bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacts of climate-driven wetting and drying on mobilization of trace metals in legacy coastal wastes in the United Kingdom
Authors: Nannoni Alessia , Byrne Patrick , Onnis Patrizia , Riley Alex L , Gandy Catherine , Burke Ian , Hudson-Edwards Karen , Mayes Will , Jarvis Adam
Published: March 2024

Climate change is expected to significantly affect the release of toxic elements from legacy waste landfills across coastal areas because it will enhance severe flooding, erosion, and extreme wetting-drying cycles. The UK’s industrial past resulted in a wide range of legacy wastes deposited in estuarine and coastal settings, for a total of 2550 sites. In this perspective, a NERC project is ongoing to provide a national-scale assessment of geochemistry and mobility of these wastes, which is necessary to establish environmental and ecological risks and to prioritize sites for management interventions. In the project framework, a mesocosm experiment was carried out to investigate the leaching processes that can occur in different types of legacy wastes (LW) disposed across the UK coasts. The experiment was designed to study how wetting and drying cycles affects the release of pollutants in the coastal areas. Four sites were selected, each one for a different type of LW: colliery (L), landfill municipal wastes (CB), metal smelter (CP), and mining-impacted sediments (HE). These four sites represent the range of LW geochemistry encountered across the UK. Each wetting/drying cycle (WDC) lasted 2 weeks. Artificial rainwater was used to inundate the columns. Water samples were collected weekly for Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC), major ions and metals. EC, Eh, DO, and DOC showed a great variability both at inter- and intra-sites: the L samples were the most acid ones (pH = 3.3 – 5.1), whereas the other sites showed pH values ranging from 6.0 to 8.7. HE samples showed the largest variation ranges for EC and DOC (409 – 109000 µS/cm and 8.3 – 405.8 mg/l, respectively), whereas the CP ones showed the narrowest ranges for both parameters (176 – 592 µS/cm and 0.2 – 248.1 mg/l, respectively). The maximum variation for EC and pH occurred after the first WDC for all the sites but CP, which showed a progressive decrease in both parameters throughout the experiment. DO, Eh, and DOC varied more irregularly for all sites. For each site, Control samples showed wider ranges of variation than those that experienced the WDC but the trends were similar for both control and non-control ones. These preliminary data, together with trace metal data, suggest that leaching processes are more likely to be efficient at the end of prolonged dry periods when heavy storms occur. Extreme climate conditions are expected to become more frequent in the near future, therefore a proper management is mandatory to reduce the risk posed by the coastal legacy wastes.
Using potential field data to investigate high-pressure sources of energy in deeply serpentinized mantle rocks
Authors: Pastore Zeudia , Vitale Brovarone Alberto , Gattacceca Jérôme , Church Nathan , Ressico Francesco , Peverelli Veronica , Quesnel Yoann , Uehara Minoru , Kuzina Dilyara
Published: March 2024

Serpentinization of ultramafic rocks is a key process in forming natural hydrogen. In deep settings, such as subduction zones, this process can be kinetically favored by high P-T conditions making the study of mantle rocks from these settings a compelling target for high-pressure sources of energy. Serpentinization of peridotites can lead to the formation of magnetite and it is commonly associated with a decrease in density and an increase in magnetization of the protolith rock. Gravity and magnetic methods can therefore be used to map and quantify the extent and degree of serpentinization. Here, we used a comprehensive dataset consisting of ground and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) magnetic data, gravity data, and an extensive petrophysical data collection to explore the natural hydrogen potential in exhumed mantle rocks from the Monte Maggiore (MM) massif, in Corsica. The MM massif consists of a ∼4 km2 peridotite body, intruded by mafic pods and gabbroic dykes and surrounded by blueschist-facies continental units. It represents sub-continental mantle that underwent tectonic and magmatic evolution during the rifting stage of the Jurassic Ligurian Tethys oceanic basin and successive Alpine subduction to blueschist-facies conditions. On-going geochronological and geochemical investigations suggest that serpentinization occurred primarily in subduction making this area a suitable case study to investigate the formation of high-pressure sources of energy in such settings. We analyzed densities and magnetic properties of rocks from more than 100 sites across the massif and we used these data to identify domains exhibiting different degree of serpentinization and to model the current 3D structure of the massif using both forward and inverse modeling approaches. We estimated a minimum volume of the MM massif of 1.2 km3 and a vertical extent to a depth of 428 m below sea level. We used the modeled volumes and the amount of magnetite within each domain as a proxy for a conservative estimation of natural H2 production.
Mapping of deep internal reflection horizons, method modifications and applications.
Authors: Moqadam Hameed , Zelenka Claudius , Eisen Olaf
Published: March 2024

The task of mapping of deep internal reflection horizons (IRH) of ice sheets has been a crucial step for a variety of glaciological studies, for instance relating ice core age-depth relationships, tuning ice sheet models, and extend dated layers beyond ice core sites. However, mapping a sufficient number of IRHs is a time-consuming and error-proned task. Thus, there have been ongoing endeavors for automatized pipelines to perform this.In this work, a complete pipeline for automatic mapping of deep IRH, which determine ice layer boundaries, is presented. This pipeline is tested on radargrams from Dronning Maud Land Antarctica and shows good performance in mapping a number of deep IRHs. The model shows great promise to be used on snow radargrams and obtaining recent accumulation rates as well.We have applied convolutional neural networks (CNN) to achieve this. The training data is composed of a small set of complete hand-labeled radargrams as well as radargrams that are labeled using conventional feature extraction methods. This task requires dense pixel-level predictions, and ground-truth collection is time-consuming and prone to errors, therefore a group of modifications have been implemented on the model. The role of post-processing is discussed, since the output of the model is a raw image and much work is done on the model output. The potential of such a deep mapped stratigraphy is discussed and various applications are pointed out.
Overcoming challenges in the uptake of co-generated hydro-climate services for drinking water management: the inspiring case of SMHI Aqua
Authors: Cantone Carolina , Ivars Grape Helen , El Habash Shadi , Pechlivanidis Ilias
Published: March 2024

This study explores co-generation as a key strategy for the advancement and consequent uptake of hydro-climate servicesfor decision-making within the drinking water supply sector, focusing on the SMHI Aqua service as a case study for Sweden. The co-generation process investigated here is based on a four-pillar structure (co-design, co-development, co-delivery and co-evaluation), and it involves engagement and collaborative efforts among three main actors: service purveyors, data providers and users. The case studies were carried out in different regions of Sweden, with mainparticipation from Region Gotland and three other Swedish water-related users (Nodra, Karlskrona Municipality and Metsä Board). SMHI Aqua hydro-climate service is the result of this collective undertaking and it integrates data assimilation, forecast production and a web-based decision support system.Addressing primarily the needs of drinking water producers and providers, freshwater availability was identified as the most descriptive indicator for supporting decisions for water management and drinking water supply. Two hydrological models were customized for the local conditions to simulate hydrological dynamics in surface and groundwater reservoirs. These models produce short- (up 10 days ahead) and long-range (up to 6 months ahead) forecasts which are updatedtwice a day, incorporating real-time hydro-meteorological measurements to update and initialize the model. Additionally, the service simulates various future freshwater availability scenarios by implementing different yearly water extraction strategies provided by the users. A user-friendly web-based platform displays the real-time (measured and modelled) and the future (forecasted) hydro-meteorological situation in the area of interest.Outcomes of this study highlight the significance of knowledge co-evolution in facilitating the successful uptake of hydro-climate services. Effective communication of hydro-meteorological information, including its propagated uncertainty, proves to be crucial for water managers to takeinformed decisions. Beyond benefiting water-related users, co-generated hydro-climate services contribute to broader impacts reaching policy makers and the wider public by ensuring freshwater access, and improving awareness and preparedness for extreme conditions. User feedback emphasizes the substantial improvement in operational routines for drinking water management consequent to the implementation of SMHI Aqua. The active engagement and close collaboration of stakeholders throughout co-generation has a pivotal role leading to the successful uptake of the service when taking short- and long-term decisions. Overall, the co-generated SMHI Aqua hydro-climate service stands as a proof to the efficacy of co-generation in achieving informed decision-making, sustainable water resource utilization, and improved resilience especially under extreme conditions.
Quantitative measurement of bedload transport variability with acoustic monitoring systems: Insight from controlled laboratory flume experiments
Authors: Chen Zheng , Badoux Alexandre , Rickenmann Dieter
Published: March 2024

Predicting bedload transport is a key element of water-related hazard assessment and hydraulic engineering applications. However, knowledge of bedload transport processes remains limited, particularly in steep mountain streams. Previous studies have revealed that bedload transport rates in mountain streams exhibits a large spatio-temporal variability for given flow conditions. This results from the direct influence of streambed structure on bedload transport, where sediment movement, in turn, interacts with streambed evolution. Furthermore, variations in sediment availability contribute to the spatio-temporal bedload variability. The complex interactions between water flow, bedload transport, and bed structure are not yet fully understood. In this work, systematic flume experiments were conducted to investigate the acoustic signal responses of impact plate geophone systems generated by bedload particles impacting on the flume bed during experimental flows in the transitional regime. The experiments varied in the grain size distribution of the transported particles and the bed material, and the compactness and the water content of the flume bed. Geophones were installed on the underside of steel plates flush with the flume bed both upstream and downstream to effectively capture the changes in vibration signals generated by the moving bedload mass impacting on the bed. Triaxial force sensors were utilized to measure the impact forces of the bedload particles on the bed material layer. Pore-water pressure sensors were embedded at different depths in the bed material to measure the change in pore-water pressure in the bed under the influence of the bedload mass. Flow velocities and depths of the moving bedload mass were recorded using a binocular high-speed camera and were analyzed with an image processing method. The observed vibration signals and fluctuating forces were used to calculate the characteristic parameters of bedload transport using calibrated relationships and seismic theory. In addition, a high-precision Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the bed was constructed using the photography and 3D modeling techniques. The results of this work show that geotechnical material parameters of the bed such as compactness, compression modulus, and grain size distribution may affect the changes of bed structure caused by bedload transport This in turn influences the spatio-temporal variability of the transport rate. The findings of this work may help to explain the variability of the bedload transport process in mountain streams.
Assessing the Universality of Habitat Suitability Indexes (HSI) for brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) in Relation to Ecohydraulic Variables
Authors: Padoan Francesca , Calvani Giulio , de Cesare Giovanni , Perona Paolo
Published: March 2024

The purpose of this work is to present the results of a literature data re-analysis of HSI and demonstrate the existence of a universal level of similarity in the ranges of hydraulic variables for the considered species.The decline in biodiversity within freshwater ecosystems is a critical issue influenced by many factors, including the increasing pollution levels and the proliferation of invasive species. Globally, river management strategies have increasingly incorporated river restoration efforts and actions aimed at preserving freshwater species, such as the brown trout (Salmo trutta L.). From a quantitative point of view, the efficiency of proposed restoration measures on river ecomorphology is assessed via the HSI, whose use is widely embraced by aquatic ecologists, river scientists, and engineers. For the specific case of the brown trout, the HSI takes into account several environmental factors, including flow velocity, water depth, and substrate type, which directly represent the environmental characteristics of the habitat. Despite variations in HSI curves based on geographical location and other incidental factors, a notable degree of similarity and shared dependence on flow discharge is observed among data in the literature. This prompts a crucial question about the extent of similarity in these curves for a particular species concerning ecohydraulic variables.This work aims to address this query by considering literature data of HSIs measured in different worldwide locations and by various authors, all focused on the same fish species (i.e., the brown trout). The dependence of the HSI on particular ecohydraulic variables, such as water depth, velocity, temperature, and substrate are analysed by attributing the range of optimal values to the recommendations of the related authors. Histograms indicating the level of goodness of each range are then built and eventually smoothed by using fitting functions to reveal the universal characteristics of HSIs among worldwide rivers for the species being considered.  
“Life Cycle Assessment of Geothermal Energy: preliminary overview of the Veresegyház geothermal system”
Authors: Khedhri Rim , Hámor  Vidó Mária
Published: March 2024

Abstract :Geothermal energy is becoming increasingly important in the transition to low-carbon and sustainable energy sources. The present article explores the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the long-term sustainability of geothermal energy through the analysis of this sector’s impact from resource extraction to end-of-life in N-Hungary.This study undertakes a thorough investigation with the goal of synthesizing current knowledge, identifying the geothermal system in the vicinity of Veresegyház, N-Hungary and offering a coherent understanding of geothermal energy as well as the environmental sustainability, since that this town is a notable example of a smart and conscious local community that recognized and harnessed its geothermal energy potential. Veresegyház started using geothermal energy in 1993, it has become one of the largest urban geothermal heating systems in Hungary, showcasing ongoing advancements in geothermal energy utilization. The total installed thermal capacity of the system is nearly 13 MW. The geothermal energy provides about 74 TJ annually, what leads to saving almost 2.2 million m3 natural gas per year. The geothermal system is used for heating and domestic hot water purposes; besides it has a total installed thermal capacity of nearly 13 MW and an extensive geothermal pipeline stretching 18 km making it one of Hungary's most comprehensive geothermal systems.The aim in this article is to provide an insight into the geothermal technologies, exploring the appropriate methodology of life cycle assessment (LCA), and compare the results with previous studies.Key Words: Geothermal Energy, Renewable Energy, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Impact, Sustainability, Energy Transition, Case Studies, Policy, Carbon Footprint.
The Galileo for Science project: Constraints on Dark Matter with the Galileo-FOC Constellation
Authors: Di Marco Alessandro , Sapio Feliciana , Visco Massimo , Lucchesi David , Cinelli Marco , Fiorenza Emiliano , Lefevre Carlo , Loffredo Pasqualino , Lucente Marco , Magnafico Carmelo , Peron Roberto , Santoli Francesco , Vespe Francesco
Published: March 2024

The Galileo for Science Project (G4S_2.0) is funded by the Italian Space Agency and hasseveral goals in the field of Fundamental Physics to be achieved by exploiting the satellitesof the Galileo-FOC Constellation and the accuracy of their onboard atomic clocks. Inparticular, the clock-bias, estimated in the data reduction of the tracking observationsallows to place constraints on the possible presence of Dark Matter in our galaxy in theform of Domain Walls (DW) eventually produced in the very early Universe by ultralightscalar field(s). The impact of the DW on an atomic clock would provide a delta-liketransient shift on the pseudo-derivative of the clock-bias. Such signal depends both on thenature of the clock and the characteristics of the ultralight scalar comprising the DW.Ongoing work on the clock-bias will be introduced as regards to data pre-processing andsimulations on false alarm and detection efficiency.
The glacial evolution of the tropical Indian Ocean
Authors: Marino Gianluca , Kou Yingxin , Rodríguez Sanz Laura , Bienzobas Montávez Natalia , Yu Jimin , Rohling Eelco Joan
Published: March 2024

The tropical Indian Ocean is a key component of the ocean-atmosphere system, due to the exchanges of large amounts of heat and moisture and the interactions with the Australasian Monsoon on a range of timescales. The evolution of the tropical Indian Ocean during the last several glacial-interglacial cycles remains less documented than its Atlantic and Pacific counterparts, limiting our understanding of the response of this critical sector of the ocean to global and regional climate change. Here we present a record that spans the last million years of upper ocean hydrography from the southernmost Bay of Bengal (International Ocean Discovery Program [IODP] Site U1443; 5°23.05’ N, 90°21.67’ E, 2,924 m water depth), based geochemical proxies (trace elements, stable oxygen and carbon isotopes) measured in surface and sub-thermocline planktic foraminiferal. We will centre on the evolution of the glacial temperatures during glacial climate states featuring different insolation, ice volume, and greenhouse gas concentrations, hence radiative forcing. Next, we will discuss the relationship of the tropical Indian Ocean temperature with the Indian monsoon winds and precipitation during both glacial periods and glacial terminations.
Characterization of the shallow hydrothermal system of Vulcano Island (Eolie islands, Italy)  through Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Induces Polarization (IP) tomography.
Authors: Troiano Antonio , Mocerino Anna , De Paola Claudio , Pagliara Fabio , Di Giuseppe Maria Giulia , Isaia Roberto , Di Maio Rosa
Published: March 2024

The island of Vulcano is situated in the southern part of the Salina-Lipari-Vulcano ridge and, together with these two islands, constitutes the central sector of the Aeolian archipelago. It is a complex active volcanic system whose last eruption occurred between 1888 and 1890. Since then, intense fumarolic activity accompanied the various phases of unrest of the associated hydrothermal system, which made Vulcano the object of various geophysical, geochemical, and hydrogeological studies.The aim of the study here presented was the investigation of the superficial hydrothermal system of Vulcano, specifically the northern sector of the island, where the ‘La Fossa’ caldera is located, which has been the main degassing area since the beginning of the last period of unrest. The survey has been conducted using geoelectrical methods because of the efficiency that these methods revealed in the previous studies on active volcanic systems, especially on Vulcano. The distribution of resistivity in the subsoil, indeed, is influenced by parameters such as temperature, permeability, porosity, presence of fluids and their salinity, which allow the reconstruction of the changes in the lithological and structural features with depth and the evaluation of the presence of discontinuity, such as faults, that have a fundamental role in the circulation of fluids.During the survey, electric resistivity, chargeability, and self-potential data were jointly acquired along five profiles with lengths between 700 m and 2500 m and an investigation depth of approximately 200 m. The tomographies resulting from the data processing provide information on the evolution of the hydrothermal system, allowing us to identify the prominent resistivity anomalies and the pattern of hydrothermal fluid circulation. By integrating the results obtained with the ones emerging from previous studies conducted on the island, it is possible to implement a more exhaustive evaluation of the hydrothermal mechanism in the areas adjacent to the La Fossa caldera and how the flow is facilitated or hindered by the main fault system of Vulcano, that is necessary to analyze in order to previously verify the actualization of conditions favorable to the overpressure or decompression of the fluids, which could trigger an explosive eruptive event.
Dissolution experiments on a polyphase basalt surface under conditions relevant to offshore CO2 storage.
Authors: Lange Isabel , Toro Marcos , Ostertag-Henning Christian , Hansen Christian , Lüttge Andreas , Kopf Achim , Bach Wolfgang
Published: March 2024

The basaltic crust attracts increasing attention as a promising lithology for CO2 storage, due to its common occurrence, its vast storage capacity in pores, and its chemical composition rich in divalent cations - required to bind the dissolved CO2 in form of carbonate minerals. The availability of divalent cations for carbonate mineralization critically depends on the dissolution kinetics of the basaltic host rock. Numerous laboratory experiments have been conducted on a variety of rock forming minerals to investigate these dissolution kinetics and mechanisms under various experimental conditions. In the case of heterogeneous materials, such as polymineralic rocks, the identification and quantification of rate determining parameters is challenging and requires further investigations.In our experiments, we analyze the dissolution behavior of an intact, micro-crystalline basalt sample, typical for mid ocean ridge basalts, in contact with CO2-charged water under temperature and pressure conditions relevant to offshore CO2 storage. We combine flow-through dissolution experiments with Raman coupled Vertical Scanning Interferometry (RcVSI) in order to obtain spatially resolved images of both the topography and the chemical composition of the rock surface. The consecutive topography measurements by VSI allow us to quantify spatial differences in surface reactivity and examine their relation to chemical and structural properties provided by Raman spectroscopy. The data show significant differences in dissolution rates both between the different minerals and within single phenocrysts. Furthermore, the spatial heterogeneities in surface reactivity indicate an important influence of the rock texture as well.This combination of measurements provides the means to investigate the dissolution kinetics of polymineralic rocks and to determine differences in the dissolution kinetics of different minerals simultaneously. The results provide important information about rock internal parameters that contribute to the overall dissolution behavior of the rock. The results improve our understanding of dissolution processes that are critical to the efficiency of carbonate mineralization for long-term CO2 storage in submarine basaltic aquifers. 
Assessing the use of GPR and drone snow data for model development and runoff predictions in Northern Sweden
Authors: Clemenzi Ilaria , Gustafsson David , Fagerström Viktor , Wennerberg Daniel , Norell Björn , Zhang Jie , Pettersson Rickard , Pohjola Veijo
Published: March 2024

In cold regions, snow is a crucial component of the cryosphere, experiencing changes such as decreasing snowpack and snow cover. These changes impact the seasonal amount of snow and cause a shift in the timing of spring floods, particularly in mountainous areas. The complex and diverse snow processes and interactions in mountainous environments challenge making accurate predictions on snow and runoff. Moreover, snow is not uniformly distributed in space and time, which emphasizes the importance of monitoring mountain snowpack to enhance the understanding of hydrological processes and improve forecasting in the face of changing conditions. In the past few years, ground penetrating radar and drone acquisitions have emerged as a state-of-the-art methodology for obtaining snow data at high spatial resolution with a significant area coverage compared to traditional point observations. This study used data from ground penetrating radar and drone acquisitions to develop and evaluate a new snowfall distribution function based on wind speed, direction and topography to model wind redistribution in the semi-distributed hydrological model HYPE. We assessed the effect of the new snowfall distribution function compared to the one based on wind direction and topography on the snow distribution close to the accumulation peak in the Överuman catchment, Northern Sweden. We further assessed the impact of the two snowfall distribution functions on the catchment runoff predictions. Results show that the snowfall distribution function based on wind speed and direction better simulated the snow spatial distribution in the catchment than the snowfall function based on wind direction. Ground penetrating radar and drone acquisitions provided complementary model development and evaluation information.
Post-windstorm natural regeneration dynamics in Italian Alps: roughness indices as a proxy for disturbance legacies.
Authors: Marangon Davide , Baggio Tommaso , Lingua Emanuele
Published: March 2024

Disturbance legacy can be defined as the amount, the availability and the distribution of resource, spatial pattern, and habitat left behind after a disturbance, and are key factor in the restoration processes, especially after large high-severity disturbances. Survived trees and green islands are a fundamental source for seed dissemination, while deadwood (e.g., stumps, logs, snags) and other structures (e.g., pit and mound morphology) create favorable microsites for regeneration establishment and survival. After stand replacing disturbance, like high-severity windstorm, disturbance legacies are responsible for most of the terrain roughness in the damaged area. The aim of this study is to test roughness indices as a proxy to infer the role of disturbance legacies on promoting natural regeneration establishment in the short term (3 years after the storm). From a drone-based point cloud we compute high resolution digital surface model (DSM) in four areas affected by a stand replacing windstorm in 2018 in eastern Italian Alps, then we calculate six different metrics for five different roughness indices. In the same areas we established 100 circular plots to measure regeneration density. Logging methods (salvage logging and no-intervention) have also been considered in the analysis. Preliminary results showed that only three indices (standard deviation of profile curvature SD_PC, standard deviation of the residual topography SD_RT, and vector dispersion VD) are significantly correlated with regeneration density, and among them, the 90th quantile of SD_PC is the best fit. Overall, there is a positive significant correlation between roughness and regeneration density in the short term. In conclusion, the results suggest that roughness could be a good proxy for the disturbance legacies abundance and drone surveys are a powerful tool to adopt to estimate the roughness at slope scale. More detailed analysis on the threshold and influence of other parameters is needed and can be implemented to provide valuable management guidelines.
Evaluation of the Biome-BGCMuSo model across agricultural and forest sites in Central Europe
Authors: Fischer Milan , Barcza Zoltán , Hollós Roland , Šigut Ladislav , Dížková Petra , Ghisi Tomáš , Orság Matěj , Poděbradská Markéta , Bartošová Lenka , Pavelka Marian , Cienciala Emil , Trnka Miroslav
Published: March 2024

Ecosystem models provide a valuable tool to quantitatively describe the complex interlinked processes at the soil-plant-atmosphere interface. When combined with measurements, the well-structured process-based models allow to integrate the observed data in a framework where the individual variables gain higher interpretability and can better contribute to understanding of the complex ecosystem responses to a wide range of environmental conditions. Moreover, the models can be then applied to upscale the observed data to larger spatial scales, can be used for simulation under different (e.g. future) climatic conditions and atmospheric composition, or can be used for testing the impacts of changes in management, land use change, disturbances, etc. Biome-BGCMuSo is a widely used, popular biogeochemical model that simulates the storage and flux of water, carbon, and nitrogen between the ecosystem and the atmosphere, and within the components of the terrestrial ecosystems. In this contribution, Biome-BGCMuSo will be evaluated at several sites representing agricultural and forest ecosystems in the Czech Republic and Austria. These sites are equipped with eddy-covariance measurements of CO2, water and energy fluxes including other ancillary measurements. The main emphasis will be put on evaluation of gross and net primary productivity, net ecosystem exchange, transpiration, evaporation and soil water content dynamics. The robustness of the phenological submodule parameterization will be further examined using remotely sensed leaf area index data along the altitudinal gradient. The evaluation and model parameterization provides a first step in the wider effort in which the Biome-BGCMuSo will be integrated together with measurements of CO2 and other greenhouse gases concentrations within an atmospheric inversion system aiming to understand the spatial distribution of the greenhouse gases fluxes (i.e., sources and sinks) and their temporal dynamics. This knowledge is crucial for enhancing climate change mitigation strategies. Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (grant AdAgriF - Advanced methods of greenhouse gases emission reduction and sequestration in agriculture and forest landscape for climate change mitigation (CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004635).
Effect of gamma-irradiation on the surface and adsorption properties of bentonite clay
Authors: Soto Ruiz Carla , Alonso de los Ríos Úrsula , Missana Tiziana , Valdivieso Mayoral Pedro Pablo
Published: March 2024

Deep geological repository (DGR) is the best solution for confining high-level radioactive waste (HLRW). DGRs are multibarrier systems, where a metallic container of carbon steel or other metals is surrounded by a compacted bentonite barrier confining the waste, and placed in adequate geological formation. The purpose of DGRs is to delay the migration of radionuclides (RN) into the biosphere until the radiation was inoffensive.Bentonite is a clay with high stability. Its durability depends on the physical, chemical, thermal and mechanical conditions of the repository and may be affected by the radiation emitted by the waste.The objective of this research is to compare the surface properties of gamma-irradiated and unirradiated bentonite (Ca-Mg FEBEX bentonite) to evaluate if the irradiation from the radioactive waste encapsulated in the metallic container modifies.To evaluate the effect of the accumulated dose, the bentonite was subjected to two rounds of irradiations during 9 days with a 60Co source in pool like installation achieving cumulative gamma doses of 14 kGy and 140 kGy.The structural characteristics of irradiated and unirradiated bentonite samples are analysed by infrared spectroscopy [1] to identify changes in functional groups of the clays. Zeta potential measurements as well as potentiometric titrations to obtain information on the density of SOH hydroxyl surface groups on the edges of clay particles. All these properties are essential for the adsorption capacity of the material.Lastly, the sorption capacity of irradiated bentonite was evaluated by measuring Sr and Se sorption isotherms at fixed pH and ionic strength conditions, representative elements with different sorption mechanism on bentonite, to be compared to the unirradiated bentonite [2], [3].Results showed that the analysed properties were slightly affected by gamma-irradiation in the doses investigated.  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The authors would like to thank the finance of this research to the CIEMAT predoctoral fellowship (209-PRECIE-PDE22) through the European Union Project, EURAD-WP ConCorD, Grant Agreement no. 847593. REFERENCES [1] Madejova, J., Komadel, P. 2001. Baseline studies of the clay minerals society source clays: infrared methods. Clays and clay minerals, 49(5), 410-432.[2] Mayordomo, N., Alonso, U., & Missana, T. (2016). Analysis of the improvement of selenite retention in smectite by adding alumina nanoparticles. Science of The Total Environment, 572, 1025-1032.[3] Missana, T., Garcia-Gutierrez, M., & Alonso, U. (2008). Sorption of strontium onto illite/smectite mixed clays. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, 33, S156-S162.
Consequences of three years of drought in Catalonia
Authors: Busto Montserrat , de Yzaguirre Xavier
Published: March 2024

Catalonia has been experiencing the most important drought since, at least, 1970. This three-year drought has not experienced any significant precipitation episodes and has particularly affected terrestrial ecosystems.The Mediterranean vegetation, adapted to periods without rain, overcame the first year of drought (2021) without great phenological impact beyond specific places and individuals.In the second year of drought (2022), the lack of water affected sprouting, fruiting, and leaf senescence, such as lower fruit productivity and smaller-than-normal fruit size.During the third year of drought (2023), the strong water stress has directly threatened the survival of some monitored species. The ones that have not died present several phenological anomalies such as lack of flowering (with the consequent absence of fruit), minimal foliation, and drying of branches of the entire individual.Such resilient species as holm oak, almond tree, grey-leaved cistus, olive tree, strawberry tree and grape have been affected. In the inland agricultural area of Catalonia irrigated by the Canal d'Urgell, there has been an obligation to limit support irrigation to a minimum to keep trees alive, which has caused the loss of the harvest in many places.These three years without rain have been accompanied by an increase in the average temperature which has advanced ripening. Abnormally warm autumns have led to second blooms or re-sprouting of leaves (grape and shadow plane tree, for example). The mild temperature of the 2023 winter has complicated the structural pruning of the vine and other fruit trees due to the absence of the physiological winter stop.
Redox-induced isotope anomalies in the deep Earth
Authors: Tang Mao , Liu Yun
Published: March 2024

A weakly temperature dependent isotope effect, i.e., the nuclear field shift, can produce isotope anomalies in the deep mantle due to redox condition changes. This effect can produce several to tens of ppm isotope anomalies or mass-independent fractionations at 2000 or even higher temperatures for many heavy metal isotope systems. This effect can be confirmed easily by comparing several isotope anomaly results of the same isotope system. For example, for W isotope anomalies, e.g., 180W and 183W, there are unique relationships between tthem if they are caused by the nuclear field shift effects. This work suggests a method to use heavy metal isotope systems as the tracers to detect the redox changes in the deep mantle. 
The extreme future of soil moisture in a Portugal: from the main drivers to impacts
Authors: Soares Pedro M M , Lima Daniela C
Published: March 2024

Climate change constitutes a major threat for all the Mediterranean countries due to the combination of large precipitation reductions and temperature increases and the higher frequency of climate extremes, especially driving water scarcity and all the derived multi-sectoral impacts. Portugal, as most of the Mediterranean countries, already endures larger frequencies of droughts and deficits in soil moisture and water storage. In the current study, the future projections of soil moisture are examined using a multi-model EURO-CORDEX regional climate ensemble, in agreement with three future emission scenarios (RCP2.6, 4.5 and 8.5). As expected, the projections show a clear reduction of soil moisture through the entire annual cycle, in response to the large decrease in precipitation and temperature increase, via a massive growth of potential evapotranspiration. The overall total soil moisture decreases ranges from −5% for the RCP2.6 to −20% (-10%) for the RCP8.5 (RCP4.5), w.r.t. the present climate. In the historical period, soil moisture deficits rarely reach values 3x over the standard deviation, but projections reveal that for the RCP4.5 (RCP8.5) for the mid-century deficits up to 5x (6x) are projected to occur, and for the end-of-century even 7x for the RCP8.5. The annual cycle of soil moisture is in present and future climate determined by precipitation and potential evapotranspiration, and deficit is both enhanced and covers a wider monthly window in the future, especially for the RCP8.5. The surface humidity also decreases importantly, up to −4% and −8% in spring and summer in the end-of-the-century, in agreement with RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively. Resulting from the projected changes the typical semi-arid climate, which in present climate is confined to a small south-eastern region of Portugal, is expected to cover almost 2/3 of the mainland in the case of RCP8.5.
[1] P.M. Soares and D.C. Lima, Journal of Hydrology, 615, p.128731 (2022).
 
Acknowledgements
This work was funded by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) I.P./MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) – UIDB/50019/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/50019/2020), UIDP/50019/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDP/50019/2020) and LA/P/0068/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/LA/P/0068/2020). DL acknowledge FCT I.P./MCTES (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) for the FCT, 2022.03183.CEECIND/CP1715/CT0004 (https://doi.org/10.54499/2022.03183.CEECIND/CP1715/CT0004). The authors would like also to acknowledge the EEA-Financial Mechanism 2014–2021 and the Portuguese Environment Agency through the Pre-defined Project-2 National Roadmap for Adaptation XXI (PDP-2), and the project “Elaboração da Estratégia Regional de Adaptação às Alterações Climáticas do Alentejo (ERAACA)” for the data provided.
Evaluating the Impact of Global Warming on Industrial Crops in Africa 
Authors: Egbebiyi Temitope S. , Lennard Chris , Mukwenha Philip
Published: March 2024

Global warming will significantly affect agricultural sector in Africa but its implication on the future cultivation of industrial crops is still unknown. The present study examines the impact global warming on industrial crops (Soyabean, Coffee and Cotton) suitability and planting season in Africa under the new Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs). Using the multi-model ensemble datasets from the CMIP6 simulations for SSP245 & 585 for the historical (1981-2010), near future (2035-2064) and end of century (2070-2099) periods as input into Ecocrop, a crop suitability model, we examine the impact of climate change on the suitability and planting season of industrial crops in SSA owing to their economic importance to the region. Our result shows Soyabean is most suitable across most part of the region in comparison to Coffee and Cotton with suitability index above 0.5 except south of 20oS in southern Africa and in the Sahel zone (north of 14oN) over the historical period. The impact of climate change shows increase,10 and 20% in suitable area for Soyabean over East Africa while no significant is expected change for Cotton in the near future and end of century respectively. In contrast, a decrease 15% and 25% in suitable/ cultivated area for Arabica coffee may be expected in the near future and end of century respectively over West and Central Africa. In addition, no change in planting season is expected over the two periods and SSPs for Soyabean and Cotton. However, a 2-month early planting for arabica and robusta coffee may be expected over West and southern Africa respectively by the end of century with SSP585.  Also, a 1-month delay in the planting season may be expected for robusta coffee over West and Central Africa by the end of century under ssp585. The study will assist to improve our understanding on the response of industrial crops to the impact climate change under different SSPs in Africa and its resultant effect on economy in sub-Saharan Africa. It will also help inform policy maker in their decision making of adaptation strategies to improve suitable areas for the cultivation of the crops to enhance the economy of the region. Keywords: Industrial crops, Ecocrop, Global warming, Africa
Health implications of model uncertainties related to carbonaceous aerosols
Authors: Paisi Niki , Kushta Joni , Pozzer Andrea , Lelieveld Jos
Published: March 2024

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) leads to increased morbidity and excess mortality. Air quality models are powerful tools for air pollutants simulation and are useful for health impact applications. The impact of each PM2.5 component on human health is probably unequal due to the specific toxicity of each specie. Specifically, carbonaceous aerosols (e.g., black carbon and organic aerosols), which are emitted from combustion related sources have been widely assessed for their oxidative capacity and toxicity. The accuracy of air quality modeling is highly dependent on the input data and the representation of meteorology. Due to their complex formation pathways, organic aerosols have been consistently underestimated by several air quality models. Therefore, health impact studies that focus on these aerosols might underestimate their estimated health effect. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model, coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem) is used to simulate PM2.5 and the carbonaceous species over Europe. We evaluate the model for its ability to represent accurate exposure levels of PM2.5 with a focus on organic aerosols, and how their modeling uncertainties can influence excess mortality estimates. We take into account the potentially increased contribution of carbonaceous aerosols to excess mortality through several assumptions on their specific toxicity. 
Surface and thermocline variability in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean since the Last Glacial Maximum
Authors: Sadatzki Henrik , Mohtadi Mahyar , Hollstein Martina , Lückge Andreas , Yokoyama Yusuke , Oppo Delia
Published: March 2024

The tropical eastern Indian Ocean is part of Earth´s largest warm pool and its surface and thermocline temperatures exert strong control on deep atmospheric convection and play a critical role for the development of basin-wide, zonal climate anomalies across the Indian Ocean. However, the nature, timing, and mechanisms of changes in the Walker circulation in the tropical Indian Ocean since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) are poorly constrained owing to a lack of suitable proxy records and proxy-model disagreements (DiNezio et al. 2016; Mohtadi et al., 2017). Here we reconstruct surface and thermocline temperature and hydrographic changes in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean based on high-resolution, planktic foraminiferal (G. ruber and P. obliquiloculata) d18O and Mg/Ca records from three sediment cores retrieved offshore west Sumatra along a latitudinal transect across the equator. These records are put into a chronological framework based on numerous radiocarbon ages of surface-dwelling planktic foraminifera and cover the last 22 ka.Sea surface temperatures at all three sites show a stepwise warming of ~3°C with an ‘Antarctic timing’ between 18 ka and 11 ka. The thermocline temperature variability is also consistent among the three core sites but distinctly different from the sea surface temperature variability. Thermocline temperatures show a major warming of 2–3°C between ~13 ka and ~10 ka, while differences between LGM and Holocene temperatures are rather small. The resulting surface-thermocline temperature gradient reveals not only a difference between LGM and Holocene thermocline depth levels, but also a major breakdown pointing at a rapid deepening of the thermocline at ~12 ka. This thermocline deepening might have been associated with a strengthened convective activity and Walker circulation, with its timing suggesting a connection to feedbacks related to inundation of the large Sahul Shelf during deglacial sea level rise. Supplemented by deuterium isotope analyses of leaf waxes, our new set of proxy records will provide unprecedented insights into sea surface and thermocline dynamics in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean since the LGM, their relationship to local rainfall, and whether and how basin-wide circulation and rainfall anomalies were shaped by sea level rise and deglacial climate change. DiNezio et al., 2016, Paleoceanography 31, 866–894, doi:10.1002/2015PA002890Mohtadi et al., 2017, Nature Communications 8, 1015, doi:10.1038/s41467-017-00855-3
Towards higher resolution data assimilation in ECMWF IFS
Authors: Zaplotnik Žiga , Bonavita Massimo , Holm Elias
Published: March 2024

The Integrated Forecast System (IFS) of ECMWF comprises an Earth-system model coupled with an advanced data assimilation system, which was recently experimentally rescaled to higher resolution. The higher resolution initial conditions were achieved through higher resolution (4.4 km) 4D-Var first guess trajectory, higher resolution (20 km) 4D-Var minimizations (utilizing tangent linear model and its adjoint) or their combination. We demonstrate significant improvements of large-scale skill scores, better use of observations in higher resolution 4D-Var minimization, and an added benefit of using higher resolution 4D-Var together with the higher resolution observations. The impact of the higher resolution DA system is demonstrated on specific test cases of extreme events where the increased spatial resolution allows to improve the fidelity of simulations. For instance, Tropical Cyclone Otis, which hit Acapulco, Mexico, in October 2023 , as a Category 5 storm, was forecasted to only reach tropical storm intensity by the majority of global (and regional) Numerical Weather Prediction models and was considered a major forecast bust. Employing higher resolution trajectory and higher resolution 4D-Var, we were able to simulate its rapid intensification into a Category 3 tropical cyclone.