bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RainForests: Calibrating Precipitation Forecasts with Machine Learning 
Authors: Whelan Jennifer , Trotta Belinda , Owen Benjamin , Liu Jiaping , Weymouth Gary , Gale Thomas , Hume Timothy , Schubert Anja , Canvin James , Mentiplay Daniel , Johnson Robert
Published: March 2024

Accurate rainfall forecasting is vital for public safety, yet precipitation remains one of the most challenging variables to predict. While the development of ensemble Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models enables the kind of probabilistic forecasting that is so much more descriptive of rainfall characteristics than simple deterministic forecasts, accurate and efficient calibration of the ensembles presents its own challenges. Rainfall’s skewed distribution and discontinuous nature in both time and space, the importance and impact of extreme events, and its sub-grid scale variability within most operational NWP model resolutions limit the effectiveness of most parametric and non-parametric approaches.

We introduce RainForests, an efficient machine-learning approach to calibrating ensemble NWP model rainfall forecasts using gradient-boosted decision trees (GBDTs). RainForests produces probabilistic forecasts from global-scale ensembles, while still representing the important sub-grid variability characteristic to rainfall by using select feature variables that influence variability. Building upon the ECPoint approach recently adopted at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF), RainForests maintains ECPoint’s computational efficiency and adaptability, while addressing some limitations of the modelling approach. Notably, the addition of GBDTs automate tree construction and training, and lead-time specific models increase forecasting performance by adjusting the calibration for varying uncertainty over time.  We demonstrate that RainForests outperforms the widely-used Ensemble Model Output Statistics (EMOS) approach using logistic regression.

Rainforests is now implemented in the Integrated Model Post-Processing and Verification System (IMPROVER), an open-source probabilistic post-processing system created by the UK Met Office and now developed and maintained in partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology. With IMPROVER soon to replace a legacy post-processing system for production forecasting at the Bureau, we show that RainForests makes significant accuracy gains over the Bureau’s previous rainfall calibration approach, with the 3-hour precipitation forecast achieving one additional lead day of skill and much greater consistency with the daily accumulation forecast, showing its suitability to real-world forecasting conditions.
Analysis of Relationship Between Short-Duration Heavy Rainfall Water Eepth on Metropolitan Area - A Case Study of Taoyuan City, Taiwan
Authors: Hsi Ting Fang , Chen Wuing Liu , Jin Jing Lee , Lan Ke Syu
Published: March 2024

The Taoyuan area is located at 121.38 degrees east longitude and 24.51 degrees north latitude in northwestern Taiwan. Because of the impact of global climate change, typhoon flood events have become increasingly serious in recent years, and short-duration heavy rainfall events more frequently occur in Taiwan. The temporal and spatial distribution of heavy rainfall events in this area cannot be accurately predicted. Therefore, the basic analysis of hydrological system for the Taoyuan area is necessary. Meteorological research and data collection based on water regime are conducted in terms of the analysis of extreme hydrological events of short-duration heavy rainfall. Under the collaborative operation of hydrological technicians and disaster prevention personnel, the prediction of the impact of rainfall distribution and duration on flooding is unified to achieve the effects of disaster reduction and avoidance in the metropolitan area.
This project is aimed at Jianguo Park, Fufeng Bridge Rainfall Station and Da'an Guoxiao Rainfall Station; Kanding Road 1507 Lane Water Level Station and Fufeng Bridge Rainfall Station were used for water level-rainfall analysis. Relevant data shows that it is reasonable to temporarily use the water depth-rainfall relationship between the Jianguo Park Water Level Station and the Da'an Guoxiao Rainfall Station as the basis for estimating the water depth of Jianguo Park. Since the water level station of Lane 1507 of Kanding Road is only adjacent to the Fufengqiao rainfall station, it is reasonable to analyze the relationship between the water depth and rainfall of the two.
In addition, after excluding extreme values, the R2 of the water level station in Jianguo Park or Lane 1507 of Kanding Road and its corresponding rainfall station have been improved. However, the current rainfall and water depth data are still insufficient, which has a huge impact on the error of statistical regression. In the future, it is still necessary to continue to import updated data, but continue to discuss and establish standards and thresholds for eliminating extreme values, hoping to make relevant research and analysis data more complete.
Seismic attenuation structure of the lower crust upper mantle under El Hierro island (Spain)
Authors: Prudencio Janire , Díaz-Suárez Eduardo A. , Cid Aitor , Dominguez-Cerdeña Ithaiza , Cabrera Iván , Del Fresno Carmen , Ibáñez Jesús M.
Published: March 2024

The origin of the Canary Islands has been under debate for the last decades. The hotspot hypothesis as the origin of the islands was abandoned long ago, however, there are still theories that partially incorporate this idea. The scientific community widely accepts none of these models and the recent volcanic eruptions of El Hierro and La Palma once again question these theories. In order to confirm the structure and to explain the diversity of the eruptive processes observed in the Canarian archipelago, we return to El Hierro island to obtain a high-resolution seismic attenuation tomography, as it has proven to be more sensitive to the presence of magma as shown in Mt. Etna (Castro-melgar et al., 2021). Thus, we have analyzed the same database that García-Yeguas et al. (2014) used in the velocity tomography and we have obtained a new tomographic model of El Hierro island that confirms the existence of an intermediate chamber as observed in Tenerife and La Palma which could feed the 2011 eruption.The lack of high attenuation anomalies in the central part of the island is already observed in the velocity tomography results obtained by García-Yeguas et al. (2014). In addition, Montesinos et al. (2005) identified high-density anomalies in the same zone, where Sainz-Maza et al. (2017) also observed high gravity values. These results could demonstrate the existence of a dense core in the center of the island related to the oldest volcanism of El Hierro and diverting the magma intrusions to the outer zone of the island as the 2011 Tagoro eruption.
Rupture Velocity Estimation and Source Parameter Analysis of Micro-Seismic Events at The Geysers, California, USA, Applying A Time-Domain Technique
Authors: Lambiase Aurora , Nazeri Sahar , Longobardi Valeria , Zollo Aldo
Published: March 2024

The study of earthquake rupture complexity plays a crucial role in assessing and mitigating seismic hazards.Among the earthquake source parameters, the rupture velocity is generally unknown and assumed as a fixed percentage (60%-90%) of the shear wave velocity, although it controls the rupture duration, directivity, amplitude, and frequency content of the radiated wavefield. The rupture velocity is indeed the key parameter that determines the earthquake rupture length and indirectly the stress release, through the seismic moment. The observed large variability of stress drop estimates (over three orders of magnitude) can be partly related to the uncertain estimate of the rupture velocity and its possible heterogeneity or scaling with magnitude.In this study, we tackle the specific problem of estimating earthquake rupture velocity, together with other characteristic source parameters, using a time-domain technique, applied to a 24-event dataset of micro-seismic events occurring in The Geysers area in California, USA. We propose a methodology that combines P and S half-pulse durations to infer independent estimates of the rupture radius and speed of microearthquakes assuming a circular fracture surface. For this aim a previous technique, that uses the P- and S-wave log-displacement curves as a function of the time along the seismogram has been used to measure attenuation-corrected, average P and S half-durations and plateau levels from a set of recorded earthquake waveforms. Refined estimations of seismic moment, rupture radius, and velocity allowed to determine accurate estimations of the stress release. Results show that rupture velocity is not constant but increases with magnitude in the explored range, reaching in 16 cases supershear speed values. Noteworthy, a self-similar, constant stress drop scaling is obtained only if a variable rupture velocity with magnitude is used for rupture radius and stress release determinations. The possibility of extremely fast ruptures (super-shear) occurring in the considered geothermal area can be attributed to the effect of lubrication and/or pore pressure increase due to massive volumes fluids injected under high pressure in the subsoil, to exploit the energy resources of the geothermal reservoir.This work paves the way for a deeper comprehension of the physical and geological conditions determining the nucleation, propagation, and arrest of the fracture in crustal rock volumes with different faulting mechanisms, and offers a new and interesting approach for a more complete and accurate earthquake source parameters estimation through a time domain technique.
Accounting of ecological products value in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: a case study of Lhasa River basin, China
Authors: Gong Xinyu , Nie Xiaowei , Zhang Zhuoying , Pan Xiaoduo , Yang Yang
Published: March 2024

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is an important ecological security barrier in China and even the world. and it is rich in natural ecological resources. Effectively transforming the ecological value of the ecosystem in this area into economic value is of great significance for balancing ecological environmental protection and economic and social development. Gross ecosystem product (GEP) accounting can objectively evaluate the effectiveness of this transformation process, and plays an important role in promoting the realization of the value of ecological products on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. this study intends to use the LMDI model to analyze the driving factors of the ecological product value in Qinghai, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia and national parks, including the resource utilization effect, structural effect, economic development effect and population scale effect. Based on the analysis, combined with the actual situation in Lhasa River basin, Tibet, Constructed a GEP index system that includes 3 aspects: ecological material products, ecological regulation service products and ecological cultural service products, This index system includes three first-level indicators and multiple second-level indicators, providing a reference for the value realization of ecological products in Lhasa River basin. The results show that, as an area with higher value of ecosystem regulation services and lower value of economic transformation of ecological products, Lhasa River basin may face challenges such as low value realization efficiency and immature market mechanism. Therefore, the construction of GEP accounting indicators should refer to the regional experience of typical cases and focus on the selection of indicator weights. It is recommended to improve the value realization of ecological products from the aspects of improving the ecological product market trading mechanism, establishing a complete ecological product industrial chain, and rationally optimizing land management and utilization.
Influence of partially molten layers on the tidal response of rocky exoplanets 
Authors: Tobie Gabriel , Kervazo Mathilde , Musseau Yann , Behounkova Marie , Bolmont Emeline , Choblet Gael , Dumoulin Caroline , Revol Alexandre , Villamil Sastre Mariana
Published: March 2024

The number of detected Earth-sized exoplanets is now increasing, and most of the detected planets orbit at relatively close distance from their host stars, resulting in strong tidal forcing. As shown for the inner planets of the Trappist-1 system [1] or the newly discovered Earth-sized exoplanet LP 791-18d [2], tidal heating is expected to be a dominant source of heating, potentially exceeding the radiogenic power by one order of magnitude and more. Depending on the orbital eccentricity, tidally-induced thermal runaways may result in strong internal melting and volcanic heat flux comparable to Io [3]. As shown in the case of Io, the presence of silicate melt in the interior of Io has a strong influence on the tidal response of its interior [3,4]. The thickness and melt content of partially molten layer can strongly affect the total dissipated power and its distribution.In this study, we test the influence of partially molten layers on the tidal response of Earth-sized exoplanets, using Trappist-1 b,c and d and LP 791-18d as examples.  We follow the approach developed to model the solid tides in Io’s partially molten interior [3], taking into account the effect of melt on the viscoelastic properties of the mantle, and test different rheological models (Maxwell, Andrade, Sundberg-Cooper). We use interior structure models consistent with the estimated mass and radius and consider partially molten layers of various thickness,  depth and melt content. Results for various assumptions in interior composition and melt content will be presented and implications for the heat budget of these planets  will be discussed.[1] Turbet et al. A&A 612, A86;  [2] Peterson et al.  Nature, 617, 701–705 (2023);  [3] Běhounková et al. ApJ, 728(2), 89 (2011) ; [4] Kervazo et al., A&A, 650, A72 (2021) ;  [5] Kervazo et al. Icarus, 373, 114737 (2022). 
Seismicity recorded by DIVEnet, a temporary network covering the northern Ivrea-Verbano Zone
Authors: Salimbeni Simone , Confal Judith , Pondrelli Silvia , Hetényi György ,   DIVENet Team
Published: March 2024

As part of the ICDP-DIVE project (www.dive2ivrea.org), the temporary seismic network DIVEnet has been installed across the northeastern part of the Ivrea Verbano zone (IVZ). The DIVE project aims to find answers to fundamental questions about the lower continental crust and its transition to the mantle with two scientific boreholes and a combination of geochemical, geological and geophysical analyses. Since due to Alpine collision lower crustal rocks are at the surface, and the Ivrea geophysical body is at a very shallow depth (locally ~1±1 km b.s.l.), the site is unique and offers an excellent frame for new discoveries. The DIVE project includes a first drillhole DT-1B which has been completed in Ornavasso, and a second, currently ongoing DT-1A in Megolo. To monitor natural seismicity as well as drilling-induced noise and possible signals in the area, we have deployed DIVEnet in Autumn 2021, a temporary seismic network consisting of 13 seismometers. In September 2023, a broadband borehole instruments has been lowered in the first, completed borehole and is now recording at 250 m depth. This long-term monitoring produced a catalog of local seismicity that shows that the main seismic activity is located around the well-known principal tectonic lines of the region, i.e. the Insubric Line, which, geologically speaking, are considered as inactive. Seismic monitoring techniques have been redefined to improve the detection ability, which has become possible thanks to tested and continuously improved quality checks. Additionally we use the data for various geophysical analyses. Together with other permanent and temporary seismic stations in the region, receiver function analysis and its back-azimuthal harmonics are being calculated to get a better image of the IVZ by checking the presence of anisotropy in this anomalous body and its surrounding lithosphere.  
Forest resilience after Windthrows in the amazon.
Authors: Urquiza-Munoz Jose David , Trumbore Susan , Negrón-Juárez Robinson , Brenning Alexander , Alegria-Munoz Waldemar , Tello-Espinoza Rodil , Rios Richer , Magnabosco Daniel
Published: March 2024

Amazon rainforest is a vast and complex ecosystem. As yet, we have poor understanding about the role of natural disturbances in shaping its forests, especially their structure, biomass and diversity.  Windthrow events, caused by strong winds that uproot and snap trees are a major natural disturbance,  Our work has demonstrated an increase in the occurrence of winthrows >30ha in area over the past 40 years.  Major questions remain: how do windthrows impact on the structure, biomass and floristic composition of different types of Amazon forest, and how fast do forests recover from these large mortality events, and, do windthrows increase susceptibility to other disturbances like fire or deforestation?  Answers to these questions are key to understanding the long-term resilience of these forests, especially if climate change is increasing the frequency of windthrow events.   Field studies in near Iquitos, Peru and Manaus, Brazil indicate that the forest biomass can recover relatively quickly after windthrow events, citing the ability of trees to quickly re-sprout, or for fast growing pioneer species to replace lost biomass over timescales varying from ~20 (northwestern Amazon) to ~40 years (central Amazon). These fast-growing species rapidly colonize open spaces, providing shade and shelter for the establishment of more shade-tolerant species, producing different spectral responses that can be detected by vegetation indexes through satellite images. Here, we report long time series (38 years) of Landsat Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) for areas mapped to have been subject to windthrow and add this information to our windthrow inventory database (WInD V1) across the Amazon. Our results document increases in EVI following windthrows >30 ha likely related to the increase in fast-growing tree species and document differencs in the time it takes to for EVI to recover to old-growth forest values (sometimes exceeding 38 years) for different regions in the Amazon Basin.
Chinese National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC)’s Data Services Practices for Interdisciplinary Research and Application
Authors: Xu Qi , Hu Xiaoyan , Zou Ziming
Published: March 2024

There are many cutting-edge interdisciplinary scientific problems in the Earth and space sciences, such as solar-terrestrial complex system research and study of celestial bodies.The cross-disciplinary data discovery and access services, data analysis and fusion services are a common need for users of these cutting-edge problems.This presentation introduces data services practices implemented by the NSSDC as a national-level data centre, in order to enhance findability and accessibility of data for interdisciplinary research and application. Basically, NSSDC has formed an multidisciplinary data resources system, including space astronomy, space physics and space environment, planetary science, space geoscience, etc. In order to share data, NSSDC customizes the data service system for each satellite project and ground-based observation project. To enhance the discoverability, NSSDC developed a data retrieval platform which proving a cross-system, cross-disciplinary, distributed data resource discovery service. Meantime, the data catalogues are synchronized to third-party platforms by harvesting or registration through the data retrieval platform. Besides, multidisciplinary analysis and fusion tools and IT infrastructure will be integrated a research data infrastructure in the field of solar-terrestrial space physics and astronomy.Especially, NSSDC have established strategic cooperation with other National Science Data Centers in the fields of astronomy and high-energy physics. For the common community of specific cross-cutting scientific problems and applications, NSSDC has engaged in practices such as the co-construction of multi-source data resources, the interconnection of data infrastructures, and the construction of data application ecosystems. Finally, this presentation also will explain the NSSDC’s next practice plan in data new paradigm technology innovation cooperation with more interdisciplinary data centers.
Communicating Life-Saving Information in Emergencies: Implementation of Multi-Hazard Early Warning System in India
Authors: Sharma Sandeep , Basu Saurabh , Behera Suvam Suvabrata , Jha Sumit Kumar , Dawar Akshay , Kushwaha Niraj Kant , Majumdar Sabyasachi , Sachdev Smriti , Kumar Anugandula Naveen , Bhaskar Manish , Yadav Arun , Dalela Pankaj Kumar
Published: March 2024

Disaster risk reduction is a pressing global challenge owing to climate change and other anthropogenic factors. Communicating timely, trusted, and actionable life-saving information to the public in emergency or disaster situations can make a significant difference by reducing the potential impacts and improving preparedness and mitigation efforts. In the direction of building a disaster-resilient India, inline with the global initiatives like Early Warnings for All, an end-to-end AI-driven Multi-Hazard Early Warning System has been established, standardizing and streamlining the flow of disaster warning dissemination in the country. The system utilizes International Telecommunication Union (ITU’s) Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) for disaster warning information exchange between the entities. Existing non-CAP compliant legacy infrastructure have also been integrated with the system by implementation of cost-efficient Interworking Systems (IWS). More ways for enhanced communication, making use of different ICTs and networks, including telecom (SMS and Cell Broadcast), broadcasting (Radio and Television), satellite, internet (Mobile Application, Web Dashboards, Browser-based Notifications), public addressing systems (Coastal Sirens, Railway Passenger announcement systems) etc. have been integrated for ensuring last mile reachability. The implementation of an indigenously developed cell broadcast system allows warnings to be disseminated within a few seconds to a large area population. Satellite based messaging services have been integrated for areas with no network coverage, such as alerting fishermen in high sea and targeting the tough terrain. The platform has been rigorously utilized in recent disaster situations, including Cyclone Michaung, Biparjoy, Mandous, Sitrang, etc. and more than 14 billion SMS have been disseminated till date across different geographical regions. It is operational across PAN India in all 36 State/ UTs, integrating 100+ stakeholders on the converged platform, supporting dissemination in over 22 regional languages, and addressing massive climatic, digital, linguistic, and geographic diversity in the country. The collective efforts have resulted in key advancements in the direction of disaster risk reduction.
Spectral induced polarization imaging applied to map the extension of root systems in Agroforests
Authors: Keller Sophia , Flores Orozco Adrián , Moser Clemens , Maierhofer Theresa , Monsalve Martinez Jorge Luis , Tietze Emilian , Markut Theresia
Published: March 2024

In agroforests, trees are planted on agricultural fields, which helps to reduce the risk of crop failure due to climate change, resulting for example from drought severity, as trees can improve the water supply and increase the amount of organic matter in the soil. Geophysical methods are used to non-invasively characterize the root system, including the root density, architecture, and growth as well as to monitor their activity to better understand the interactions between trees and agricultural fields. Electrical methods have demonstrated their potential for assessing the rhizosphere as the root presents a resistive barrier to current flow, resulting in lower conductivity values in the subsurface when roots are present. The spectral induced polarization (SIP) method provides information about the conductive and capacitive properties of the subsurface and its frequency dependence (commonly below 1 kHz). Laboratory investigations of the SIP method have shown that the conductivity of the roots depends on the root mass density, whereas the polarization effect and its frequency dependence is related to the root activity. The effect is due to the accumulation of charges at the electrical double layer (EDL) formed at the interface between roots and water, as well as within the root cells due to the plasma membrane. Consequently, changes in the electrical conductivity and induced polarization values at lower frequencies (< 100 Hz) can be used to delineate the extension of the root system. Moreover, we hypothesize that changes in the SIP data can be used to discriminate between the roots of trees and those from farming crops. In this study, SIP imaging measurements were conducted at four locations in Austria. The objective of the SIP survey is to delineate the geometry of the tree roots and to investigate changes in soil properties due to root activity based on the frequency dependent nature of the induced polarization. Measurements were conducted in a frequency range of 0.5 to 225 Hz at four sites to evaluate changes in the SIP response due to varying tree age and soil properties. We developed 3D geometries consisting of four lines crossing each other at the centre, where the tree under investigation is located. We used different electrode spacings to reach different resolutions and depths of investigation. Our results reveal that conductivity images can delineate the roots of the different trees, which always revealed the lowest conductivity values. In the area of the roots, the highest IP response is observed at lower frequencies (
rechaRge – a package for integrated groundwater recharge modelling in R
Authors: Marcon Yannick , Dubois Emmanuel
Published: March 2024

[9:56 AM] Emmanuel DuboisThe project introduces the new R package, rechaRge, dedicated to open-source groundwater recharge (GWR) models. The goal is to facilitate the simulation of GWR estimates for researchers, professionals, and stakeholders, for both hydrogeologists and non-hydrogeologists, by providing all the tools for state-of-art modelling and the available GWR models in a single R package. The package includes functions for data preparation (utility functions), automatic calibration, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty analysis, all integrated directly in the R environment. A first open-source GWR model, the HydroBudget model, is also incorporated in the package. The model’s excellent performance allowed for the simulation of large datasets of spatially distributed and transient GWR in several projects in Canada, ranging from small watershed scale (few km2) to regional scale (thousands of km2). Sensitivity analysis, calibration, and uncertainty for the models were greatly facilitated by the utility functions of the package. At the region scale, GWR was simulated within a global change context with a spatial resolution of a 500 m x 500 m and a monthly time step for up to 150 years and 24 scenarios. Moreover, the rechaRge package is a collaborative effort and developers of open-source GWR modelling codes are warmly invited to publish their models in this package and take advantage of the existing functions.
Detection and exclusion of false molecular formula assignments via mass error distributions in ultrahigh resolution mass spectra from natural organic matter.
Authors: Gao Shuxian , Jennings Elaine , Han Limei , Koch Boris , Herzsprung Peter , Lechtenfeld Oliver
Published: March 2024

Ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (UHRMS) routinely detects and identifies thousands of molecular formulas (MFs) in natural organic matter (NOM). However, multiple assignments (MultiAs) occur when the several chemically plausible MFs are assigned to one single mass peak. MultiAs for a mass peak consist of one common core MF but different “formula residuals”, or replacement pairs, and increase as more heteroatoms and isotopes are being considered during the assignment process. This poses a major problem for the reliable interpretation of NOM composition in a biogeochemical context. A number of approaches have been proposed to rule out false assignments based on structural constraints or isotopologue detection and intensity ratios. But this becomes increasingly challenging for low abundance mass peaks or when stable isotope labeling (e.g. with 15N, 2H) is employed. Here, we present a new approach based on mass error distributions for the identification of true and false-assignments among MultiAs. An automatic workflow was developed for the detection and exclusion of false assignments in MultiAs based on their recurring replacement pairs and Kendrick mass defect values. The workflow can validate MFs for mass peaks that are close to detection limit or where naturally occurring isotopes are rare (e.g. 15N) or absent (e.g. P, F), substantially increasing the reliability of MFs assignments and broadening the applicability of UHRMS in characterization of NOM, e.g. for organic nitrogen and organic phosphorus in different environmental compartments, which are key components for global elemental cycles.  
Changes in predictive skills through coupling a hydrological modelling framework with a glacier model 
Authors: Berg Justine , Horton Pascal , Kauzlaric Martina , von der Esch Alexandra , Schaefli Bettina
Published: March 2024

The Himalayan Mountain range has a substantial glacier cover, supplying melt water to local communities in the drier season for irrigation and human consumption. Effects of climate change on glacier retreat and therefore melt water availability are expected to be severe. An accurate representation of glacier processes is thus of great importance to predict water availability under future climate projections. Hydrological models focus mostly on processes occurring in non-glacierised areas with often overly simplified glacier parametrization. This can lead to uncertainties in streamflow predictions, especially in highly glacierized catchments. Coupling a glacier model to a hydrological model can resolve some of these uncertainties by a more accurate description of glacier-related processes including ice melt, and providing the extent of glacier retreat, which is essential to quantify changes under a transient climate. In this study, we test the hypothesis that coupling the glacier model GloGEM with the hydrological modelling framework Raven can lead to an increase in predictive skills through a better glacier parametrization. The chosen hydrological modelling framework Raven allows for testing multiple hydrological model structures, accounting for uncertainties along the full modelling chain. The relevance of coupling a glacier model with a hydrological model is analysed in a test basin with in-situ measurements of glacier mass balance and streamflow. Modelling results from coupled and non-coupled model runs are evaluated with the available streamflow data.
Enhancing Decision Support through Hydrological Modeling and Scenario-Building: A Case Study in the Brantas River Basin, Indonesia
Authors: Houser Schuyler , Geerling Gertjan , Pijcke Gerard , Pramana Reza , Ertsen Maurits
Published: March 2024

Water managers and planners working within complex social-environmental systems are challenged with difficult choices when prioritizing interventions to manage water quality and reduce pollution from point and non-point sources. These choices are particularly important in low-resource environments where public funds must be carefully allocated. To support policy analysis for water quality management, a water quality modeling and policy consultation exercise was performed by Deltares, TU Delft, and government partners in the Brantas River basin, East Java, Indonesia. The modeling exercise combined mapped pollution source estimates for domestic wastewater and agricultural runoff with rainfall-runoff and pollution transport and fate models to demonstrate estimated impacts of various source-reduction scenarios on BOD loads along the main river. These outputs were used to inform deliberations regarding options to reduce water pollution and improve river health at a basin level. The model's ability to identify hotspots and assess the impact of targeted pollution reductions offers a powerful visual tool for policymakers to formulate geographically targeted interventions and identify the specific pollution source reductions that would yield the most substantial improvements. The case demonstrates the practical applications of scenario-building as an invitation for policy-makers to visually consider alternative interventions and focuses on lessons learned regarding capacities required to perform such activities, stakeholder engagement to build workable and meaningful model from an administrative perspective, and practical considerations for applying data-driven approaches to prioritization. 
The Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition in the eastern Indian Ocean: foraminiferal assemblage, sea-level fluctuations and climate variability on the SW Australian shelf 
Authors: Arrigoni Anna , Piller Werner E. , Auer Gerald
Published: March 2024

The Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition (EMPT; 1.4-0.4 Myrs) stands out as one of the most studied intervals in Earth’s recent climate history. Specifically, during the EMPT an increase in the amplitude of climatic fluctuations is registered without proportional changes in the orbital cycles. Nevertheless, the mechanisms and the climatic components responsible for the onset of the EMPT are still under debate.As high-resolution studies on equatorial to mid-latitude microfossil assemblages during the EMPT are still limited, we performed a detailed benthic foraminifera assemblage work on samples from Site U1460 (eastern Indian Ocean, 27°S, 112°E, 214.5 m water depth), cored during IODP Expedition 356 on the SW sector of the Australian shelf. This site is interested by the presence of warm, calcium carbonate-supersaturated waters, and thus is strongly affected by early-marine diagenesis. Moreover, the studied cores are under the influence of the Leeuwin Current (LC), which, in turn, represents a warm and oligotrophic surface water mass, flowing poleward along the Australian coastline.Preliminary data record a polyspecific benthic foraminiferal assemblage with high diversity. The first part of the record (MIS 27-23) is dominated by Cibicidoides spp., Heterolepa spp., Trifarina spp., and nodosarids, whereas the most recent cores (MIS 22-16) recorded abundant agglutinated tests (e.g., Gaudryina spp., Spiroplectinella spp., Textularia spp., Spirotextularia spp.), Cibicidoides spp., Siphogenerina spp., Uvigerina spp., and bolivinids. Other common taxa detected throughout the whole record are Lenticulina spp. and lagenids.Foraminiferal tests resulted to be severely encrusted and their preservation strongly varies between glacial and interglacial intervals. Specifically, benthic specimens show poor to moderate preservation during glacials whereas their preservation increases during interglacial stages.In addition, planktonic foraminifera were also picked to record the variations of the plankton/benthos (P/B) ratio during the studied time interval. This ratio reflects the eustatic fluctuations of the sea level in the region. Particularly, highstand and lowstand stages correspond to higher and lower values of the P/B ratio, respectively. Furthermore, constraining sea-level variability at Site U1460 will allow detailed reconstructions of LC current behavior during the EMPT. The abovementioned data, together with the evaluation of the benthic assemblage, will permit the determination of the paleobathymetry, as well as of the bottom water conditions at the studied site. The environmental reconstruction based on the benthic foraminifera assemblage during the glacial/interglacial phases will be used to assess the local climatic variations during the EMPT.
Microplastic pollution in soil: a case-study from the Raffaele Viviani public park in Naples, Italy
Authors: Graziano Sossio Fabio , Di Vaia Margareth , Di Renzo Valeria , Grumetto Lucia , Neri Ilaria , D'Antonio Massimo
Published: March 2024

Microplastic pollution is becoming a growing environmental concern globally. Over the past decades, the ubiquity and persistence of microplastics have raised crucial questions about their presence, distribution, and impacts in soils. Environmental factors such as soil chemical composition, moisture, temperature variations, and biological activities dynamically contribute to the fate and transport of these particles. Research on the presence of microplastics in soil is still in a developmental stage, and standardized methods for identification are lacking. In this study, we introduce a method for identifying microplastics, specifically in an area of the Raffaele Viviani public park in Naples (Italy), that has a history of various waste disposals in the last decades. The study provides detailed a description of sampling procedures, sample preparation, and analysis techniques. A mineralogical analysis was conducted to characterize the soils and understand if there were deposits of foreign material, through X-ray diffractometry. To isolate microplastics, a method utilizing a 1.5% sodium dodecyl sulphate surfactant for dispersion, and density separation with a saturated NaCl solution for the extraction of microplastics. Microplastics identification was achieved using a portable Raman spectrometer, and spectrum interpretation was conducted using the open-source program and database OpenSpecy. The use of a database was fundamental for identification, accomplished by comparing spectra from the database with the spectra measured in the samples. Results highlighted the presence of various plastic types, some showing signs of degradation under the microscope, indicating potential interactions with the surrounding environment. Mineralogical analyses confirmed the presence of mineral phases typical of the local geological formation, the ca. 15 ka volcaniclastic Neapolitan Yellow Tuff, although the finest fraction was compromised during sample preparation. The study implies that an initiative to establish a Food Forest in the Raffaele Viviani public park raises concerns about potential plant exposure to contaminants represented by microplastics and their potentially harmful heavy metals. In conclusion, this study is meant as a starting point, emphasizing the need for further research to fully comprehend the extent and implications of microplastic degradation processes. It proposes awareness and collective commitment as crucial keys for addressing environmental pollution and ensuring a sustainable future.
Effect of Increased Geometric Complexity on LoadActing on Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Platforms
Authors: Dhar Nilotpal , Dorrell Robert M , Lloyd Charlie J , McLelland Stuart J , Walker John
Published: March 2024

Renewable energy sources, including offshore wind energy, are fundamental to reducing fossil fuelconsumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Many countries are planning for a rapid and massive ex-pansion of the offshore wind sector to meet the NetZero goals. So far, the installation of offshore windturbines (OWT) has been restricted to near-shore shallow water (≤ 60m). However, future expansionof the sector will be in deep waters, away from the shore, where the wind speed is stronger and moreconsistent. Monopiles, the most commonly used foundations for OWT, become uneconomical or tech-nologically unfeasible in deep waters. Therefore, OWT supported by floating platforms is the way to goforward. The initial platform designs and construction were based on the experience obtained from theoil and gas industry (O&G). However, the load acting and the movement of the floating offshore windturbine (FOWT) platforms are vastly different from the O&G platforms. In addition to the aerodynamicloading, these platforms are subjected to hydrodynamic loading, making platform design a complex task.Evaluating the forces acting on these platforms, even under idealistic conditions, is challenging. Althoughsignificant progress has been made, platform, anchor, mooring, and turbine design improvement dependson accurate load calculation. Further, understanding hydrodynamic loading is essential to evaluate theenergy losses due to the FOWT system and, therefore, the mixing of the water column behind the struc-ture. In this research, the effect of increased geometric complexity on load acting on a semi-submersibleplatform is numerically investigated. Three unidirectional flow regimes of Reynolds number (Re) = 2900,43000, and 200000 are investigated, using the OC4 semi-submersible platform as the reference. The OC4semi-submersible platform was developed by the OC4-DeepCWind consortium to obtain experimentaldata and validate numerical models for FOWT. The results show that the drag force acting on the plat-form increases as the Re and number of members in the platform increases. These findings are importantin understanding the hydrodynamic loading on FOWT platforms under static conditions and designingthe platform, mooring and anchoring systems. Further, this is essential for the sustainable developmentof the offshore wind energy sector. 

 

 
Utilization of high-resolution data in hydrological modelling for future studies of Tana River
Authors: Tehseen Asfand , Kasvi Elina , Alho Petteri
Published: March 2024

Changing climate is a global reality, and the Nordic region is no exception to this global change. Especially in higher latitudes of the Nordic region, observations have revealed that air and ocean temperature changes are around three times greater than the global average temperature change. This is because the Nordic region is more susceptible to climate change due to a phenomenon called polar amplification. In addition, the water cycle across the globe is intensifying, indicating an increase in extreme events such as flooding. Thus, it is likely that climate change will alter future river discharges, which will eventually have an impact on fluvial processes. On the other hand, human interventions such as land use changes, urbanization, river regulation and sediment mining have all had a significant impact on fluvial dynamics. Our research focuses on the Tana River, which is a transboundary river between Finland and Norway and is one of the northernmost rivers of Fennoscandia. The reach of the Tana River is approximately 350 km and ultimately drains into Tanafjord with an average flow of 170 m^3/s. We intend to employ hydrological modelling on the Tana River catchment to study the fundamental water cycle of the catchment utilizing SWAT+ with implementation of high-resolution datasets in hydrological response units (HRU’s) comprising of topographical layer, land use layer, soil layer and slope layers. To model the current and future hydrology of the catchment including its response to various land use and climate change scenarios, historical and future climate data will be obtained from the modelling outputs of the open-source CMIP-6 project scenarios including Historical, SSP245, SSP370 and SSP585. Continuation of this research is to use these future discharge projections in computational modelling for analysis of fluvial process with unique hyper-resolution bathymetry of the river reach.
Danube Fan gas hydrates: GEOHydrate project results
Authors: Vasilev Atanas , Pehlivanova Rositsa , Genov Ivan
Published: March 2024

This work outlines the theretical and field activities conducted under the Bulgarian Science Fund Project GEOHydrate: Geothermal evolution of marine gas hydrate deposits - Danube paleodelta, Black Sea. The purpose of this research is to enhance our understanding and perspectives of the study the connection between marine gas hydrate deposits formation and the measured in situ heat flow in seafloor sediments.The aim of the GEOHydrate project is to prove the hypothesis about the existence on the seafloor of measurable temperature and heat flow (T&HF) anomalies above gas hydrates deposits (GHDs) and the possibility to restore the 4D-process of GHDs growth from these anomalies.GEOHydrate data include 2D and 3D seismic and CSEM; in situ heat flow; hydro- and geo-physicochemical measurements; scientific drilling and logging. They are results from the projects BLASON, ASSEMBLAGE, GHASS and specially developed tools and methods for GHDs research from the German projects SUGAR I-III. The applied methods include seismic data interpretation; basin analysis; forward and inverse geothermal problems. The new heat flow approach continues to develop in the EU project DOORS with new cruise data and interpretation. Expected practical results are contribution to direct methods for GHDs search, resource estimation with a high signal-to-noise ratio, and a reduction in the future production costs from proper planning and reducing the number of production wells.Results contribute to mitigating the effects of 3 modern global threats - climate change, clean air, and the cost of energy. European GHDs production is the most prospect and important for Bulgaria and Romania.Acknowledgments: This work was supported by:Bulgarian Science Fund project KP-06-OPR04/7 GEOHydrate “Geothermal evolution of marine gas hydrate deposits - Danube paleodelta, Black Sea” (2018-2023);
European Union project 101000518 DOORS: Developing Optimal and Open Research Support for the Black Sea (2021-2025).
An analysis of the chemical composition of PM10 in Piedmont, Italy using Raman spectroscopy to determine the seasonal and geographic variation 
Authors: Bellopede Rossana , Drudi Lia , Marini Paola , Mori De Oliveira Camila , Sacco Milena , Matera Francesco , Pognant Federica
Published: March 2024

Particulate Matter (PM) has a significant impact on the quality of life for an increasing number of people worldwide, especially in urban environments. Even though air quality control represents a crucial and actual problem, particulate analysis is often performed exclusively by the investigation of size distribution and concentration, providing limited information on the chemical composition and the origin of pollutants.In this study it has been chosen to analyse PM10 samples coming from five air quality monitoring stations (Torino-Rebaudengo, Torino-Lingotto, Oulx, Ceresole Reale and Cavallermaggiore) of Regional Agency for the Protection of the Environment (Arpa Piemonte) spread in the Piedmont region. In particular, two stations (Torino-Rebaudengo and Torino-Lingotto) are located in the urban context of Turin (traffic and a background station) which is one of the most polluted city in Europe especially during winter when atmospheric stability condition combined to low precipitation and slow ventilation cause contaminant stagnation.The analysis has been carried out using primarily Raman Spectroscopy to identify the main PM component. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) equipped with an Energy- Dispersive X-ray (EDX) has been also used to obtain further information about the elemental composition and the size distribution, and to confirm the Raman results. A representative amount of particles with a geometric size between 1 μm and 10 μm has been analyzed to investigate the different PM composition and evaluate the chemical and seasonal variation in the PM composition. The main compound found are amorphous carbon, nitrate salts, sulfate salts, iron oxides, quartz and other silicate compounds, pollen but also few particles of titanium oxide and graphite.Nitrate and sulfate content are directly related to warm and cold seasons; while amorphous carbon and iron oxides are strictly related to specific site features (geographic variation). 