bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Ecological Perspective on Short-Term Heat Exposure Experiments with Marine Calcifying Organisms from the Western Arabian Gulf Region: Insights into a Summer Heatwave Scenario
Authors: Prayudi Sinatrya Diko , Korin Asmaa , Kaminski Michael
Published: March 2024

Frequent occurrences of high-temperature records have become commonplace during the summer seasons in regions adjacent to the western Arabian Gulf, such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. On a daily basis, the fluctuation in daytime and nighttime temperatures, along with varying afternoon temperatures, poses a potential threat to organisms inhabiting intertidal and shallow water environments, whether residing above the substrate or submerged beneath. Surprisingly, there has been no prior scientific investigation into the resilience of these coastal communities, especially from a non-anthropocentric perspective, focusing on the marine calcifying organism that inhabits one of the world's most extreme marine environments. To address this gap, we aimed to determine the upper thermal limits of intertidal calcifying benthic organisms in the western Arabian Gulf region. For this purpose, we selected three representative species among the diverse inhabitants, comprising two gastropod species and one ostracod species. These specimens were subjected to controlled environmental conditions inside a thermal incubator over a short-term period (three hours), with temperature exposures ranging from 40°C to 60°C. We considered different scenarios that replicated their natural ecological conditions: full exposure, partial exposure, and full coverage/submerged underwater. Our comprehensive results revealed that different gastropod species exhibited varying levels of resilience to higher thermal exposure, depending on the scenario (heat comma temperature/HCT ranged between 39°C-48.5°C versus 42.1°C-44.1°C). In contrast, the ostracod displayed remarkable tolerance to higher temperatures than the gastropod specimens before succumbing to complete mortality or entering a comatose state (temperature range of 39.1°C-53.5°C). Furthermore, post-exposure recovery demonstrated that higher heat exposure substantially prolonged the recovery time. In the case of the gastropod specimens subjected to the highest thermal exposure, no successful recovery was observed. Our findings underscore the importance of conducting ecological experiments that involve prolonged exposure to high temperatures. However, it is imperative to recognize that even short-term periods of elevated temperatures can have fatal implications for the target organisms. This is particularly relevant in light of the ongoing warming trend and the recording of extreme temperatures in our regional area in the western Arabian Gulf, which may eventually be deemed a potential "kill zone" during the peak of summer seasons within a short timeframe.
Meteorology-soil nitrogen emission coupled modelling in China: development and evaluation 
Authors: Ren Chuanhua , Huang Xin , Liu Tengyu , Song Yu , Liu Xuejun , Ding Aijun
Published: March 2024

Volatilization of reactive nitrogen (Nr) gases like HONO, NH3 and NOx from fertilizer application and soil is an important pathway of nitrogen losses in agricultural ecosystems and deteriorate air pollution by contributing to ozone and PM2.5. The volatilization of Nr gases highly depends on environmental and meteorological conditions, however, this phenomenon is poorly described in current emission inventory and atmospheric models. Here, we develop a dynamic soil nitrogen emission model capable of calculating NH3 and HONO emission rate interactively with time- and spatial-varying meteorological and soil conditions. The NH3 flux parameterization relies on several meteorological factors and anthropogenic activity including fertilizer application, livestock waste, traffic, residential and industrial sectors.  HONO emission scheme considers soil temperature and moisture as well as the type of underlying surface. The model is then embedded into a regional WRF-Chem model and is evaluated against field measurements of Nr emission flux and ambient concentration. The evaluation shows a substantial improvement in the model performance of NH3 flux and ambient HONO concentration in China.  Compared with normal simulations using fixed emission inventory input, this model features superior capability in simulating NH3 emission flux and concentration during planting seasons and drastic weather changes like frontal activities and precipitation. Such advances in emission quantification also improve the model performance of secondary inorganic aerosol on synoptic scales. While more laboratory and field measurements are still needed for better parameterization of soil nitrogen volatilization, the seamless coupling of soil emission with meteorology provides a better understanding of NH3 and HONO emission evolution and its contribution to atmospheric chemistry. 
Understanding Seamount Genesis: Utilizing Gaussian Process Regression and Clustering for Morphological Analysis
Authors: Zhao Yanghui , Riel Bryan , Ding Hanghang , Deng Dazhen
Published: March 2024

Seamounts are theorized to originate from deep mantle plumes or shallow, plate-related activities. The mantle plume hypothesis suggests that abnormally hot materials rise from the lowermost mantle and produce large volumes of volcanism on the surface. However, the accuracy of morphological analysis and volume estimation is highly influenced by the representation accuracy of irregularly shaped seamounts and the extent to which thick sediment coverage obscures their bases. As a result, the precise contribution of magma from mantle plumes to surface volcanism remains unclear.Our study introduces a novel approach using Gaussian Process Regression to reconstruct the complex topography of seamounts, both above and beneath sedimentary covers. This approach advances previous analyses by (1) taking account of irregular seamount topography and (2) correcting for the varying sediment thicknesses that obscure seamount bases. Our investigation yields two principal findings.1. Refined Volcanism Distribution MappingAnalysis in the Pacific Ocean indicates that only 18% of total intraplate volcanic activity is attributable to plume-related volcanism. In addition, the volume statistics of plume-related seamounts and those along the Large Low-Shear-Velocity Province margins show no significant distinction from those of other intraplate seamounts. These results suggest that proposed plumes account for only a minority of the volume of intraplate volcanism in the Pacific plate, and that shallow rather than deep processes are dominant.Along the volcanic Kyushu-Palau Ridge, high seamount volumes are observed near lithospheric weak zones, implying that tectonic inheritance significantly influences magma distribution during volcanic arc formation.2. Comprehensive Morphological AnalysisEmploying machine learning clustering analysis on high-resolution multibeam bathymetry data, we categorize seamounts in the South China Sea basin into three distinct morphological types: Type I, large seamounts with steep slopes and rounded bases, predominantly located along extinct ridges; Type II, linear seamounts characterized by gentler slopes, situated along ridges; and Type III, smaller, elliptically-based seamounts found along transform faults or off-ridge areas. This morphological classification provides a novel quantitative framework correlating seamount shapes with their tectonic environments during volcanic activity.Overall, this research advances our understanding of seamount genesis, highlighting the importance of shallow tectonic processes in shaping submarine volcanic landscapes.
Major- and trace-element zoning in garnet from mylonitic micaschists of NE Sardinia, Italy: implications for garnet growth and P-T history
Authors: Cruciani Gabriele , Fancello Dario , Franceschelli Marcello , Rubatto Daniela
Published: March 2024

Major- and trace-element zoning in metamorphic garnet can provide useful insights into the metamorphic evolution of the host rocks, in particular when it is coupled with microstructural investigation and thermodynamic modelling. Mylonitic micaschists along the Posada-Asinara Shear Zone in the Axial Zone of the Sardinia Variscan chain contain garnet porphyroblasts with four distinct growth zones (core, mantle, rim and outer rim). The porphyroblasts, enveloped by the S2 foliation, preserve an internal foliation defined by the orientation of the quartz, occasionally arranged in a sigmoidal pattern, suggesting rotation during growth. A large garnet porphyroblasts was investigated by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) mapping. The major element compositional variation follows a bell-shaped zoning, with Ca and Mn contents progressively decreasing, and Fe and Mg increasing, from the core (Alm45Grs25 Prp1Sps29) to the outer rim (Alm86Grs3Prp11Sps1). The trace element compositional profiles show a central enrichment area for the heaviest REE (Tm, Yb, Lu), corresponding to the garnet core. Elements with lower atomic number (Er, Ho and Y) show a similar enrichment in the mantle. Elements with even lower atomic numbers (Tb, Gd, Eu and Sm) are depleted in the core and mantle, but their content increases in broad shoulders in the garnet rim. The outer rim of the garnet is depleted in all REE. Trace element mapping also shows an annular enrichment zone in Y, Sc, Dy, Ho, Er and Tm at the mantle-rim boundary superimposed on the general compositional zoning. The REE distribution in the garnet growth zones reflects continuous growth controlled by diffusion-limited REE uptake. The Y + HREE annular enrichment zone is interpreted as a decrease in growth rate and  represents a short-lived episode in the garnet growth history. The clockwise P-T path, reconstructed by isochemical P–T phase diagrams and refined by the CZGM software (Faryad and Ježek, 2019, Lithos 332-333, 297-295) is divided into two distinct stages. The first, prograde stage is recorded by the compositional variation of garnet core and mantle, while the second stage reflects rim growth during exhumation. The core + mantle and the rim growth are separated by a decrease in garnet growth rate. The last part of the P-T path has been reconstructed from the rock mineral assemblage, which includes staurolite + biotite.
Wave velocities as a proxy to forecast deformation during cyclic loading-unloading in porous reservoir rocks
Authors: Chandra Debanjan , Salgado Barbara Perez , Barnhoorn Auke
Published: March 2024

Porous reservoir rocks like sandstones have gained utmost important in the last decade as a potential sink for CO2. Most of the targeted reservoirs are depleted oil and gas fields, which has caprocks to ensure the containment of the injected CO2. Injecting CO2 into porous reservoirs increase the pore pressure, which therefore reduces the effective horizontal and vertical stresses. Depending on the pre-injection stress-condition and permeability of the reservoir, utmost care should be taken to define the upper limit of CO2 injection pressure, in order to prevent any permanent damage to the reservoir which can lead to leakage or induced seismicity. Lab-scale experiments provide key insights to the deformation behavior of reservoir rocks under different stress-conditions, which can be upscaled to understand reservoir scale processes. To simulate the stress perturbation caused by CO2 injection operations, we have subjected porous reservoir rocks (coreplugs) collected from different depths of offshore North Sea under cyclic axial loading and unloading with a confining pressure increment from 10-50 MPa between each cycle. The P and S wave velocities along the axial direction of the coreplugs were recorded in every 10 s to assess the change in wave properties during deformation. It was observed that during each loading cycle, wave velocities are highest at the elastic-plastic transition zone, which can be attributed to the compression of pores and closure of microcracks perpendicular to the loading direction. The wave velocities decrease sharply after the onset of plastic deformation, which can be attributed to the formation of microcracks in the coreplug due to increasing load. The static and dynamic Young’s modulus (E) of the coreplugs during each cycle of increasing confinement show linear increase. Plugs with lower porosity shows higher E with steeper increment at higher confining pressure. The correlation between the wave properties and mechanical response of the reservoir rocks under cyclic loading reveal that constant monitoring of wave velocities during CO2 injection can act as an efficient tool for monitoring stress-state of the reservoir, facilitating safer CO2 storage operations.
Evaluating Real-time Subseasonal to Seasonal Tropical Cyclone Prediction
Authors: Wang Xiaochun , Vitart Frederic
Published: March 2024

The real-time WWRP/WCRP Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S) Prediction Project Phase 2 database was used to evaluate the prediction skill of tropical cyclone from eleven forecasting systems for the North Western Pacific. The variable introduced to evaluate S2S tropical cyclone prediction is daily tropical cyclone probability, which is the occurrence probability of tropical cyclone within 500 km in one day. Using such a definition, the occurrence of tropical cyclone is a dichotomous event. The skill of S2S tropical cyclone prediction can be evaluated using debiased Brier Skill Score, which is the traditional Brier Skill Score with impact of forecast ensemble size removed. Sensitivity tests were conducted to analyze the influence of difference in temporal window and radius in the definition of daily tropical cyclone probability. It is demonstrated that though the daily tropical cyclone probability would vary with a changed radius and temporal window, the debiased Briere Skill Score does not change much since it is related with the ratio of mean error of model forecast and the mean error of a reference climatological forecast. The robustness of the prediction skill indicates the suitability of using the daily tropical cyclone probability and debiased Brier Skill Score to measure tropical cyclone prediction skill at S2S timescale. Compared with the prediction skill of the S2S Prediction Project Phase 1, the real-time S2S tropical cyclone prediction is improved for some forecast systems. Some early results by combining multi-model tropical cyclone forecasts to improve tropical cyclone prediction will also be presented.
Rapidly time-varying zonal flow in Jupiter's deep interior
Authors: Bloxham Jeremy , Cao Hao , Stevenson David , Connerney John , Bolton Scott
Published: March 2024

Recently, it has been shown that the secular variation of Jupiter's magnetic field, which has been observed by the Juno spacecraft, is in large part due to eastward advection of the Great Blue Spot (a localized, equatorial region of intense magnetic field) by fluid flow in the deep interior. More recent observations  by Juno suggest that the drift rate of the spot is varying rapidly in time. These time variations can be fit with a sinusoidal variation of the flow speed with a period of approximately four years.  Here, we discuss both the mechanism of this time variability and the constraints that its observability place on the structure and dynamics of the deep interior.
Evaluating the effectiveness of remote sensing-based vegetation indices in estimating the spatio-temporal distribution of Nitrogen rates
Authors: Biswas Asim , Fathololoumi Solmaz , Sulik John
Published: March 2024

Evaluating the effectiveness of remote sensing-based vegetation indices in estimating the spatio-temporal distribution of Nitrogen ratesOne of the main objectives of precision agriculture is to optimize nitrogen fertilizer application management. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of different vegetation indices derived from satellite data in estimating soil ammonium and nitrate values during the corn growing season. To achieve this, multi-temporal Sentinel-2 images and ground data including ammonium and soil nitrate values measured at specific ground stations throughout the corn growing season for Hunter field, Canada, were utilized. Firstly, various vegetation indices including NDVI, EVI, MSAVI, ARVI, GNDVI, and OSAVI were calculated for different dates throughout the crop growing season. Subsequently, the Pearson correlation between these vegetation indices and temporal variations in soil ammonium and nitrate values during the growing season was examined. Moreover, the relationship between vegetation indices at the crop growth peak and the amount of fertilizer applied to the soil during planting was investigated. The findings indicated that the average correlation coefficients between total soil nitrate and ammonium values throughout the growing season and the NDVI, EVI, MSAVI, ARVI, GNDVI, and OSAVI indices were -0.67, -0.72, -0.69, -0.68, -0.73, and -0.70, respectively. Furthermore, the average correlation coefficients between these indices at the growth peak and the cumulative ammonium and nitrate applied at planting were 0.60, 0.60, 0.64, 0.60, 0.68, and 0.64, respectively. The correlation coefficient and root mean square error (RMSE) between the measured and modeled sum of ammonium and nitrate, based on the six vegetation indices in a multivariate form, were 0.89 and 17.3 mg, respectively.
A new 4D model of Alpine orogenesis based on AlpArray
Authors: Handy Mark R. ,   members of the 4D-MB and AlpArray Groups
Published: March 2024

            Teleseismic Vp tomography from AlpArray suggests that the slab segment beneath the Central Alps comprises European lithosphere, is attached to its orogenic lithosphere and extends down to ~250 km depth, in parts possibly even to the Mantle Transition Zone. This marks a first phase of partial slab detachment, probably in late Paleogene time based on comparing slab length with shortening in the Central Alps and of Adria-Europe convergence since 35 Ma. In contrast, the slab segment beneath the Eastern Alps is detached between 80-150 km depth. The age of this second phase of slab detachment is bracketed at 23-19 Ma by criteria below and by comparing vertical detachment distance with global slab sink rates.We propose a new model of Alpine mountain-building that features the northward motion of subduction singularities above delaminating and detaching Alpine slab segments, respectively in the Central and Eastern Alps, to explain E-W differences in Oligo-Miocene structure, magmatism, and foreland sedimentation. Mountain-building began at ~35 Ma with a decrease in Adria-Europe convergence to
Assessment of the accuracy of salinity simulation using heavy metal and nitrogen cycle in SWAT model in an area exposed to intensive agriculture, Navrood basin, Iran
Authors: Kougir Chegini Zeynab , Sheykhi Negin , Navabian Maryam , Vazifeh Doost Majid , Ojani Mohammadreza , Szabó Szilárd
Published: March 2024

The quality of water resources has been considerably changed by human activity in recent decades, resulting in current contamination or posing a risk for the future. Compared to other activities, agriculture contributes more to the depletion of surface water and the degradation of water quality. One of the primary strategies to improve the quality of water resources is agricultural management on watershed-level and water quality simulation models are useful tools for simulating the effects of different activities The catchment basin was Navrood (West Guilan, Iran), and the SWAT model was applied. The salinity load was simulated under two cycles: heavy metals and nitrogen, and the two models were compared. Data series of salinity and discharge from 2006 to 2013 were used to calibrate and validate SWAT. R2 and Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients (NS) were computed to evaluate the model's efficacy. The R2 and NS values were obtained in the river discharge simulation at 0.81 and 0.52, respectively indicating a good model fit. The model makes an acceptable performance of modeling the salinity load in the nitrogen cycle, according to the statistical index that was computed during calibration. Based on the results, the SWAT model can be used to analyze the salinity-induced transfer phenomena in the Navrood basin, considering the values of NS obtained for two stations during the calibration stage, which were equivalent to 0.43 and 0.51. The second method, which simulated the salinity load under the cycle of heavy metals in the basin, did not demonstrate a proper correspondence between the simulated and measured data of the salinity load. The R2 and NS under the cycle of heavy metals were 0.30, -0.71. Therefore, based on the results, simulating the Navrood basin's salinity load using the nitrogen cycle is recommended.Zeynab Kougir Chegini is funded by the Stipendium Hungarian scholarship under the joint executive program between Hungary and Iran.The study was elaborated under the research project NKFI K138079.Keywords: paddy fields, surface water, solute transport
Carbon sequestration potential of the Mae Moh mine, Northern Thailand
Authors: Chenrai Piyaphong
Published: March 2024

The main source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Thailand is the energy sector, particularly coal-fired power plants. The Mae Moh lignite-fired power plant, owned by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), stands out as the primary point source of CO2 emissions in the energy sector. Situated in Northern Thailand, this power plant relies on lignite supplied from the Mae Moh lignite open-pit mine in the same vicinity. Consequently, this study conducts a preliminary assessment of the geological CO2 storage potential of the Mae Moh mine, evaluating its suitability as a CO2 storage site. The concept of CO2 sequestration in unmineable coal seams is considered as a potential approach to mitigate CO2 emissions by injecting CO2 into these seams. While a substantial portion of the remaining coal at the Mae Moh mine may still be extractable through traditional methods, the feasibility of opening new mines is uncertain. This study aims to evaluate the suitability of coal seams for CO2 storage, taking into account geological, technical, economic, and safety criteria. The findings of this study are anticipated to contribute to an enhanced understanding of carbon sequestration in coal seams in Thailand.
Twenty years of observing the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) at 26N
Authors: Moat Ben , Smeed David , Johns William , Elipot Shane , Rayner Darren , Smith Ryan , Volkov Denis , Kajtar Jules , Petit Tillys , Collins Julie
Published: March 2024

The RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS (hereafter RAPID) array is an observing system designed to study the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). It is an international collaboration between the National Oceanography Centre, University of Miami, and NOAA. The primary goals of the RAPID array are to observe and understand changes in the AMOC over time, and improve our understanding of how changes in the ocean circulation system may influence regional and global climate patterns. The array consists of a network of moored instruments, which measure ocean temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and flow velocities.The AMOC at 26◦N has now been continuously measured by the RAPID array over the period April 2004 to present (20 years of observing). This record provides unique insight into the variability of the large-scale ocean circulation, previously only measured by sporadic snapshots of basin-wide transport from hydrographic ship sections. The continuous measurements have unveiled striking variability on timescales of days to a decade, driven largely by wind forcing, contrasting with previous expectations about a slowly varying buoyancy-forced overturning circulation.We will present the history of the RAPID observational array and its contribution to AMOC science.
Processes controlling the dispersion and beaching of floating marine debris in the Barcelona coastal region 
Authors: Hernandez Ivan , Castro-Rosero Leidy Maricela , Espino Infantes Manuel , Alsina Torrent Jose María
Published: March 2024

Coastal zones are considered one of the main sinks for floating marine litter (FML) in the marine environment although transport mechanisms in coastal zones are poorly understood. The Barcelona coastline is considered one of the main hot-spots in the Mediterranean Sea, with high flux rates reported between land and coastal waters and FML concentrations of the order of magnitude of subtropical oceanic garbage patches. A case study was conducted on the Barcelona coastline using observational data of debris output from two rivers within the metropolitan area (Llobregat River to the south and Besòs River to the north) and a Lagrangian numerical model specifically adapted for use in coastal areas (LOCATE) using high-resolution hydrodynamic data and a beaching module based on high-resolution shoreline data that calculated real-time particle distance to the shore to detect the land-water boundary. The coastline was divided into 16 zones based on geographical structures and high-interest areas allowing for the differentiation of the level of impact of different zones.  High levels of beaching in the area (>91.5%) with relatively short residence times (
Variations in Exhumation as Evidence of Climate Divergence and Historical Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Ge Yukui , Fox Metthew , Zhang Huiping , Liu Jing , Shen Xiaoming , Wang Chengshan
Published: March 2024

The uplift of the Tibetan Plateau is crucial for understanding both regional and global climate dynamics. This uplift, and the interplay between climate and tectonics, profoundly influences surface exhumation. The creation of a climatic divide due to mountain uplift results in starkly different weather patterns, with the windward side receiving more precipitation and the leeward side forming drier rain shadows. These climatic differences have consequential long-term impacts on exhumation, and therefore, are key to our understanding historical mountain landscapes like the Himalayas and the Andes. This study explores these distinct exhumation as indicators of ancient mountain ranges. By integrating new and existing apatite fission track (AFT) and apatite helium (AHe) data, we reveal exhumation's spatial variability across the plateau, providing insights into its geological history. The discernible disparities suggest a high-elevation watershed divide near the current latitude of ~31°N existed before the Eocene, influencing precipitation and exhumation in the plateau’s southern regions. The northern regions, in the lee of this divide, show reduced exhumation rates, except in areas of tectonic activity. High exhumation rates at the plateau's orogenic front zones suggest these boundaries locations are key to understanding its expansion; tracking these zones gives clues about the plateau's growth. While pinpointing the onset of higher exhumation is complex due to continuous tectonic activity, focusing on the expansion of the interior—represented by a slower exhumation zone—proves more revealing. Our research indicates that the plateau expanded bilaterally from the latitude ~31°N and implicates the Tibetan Plateau's development since the Eocene as a factor in the Earth's climatic evolution, potentially influencing global cooling.
Comparative analysis of methods for assessing geoheritage degradation risk
Authors: Vandelli Vittoria , Selmi Lidia , Faccini Francesco , Ferrando Andrea , Coratza Paola
Published: March 2024

The last 25 years have been significant in the growth of geoconservation studies and a comprehensive interest in geoheritage. To date, investigations conducted on geosites have predominantly focused on their identification, classification, and assessment. Recently, there has been a newfound emphasis on geosites mapping as well. A considerably less-explored topic in this field has been the assessment of degradation risk associated with geosites. Nevertheless, this aspect is of paramount importance, providing crucial information for their management and conservation. In fact, geoheritage is consistently under pressure from natural or anthropogenic factors and processes. In many countries, geosites are at risk of degradation or even total loss due to the absence of a systematic inventory and the resulting inadequate management. Research for the evaluation, including quantitative measures, of the risk of degradation and for monitoring the state of conservation of geosites, therefore, represents a priority for the scientific community. It should be highlighted that the recognition and prevention of threats affecting geosites still lack common investigation schemes and approaches. In this context, this paper presents the framework of a research in progress aimed at providing the first systematic and comprehensive literature review on degradation risk and related terms. A total of 284 records were identified through an extensive search across widely used literature databases. Following this initial identification, a screening process was conducted, involving the review of titles and abstracts. Through this screening, a refined selection of 177 papers emerged for further consideration in the literature review. The review is expected to help outline shared investigation schemes and approaches, shedding light on current research gaps and identifying potential areas for improvement. Additionally, insights into the terminology and concepts related to degradation risk will contribute to establishing a solid foundation for future studies in this field.
Is it really a Mogi or a mirage caused by the assumption of medium homogeneity?
Authors: Amoruso Antonella , Crescentini Luca
Published: March 2024

Surface deformation in volcanic areas is often ascribed to inflation/deflation of pressurized cavities. Fast data inversion requires running many forward models based on the approximate computation of surface deformation due to selected expansive sources (sphere, spheroid, sill, and, more recently, scalene ellipsoid) embedded in a homogeneous elastic half-space. A simple very small spherical source (Mogi’s model; Mogi, 1958) often satisfy observations reasonably.However, Earth is not homogeneous but characterized by vertical and horizontal heterogeneities; in many cases, vertical heterogeneities dominate and rigidity of the medium increases with depth. On the basis of these considerations, to highlight how the assumption of homogeneous elastic medium affects the inverted source parameters we (i) calculate the surface deformation due to point spheroids with vertical polar axis embedded in a layered half-space, and (ii) invert the computed surface deformations for the same source types (but with free geometry) embedded in a homogeneous half-space. In both forward and inverse modeling, the point source is schematized using an appropriate moment tensor (Davis, 1986); in forward modelling, we use Wang's Green functions (Wang et al., 2006) and, for comparison, also FEM. We consider two different examples of layering, which are approximately valid for Campi Flegrei (Amoruso et al., 2008) and Long Valley (velocity profiles from Biondi et al., 2023) respectively, and invert computed surface deformation (radial and vertical displacements) up to various distances from the source axis. We minimize both the mean square deviation (L2 norm) and the mean absolute deviation (L1 norm) of residuals.The inversions show that:1. as expected, the retrieved source appears shallower than the “real” source (i. e., focussing effect); the focussing effect depends on the source aspect ratio, generally increasing from prolate to oblate spheroids;2. unless the “real” source is strongly vertically elongated (i. e. prolate), the retrieved source always appears very close to a spherical one (Mogi’s model); this effect depends on the source depth (less strong for shallow sources) and inversion norm (less strong for L1 norm).Our results explain why a Mogi’s source so often satisfy deformation data, but also rise a big warning on the reliability of the inversions that provide it as a solution.ReferencesAmoruso, A., Crescentini, L., Berrino, G. (2008), Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 272, 181-188.Biondi, E. et al. (2023), Sci. Adv. 9, eadi9878.Davis, P. M. (1986), J. Geophys. Res., 91, 7429-7438.Mogi, K. (1958), Bull. Earthq. Res. Inst. 36, 99-134.Wang, R., Lorenzo Martín, F., Roth, F. (2006), Comput. Geosci. 32, 527-541.
The development and impact of VR fieldtrips on Geoscience Curricula
Authors: Loriga Irene , Macedo Larissa , Kenna Therese , Jarvis Ed , Tunwal Mohit , Lim Aaron
Published: March 2024

Ireland is well known for its vast and diverse geological heritage and landscape. However, it is unlikely that the average person will get to visit all of these sites due to remoteness and financial constraints. In addition, fieldwork itself can beconsiderably exclusive and dangerous for a large demographic of Irish Society. Many students with disabilities or financial constraints may never be able to practice field geosciences or gain basic field skills. This can exclude them from completing their degrees or hinder potential career opportunities. The COVID-19 Pandemic is a recent example of how a number of years of Irish geoscience graduates were not able to develop field skills due to social distancing constraints. But, technological and geospatial methods have advanced and digital skills have become as important as field skills. One solution is the creation of virtual reality (VR) fieldtrips with real world scales and geographic co-ordinates that not only give access to people globally and the excluded demographic mentioned above but can also act as an aid for pre-fieldtrip investigations. The VR field course can be accessed by anyone with a PC and VR headset. This project aims to acquire geospatially corrected photogrammetric data using a combination of low cost tools such a UAVs and smartphones. These data will be processed using well-developed photogrammetry workflows and be imported to Unity, an Open Source gaming engine, in which a student can navigate across the environment and record real geographic measurements (length and thickness of units, strike and dip, orientation, stratigraphic log and core samples). On a broader scale, this project will act as a pilot for a longer term aim where a catalogue of Irish and internationally recognised virtual fieldtrips will be made to support geoscience teaching in Ireland and abroad.
Atmospheric Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Inhalation Exposure and Human Health Risk Assessment at Traffic Site in Delhi, India
Authors: Sonwani Saurabh , Saxena Pallavi
Published: March 2024

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) generally form an integral component of air pollutants in the ambient atmosphere. This study focuses on how proximity to roadways affects the ambient concentration of PAHs. Spatial and seasonal distribution of sixteen PAHs, and collectively represented as Σ16 PAHs were determined in the ambient atmosphere of Delhi, the National Capital Region (NCR) of India. The results showed that the average mass concentration of Σ16 PAHs near the roadway (67.8 ± 40.2 ng m-3) is significantly higher as compared to the urban background site (56 ± 30 ng m-3). Moreover, a source apportionment study indicated that major PAH-emission sources in Delhi NCR are traffic and coal combustion. Health risks associated with inhalation of particulate PAHs were assessed using benzo(a)pyrene equivalent concentration (BaPeq) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) approach. ILCR values at both sites fall in the range of 10-2 to 10-4 which corresponds to the priority risk level (10-3) and not the acceptable risk level (10-6). Thus, the present study concludes that the concentration of ambient PAHs is significantly higher at a site with busy traffic than at an urban background site, thereby indicating a significantly higher health risk to the population of Delhi.
Spectral reflectance and radar backscatter of dominant tree species in Swedish forests 
Authors: Abdi Abdulhakim M.
Published: March 2024

Forests covers 70% of Sweden, and there around 87 billion trees according to Swedish Forest Industries. Norway Spruce (Picea Abies), Scots Pine (Pinus silvestris), and Birch (Betula spp.) represent 92% of the standing timber volume. Developing an efficient country-wide monitoring protocol of this resource is essential for maintaining ecosystem services and economic viability, as well as land management and biodiversity conservation. This presentation shows preliminary results of dimensionality reduction and clustering techniques to detect thresholds of separation between spruce, pine and birch in terms of their spectral reflectance and radar backscatter. This work also evaluates the role of forest properties such as tree height and volume in influencing the spectral reflectance and radar backscatter observed by the satellite sensors. 
An ice free Arctic during the Last Interglacial: CMIP6-PMIP4 progress on Arctic sea ice 
Authors: Sime Louise , Diamond Rachel , Schroeder David , Sivankutty Rahul , Guarino Maria Vittoria
Published: March 2024

The Arctic was around 4-5C warmer in summer during peak Last Interglacial (LIG), compared to the preindustrial. However this summer warming was not accurately captured by CMIP models until 2020. Before then the lack of LIG Arctic warmth in CMIP models was most commonly postulated to be due to a lack of dynamic vegetation feedbacks. However in 2020 a UK CMIP6 model accurately captured the summer warming (Guarino et al., 2020). The warming in this model is due to a complete summertime loss of Arctic sea ice, rather than dynamic vegetation feedbacks. Whilst marine data, until 2023,  were not adequate for assessing the accuracy of this modelled LIG Arctic sea ice loss (Kagayama et al., 2021), this has now been rectified by valuable new marine core evidence from the Arctic (Vermassen et al., 2023). Here, we show firstly why we are confident that melt pond physics (albedo feedbacks) are sufficient to melt LIG sea ice, raise the Arctic temperature, and also why they are important for the accurate projection of Arctic sea ice loss during warm climate – including the future (Diamond et al., 2021; 2024). Secondly, we quantify the Arctic warmth, and discuss the nature of polar amplification in CMIP models, during the LIG (Sime et al., 2023). We find an Arctic-wide warming of 3.7±1.5 K at the LIG, alongside a climatological minimum sea ice area of 1.3 to 1.5 million km2, i.e that the peak LIG Arctic likely experienced a mixture of ice-free and near-ice-free summers.
Open Water in Sea Ice Causes High Bias in Polar Low-Level Clouds in GFDL CM4
Authors: Li Xia , Tan Zhihong , Zheng Youtong , Bushuk Mitchell , Donner Leo
Published: March 2024

Global climate models (GCMs) struggle to simulate polar clouds, especially low-level clouds that contain supercooled liquid and closely interact with both the underlying surface and large-scale atmosphere. Here we focus on GFDL's latest coupled GCM–CM4–and find that polar low-level clouds are biased high compared to observations. The CM4 bias is largely due to moisture fluxes that occur within partially ice-covered grid cells, which enhance low cloud formation in non-summer seasons. In simulations where these fluxes are suppressed, it is found that open water with an areal fraction less than 5% dominates the formation of low-level clouds and contributes to more than 50% of the total low-level cloud response to open water within sea ice. These findings emphasize the importance of accurately modeling open water processes (e.g., sea ice lead-atmosphere interactions) in the polar regions in GCMs.
Critical thinking in high school science education: a focus on Fake News and Climate Change.
Authors: Dubreu Etienne
Published: March 2024

In France, during the COVID—19 pandemic, I received many questions from my students while we were “at home”, like “I have read that, is it true?” or “I am aware because I have read that …”. This questioned me a lot, especially since they spend more than 7 hours a day on their phones and social media!In response, for their last grade in French curriculum focusing on the theme of climate change, I decided to have an approach based on what they read on social media, to warn them not about what they read but more about “how could you know this information is true?”, “How could you trust what you are reading?” or “Why do we want to trust this information (which is eventually wrong)?”. As I am also a user of their social media, I felt it was a good way.My approach is based on the book “La démocratie des crédules” and “Apocalypse cognitive” written by Gerald Bronner, a famous French sociologist. This book adresses misinformation and cognitive biases and has received awards such as the “Europe Social Sciences Award”. It explains for example that nowadays, fake news are more and more present because we don’t have enough motivation to fight fake news online, allowing misinformation and their consequences to spread.The lessons begin with students analyzing recent and controversial news. Then they must raise cards indicating, for example, the need for verification or identifying logical errors. They have several cards in hands, and they need to choose the better ones according to the information I show them. This interactive process forms the basis for further discussions, linking the lessons to the overarching theme.One of the projects also involves students creating a forward-looking climate report, and it needs to be futuristic (for example, as if they made it in 2050). I will show some videos they made thanks to QR-code in the poster. Linked to that, the course incorporates elements inspired by the movie “Don’t look up”, offering a perspective on the challenges the world must face in order to trust scientists or to be really warned by the climate change. It’s also interesting for them because my high school is renowned for offering an artistic curriculum.The culmination of the course is a Fake News competition, testing students' ability to discern misinformation within the context of climate change. This project not only evaluates their critical thinking skills but also empowers them to actively combat the spread of false information.To resume, the goal of this lesson is to equip students with the tools to critically evaluate information not only information related to climate change, but also future scientific information they will encounter (vaccination, DNA editing …).
Mantle plumes imaged by seismic full waveform inversion: from the core-mantle-boundary to surface hotspots
Authors: Romanowicz Barbara , Munch Federico , Kumar Utpal
Published: March 2024

With recent progress in resolution in global seismic mantle imaging provided by numerical wavefield computations using the Spectral Element Method and full waveform inversion, Jason Morgan’s suggestion from over 50 years ago that mantle plumes may be rooted at the core-mantle boundary (CMB) has been confirmed. Yet the imaged plumes present intriguing features that contrast with the classical thermal plume model and should inform our understanding of mantle dynamics. Among other features, they are broader than purely thermal plumes, and do not extend straight from the CMB to the corresponding hotspot volcanoes, but they are frequently deflected horizontally in the extended transition zone (400-1000 km depth), so that their lower mantle location can be significantly offset (as much as a 1000 km) from their surface expression. They appear to be thinner in the upper mantle. This, together with similar horizontal flattening observed in subduction zones suggests a change in the radial viscosity structure of the mantle that may occur deeper than usually assumed to be related to the 660 km phase change. The fattest plumes have been shown to be anchored within the perimeter of the large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) and an increasing number of them appear to house mega-ultra low velocity zones within their roots.  Moreover, in the upper mantle, they appear to be associated with regularly spaced low velocity channels aligned with absolute plate motion.We discuss these features in the light of recent regional imaging updates in the south Atlantic and beneath Yellowstone, contrasting the corresponding mantle plumes, and in particular showing mounting evidence that the LLSVPs are not compact “piles” extending high above the CMB, but rather a bundle of thermo-chemical plumes feeding secondary scale convection in the top 1000 km of the mantle.
Impact of radio occultation data assimilation on tropical cyclone intensity forecast over the western North Pacific
Authors: Teng Hsu-Feng
Published: March 2024

This study explores the potential impact of global navigation satellite system radio occultation (RO) data assimilation on the tropical cyclone (TC) intensity forecast over the western North Pacific. The forecast experiments are performed through a regional model for six TCs occurring in 2020. RO data are mainly obtained from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate Mission II. The forecasts with and without assimilation of RO data are compared, and their difference is regarded as the impact of RO data on TC forecasts. Overall, the forecasts tend to underestimate the TC intensity relative to the best track data. Compared to the forecasts assimilating without RO data, forecasts assimilating with RO data improve the initial conditions and reduce the underestimation of TC intensity forecast by 13 kt and 16 hPa in subsequent forecasts. This intensity improvement is more significant for TCs developing in drier environments than those in moister environments. The main period of intensity increase is 48-24 h prior to TCs developing to the maximum intensity. The assimilation of RO data increases the moisture around the TC centers, especially at mid-levels (700-300 hPa). It also increases the low-level vorticity but reduces the mid-level vorticity around the TC centers. These characteristics favor TCs with stronger surface wind speed and lower sea surface pressure. In summary, this study highlights the positive contribution of RO data to TC intensity forecast and explores the potential mechanisms.
Ground-level neutron monitoring survey over the United Kingdom
Authors: Mashao Dakalo , Alton Tilly , Binnersley Cory , Bradnam Steve , Croft Stephen , Joyce Malcolm , Packer Lee , Turner Tony , Wild Jim , Aspinall Michael
Published: March 2024

Space weather events impose a threat on critical infrastructures such as electrical power grids, global navigation satellite systems, satellite operations, aviation technology and radio communication channels at various frequencies. We present an update on a new ground-level neutron monitor (NM-2023) which will be used to monitor space weather events, namely the detection and alert of ground-level enhancement (GLE) events. The NM-2023 will provide data to entities such as the United Kingdom Meteorological Office, the Neutron Monitor Database (NMDB), and the University of Surrey. We also report on a neutron monitoring survey conducted using a pair of subsystems deployed at several UK field sites. The data collected by these subsystems will be compared across the various sites, to data collected using a partial NM-2023 instrument and with data from established NMDB instruments with similar geomagnetic cutoff rigidities.