bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sustainable Water Consumption Strategies in a Changing Climate
Authors: Tsai Christina , Chiu Yu-Kai , Fu Ching-Hao , Hsu Yao-Wen
Published: March 2024

Water consumption is a fundamental global need.  Water production consumes lots of energy and emits plenty of greenhouse gases.  Determining the carbon footprint of water can offer various benefits. Reducing water use and conserving water can lead to lower energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, lower monthly water and energy costs, and less demand for water.  As carbon neutrality gradually prevails, low carbon emissions have become the future global trend and goal.  Therefore, it is crucial to understand the relationship between water consumption and carbon emissions.As most countries struggle to reduce their carbon emissions in response to global warming, investments in water conservation, efficiency, and reuse are among the most cost-effective energy and carbon reduction strategies.  Urban water infrastructures have been demonstrated to contribute to global CO2 emissions significantly, and buildings account for a large portion of most urban water consumption.  Notably, while there is abundant rainfall in Taiwan, there appears to be a frequent water shortage crisis.  Such a crisis is aggravated by climate change because of the more unpredictable seasonal changes.  Climate change is linked to excessive anthropogenic carbon emissions. This study focuses on five types of buildings with various missions and usage on the National Taiwan University campus.  These infrastructures are typically deemed as having significant water consumption at National Taiwan University: (1) Residential buildings, (2) Experimental buildings, (3) Experimental farms, (4) the Department of Animal Science and (5) Lecture halls.  The specific objectives of this project are to uncover the nexus between thermal comfort and water consumption and the relationship between water consumption and hydro-meteorological and anthropogenic factors. 
Alpine vegetation community patterns and implications to eco-hydrology in the Khumbu region, Nepalese Himalaya
Authors: Leng Ruolin , Harrison Stephan , Byers Elizabeth , Anderson Karen
Published: March 2024

The Himalayan alpine zone (HAZ) – a high altitude zone above approximately 4100 m.a.s.l., is projected to experience strong eco-environmental changes with climate change. As plants expand their range in this region, the plant-water functioning is likely to be impacted. Satellite remote sensing provides one means of understanding the distribution pattern of HAZ vegetation communities, but the often patchy distribution of alpine vegetation creates challenges when using coarse-grained satellite data whose pixels are typically coarser than the grain of vegetation pattern. Also, the lack of in-situ measurements limits the validation of remote sensing products, and our understanding to the eco-hydrological processes within this area. Here we use fine spatial resolution satellite imagery from WorldView-2 (2 m2 per pixel) coupled with elevation model data from the Copernicus GLO-30 product to produce a land cover classification for HAZ. Grassy meadows and dwarf shrubs belonging to the Rhododendron and Juniperus families dominate the ecology of HAZ in this region so we created three vegetation classes for mapping indicative major plant communities dominated by these species. Based on this land cover map, we compared in-situ measurements in shrubby and open area, to explore the impacts of Rhododendron spp. and Juniperus spp. on temperature under plant canopy. Afterwards, we coupled in-situ measurements with meteorological metrics derived from ERA5, to simulate the evapotranspiration (ET) of these two dominant plant communities. We found that altitude and aspect were dominant drivers of vegetation distribution in HAZ and that the average vegetation cover of Rhododendron spp. and Juniperus spp. reduced with increasing altitude, as expected. South- and east- facing slopes were dominated by Juniperus spp., while north- and west- facing slopes were dominated by Rhododendron spp., and the growth extent of Rhododendron spp. (between 4010 to 4820 m.a.s.l.) and meadow (between 4010 to 4680 m.a.s.l.) were vertically wider than Juniperus spp. (between 4010 to 4660 m.a.s.l.). In general, maximum temperatures under shrub canopies were lower and minimum temperatures were higher compared to unvegetated or open areas at the same location. Juniperus plants had more significant influences on temperature than Rhododendron. Results from this study demonstrate the present vegetation distribution pattern in HAZ at the plant community level, and the potential ET status relevant to the vegetation expansion trend within this area. This study provides an impetus for studies that seek further understanding to eco-hydrological interactions between dwarf plants and water flows and stores in HAZ.
Observational study and numerical simulations of sea breezes on the coast of Malaga
Authors: Fernández-Castillo Pablo , Román-Cascón Carlos , Yagüe Carlos
Published: March 2024

Sea breezes are thermally-driven flows that develop on the mesoscale as a result of differential surface heating between the land and ocean surface. These wind circulations appear on coastal areas, influencing their thermal regime and comfort, the characteristics of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL), the diffusion of pollutants, transport and circulation of relevant gasses, offshore wind power production and convection onset. Moreover, an important part of the worldwide population lives near the coast and is thus affected by sea breezes, highlighting the importance of their study and understanding of the associated processes. The sea breeze on the coast of Malaga (southern Spain) is analysed in this study, an area where the sea breeze has not been studied yet. This region features complex topography and shoreline orientation, high density of buildings as well as enhanced variability of sea-surface temperatures (SST) due to frequent coastal upwelling events. These factors interact with sea breezes, adding complexity and interest to the study. The first objective of this work is to characterize sea breezes in Malaga, for which observational data from three synoptic stations during the summer months of 2022 are analysed. Despite being relatively close to each other (a few kilometers), the sites exhibit differences in the evolution of temperature and humidity on sea breeze days. The arrival of the sea-breeze front is particularly visible closer to the shoreline, where it contributes to a temperature decrease, which is not apparent on sites 2-5 km inland. The sea breeze also causes an increase in the specific humidity and wind speed. The analysis of the breeze events and the SST suggest that this variable has an impact on temperature close to the shoreline on sea breeze days. The second objective is to perform and analyse a numerical simulation with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model of a sea breeze event of particular interest, in which important temperature differences existed between the observational sites. Results from the numerical simulation show that complex wind circulations appear in the study area and may explain the observed temperature differences, highlighting the contribution of high-resolution numerical simulations to the understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms.
Why do field seismometers need to be calibrated? Benefits through traceably calibrated seismometers from the laboratory to the field
Authors: Schwardt Michaela , Bruns Thomas , Pilger Christoph
Published: March 2024

As part of the EU-funded joint research project "Metrology for low-frequency sound and vibration - 19ENV03 Infra-AUV" laboratory calibration methods for seismometers in the low frequency range down to 0.01 Hz have been developed. The reliable knowledge of the full complex sensor response and its associated measurement uncertainty for both, magnitude and phase, improve data quality and reliability by correctly estimating estimating signal amplitude and phase information. Using newly developed on-site calibration approaches, full-frequency responses are estimated for, and the traceability can be transferred to station seismometers of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization’s (CTBTO) International Monitoring System (IMS) during operation without disturbing their regular measurements.With the on-site methodologies in place for co-located sensors, we show how precisely determined full-frequency response information effects seismogram interpretation and the determination of key parameters such as amplitudes and subsequently magnitudes, as well as first motion polarity or event localisation. For that purpose, we use data from on-site calibration tests performed at IMS station PS19 in Germany with both short-period and broadband seismometers calibrated in the laboratories at PTB.Furthermore, the possibility of an array-wide calibration of seismometers with a number of temporary and stationary reference sensors is assessed using suitable excitation signals and station-wide similarity measures. The primary focus is to estimate the required quantity, spacing, and distribution of reference sensors throughout the array.
Discovery of a unique submarine hydrothermal system between shallow photic and deep dark sites around the Greek island of Milos (Aegean Sea, Greece)
Authors: Bühring Solveig , Koschinsky Andrea , Bach Wolfgang , Elvert Marcus , Kleint Charlotte , Kumawat Palash , Maak Joely , Meckel Eva-Maria , Nomikou Paraskevi , Röttgen Clemens , Schefuß Enno
Published: March 2024

On the Greek island Milos and in shallow water at its coast, many spots with hydrothermal activity have been found and studied in the past. The M192 cruise in August 2023 with the German research vessel METEOR followed the idea that these systems may continue along a tran­sect from shal­low, nearshore, photic to the deeper, off­shore, aphotic zone around the island, accompanied by changes in terms of environmental parameters. Volcanism along the Hellenic volcanic arc started during the Early to Middle Pliocene, while the last eruption occurred in 1950 (Nea Kammeni volcano). The intense seismic activity in the area is associated with important geothermal gas venting, with the major systems being found in relatively shallow waters (1–500m depth) at Methana, Milos, Santorini (Kolumbo submarine volcano), Kos and Nisyros.Systematic bathymetry and water column acoustic survey work with METEOR's multibeam with the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) MARUM-SEAL on the M192 cruise revealed several previously uncharted hydrothermal vent fields offshore Milos. They are located in the southeast extending from the bays Kiriaki to Paleochori and Thiorychia, as well as in an area northwest of Milos, offshore the bay of Vani. The distribution of the hydrothermal vents seems to be tectonically controlled and follow the prominent faults that have been mapped on Milos.The areal extents of venting were identified by echosounding using the acoustic anomaly the presence of gas bubbles causes in the water column. But selected hydrothermal vents were furthermore visually observed and sampled using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) MARUM-SQUID. These individual vents revealed pronounced differences; whereas the shallower vents (around 100 m water depth) were noticed as white patches (of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria) on the sandy seafloor with diffuse venting comparable to the shallow vents close to the coast, the deeper vents (around 200 m water depth) featured remarkable chimney structures sometimes several meters in height that are covered with white biofilms and vent fluids reaching temperatures up to 180 °C. Sampled fluids showed mildly reducing and slightly acidic (pH between 5.0 and 7.9) conditions and were rich in dissolved hydrogen sulfide and dissolved metals. These signals extended up to about 10 m into the water column, as recorded by CTD-rosette water sampler stations.To date, shal­low-wa­ter and deep-sea hy­dro­thermal sys­tems have been treated as in­de­pend­ent, seem­ingly un­re­lated en­tit­ies; the results of the M192 expedition presented here are the first foray into re­mov­ing this ar­bit­rary bound­ary.
A comprehensive framework for the application of IF and TCIF theoretically derived distributions in Southern Italy
Authors: Ciccone Martina , Gioia Andrea , Totaro Vincenzo , Mesto Federica , Margiotta Maria Rosaria , Manfreda Salvatore , Fiorentino Mauro , Iacobellis Vito
Published: March 2024

An increasing amount of evidence is now available for demonstrating how flood series often incorporate data coming from different populations, thus emphasizing the need to understand the physical nature of floods before carrying out their probabilistic analysis. Theoretically derived distributions of floods were introduced by Eagleson (1972) as an alternative, probabilistic and physically based modelling of processes responsible for flood generation. Based on this framework, Iacobellis and Fiorentino (2000) proposed the IF probability model in which the direct contribution to peak flow is obtained as the product of partial contributing area and the discharge per unit of area, both considered as random mutually dependent variables. Moving from the consideration that floods can be triggered by different runoff productions mechanisms, Gioia et al. (2008) introduced the TCIF probability model.  IF and TCIF distributions were successfully applied on a wide area of Southern Italy, which includes Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria regions, providing advances in the understanding of physical phenomenology of flood generation in these areas. In our research we revisited the parametric structure of these theoretically derived distributions applied in the entire Southern Italy, exploiting, among other, the availability of updated rainfall data and previous knowledge developed within the framework of VAPI project. Results showed the good performances of both distributions in fitting annual maxima of flood data, highlighting how IF and TCIF distributions possess a solid background for interpreting the actual underlying flood generation processes. Findings of the study can represent a reliable source of information for supporting model selection activities at both local and regional scales.
The pros or cons of X-ray diffraction vs electron beam techniques in the assessment of mineral assemblages: improvements of Solsa combined XRD-XRF analyses applied to the Grande Cote Operation Ti-Zr mine, Senegal.
Authors: Herbelin Maud , Delchini Sylvain , Pillière Henry , Lutterotti Luca , Nicco Marion , Dia Moctar , Riegler Thomas
Published: March 2024

Mine optimisation and anticipation of ore behaviour in the mineral processing and separation circuits are major economic drivers for all mining operation. Recent methodological developments with the inception of geometallurgy across multiple commodities has highlighted the importance of mineralogy in addition to grades. Since several decades, many quantitative tools have been developed, mostly SEM-based such as QEMSCAN®, to provide quantitative mineralogical composition and textural properties of ore and gangue samples. We aim to compare the more established SEM-based techniques to the Solsa combined XRD-XRF analyser to highlight their respective potential and limitations depending on the minerals and goals of the mining operators. The combined XRF-XRD of the SOLSA analytical solution brings a new methodology able to produce quantitative mineralogical and geochemical data at a speed compatible with routine data collection, from exploration to quality control on the different streams of minerals in a processing plant.
On the definition of an Exceptional fire danger rating over Mediterranean Countries
Authors: Canelas da Silva Mafalda , Alonso Catarina , Durão Rita , M. Gouveia Célia
Published: March 2024

The Mediterranean countries are largely affected by wildfires, and appropriate monitoring of daily fire danger is crucial to contribute to quick decision-making and mitigate destructive wildfire disturbances. In operational wildfire monitoring, the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System (CFFWIS) is one of the most used fire danger indices, particularly over the  Mediterranean region, which rates relative danger of wildfire occurrence by combining six components: three fire behavior indices and three fuel moisture codes.Since FWI results from all components, it is evident that the short and long-term variations of meteorological variables will be reflected and the components will have different influences on FWI values. The main purpose of this work is to contribute to the definition of a new class associated with Exceptional fire weather danger, based on a statistical analysis of FWI, FFMC, and ISI indices for different Mediterranean countries, and for the months between June and October of 2010-2023 period and information of Fire Radiative Power, from the Land Surface Analysis Satellite Applications Facility project (LSA-SAF).Results show, on one hand, that the extreme values of FWI (given by the 99th percentile) of the Mediterranean region are higher in Italy and Greece, in contrast with Portugal and Spain. On the other hand, regarding FFMC and ISI values, higher values can be seen in North African regions for FFMC, and in Italy and Greece for ISI. This is clear evidence of the variations in fire activity in the different Mediterranean regions. A new Exceptional class of fire danger is defined based on the extreme classes of FWI, FFMC, and ISI, jointly based on the occurrence of the recent Megafires in the Mediterranean region, such as the fires in Portugal in 2018 and Greece in 2023. The new approach to define the Exceptional class revealed to be an extremely important tool for fire danger assessment and for the definition of planning activities and suppression measures in the present context of climate warming.Acknowledgements: This study is partially supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research project FirEUrisk (Grant Agreement no. 101003890) and by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) I.P./MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) – UIDB/50019/2020- IDL and DHEFEUS - 2022.09185.PTDC.
Magnetotelluric and Gravity surveys of Pantelleria Island (Southern Italy) for geothermal exploration
Authors: Di Giuseppe Maria Giulia , Carlino Stefano , De Paola Claudio , Ferrara Giuseppe , Florio Giovanni , Isaia Roberto , Pagliara Fabio , Pivetta Tommaso , Riccardi Umberto , Ricciardi Lorenzo , Sposato Monica , Troiano Antonio , Zampa Luigi
Published: March 2024

Pantelleria island in Southern Italy represents an attractive target area for geothermal energy exploitation. The island is characterised by a high-temperature geothermal system (>150°C/km, as detected from deep borehole measurements), hot fluids, and CO2 diffuse degassing. Pantelleria has already been the subject of several studies to assess its geothermal potential. To further increase the knowledge about geometry and the physical properties of the main structures of the geothermal system, new magnetotelluric (MT) and gravity surveys have been carried out. The MT modelling relies on the inversion of data collected in 78 independent soundings covering the whole island. Through this survey, a 3D model of the electrical resistivity has been retrieved, highlighting the structures of Pantelleria down to a depth of 2.5 km b.g.l. A new gravity survey of about 120 stations allowed us to obtain new and more detailed Free Air and Bouguer gravity maps, with a spatial resolution of about 600 m. 
Inaugural dust and climate model simulations with the new EMIT global mineral abundance maps
Authors: Gonçalves Ageitos María ,   EMIT team
Published: March 2024

Minerals in dust shape the interaction of this ubiquitous aerosol with relevant components of the Earth system. Iron oxides absorb short-wave radiation, while quartz or k-feldspars act as efficient ice nuclei, contributing to the formation of mixed-phase clouds. In addition, iron and phosphorus containing minerals transport nutrients to terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Other minerals, like calcite, affect aerosols’ pH and intervene in atmospheric chemistry processes. Incorporating these complex effects into Earth System Models (ESM) has proven challenging due to our limited knowledge about the mineralogy of dust sources and its particle size distribution at emission.The ongoing NASA Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source investigation (EMIT) project has produced a first version of a global mineral abundance map at an unprecedented resolution based on spaceborne imaging spectroscopy observations from the International Space Station. Using this new product, we have conducted multi-annual simulations with several ESMs that explicitly represent dust mineralogy. Our study characterizes the relevance of the new map in the ESM results by comparison with our previous baseline simulations. We conduct a thorough evaluation against a global mineral fraction compilation derived from concentration and deposition measurements. Our results are also compared against single scattering albedo (SSA) retrievals from dusty AERONET sites. Our focus is primarily iron oxides, hematite and goethite, which, together with particle size, control the dust SSA in the short-wave.By providing a first set of simulations with the new EMIT mineral abundance maps and their evaluation, our work contributes to advancing the representation of this key aerosol within ESMs and to further assessing its significance within the global climate system.
The legacy of compost and slurry amendments to soil on physical resilience to compaction
Authors: Utin Utibe , Smith Jo , Geris Josie , Hallett Paul
Published: March 2024

Organic amendment of soils with composts or slurries affects compaction resistance and resilience, but the longevity of these impacts has not been explored, and few data are available from controlled field studies.  Here we carried out a rapid soil compaction resilience test, where coarsely sieved soil to simulate a freshly prepared seedbed are exposed to controlled compaction and cycles of wetting and drying in the laboratory. Agricultural soils with long history of compost and slurry amendments were sampled from the Lower Pilmore field of the James Hutton Institute, Dundee, UK.  Replicated plots received three levels of compost (35, 100 and 200 Mg ha-1), three levels of slurry (10, 20 and 40 Mg ha-1) and control (no amendment) from 2005 to 2009. Subsequently, normal rates of 35t ha-1 and 10 t ha-1 were applied until 2014. Loose soils sampled in 2023 were sieved to 4mm and then compressed cyclically under uniaxial stresses of (i) 50kPa to simulate a roller, (ii) 200kPa to simulate a tractor, and (iii) again at 200kPa. Between each of these stress cycles the soils were saturated (wetting) for 24 hours and drained (drying) to field capacity (5kPa) for 12 hours on a sandbox. Changes in void ratio during the loading and unloading phases were obtained directly from sample displacement, while the void ratio after wetting and drying was calculated from soil mass-volume relationship. Void ratio increased with increase in organic carbon in both compost and slurry soils. Soil wetting-drying following the first and second 200kPa compression cycles caused significant recovery of void ratio for both compost and slurry. Final void ratio (measured after the wet-dry cycle that followed the second 200kPa compression) was 0.40 m3 m-3 in the control, versus 0.45 m3 m-3 in 35 Mg ha-1 compost and 0.49 m3 m-3 in both 100 and 200 Mg ha-1 compost. For slurry soils, final void ratio was 0.40, 0.41 and 0.45 m3 m-3 for 10, 20 and 40 Mg ha-1, respectively. Organic carbon accounted for a significant percentage (R2 = 0.48; p = 0.00) of variability in the final void ratio for compost soils whilst there was no significant relationship between void ratio and organic C in slurry soils. Compression and recompression indices increased more with increase in compost than with increase in slurry, but overall, they displayed no significant (p≤0.05) relationships with organic carbon. Soils treated with compost are therefore, better able to absorb compressive stresses than their slurry counterparts and could significantly recover their form and capacity to perform their ecological functions following stress withdrawal. Moreover, legacy applications of compost than slurry can affect compaction resilience for several years.
Deformation at Mefite d’Ansanto area (Italy) through an interdisciplinary approach: GNSS Network and Digital Elevation Model
Authors: Esposito Alessandra , Doumaz Fawzi , Galvani Alessandro , Iannarelli Mirko , Palano Mimmo , Pietrantonio Grazia , Riguzzi Federica , Sepe Vincenzo , Sparacino Federica , Trippanera Daniele
Published: March 2024

In the frame of FURTHER project, “The role of FlUids in the pReparaTory pHase of EaRthquakes in Southern Apennines”, (https://progetti.ingv.it/en/further), consisting in a multidisciplinary study based on seismological, geodetic, and geochemical observations to understand the role of fluids in the seismogenic processes in the Southern Apennines, we focus on the geodetic monitoring at Mefite d’Ansanto (AV) deep CO2 degassing area located at the northern tip of the Mw6.9, 1980 Irpinia fault. Mefite d’Ansanto represents the largest low-temperature non-volcanic CO2 emission of the Earth (Chiodini et al. 2010).To provide an improved picture of the regional crustal deformation and investigate the relationship among deformation, crustal fluids, and physical-hydraulic properties pattern, we installed a new GNSS network and realized a detailed Digital Elevation Model (DEM).The new local GNSS network, MefiteNet, consists of four stations (one permanent and three survey-style stations) that monitor the degassing area of approximately 1 km2 by April 2022. Two aerial photogrammetric surveys were performed over Mefite area with a quadcopter drone to obtain a high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) to estimate the amount and the morphological variations of the Mefite lake level in space and time. The flight technique, that takes into account the topography, was chosen to ensure a constant pixel size on the ground and avoid lack of aerial coverage. We show the first results of the GNSS data analysis recorded by the MefiteNet and the preliminary results regarding morphological analysis.
A GeoPackage implementation for the new version of Earthquake Environmental Effects Catalogue (EEE Catalogue) in the context of GeoSciencesIR project
Authors: Manganello Paolo Lino , Castorina Giuseppe , Congi Maria Pia , Blumetti Anna Maria , Guerrieri Luca
Published: March 2024

The Earthquake Environmental Effects Catalogue (EEE Catalogue) represents a global database of environmental and geological effects induced by recent, historical and paleoearthquakes. These coseismic effects include among others surface faulting, ground subsidence, ground cracks, slope movements, liquefaction, tsunamis, hydrogeological anomalies. The observed relevance of earthquake environmental effects as a major source of damage, in addition to vibratory ground motion, confirms how the knowledge of this type of effects can be essential for seismic hazard and intensity assessment. Therefore, the EEE Catalogue can be considered as an helpful tool for land planning, particularly in areas of high seismicity. The first version of EEE Catalogue was launched in 2011 and was designed in PHP format. The structure of this catalogue is based on collecting data at three different levels of increasing detail, corresponding to three different tables: Earthquake, Locality, Site. The Earthquake features provide general information on the seismic event. The Locality features contain information on the features of a specific locality where some coseismic effects have occurred. The Site features provide information at the site of each earthquake environmental effect, including detailed characteristics on the type of earthquake. The structure of the catalogue is completed by Country features, consisting of point geometry. The focus of this work is the new release of the EEE Catalogue to populate the Research Infrastructure of GeoSciences IR. The GeoSciences IR aims to create a research infrastructure for the Italian Network of Geological Surveys (RISG), coordinated by the Geological Survey of Italy (ISPRA). In this framework, for the GeoSciences IR is mandatory to be in compliance with FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, Reuse) principles to improve data sharing. Data that become part of the infrastructure must be harmonized in accordance with the INSPIRE Directive and FAIR principles. A GeoPackage implementation  of the EEE Catalogue has been carried out. GeoPackage represents an open format for geospatial information developed by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). This format has several advantages including platform independence, versatile data support, large storage capacity, and maintenance of relations between database tables. The EEE Catalogue structure has been modified and improved. Furthermore, because of the complexity of the dataset and the need to enter new records into the database, new code lists were implemented, whereby a specific database field is filled by a list of predefined attributes. The main challenge of the new release is the semantic standardization on the basis of standard vocabularies (e.g., INSPIRE, GeoSCiML).
Manual Landslide Maps are Surprisingly Inaccurate but Automated Detection Could Help
Authors: Milledge David , Bellugi Dino , Densmore Alexander
Published: March 2024

Efforts to understand the controls on landslides rely heavily on manually mapped landslide inventories, but these are costly and time-consuming to collect, and their reproducibility is not typically well constrained. To test the performance of manual mapping we compare two or more manually mapped inventories of landslides triggered by five recent earthquakes: Kashmir in 2005, Aysén in 2007, Wenchuan in 2008, Haiti in 2010, and Gorkha in 2015. We find surprisingly poor agreement between these maps (at worst 8 % overlap and at best 30 %). This has implications both for how future models and/or classifiers are tested and for the interpretations that are based on these inventories. We then test the ability of a new automated landslide detection index (ALDI) to recover landslide locations. In more than 50% of cases, ALDI more skilfully reproduces landslide locations from one inventory (treated as the ground truth) than a second inventory for the same site based on ROC curve analysis. Finally we examine the spatial pattern of landslides identified in the different maps and the patterns of their agreement and disagreement to show that: 1) much of the disagreement appears to be due to georeferencing rather than landslide identification; and 2) the ALDI map, which is quick and easy to produce, can be used to identify georeferencing errors and thus post-process and improve manual maps.
Exploring Solar Energetic Particles Transport in the Inner Heliosphere
Authors: Houeibib Ahmed , Pantellini Filippo , Griton Léa
Published: March 2024

We simulate the propagation of relativistic test particles within the field of a 3D MHD simulation of the solar wind. The adiabatic ideal MHD equations are integrated numerically using the MPI-AMRVAC code. Test particles are initialized within the MHD simulation grid and advanced in time according to the guiding center equations, we employ a third-order accurate time prediction-correction method from Mignone et al. 2023 for integration. We also include possibility of diffusion in velocity space based on a particle-turbulence mean free path λ∥ along the magnetic field line. One of the first results where we consider 81 keV electrons injected at 0.139 AU heliocentric distance and mean free path λ∥ = 0.5 AU is in good qualitative agreement with measurements at 1 AU.
b-value variations preceding the mainshock of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes
Authors: Fontiela João , Seivane Helena
Published: March 2024

The analysis of the precursory behavior has been growing in the last decades around the paradigm of earthquake prediction. Amongst the plethora of precursors, the b-value has been deemed as a proxy for the state of stress on a seismogenic source. On 6th February 2023 a mainshock of Mw 7.8 followed by another event of Mw 7.5 within a few hours of difference hit Kahramanmaraş region. Both events occurred on different fault zones of the East Anatolian Fracture Zone (EAFZ). While the first one struck the Pazarcik segment on the main segment of the EAFZ, the second event did it on the Sürgü-Misis fault zone at the west of the EAFZ. In a context of complex rupture behavior, a stress redistribution and transient stress caused by the first event are two of the likely triggering mechanisms of the second event. Our b-value analysis relies on the earthquake catalog from AFAD in the period from early 2015 till the previous moments of the first event on February 2023. To homogenize magnitude reported we excluded Md (few events) and convert Ml to Mw using an empirical relation. As the seismicity along the EAFZ is high, and to avoid statistical bias caused by earthquake clusters, we declustered the earthquake catalog. After assessing the magnitude of completeness to guarantee that the catalog gathers the minimal quality requirements, we examined the temporal evolution and the spatial distribution of b-value. Concerning temporal evolution, we detected that 40 days before the mainshock a sudden decrease of the b-value from 0.85 until its minimum 0.5 on the event’s day. With regard to the spatial distribution of b-value, mainshock’s epicenter is on an elongated region with general strike NE-SW and minimum b-value of 0.76.  Work supported by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) I.P./MCTES through national funds, UIDB/04683/2020 (ICT) and UIDP/04683/2020 (ICT)
Is the ocean losing its breath? Insights into ocean oxygenation from Cenozoic warm periods.
Authors: Auderset Alexandra , Hess Anya , Moretti Simone , Sigman Daniel , Martínez-García Alfredo
Published: March 2024

The continuous expansion of oxygen-deficient zones (ODZs) poses risks to marine ecosystems and societies dependent on fisheries for income and sustenance. However, the trajectory of this deoxygenation in response to 21st-century climate change remains uncertain. To gain a clearer understanding of future oxygen dynamics and processes leading to deoxygenation, we investigate the response of ODZs during Cenozoic global warming periods in the Miocene and Early Eocene, using a combination of oxygen-sensitive proxies including foraminifer-bound nitrogen isotopes (FB-δ15N) and iodine-to-calcium ratios in planktic foraminifer shells (I/Ca). Our findings reveal contracted, rather than expanded, tropical Pacific ODZs during all studied warm intervals. The increased oxygenation closely aligns with high-latitude warming and reduced meridional sea surface temperature gradients, indicating a climatic driver behind these observed changes. We discuss potential causes for the contraction of ODZs, including (i) diminished wind-driven equatorial upwelling and primary productivity, and/or (ii) increased deep-ocean ventilation. Finally, we compare the behaviour of Pacific vs. Indian Ocean ODZs during the Miocene and investigate potential teleconnections between these two wind-driven ODZs.
Soil hydraulic conductivity determines the onset of water-limited evapotranspiration across scales
Authors: Wankmüller Fabian J. P. , Delval Louis , Lehmann Peter , Baur Martin J. , Wolf Sebastian , Or Dani , Javaux Mathieu , Carminati Andrea
Published: March 2024

Terrestrial vegetation, central to water-energy-carbon interactions between land and atmosphere, such as evapotranspiration, is under severe pressure due to human disturbances and changing climate. Evapotranspiration switches from being energy to being water limited at critical soil water thresholds. Despite the importance of such soil water thresholds for terrestrial ecosystems, the key mechanisms and drivers (being them related to plants, soils or the atmosphere) controlling their values remain unclear at the ecosystem scale.Soil water thresholds have recently been estimated from global networks of terrestrial flux measurements based on Eddy-Covariance method (FLUXNET). However, this approach does not allow to partition between soil evaporation and plant transpiration, which might have different thresholds. Therefore, we also estimated soil water thresholds from a complementary monitoring network based on sapflow measurements (SAPFLUXNET), which provides the actual flow velocity along the xylem being closely related to transpiration rate. Besides comparing the two measurements approach, we aimed to explain the key mechanisms controlling soil water thresholds.We found that the two monitoring approaches provide similar values of soil water thresholds. These thresholds, expressed as either soil moisture θcrit or soil matric potential ψcrit, are function of soil texture globally. By applying a soil-plant hydraulic model (considering the key soil, plant, and atmospheric parameters) at plant and ecosystem scale, we show that at both scales, θcrit and ψcrit are determined by the abrupt decrease of soil hydraulic conductivity with decreasing soil moisture content, causing a loss in leaf water potential that triggers stomatal closure. For soils with a moderate decrease of hydraulic conductivity (loam), atmospheric conditions and vegetation properties become more relevant, resulting in a higher variability of soil water thresholds compared to sandy soils (sharpest decrease of hydraulic conductivity).Overall, our results show that soil texture modulates land-atmosphere exchange globally across scales, biomes, and climates, highlighting the importance of soil water flow for predicting and understanding evapotranspiration dynamics.
Simulation-Based Inference of Surface Mass Balance of Antarctic Ice Sheets
Authors: Hermann Anne , Henry Clara , Moss Guy , Drews Reinhard
Published: March 2024

Uncertainties in surface mass balance (SMB) have the potential to significantly impact modelled ice thickness and ice-flow dynamics. A common approach is to reconstruct the surface mass balance history from the internal ice stratigraphy as imaged by radar. Particularly for intermediate and deeper layers, this requires accounting for deformation by ice flow using ice-dynamic forward models in an inverse framework. Numerous approaches to do so exist, but many of them are tailored to specific stratigraphy datasets and do not include uncertainties.Previous work used simulation-based inference (SBI) to infer the SMB rates of steady state ice shelves, solving velocities using the shallow shelf approximation [1]. The approach not only estimates the spatially varying SMB field but also their uncertainties. We adapt this framework to infer SMB on grounded ice, where flow is dominated by internal deformation rather than longitudinal stretching. The forward model used in this study calculates velocities by solving the shallow ice approximation. The resulting velocities are used as input to an isochronal tracer scheme which calculates the stratigraphy of the ice [2]. Initial testing of our method is conducted on an idealized ice sheet, namely the Vialov profile. In future work, we aim to infer for the SMB history along a radar transact of Derwael Ice Rise in East Antarctica, where internal stratigraphy data is available. Our method provides a new uncertainty aware approach to estimate the SMB field on grounded ice. [1] Moss et al.: Simulation-Based Inference of Surface Accumulation and Basal Melt Rates of an Antarctic Ice Shelf from Isochronal Layers (2023).[2] Born: Tracer transport in an isochronal ice-sheet model (2017).
A new method to restore tectonically beheaded stream networks
Authors: Moulin Adrien , Ribot Matthieu , Jónsson Sigurjón
Published: March 2024

Drainage capture and beheading represent extreme cases of divide mobility, during which large parts of drainage areas are suddenly gained or lost. Though these events may occur in any environment, some of them are directly controlled by displacement on dip-slip faults. In such a case, topographic barriers built through vertical tectonic displacements result in breaking across-fault hydrological connections. Beheaded valleys represent the end-product of this process and can theoretically be used as strain markers that record cumulative displacement on the causative fault. In practice, it is however difficult to derive robust displacement estimates from beheaded valleys because the pre-deformation geometry is generally unknown. This difficulty is usually tackled by introducing two main assumptions: (1) the stream profile was at steady-state at the time of beheading, and (2) the beheading event did not significantly modify the upstream profile. These two assumptions allow constraining the pre-deformation profile by propagating the upstream “undeformed” profile in the downstream direction. We here propose a new approach which offers an opportunity to get rid of the latter assumption, provided that the former is true.We first present theoretical expectations for the topographic encoding of dip-slip-faulting-induced beheading in chi-transformed coordinates (chi = along-stream distance normalized by the drainage area) as a function of drained catchment loss and post-beheading vertical uplift. In chi-elevation plots, we define “co-tectonic lines” that connect pairs of points located at the same distance from the fault but along distinct downward-branching beheaded channels. The orientation of these lines is insensitive to tectonic displacement, and becomes increasingly tangent to the pre-deformation steady-state profile as catchment loss corrections applied to chi approach the actual values. We then define a two-fold strategy to retrieve the initial unstrained geometry: (1) analyze the distribution of co-tectonic lines for a range of catchment loss solutions, and (2) evaluate the consistency of these distributions with respect to steady-state conditions. We employ this strategy on a fossilized beheaded stream network which formed in response to slip on normal faults of the Wadi al-Akhdar Graben (WAG, NW Saudi Arabia). This natural prototype is ideal to test the method because pre-deformation catchment geometries can be readily quantified in the landscape due to the local arid low-erosion conditions. Forward modeling of the beheaded stream profiles of the WAG well predicts the drained catchment loss quantified independently (at the 90% confidence level), and provides pre-deformation profiles that reduce the quantified cumulative uplift by ~30% relative to the standard method. These results show that working on chi-transformed profiles represents a promising way to reduce the uncertainties associated to the restoration of tectonically beheaded valleys.
The role of soil nutrient limitations on terrestrial carbon cycle in the Swiss Alps under climate change
Authors: Jiang Fuxiao , Fatichi Simone , Losapio Gianalberto , Peleg Nadav
Published: March 2024

Mountain regions, and the European Alps in particular, are warming faster than other land areas or the global average. The Alps are among the most sensitive terrestrial systems and have rapid and substantial responses to climate change. Consequently, the carbon cycle in high Alpine regions is expected to be significantly impacted by changes in vegetation cover and dynamics. Only a few studies offer insights into how vegetation types and carbon dynamics evolve at high elevation, considering changes in climate and soil conditions. We investigated changes in climate and soil nutrient development due to changes in vegetation type and cover amount using an ecohydrological model (T&C) and focused on the impacts of the changes on the carbon cycle in the Swiss Alps, where extensive glacier retreat is expected. Specifically, we used the Advanced Weather GENerator (AWE-GEN) model to simulate future realizations of climate at the hourly scale with ten RCM realizations under both low (RCP 4.5) and high (RCP 8.5) greenhouse gas emission scenarios. These future realizations drove the T&C model which reproduces all essential components of the hydrological cycle, vegetation dynamics, and soil biogeochemistry to simulate the carbon cycle dynamics over the 21st century. Our study will examine whether the increase in vegetation in glacier forefields is shifting the carbon cycle (e.g., from the carbon sources to carbon sinks). We will present the results of numerical modeling and discuss whether vegetation growth might be restricted despite increased warming by soil nutrient limitations, thereby reducing the rate of CO2 uptake. This study highlights the impact of soil nutrients on vegetation pattern changes and terrestrial carbon cycle dynamics in high-elevation environments.
Agricultural impact on quality and quantity of groundwater in the north-western Ganga plain, India: A stable isotopes and remote sensing approach
Authors: Mandal Ritwick , Sanyal Prasanta , Samantaray Santrupta
Published: March 2024

Groundwater is the primary reservoir of unfrozen freshwater, a critical element in thewater cycle. It is constantly extracted, which has resulted in irreversible depletion.The significant extraction of groundwater led to a shift in the Earth's rotational poleand has been attributed to global sea level rise, and disruption of the regional energybudget. The extraction has influenced the soil quality and the interaction betweensurface and subsurface water. The Hindon River basin, situated in the north-westernregion of the Ganga plain in India, once witnessed the Indus Valley civilization, isnow facing adverse effects from anthropogenic activities. The groundwater level hasdecreased by over a meter in recent decades, and the concentration of dissolvednitrate, an indicator of pollution, has exceeded safe limits. The pollution ingroundwater has resulted in numerous severe health issues, including cancer andliver disorders. Consequently, it is crucial to comprehend the human-inducedalterations in the water cycle, focusing on identifying pollutant sources and theprocesses responsible for redistribution of water mass among different componentsof the regional hydrological cycle. In this study, we have used remote sensing data inthe Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to understand impact of crop patternson regional water budget. Chemical tracers such as stable water isotopes (δD-H2O,δ18O-H2O), dissolved nitrate isotopes (δ15N-NO3 , δ18O-NO3 ), and ionic chemistry [NO3- ]have been used to validate the model results. The initial output of the modelsuggests that changes in existing cropping patterns can improve the discharge in theriver.