a comprehensive guideline for soil description in the Berlin metropolitan area (BMA), with special regard to anthropogenic/technogenic parent material and anthropogenic soils, has been developed. Our approach includes all previous standard works for soil description and mapping and is based on studies that have been conducted in the BMA over the last five decades. Special emphasis was placed on the integration of our manual into the classification system of the German soil mapping guideline (KA5)., Results and discussion: The extension of existing data fields (e.g., the further subdivision of land use types) as well as the creation of new data fields (e.g., pH value) adapted to the requirements of urban soil mapping has been carried out. Additional technogenic materials that occur in urban environments have been added to the list of anthropogenic parent materials. Furthermore, we designed appendices that clearly characterize typical soil profiles of the BMA and depict technogenic materials, their physical and chemical characteristics, as well as their origin and distribution. Our approach will set new benchmarks for soil description and mapping in urban environments, which will improve the quality of urban soil research in the BMA. It is expected that our approach will provide baselines for urban soil mapping in other metropolitan areas., Conclusions: Our guideline is a comprehensive manual for the description of urban soils within a national soil classification system. This mapping guideline will be the future standard work for soil surveys and soil mapping in the federal state of Berlin. Currently, representatives from federal and state authorities are reviewing our guideline, with a view to potentially integrating key components into the classification system of the forthcoming 6th edition of the German soil mapping guideline (KA6)., Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection

According to the Spectral Variation Hypothesis (SVH), spectral variance has the potential to predict taxonomic composition in grasslands over time. However, in previous studies the relationship has been found to be unstable. We hypothesise that the diversity of phenological stages is also a driver of spectral variance and could act to confound the species signal. To test this concept, intra-annual repeat spectral and botanical sampling was performed at the quadrat scale at two grassland sites, one displaying high species diversity and the other low species diversity. Six botanical metrics were used, three taxonomy based and three phenology based. Using uni-temporal linear permutation models, we found that the SVH only held at the high diversity site and only for certain metrics and at particular time points. We tested the seasonal influence of the taxonomic and phenological metrics on spectral variance using linear mixed models. A significant interaction term of percent mature leaves and species diversity was found, with the most parsimonious model explaining 43% of the intra-annual change. These results indicate that the dominant canopy phenology stage is a confounding variable when examining the spectral variance -species diversity relationship. We emphasise the challenges that exist in tracking species or phenology-based metrics in grasslands using spectral variance but encourage further research that contextualises spectral variance data within seasonal plant development alongside other canopy structural and leaf traits.

The spatial and angular emission patterns of artificial and natural light emitted, scattered, and reflected from the Earth at night are far more complex than those for scattered and reflected solar radiation during daytime. In this commentary, we use examples to show that there is additional information contained in the angular distribution of emitted light. We argue that this information could be used to improve existing remote sensing retrievals based on night lights, and in some cases could make entirely new remote sensing analyses possible. This work will be challenging, so we hope this article will encourage researchers and funding agencies to pursue further study of how multi‐angle views can be analyzed or acquired., Plain Language Summary: When satellites take images of Earth, they usually do so from directly above (or as close to it as is reasonably possible). In this comment, we show that for studies that use imagery of Earth at night, it may be beneficial to take several images of the same area at different angles within a short period of time. For example, different types of lights shine in different directions (street lights usually shine down, while video advertisements shine sideways), and tall buildings can block the view of a street from some viewing angles. Additionally, since views from different directions pass through different amounts of air, imagery at multiple angles could be used to obtain information about Earth's atmosphere, and measure artificial and natural night sky brightness. The main point of the paper is to encourage researchers, funding agencies, and space agencies to think about what new possibilities could be achieved in the future with views of night lights at different angles., Key Points: Remote sensing using the visible band at night is more complex than during the daytime, especially due to the variety of artificial lights. Views of night lights intentionally taken from multiple angles provide several advantages over near‐nadir or circumstantial view geometries. Night lights remote sensing would benefit from greater consideration of the role viewing geometry plays in the observed radiance., EC H2020 H2020 Societal Challenges http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010676, Helmholtz Association http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100009318, Slovak Research and Development Agency, Xunta de Galicia (Regional Government of Galicia) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100010801, National Aeronautics and Space Administration http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000104, University of Hong Kong http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003803, Fonds de recherche du Québec, EC Emprego, Assuntos Sociais e Inclusão European Social Fund http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004895, Natural Environment Research Council http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000270, City of Cologne, Germany

Large, rarely mobile boulders are observed globally in mountainous bedrock channels. Recent studies suggest that high concentrations of boulders could be associated with channel morphological adjustment. However, a process‐based understanding of large boulder effects on channel morphology is limited, and data are scarce and ambiguous. Here, we develop a theory of steady‐state channel width and slope as a function of boulder concentration. Our theory assumes that channel morphology adjusts to maintain two fundamental mass balances: (a) grade, in which the channel transports the same sediment flux downstream despite boulders acting as roughness elements and (b) bedrock erosion, by which the channel erodes at the background tectonic uplift rate. Model predictions are normalized by a reference, boulder‐free channel width and slope, accounting for variations due to sediment supply, discharge, and lithology. Models are tested against a new data set from the Liwu River, Taiwan, showing steepening and widening with increasing boulder concentration. Whereas one of the explored mechanisms successfully explains the observed steepening trend, none of the models accuratly account for the observed width variability. We propose that this contrast arises from different adjustment timescales: while sediment bed slope adjusts within a few floods, width adjustment takes a much longer time. Overall, we find that boulders represent a significant perturbation to fluvial landscapes. Channels tend to respond by forming a new morphology that differs from boulder‐free channels. The general approach presented here can be further expanded to explore the role of other hydrodynamic effects associated with large, rarely mobile boulders., Plain Language Summary: Large boulders are a significant feature in mountainous landscapes. Recent studies suggested that boulders residing in rivers interfere with the flow and sediment transport, forcing their geometry, specifically width and slope, to change. Our ability to understand and predict such changes is challenged by scarce field data and a general lack of models capable of explaining the processes underlying channel geometry adjustment in the presence of boulders. Here, we develop a theory and several models for the variation of channel width and slope as with channel boulder coverage. Our theory builds on the assumption that the geometry of boulder‐bed channels evolves to a new configuration to maintain steadiness of erosion rate and sediment transport. Predictions from the various models are tested against data from the steep Liwu River in Taiwan. These data show that width and slope increase with more boulders. We find that channel slope increases to overcome the greater resistance to sediment transport due to the boulders. In contrast, the scattered nature of the width data and the overall models inability to explain width variability likely reflect a longer adjustment period for width than for slope. This study demonstrates the important role of boulders in shaping landscapes., Key Points: We develop a theory for steady‐state reach‐scale channel morphology responding to large, rarely mobile boulders in bedrock rivers. Predictions of boulder‐bed channel width and slope are derived based on grade equilibrium and bedrock erosional balance. Theory is tested against new data from the Liwu River, Taiwan, showing steepening and widening with increasing boulder concentration., Israel Science Foundation http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003977, NSF‐BSF, https://zenodo.org/record/6371224#.YjdBkOpByUk

About 10% of Europe's surface area is prone to rapid flooding of rivers confined in valleys. The devastating potential of such floods is exacerbated by the deficits of existing gauging networks, including low station densities and recording frequencies, and lack of information beyond stage height. Here, we use seismic data of the July 2021 Ahrtal flood, Germany, to extract information to complement sparse hydrometric data, and to reconstruct the rapid evolution of this fatal event. We show that a seismic station can deliver essential flood metrics such as magnitude, propagation velocity and debris transport rate. These seismic products provide high resolution insight to the non‐linear flood behavior. We argue that an approach combining distributed low‐cost seismometers with existing seismic stations, can provide important real time data on future catastrophic floods and associated hazards in upland catchments, offering precious response time also in currently ungauged landscapes., Plain Language Summary: Rapidly evolving floods are a major hazard for 10% of European landscapes. They are hard to adequately detect and describe by the classic gauge station scheme, but seismic sensors provide a valuable alternative to this difficulty. A seismometer can sense a flood like the devastating one that hit the Ahr valley, Germany, in July 2021 up to 1.5 km away. The seismic footprint of the flood allows to provide information on flood magnitude, velocity and trajectory at sub‐minute resolution and at near real time. We show how this new approach can be utilized for future flood protection., Key Points: Seismic sensing of valley confined floods improves classic detection approaches. Near‐real time information on flood magnitude, trajectory, and velocity. Gate keeper seismometer networks can improve flood risk management in Europe., GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam—GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100010956, German Research Foundation

Precipitation extremes will increase in a warming climate, but the response of flood magnitudes to heavier precipitation events is less clear. Historically, there is little evidence for systematic increases in flood magnitude despite observed increases in precipitation extremes. Here we investigate how flood magnitudes change in response to warming, using a large initial-condition ensemble of simulations with a single climate model, coupled to a hydrological model. The model chain was applied to historical (1961–2000) and warmer future (2060–2099) climate conditions for 78 watersheds in hydrological Bavaria, a region comprising the headwater catchments of the Inn, Danube and Main River, thus representing an area of expressed hydrological heterogeneity. For the majority of the catchments, we identify a ‘return interval threshold’ in the relationship between precipitation and flood increases: at return intervals above this threshold, further increases in extreme precipitation frequency and magnitude clearly yield increased flood magnitudes; below the threshold, flood magnitude is modulated by land surface processes. We suggest that this threshold behaviour can reconcile climatological and hydrological perspectives on changing flood risk in a warming climate., The response of flood risk in Bavaria, Germany to increases in rainfall extremes in a warming climate is modulated by land surface processes below a precipitation threshold, but not above, suggest ensemble simulations with a hydrological model., Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation) https://doi.org/10.13039/501100001711, National Science Foundation (NSF) https://doi.org/10.13039/100000001, Funder: Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection Reference Number: 81-0270-024570/2015, http://www.hydroshare.org/resource/945d7b4f61d145d789eb090f0bf51cb5

Previous paleolimnological studies demonstrated that the sediments of Garba Guracha, situated at 3950 m asl in the afro-alpine zone of the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia, provide a complete Late Glacial and Holocene paleoclimate and environmental archive. We revisited Garba Guracha in order to retrieve new sediment cores and to apply new environmental proxies, e.g. charcoal, diatoms, biomarkers, and stable isotopes. Our chronology is established using 210Pb dating and radiocarbon dating of bulk sedimentary organic matter, bulk n-alkanes, and charcoal. Although bedrock was not reached during coring, basal ages confirm that sedimentation started at the earliest ~ 16 cal kyr BP. The absence of a systematic age offset for the n-alkanes suggests that “pre-aging” is not a prominent issue in this lake, which is characterised by a very small afro-alpine catchment. X-ray fluorescence scans and total organic carbon contents show a prominent transition from minerogenic to organic-rich sediments around 11 cal kyr BP coinciding with the Holocene onset. While an unambiguous terrestrial versus aquatic source identification seems challenging, the n-alkane-based Paq proxy, TOC/N ratios, δ13C values, and the sugar biomarker patterns suggest a predominantly autochthonous organic matter source. Supraregional climate events, such as the African Humid Period, the Younger Dryas (YD), a 6.5 cal kyr BP short drying event, and the 4.2 cal kyr BP transition to overall drier climate are recorded in our archive. The Garba Guracha record suggests that northern hemisphere forcings played a role in the Eastern African highland paleoclimate., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659

The Tibetan Plateau, also known as the “Water Tower of Asia” because of its function as a water storage and supply region, responds dramatically to modern climate changes. Paleoecological shifts inferred from lake sediment archives provide essential insights into past climate changes, and the processes that drove those shifts. This is especially true for studies of lakes in endorheic basins on the Tibetan Plateau, where lake level is regulated predominantly by Monsoon intensity. Such water bodies provide excellent opportunities to reconstruct past changes in humidity. Most paleolimnological investigations of lakes on the Tibetan Plateau, however, have involved the study of a single sediment core, making it difficult to discern between changes caused by local events and those caused by lake-wide or regional processes. Here we present results from a paleolimnological study of Lake Taro Co, a currently closed-basin lake in Central Tibet. We compared a sediment record from the central part of the lake to a record from the near-shore area, and present results of sedimentological and bioindicator (chironomid, diatom, pollen) analyses from both records. Results show three periods of lake-wide ecosystem change (> ca. 5250, 5250–2250 and, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002347, Fellowships for Young International Scientists http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100010895, NSFC Research Fund for International Young Scientists (CN), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (DE), National Natural Science Foundation of China http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001809, Technische Universität Braunschweig (1042)

Understanding the relationship between tree production and water use, as well as the main environmental and plant-related drivers of water use, is crucial for the establishment of production prediction models and reliable water management under current and future climatic conditions. However, the relation between tree water use and biomass production has never been assessed throughout the entire life-cycle of a poplar rotation; nor have detailed investigations been reported on how poplar transpiration and its regulation change inter-annually. Therefore, we studied the relationship between transpiration ( E ) and aboveground biomass (ABM), as well as the main drivers of E , in a plantation established on the North China Plain, with 2- to 5-year-old (2016 to 2019) Populus tomentosa trees under three water treatments. Our results indicated that ABM increase depended on annually accumulated E and that their relationship can be fitted with a logistic curve for the entire life cycle ( R 2 > 0.89). Throughout the whole rotation period, compared with non-irrigated trees, full irrigation trees produced 59% more biomass with only 12% more E , while deficit irrigation trees attained 46% more biomass with 32% more E . The daily E had a strong exponential relationship with vapor pressure deficit ( D ) during years 3-5 of their growth cycle, which the asymptote of this relationship increasing with tree age (1.6 kPa (2017), 2 kPa (2018), 2.5 kPa (2019)). The E was also strongly linearly correlated to solar radiation ( R s ) for each year although with slightly weaker relationships than for D . Similar to other poplar clones, P. tomentosa showed effective stomatal control on E . However, soil water content had almost no effect, for all treatments, no matter which soil layer was considered. Finally, our research quantified the relationship between tree production and water use throughout the rotation. We also confirmed that D and R s are indeed the major drivers of transpiration during the growing season as well as during drought in this semi-humid boreal region. Our findings should enable a better understanding of the water-use strategies of poplars in the North China Plain and will help sustainably manage plantations in water-scarce regions around the world under changing environmental conditions.

GIS-based multicriteria evaluation (MCE) provides a framework for analysing complex decision problems by quantifying variables of interest to score potential locations according to their suitability. In the context of earthquake preparedness and post-disaster response, MCE has relied mainly on uninformed or non-expert stakeholders to identify high-risk zones, prioritise areas for response, or highlight vulnerable populations. In this study, we compare uninformed, informed non-expert, and expert stakeholders’ responses in MCE modelling for earthquake response planning in Vancouver, Canada. Using medium- to low-complexity MCE models, we highlight similarities and differences in the importance of infrastructural and socioeconomic variables, emergency services, and liquefaction potential between a non-weighted MCE, a medium-complexity informed non-expert MCE, and a low-complexity MCE informed by 35 local earthquake planning and response experts from governmental and non-governmental organisations. Differences in the observed results underscore the importance of accessible, expert-informed approaches for prioritising locations for earthquake response planning and for the efficient and geographically precise allocation of resources., Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (1041)