bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facies Analysis, Petrography, heavy mineral analysis of paleo-Mesozoic sediments of Eastern India: Implications on provenance and basin evolution
Authors: Dutta Arpan , Banerjee Santanu
Published: March 2024

Gondwana Basins of eastern India preserves sediment record from Carboniferous to Triassic, which were possibly sourced partially from Antarctica through a radial drainage system. This study attempts to test the hypothesis regarding source of sediments based on petrographical and mineral chemical analysis of siliciclastic Paleo-Mesozoic sediments of eastern India. We present an integrated provenance and paleodrainage analysis on the sediments of Bokaro and Raniganj basins, outcrops of which occur along E-W trend along eastern part of India. The sedimentation in these Gondwana basins initiates with basal Talchir Formation, consisting of alternation between conglomerate and fine- to medium-grained sandstones, and is succeeded by Barakar-Barren Measures-Raniganj and Panchet Formation with sandstone-mudstone alternation, with or without coal.  Petrographic study of sandstones reveals moderate sorting, with angular to sub-rounded quartz and feldspar and rounded to well-rounded lithic fragments; however, the abundance of lithic fragments drastically reduces from Talchir to Panchet formation. Feldspar grains shows the dominance of K-feldspar over plagioclase.  Most of the sandstones are classified as feldspatho-quartzose arenite. The Qm-F-Lt plot indicates that these sandstones were derived primarily from transitional continental sources. Heavy minerals in sandstones include garnets, tourmaline, epidote, rutile, zircon, monazite in order of decreasing abundance. Mineral chemistry of garnet in sandstones points their source to metasedimentary amphibolite facies rocks and granitoid. The tourmaline mineral chemistry suggests the derivation of sediments from various sources, including Li-poor granitoids associated with pegmatites, aplites and Ca-poor metapelites. Rutile chemistry in sandstones indicates the predominance of metapelitic source over metamafic source. Insights from heavy mineral analysis indicates that the Gondwana sediments were derived from multiple sources, and such variation in sources bears information about paleogeographic and paleotectonic evolution of the depositional basin.  The mineral composition of source rocks and paleocurrent data tracks the source of sediments to Eastern Granulite-Schist belt and the Eastern Ghat mobile belt, situated to the east and southwest parts of the Gondwana succession.  This study when integrated with geochronological data would reveal the extent to which a particular source provided sediments to these basins, evolution of sediment sources from bottom to top and ultimately will lead to a refined understanding of timing and evolution of East Gondwana assembly.
Using optimality principles to couple terrestrial carbon and water cycles in hydrological models
Authors: Nóbrega Rodolfo , Miranda Rodrigo , Sandoval David , Tan Shen , Prentice Iain Colin
Published: March 2024

Hydrology has been guided by establishing empirical relationships between the movement of water through landscapes and the application of the conservation of mass law in catchments. This has resulted in models with complex calibration frameworks that often overlook the physical and biochemical water-related processes linking plants to hydrological cycles. Studies have revealed that some of the empirical relationships in catchments might also reflect a potential ecosystem's coevolution with climate, driving catchments to optimise their supply and demand limits. This agrees with the eco-evolutionary optimality principles used in vegetation modelling that are based on the hypothesis that canopy conductance acclimates to environmental variations by balancing the costs of carbon assimilation and maintenance of transpiration rates. Here, we developed meaningful interfaces between simple models and approaches based on the use of optimality principles in vegetation modelling and hydrology. Our work is based on the application of the P-model to estimate to quantify gross primary productivity and transpiration and the use of a mass-balance approach to quantify the root zone storage. These integrations not only provide a more nuanced understanding of hydrological processes but also pave the way for more accurate and physically-informed models in hydrology. Our findings underscore the potential of using eco-evolutionary principles as a unifying framework in hydrological research, offering new insights for understanding and predicting water movement in catchments under varying climatic and ecological conditions.
Forecasting Marine Environmental States Including Algal Blooms
Authors: Halawi Ghosn Raed , Poisson-Caillault Émilie , Lefebvre Alain
Published: March 2024

Coastal ecosystems are evolving with the increase of anthropogenic activities. Their dynamics involve various spatial and temporal scales, as well as complex benthic and pelagic interactions. Understanding these dynamics necessitates further knowledge of marine extreme, recurrent, and rare events, e.g., heat waves, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), storms, flood, etc.  Thus, the development of a forecasting system that alerts for algal blooms and other environmental states becomes imperative inorder to  mitigate their socio-economic and environmental influences.  In this research, we developed a semi-supervised machine learning approach to forecast marine environmental states, including algal blooms. Our approach is a multi-source, multi-frequency, and multi-parameter approach that involves in-situ, satellite and modeling data,  at low and high frequency. We apply the unsupervised M-SC (Multi-level Spectral Clustering) algorithm to cluster the data both spatially and temporally. Following that, we label these clusters to characterize the different environmental states, such as rare, extreme and recurrent events. Then, we apply a supervised machine learning algorithm such as Random Forest (RF) in order to forecast future environmental states, particularly algal blooms. This expert system will lead to better management strategies for marine ecosystems, and will help mitigate algal blooms.
Diving into the new dynamical slab ocean of the Generic-PCM: Implications for the climate of TRAPPIST-1e
Authors: Bhatnagar Siddharth , Bolmont Emeline , Brunetti Maura , Kasparian Jérôme , Turbet Martin , Millour Ehouarn , Codron Francis , Revol Alexandre
Published: March 2024

Ocean modelling is often sidelined by exoclimate modellers, mostly due to the associated computational expense of spinning up dynamic oceans. However, oceanic heat transport can critically impact the climate and observables for M-planets in the middle of their habitable zones (e.g., [1]) like TRAPPIST-1e. The oceanic description can also affect the number of final stable climatic states of the planet ([2]). Short of using a fully dynamic ocean model, a compromise used in most exoplanet General Circulation Models (GCMs) is a slab ocean model without oceanic heat transport.Here, we will first present our improved compromise - the new dynamical slab ocean model integrated into the Generic-PCM ([3]), previously known as the LMD Generic GCM (e.g., [4]). Our parallelisable ocean model not only accounts for sea-ice/snow evolution, but also features wind-driven ocean transport (Ekman transport), horizontal eddy diffusion and convective adjustment between oceanic layers. When coupled with the atmosphere, it effectively reproduces critical attributes observed on modern Earth, including the major oceanic heat flows, an annually averaged surface temperature of 13 C, planetary albedo of 0.32 and sea ice coverage spanning 18 million sq. km.Further, we will delve into the implications of a dynamical slab ocean model for TRAPPIST-1e. Despite recent JWST observations indicating the lack of a (thick) atmosphere for TRAPPIST-1b ([5]) and 1c ([6]), the planets farther away from the star, like 1e, may have retained moderately thick atmospheres. Assuming this, and if 1e formed with a substantial water reservoir ([7]), it could have sustained liquid water oceans ([8]). In general, the presence of oceanic heat transport can give rise to distinct oceanic patterns, as illustrated by the “lobster” pattern observed for Proxima Centauri b by [9], in contrast to the “eyeball” pattern in [4], observed in its absence. Moreover, studies suggest that the climates of Proxima Centauri b and TRAPPIST-1e may share similarities ([4], [8]). In this context, we will present findings from our new dynamical slab ocean within the Generic-PCM for TRAPPIST-1e. These results will then be systematically compared with those of [9], which used ROCKE-3D ([10]) with a dynamic ocean model. We believe that this will help in strengthening our understanding of the climate of TRAPPIST-1e and also offer insights into comparative exoplanetary climate research. Finally, we will discuss our findings in the context of habitability, particularly emphasising the role of a dynamical ocean model in informing our understanding of habitable conditions. References:[1] Yang et al. (2019b)[2] Brunetti et al. (2019)[3] Forget et al. (in prep)[4] Turbet et al. (2016)[5] Greene et al. (2023)[6] Zieba et al. (2023)[7] Tian & Ida (2015)[8] Turbet et al. (2018)[9] Del-Genio et al. (2019)[10] Way et al. (2017)
Meeting the demand for δ13C-CO2, δ18O-CO2, δ13C-CH4 and δ2H-CH4 Reference Materials for Climate Monitoring
Authors: Hill-Pearce Ruth , Mussell-Webber Eric , Hillier Aimee , Brewer Paul
Published: March 2024

The introduction of widely available optical isotopic ratio spectroscopy (OIRS) has enabled in-field measurements of isotopologues of carbon dioxide and methane (CO2 and CH4), allowing the source apportionment of greenhouse gases through distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and CH4. At present, there are no existing internationally accepted reference materials which provide traceability for the calibration of δ¹³C-CO2, δ¹³C-CH4, δ2H-CH4 and δ¹8O-CO2 OIRS measurements which meet the World Metrological Organisation’s data compatibility goals to underpin global measurements.We present the latest progress achieved during the EMPIR project Stable Isotope Metrology to Enable Climate Action and Regulation (STELLAR), on the development of primary reference materials (PRMs) which are traceable to the SI for amount fraction and existing isotope ratio scales. The production and certification of pure and ambient amount fraction reference materials is discussed alongside the sensitivities of the production and sampling process to isotopic fractionation. Methodologies for mitigating fractionation during PRM production and sampling will be outlined.The production of the air matrix and the effects of trace gases and water vapour in the air matrix on the isotope ratio of the ambient PRMs is presented. The effects of trace gases in the matrix on the measurement of the isotope ratio of the ambient amount fraction CO2 and CH4 PRMs is also discussed for OIRS techniques.We demonstrate achievement of the targeted uncertainties in δ¹³CVPDB-CO2 of ± 0.1 ‰ and ± 0.5 ‰ for δ¹8OVPDB-CO2. Uncertainty budgets are presented and the main contributions to the uncertainty budget are highlighted. The stability of the isotope ratio of the PRMs with pressure and time (2 years) is also discussed alongside comparisons with existing scales for amount fraction.
Eulerian and Lagrangian Perspectives on Mesoscale Air-Sea Interactions
Authors: Putrasahan Dian , von Storch Jin-Song
Published: March 2024

Mesoscale ocean eddies can be likened to weather events of the sea, influencing a multitude of coupled air-sea processes that help in regulating heat and carbon uptake and consequently the climate. With the advancements in high-performance computing, we can now employ multi-decadal kilometre-scale coupled global climate models (GCMs) that effectively captures the intricacies of mesoscale ocean-atmosphere interactions and shed light on their implications at larger scales. While low resolution CMIP-type GCMs show a dominance of atmospheric-forced coupled variability, e.g. faster winds over ocean surface can enhance turbulent heat flux and thus cool sea surface temperatures (SSTs), satellite observations and eddy-resolving coupled models show a prevalence of mesoscale ocean-forced coupled variability over eddy-rich regions like SST front areas. Two ocean mesoscale dynamical processes can promote such ocean-forced coupled variability, namely through thermal feedback and current feedback. Consider the thermal feedback as an example; the destabilisation of the atmosphere above warm mesoscale anomalies amplifies the downward transfer of momentum from higher-altitude winds to the surface, known as the vertical or downward mixing mechanism. This, in turn, leads to enhanced surface winds and increased turbulent heat flux over warm SST anomalies. We employ a coupled 5km-ocean 10km-atmosphere ICON model to assess the global distribution of mesoscale air-sea coupling associated with these feedbacks and their implications on wind work and eddy-induced Ekman upwelling. Additionally, we show examples of such mesoscale coupling from a Lagrangian perspective through composites of tracked eddies, their impact on ocean upwelling/downwelling and their imprint on the overlying atmosphere beyond the surface like precipitation.
The role of EU Soil Observatory in supporting the EU policies, Research and innovation
Authors: Schillaci Calogero , Broothaerts Nils , van Enyde Elise , Breure Timo , Vieira Diana , Yunta Felipe , Arias-Navarro Cristina , Jones Arwyn , Ballabio Cristiano , Orgiazzi Alberto , Wojda Piotr , Panagos Panos
Published: March 2024

Launched in December 2020, the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) is the principal provider of reference data and knowledge at the EU level for all soil-related matters.
Hosted at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, the EUSO is evolving to be a dynamic and inclusive platform that supports EU soil-related policymaking. EUSO has five main objectives:

To support the development of an operational EU-wide soil monitoring system;
To support research and innovation through the implementation of Horizon Europe’s Mission ‘A soil deal for Europe’;
To further consolidate and enhance the capacity and functionality of the current European Soil Data Centre;
To monitor the state of soil health and the policies in place through a Soil Health and Policy Dashboard;
To provide an open and inclusive EUSO forum that supports the drive towards a societal change in the perception of soil.

In this presentation, we will present the activities of EUSO that have taken place in 2023 under the five objectives outlined above. We will provide an overview of ongoing research and innovation projects, new datasets that were added to the European Soil Data Centre and the outcome of the third EUSO stakeholder forum.
In 2023, the EUSO has been supporting the proposal for the Soil Monitoring Law and has contributed significantly to the Impact assessment. In addition, EUSO has contributed to Nature Restoration Law, the implementation of the Soil Mission: “A Soil Deal for Europe”, Carbon Removals and Clean Soil outlook.
In 2023, the EUSO has launched the EU Soil Health Dashboard with 18 indicators which show that 62% of EU soils are not in Healthy condition. The EUSO dashboard is a dynamic tool providing evidence where hotspots exist and which are the main threats to soils.
In November 2023, the 3rd EUSO Stakeholder Forum brought together 700 participants to attend three days of meeting with over 60 presentations.
In relation to research, EUSO has published 40 papers and has supported the research agenda through the Soil Mission HORIZON programs. In addition, important research has been addressed within EUSO activities, such as the carbon losses in the EU, the novel assessments in soil biodiversity, and the nutrient budget. The European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC) has also grown with the inclusion of new datasets and the exponential number of users downloading almost 12,000 datasets from ESDAC within 2023.
Developing structural-financial flood damage curves for residential buildings
Authors: Samprogna Mohor Guilherme , Thieken Annegret
Published: March 2024

The documentation and quantification of flood impacts is required by multiple actors, such as public administrators, insurers and scientists, for multiple reasons, such as planning, mitigating, projecting or even forecasting. Collecting and analysing impact data is however not systematically undertaken. Direct flood impacts can be documented as structural (or physical) or financial damage. Structural damage is described as an ordered classification with five grades, from moist and dirt, to wall cracking, up to complete collapse. The financial damage is rather documented as absolute or relative damage, i.e. the ratio between repair costs and the building value, which allows for an easier comparability. Both structural and financial damage are at times documented and numerical models have been developed for both types. Models are frequently used to estimate damage of undocumented cases and make projections. Yet, large uncertainties remain and each model has different data requirements, making them sometimes inapplicable for a certain area or after a certain flooding event. In a joint work, we have shown that the documentation of structural damage need not be undertaken on site, but can be accomplished for large areas through remote sensing, when quality aerial data is available. Here, we also explore the relationship between the two impact types, structural and financial damage, to allow for a conversion from structural to financial damage, complementing the data gathering obviating the labour- and time-intensive on-site surveys. The work is based on survey data gathered after eight flood events in Germany. The data can be regarded representative and transferable to Europe as most buildings are of masonry and have a cellar.
Aircraft-based mass balance estimate of methane emissions from the offshore oil industry in Angola
Authors: Fiehn Alina , Eckl Maximilian , Bräuer Tiziana , Pühl Magdalena , Dapurkar Neeraj , Gottschaldt Klaus-Dirk , Aufmhoff Heinfried , Eirenschmalz Lisa , Neumann Gregor , Sakellariou Felicitas , Sauer Daniel , Ventura Guilherme , Cadete Winne , Zua Dario , Xavier Manuel , Correia Paulo , Roiger Anke
Published: March 2024

Atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations have more than doubled since the beginning of the industrial age, making CH4 the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO2). The oil and gas (O&G) sectors are one of the major anthropogenic CH4 sources accounting for 22% of global anthropogenic CH4 emissions. The METHANE-To-Go Africa (MTGA) scientific aircraft campaign in September 2022 was conducted as part of UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO). During the campaign, we conducted the first large scale methane measurements of the O&G sector in West Africa. The study provides an initial empirical understanding of the magnitude and location of emissions in this important but previously unobserved source region. The emissions of O&G facilities were determined using an aircraft-based mass balance method.The entire emissions of the Angolan offshore O&G sector and the liquid natural gas (LNG) plant were observed to be in the range of emissions reported by the Angolan operators. This is much less than the estimates from scientific emission inventories like EDGAR and CAMS-GLOB-ANT.For the regional scale emission estimates, the Angolan O&G facilities are aggregated in blocks, a local operator-wise separation of assets. Most blocks have low emissions of methane. We observed medium emissions at one block and high emissions at two blocks. These three blocks are close to the coast, in shallow water, and the facilities are generally older than further out at sea.Often the emissions of individual facilities or groups of facilities could be discerned from the mass balance flights. We deduced emission estimates for 31 individual facilities and 10 groups of facilities. The emission estimates on different days are consistent for all facilities, showing little temporal variation. The generally older shallow-water facilities show higher emissions than the deep and ultra-deep water facilities, which have a higher oil production.The additional trace gases CO2, SO2, NOy and aerosol particles were also observed from the aircraft. This data is used to further investigate the source of CH4 emissions: flaring, fugitives, venting, or burning of fuel gas. The CH4-CO2 ratio indicates that most CH4 emissions result from fugitives and venting, not flaring. Ten different flare exhaust plumes were sampled at close distance. The flaring observations will be further analyzed including information on gas composition from the operators.Overall, this study gathered a unique dataset in its coverage providing extraordinarily comprehensive measurements of the CH4 emissions from the O&G industry off the coast of West Africa.
Unravelling the metamorphic history of the Isua supracrustal belt: A garnet-based study in West Greenland
Authors: Wolf Julian , Sorger Dominik , Ramírez-Salazar Anthony , Hauzenberger Christoph , Webb A. Alexander G. , Willbold Matthias , Müller Thomas
Published: March 2024

The Eoarchean Isua supracrustal belt (ISB) in West Greenland comprises one of the oldest rock records, yet its geological evolution and geodynamic setting are still debated. Major order questions involve the timing and number of the tectono-metamorphic events leading to the formation of mineral assemblages and structures observed today. Interpreted cross-cutting relationships and crystallization ages of the Ameralik (mafic) dykes have been used to suggest an Eoarchean metamorphic age for the most pervasive event (e.g., Nutman et al., 2004, JGS 161, 421-430). Recent studies, in contrast, argue that this event is Neoarchean in age, as constrained via garnet (-plagioclase-hornblende) dating (e.g., Eskesen et al. 2023, Geology 51, 1017-1021; Ramírez-Salazar et al., unpublished data). In this study, we present data of eight garnet grains from two metapelitic samples from the eastern limb of the ISB to acquire further information about the metamorphic evolution. Both samples share a similar mineral assemblage, featuring a matrix predominantly composed of porphyroblastic garnet with ±chlorite, biotite, white mica, quartz, and ±plagioclase. The garnets exhibit a diversity of unevenly distributed inclusions dominated by quartz, plagioclase, white mica, chlorite, and ilmenite. Additionally, apatite, ±monazite, ±allanite, ±rutile, and ±zircon, as well as some iron-arsenide and -sulphide minerals, are abundant as inclusions. Textural evidence in combination with major and trace element zoning reveals three distinct garnet core to rim domains referred to as garnet I to garnet III. The porphyroblasts’ inclusion-rich cores (garnet I) are characterized by a bell-shaped spessartine component and heavy rare earth element zoning pattern, along with a relatively flat grossular and pyrope pattern. The garnet annuli (garnet II) are grossular-rich, with a constant or slightly increasing pyrope and spessartine components already at their minimum. Garnet II typically exhibits less inclusions. A drop in grossular together with an increase in pyrope components, and the virtual absence of inclusions mark the third garnet domain (garnet III). Our examination of the chemical, mineralogical, and textural characteristics across the different garnet domains reveals the growth of garnet through distinct mineral reactions under variable metamorphic conditions. These domains may be linked to either distinct metamorphic growth stages within a single event or disparate metamorphic events in the tectono-thermal history of the ISB. To unravel the chronological sequence of garnet growth, we present texturally resolved dating of individual garnet domains using the Sm-Nd isochron method.
Taking advantage of satellite data, large datasets of fire records and cloud computing for modelling potential fire severity useful for better assess fire risk
Authors: Costa Saura José Maria , Bacciu Valentina , Spano Donatella , Sirca Costantino
Published: March 2024

Fire risk analyses, usually focused on fire hazard (i.e. the probability of fire occurrence), often neglect an important issue such as the sensitivity/vulnerability (i.e., the degree of potential damage, sensus IPCC) of different locations within the area of interest.  Such lack of consideration comes from past data processing constrains that limited fire severity studies to analyse only single or few fire events. Nowadays, online data repositories and processing platforms (e.g. Google Earth Engine) allow to easily integrate and process a vast amount of data from multiple sources that might prove useful for developing tailored tools for decision making. Here, we present an example for predicting potential fire severity based on the analysis of more than 1 000 fire events from southern France and western Italy which integrates climate, topographical and remote sensing variables. Furthermore, we assessed if the model “used” the explanatory variables under a meaningful biophysical sense.   Using the random forest algorithm and the relativized difference of the Normalized Burn Ratio (rdNBR) as proxy of fire severity, we reach to explain up to 75% of the variability in the data with most of the variables showing a clear and interpretable effect. Our results suggests that this type of approach might prove useful for better address fire risk assessments.
Assessing the benefits of improved spatiotemporal resolution of current geostationary imagers for surface solar irradiance retrievals based on the S2VSR campaign
Authors: Deneke Hartwig , Flynn Connor , Foster Michael , Heidinger Andrew , Kalesse-Los Heike , Macke Andreas , Meirink Jan Fokke , Redemann Jens , Sengupta Manajit , Walther Andi , Wiltink Job , Witthuhn Jonas
Published: March 2024

The current advanced geostationary imagers including the GOES-R ABI and MTG FCI instruments offer significant improvements in terms of spatio-temporal resolution compared to previous instruments, featuring pixel sizes for solar channels down to 500x500m2, and scan frequencies up to 1 per min. While these capabilities enable us to better resolve small-scale variability in clouds and radiation, our understanding of the practical benefits for monitoring cloud development and retrieving surface solar irradiance remains limited. One key reason is the limited representativity of many ground-based remote sensing observations serving as potential reference, which are point-like in nature. In contrast, satellite-derived quantities correspond to extended spatial domains.To improve our knowledge about the small-scale structure and variability of clouds and its influence on solar radiation, the Small-Scale Variability of Solar Radiation (S2VSR) campaign was conducted at the ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in summer 2023. A unique sensor network consisting of 60 autonomous pyranometer stations developed at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research was deployed at the SGP site for a 12-week period. Stations were distributed across a 6x6 km2 domain centered around the ARM SGP Central Facility. Together with operational ARM measurements including cloud profiling and a stereo-photogrammetric 4D reconstruction of clouds, this campaign offers an unprecedented dataset for studying cloud-induced small-scale variability in solar irradiance, resolving fluctuations down to the second- and decameter-scale.In the present contribution, a preliminary analysis of the benefits of 500m-resolution retrievals based on the GOES-R ABI imager using the S2VSR data will be given. Specifically, the deviation of satellite retrievals of surface solar irradiance from single-site measurements caused by the limited representativity will be quantified. An estimate of the instantaneous retrieval uncertainty will be given for different cloud situations. Also, the effects of navigation accuracy and the impact of two different parallax correction strategies will be quantified.
Analysis of high-resolution flow vs. suspended sediment concentration curves to determine sediment sources in agricultural and forestry watersheds with contrasting characteristics 
Authors: Casali Javier , Otazu Martín , Barberena Iñigo , Campo-Bescós Miguel A , Giménez Rafael
Published: March 2024

The Government of Navarre (Spain) began to implement in 1995 a network of five watersheds representative of different agricultural and forestry conditions in Navarre. In this paper we focus on 4 of them. La Tejería and Latxaga watersheds occupy about 200 ha in a humid sub-Mediterranean climate and are almost completely cultivated with winter grain. Oskotz Principal watershed comprises 1,688 ha under sub-Atlantic climate, most of it covered with forest (61%) whereas the remaining area is covered by pastures and arable land. Within the Oskotz watershed, a 434 ha sub-watershed almost fully covered with forest namely Oskotz Forested, is also monitored.Ten-minute data on flow (Q), water turbidity (T) and the most important meteorological variables are recorded in all the watersheds. Samples are collected daily to determine the concentration of suspended sediments (SSC) and various dissolved substances.  In addition, and since 2006, during particularly heavy rainfall-runoff events, another parallel sampling is activated to determine the sedimentogram in much greater detail. The number of samples taken depends on the Q and T variations detected.For this study, events have been selected that meet the following requirements: i) there is a clear raising flow phase and a clear decreasing flow phase; ii) at least six samples have been collected and processed throughout the event for SSC determination; iii) the linear regression between Q and T yields a value of r2> 0.75. From this regression equation it is possible to obtain a very detailed sedimentogram (tenminute basis).A total of 30 events meet the requirements, 7 in La Tejería, 9 in Latxaga, 5 in Oskotz Forestal and 9 in Oskotz Principal.  Hysteresis is observed in all of them. In the cereal watersheds, 75% of the hysteresis curves are of hourly character, that is, with the peak of the sedimentogram located in the rising part of the hydrograph. In these watersheds, the remaining 25% correspond to curves with a complex structure linked to the occurrence of several flow peaks in the same event, which will require further study. In the Oskotz Forestal watershed 3 of the curves are clockwise and two are "eight" shaped, while in Oskotz Forestal 8 of the nine curves are clockwise and one is "eight" shaped.These preliminary results suggest that in the cereal watersheds the main sediment sources are in the proximity to the watershed outlet, probably in the same channels. In the Oskotz watersheds, the main sources are also mostly located in the vicinity of the outlet, although occasionally other sources far from the outlet are also activated, mainly in the forest watershed. 
Splitting elemental arcs of aurora and their association with inertial Alfvén waves
Authors: Thillaimaharajan Kamalam , Whiter Daniel , Brindley Nicholas , Krcelic Patrik
Published: March 2024

Ground based optical observations of aurora reveal fine scale structures with brightness width less than 10 kms in the direction perpendicular to B. These fine scale structures exhibit a phenomenon called arc splitting, also known as bifurcating elemental arcs or packets. One can witness the arc splitting in the auroral image when elemental arcs peel away from a central bright arc which is then followed by the generation of new arcs. Dispersive Alfvén waves have been suggested as a possible generation mechanism for this phenomenon. Semeter et al., JGR 2008 interpreted the observations of splitting elemental arcs with respect to inertial Alfvén waves. They suggested that the energy of the precipitating electrons should decrease as the arc packets move away from the central bright arc. We tested this theory by using the data from the multi spectral imager called ASK (Auroral Structure and Kinetics) stationed on Svalbard. The energy and flux of the precipitating electrons are calculated from the ASK data and Southampton ionospheric model. We used empirical number density and IGRF (International Geomagnetic Reference Field) model to calculate the properties of the inertial Alfvén waves. A comparison between the splitting elemental arcs and Alfvén waves indicates that the wave particle interaction between Alfvén waves and the precipitating electrons is a possible generation mechanism for the production of these splitting elemental arcs. From our data and calculations, we infer an acceleration height of precipitating electrons just under 3000 km. References:Semeter, J., M. Zettergren, M. Diaz, and S. Mende (2008), Wave dispersion and the discrete aurora:New constraints derived from high-speed imagery, J. Geophys. Res., 113, A12208.
Testing the climate-niche paradigm for species extinction risk
Authors: Sarnighausen Claus , Kotz Maximilian , Wenz Leonie , Vardag Sanam
Published: March 2024

The increasing relevance of climate change as a threat of species extinction is a pressing concern, as highlighted by the recent IUCN Red List accessment for amphibians (Luedtke et al., 2023). Despite the reported threats of climate change, measuring its influence across species remains complex and lacking the appropiate tools (Cazalis et al., 2022). Changes in "climate niche", referring to the environmental conditions necessary for a species to thrive, have long been discussed and used to predict species distributions and extinctions. Here, we utilize the recently available Red List classifications to test this paradigm within state-of-the-art predictive models of comparative extinction risk. Using historical weather data from the ERA-5 reanalysis, we explore the predictive significance of a wide range of potential definitions of climate niche exceedance. Extinction risk models have consistently identified geographic range size and human population density as important correlates to extinction risk. Also controling for factors such as habitat fragmentation, land use, human preassures, biogeographical realms and biological traits, we use a random forest model to predict the transitions between Red List categories for over 5.000 amphibian species and evaluate results against the official accessments. This approach tests the evidence base of the climate niche paradigm and evaluates its effectiveness as a tool for incorporating climate change into extinction risk models.Luedtke, J.A., Chanson, J., Neam, K. et al. Ongoing declines for the world’s amphibians in the face of emerging threats. Nature 622, 308–314 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06578-4Cazalis, V., Di Marco, M., Butchart, S. H. et al., Bridging the research-implementation gap in iucn red list assessments, Trends in Ecology & Evolution (2022).https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2021.12.002
DeepFeatures: Remote sensing beyond spectral indices
Authors: Reinhardt Martin , Mora Karin , Brandt Gunnar , Morbagal Harish Tejas , Montero David , Ji Chaonan , Kattenborn Teja , Martinuzzi Francesco , Mosig Clemens , Mahecha Miguel D.
Published: March 2024

Terrestrial surface processes exhibit distinctive spectral signatures captured by optical satellites. Despite the development of over two hundred spectral indices (SIs), current studies often narrow their focus to individual SIs, overlooking the broader context of land surface processes. This project seeks to understand the holistic features of Sentinel-2 based SIs and their relationships with human impact and overall land surface dynamics. To address this, we propose an AI-driven approach that synthesises SIs derived from Sentinel data through dimension reduction, yielding interpretable latent variables describing the system comprehensively. Our goals are to (i) reduce the number of SIs and (ii) compute a few latent variables representing spatio-temporal dynamics, which culminate in a Feature Data Cube. This fully descriptive cube reduces computational costs, facilitating diverse applications. We plan to demonstrate its efficacy in land cover classification, standing deadwood detection, and terrestrial gross primary production estimation. The presentation outlines the project's implementation strategy, confronts methodological challenges, and extends an invitation to the remote sensing and machine learning community to collaborate on pressing environmental challenges. The project DeepFeatures is funded by ESA’s AI4Science activity. Website: https://rsc4earth.de/project/deepfeatures/ 
Precipitation changes in Greece over the past century; what type of stochastic description should we use? 
Authors: Dimitriadis Panayiotis , Koutsoyiannis Demetris , Iliopoulou Theano , Sargentis G.-Foivos
Published: March 2024

In the presence of long-range dependence, several difficulties emerge in stochastic methods, especially in intermittent and highly-skewed processes, such as precipitation, which cannot be fully supported by the established models in the literature. Here, we analyze a large set of rainfall data in Greece comprising ground records as well as non-conventional data from reanalyses and satellite, and we identify cluster periods of droughts and wet-years in both extreme tails, raising the challenge for their stochastic description. In this light, and after statistical analysis of the whole dataset, we apply the latest version of a genuine stochastic method (i.e., direct use of the process of interest without any transformation, and with a focus on the long-range dependence under various stochastic behaviours; Koutsoyiannis and Dimitriadis, 2021), and we discuss on the implications of the results for future hydrological design scenarios.Koutsoyiannis, D., and P. Dimitriadis, Towards generic simulation for demanding stochastic processes, Sci, 3, 34, doi:10.3390/sci3030034, 2021.
Wildfire as an interplay between water deficiency, manipulated tree species composition and bark beetle. A remote sensing approach
Authors: Müllerová Jana , Pacina Jan , Adámek Martin , Brétt Dominik , Přemysl Bobek
Published: March 2024

During 2022, Bohemian Switzerland NP was affected by the largest wildfire in the Czech Republic throughout its modern history. The NP is formed by sandstone towers, deep narrow valleys and dense forests. From the 19th century onwards, Norway spruce and non-native Weymouth pine were massively planted here. A series of weather extremes in the last years caused an exceptional drought and consequent massive bark beetle outbreak and spruce die off, followed by the catastrophic event. Wildfires of such a dimension are rather uncommon in Central Europe, and this event therefore serves as a perfect model situation to study the role of species composition, bark beetle and water availability on the fire dynamics as well as the changes in biodiversity and natural succession after the disaster. Before the fire, the area was dominated by conifers, mostly standing dry after the bark beetle attack except along the water courses, and further formed of clear cuts, healthy deciduous beech forests and rocky outcrops. Pre-fire vegetation state, fire severity and post-fire regeneration were assessed using a combination of remote sensing sources. In particular, we used pre- and post-fire series of Sentinel-2 satellite MSS imagery, and acquisition of multispectral (MSS) and LIDAR data. The whole area was sampled from small aircraft TL232 Condor by three sensors - photogrammetric camera Hasselblad A6D-100c (ground sampling distance - GSD - 5 cm), MSS sensor MicaSense Altum (GSD 32 cm) and LIDAR RIEGL VUX 1-LR (13 points/m), and detailed sites were sampled using drone mounted sensors - MSS (MicaSense Altum, GSD 5 cm) and LIDAR (DJI L1). Forest composition and changes in health status were derived using a range of spectral indices and supervised classification. Fire severity and forest structure were derived using a combination of Lidar and optical point cloud, fisheye camera, ground sampling, and analysis of optical data (supervised classification, vegetation indices). Our research revealed that fire disturbance was low or none at native deciduous tree stands and waterlogged sites. On the opposite, it was more severe at dry bark-beetle clearings covered by a thick layer of litter as compared to standing dead spruce. We can infer that in places where many stems were only partly burned or the trees postponed the die-off, the fire went faster and the severity of disturbance was lower. In some cases, we could see patterns formed by ground fire, such as burned circles around trees or tree stools surrounded by unburned areas. Post-fire regeneration is very fast, and even after one year, vegetation growth can be detected using LIDAR and photogrammetric point clouds. Derived information on fire severity, detailed 3D stand structure and health status are to be used as a proxy of the fire disturbance impact on biodiversity and patterns of regeneration.
The impacts of peatland restoration on greenhouse gas emissions – importance of holistic carbon and water budget quantification and integration
Authors: Regan Shane , O'Connor Mark , Cox Peter , Shamsuzzaman Mohammad , Mackin Francis , Naughton Owen
Published: March 2024

The restoration of drained peatlands is now considered to be an essential and effective natural solution to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This is particularly relevant in Ireland, where a nationwide programme in peatland restoration is underway, backed by significant financial investment and driven by international biodiversity and climate action plans and obligations. To demonstrate the impact of restoration on GHG emissions a representative lowland peatland in the midlands of Ireland was instrumented in 2020 with an eddy covariance tower and hydrometric monitoring network measuring water levels and flow, coupled with fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) sensors and static flux-chambers. The site, All Saints Bog, was formerly used as a horticultural site, with significant drainage, though over 2m of peat remained in-situ isolating the peatland from underlying groundwater flows. Between 2021 and 2022, large scale engineering restoration management was carried out across the site and consisted mainly of the construction of contoured berms and water level control stations. Prior to the start of the restoration the baseline emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), was in the order of 10t CO2 per ha per year. This flux increased to c. 20t CO2 per ha per year following restoration. It is likely this is a result of CO2 degassing from substantial areas of open water resulting from the restoration work and the decomposition of peat organic matter from the formerly exposed substrate. Whilst the peatland system is still equilibrating and stabilising after restoration, the loading of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) has decreased significantly, due mainly, to the reduction in runoff on account of an increase in water storage on the site. So whilst the land based CO2 emissions have increased significantly, and also methane (CH4), DOC has reduced and overall the net increase in C is marginal. The results indicate that until ecology reforms substantially across the site, it will take time for the land-atmosphere C-emission to be significantly reduced from the baseline levels preceding restoration. However, fluvial C losses are reduced due to enhanced water storage, and the overall net C emission has not increased significantly, and will reduce in the long-term. This study demonstrates that long-term, system-based studies are critical when interpreting ecosystem dynamics, carbon budgets and the short to long-term impacts of restoration management.  
Variability in solar based power generation at the Eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Papadimitriou Nikolaos , Fountoulakis Ilias , Kapsomenakis John , Gkikas Antonis , Kazadzis Stelios , Spyrou Christos , Papachristopoulou Kyriakoula , Zerefos Christos S.
Published: March 2024

The utilization of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems is pivotal towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions within the global energy infrastructure. Climate change is expected to affect atmospheric parameters such as cloudiness and aerosol, which are key drivers for the amount of solar radiation reaching the ground thus modifying solar-based power generation.In this study, we investigate the spatial and the temporal variability of PV plant energy output at the Eastern Mediterranean during the period 1950-2100, with respect to the corresponding changes of the shortwave downwelling solar radiation, aerosols, cloudiness, and near-surface air temperature, which are crucial for estimating the solar energy production. The trends of the aforementioned variables, obtained from the analysis of gridded data retrieved from climate model projections, particularly from the “Region 4: Europe (EURO)” domain of the Coordinate Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX). Aiming to achieve an optimal approximation of the changes in aerosol concentrations, we employed the CNRM-ALADIN63 Regional Climate Model (RCM) which interactively considers them. The boundary conditions are derived from projections of the CNRM-CERFACS-CM5 Global Climate Model (GCM) within the 5th phase of the Climate Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), encompassing the historical period (1951-2005) and future scenarios (2006-2100) under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 2.6, 4.5, and 8.5. For the determination of the PV energy output, we performed numerical simulations with the Global Solar Energy Estimator (GSEE), considering as input values the downwelling solar radiation, air temperature, as well as the tilt, capacity, and orientation of the hypothetical solar panels. Data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) datasets are also used for the intercomparison of the modelled downwelling solar radiation. Our results are in line with the findings of previous studies that assessed such changes capable of causing surplus or deficit in relation to solar energy production. Furthermore, we show that changes can vary significantly on a regional level.Nikolaos Papadimitriou would like to acknowledge funding for the participation at EMS2023 from the COST Action HARMONIA (International network for harmonization of atmospheric aerosol retrievals from ground based photometers), CA21119. The work has been also supported by the action titled “Support for upgrading the operation of the National Network for Climate Change (CLIMPACT II)”, funded by the Public Investment Program of Greece, General Secretary of Research and Technology/Ministry of Development and Investments.