bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variation of sediment supply by periglacial debris flows at Zelunglung in the eastern syntaxis of Himalayas since the 1950 Assam Earthquake
Authors: Hu Kaiheng , Li Hao , Liu Shuang , Wei Li , Zhang Xiaopeng , Zhang Limin , Zhang Bo , Gouli Manish Raj
Published: March 2024

Abstract. Periglacial debris flows boosted by strong earthquakes or climatic warming in alpine mountains play a crucial role in sediment delivery from hillslopes and downslope channels into rivers. Rapid and massive sediment supply to rivers by the debris flows has profoundly influenced the evolution of the alpine landscape. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of knowledge concerning the roles tectonic and climatic factors played in the intensified sediment erosion and transportation. In order to increase our awareness of the mass wasting processes and glacier changes, five debris flows that occurred at the Zelunglung catchment of the eastern syntaxis of the Himalayas since 1950 Assam earthquake are investigated in detail by field surveys and long-term remote sensing interpretation. Long-term seismic and meteorological data indicate that the four events of 1950–1984 were the legacies of the earthquake, and recent warming events drove the 2020 event. The transported sediment volume indexed with a non-vegetated area on the alluvial fan reduced by 91 % to a stable low level nearly 40 years after 1950. It is reasonable to hypothesize that tectonic and climatic factors alternately drive the sediment supplies caused by the debris flows. High concentrations of coarse grains, intense erosion, and extreme impact force of the 2020 debris flow raised concerns about the impacts of such excess sediment inputs on the downstream river evolution and infrastructure safety. In regard to the hydrometeorological conditions of the main river, the time to evacuate the transported coarse sediments is approximately two orders of magnitude of the recurrence period of periglacial debris flows.
Feature scale and identifiability: How much information do point hydraulic measurements provide about heterogeneous head and conductivity fields?
Authors: Hansen Scott K. , O'Malley Daniel , Hambleton James P.
Published: March 2024

Abstract. We systematically investigate how the spacing and type of point measurements impacts the scale of subsurface features that can be identified by groundwater flow model calibration. To this end, we consider the optimal inference of spatially heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity and head fields based on three kinds of point measurements that may be available at monitoring wells: of head, permeability, and groundwater speed. We develop a general, zonation-free technique for Monte Carlo (MC) study of field recovery problems, based on Karhunen-Loève (K-L) expansions of the unknown fields whose coefficients are recovered by an analytical, continuous adjoint-state technique. This allows unbiased sampling from the space of all possible fields with a given correlation structure and efficient, automated gradient-descent calibration. The K-L basis functions have a straightforward notion of period, revealing the relationship between feature scale and reconstruction fidelity, and they have an a priori known spectrum, allowing for a non-subjective regularization term to be defined. We perform automated MC calibration on over 1100 conductivity-head field pairs, employing a variety of point measurement geometries and evaluating the mean-squared field reconstruction accuracy, both globally and as a function of feature scale. We present heuristics for feature scale identification, examine global reconstruction error, and explore the value added by both the groundwater speed measurements and by two different types of regularization. We find that significant feature identification becomes possible as feature scale exceeds four times measurement spacing and identification reliability subsequently improves in a power law fashion with increasing feature scale.
Widespread increase of root zone storage capacity in the United States
Authors: Liang Jiaxing , Gao Hongkai , Fenicia Fabrizio , Xi Qiaojuan , Wang Yahui , Savenije Hubert H. G.
Published: March 2024

Abstract. The root zone is the upper part of the unsaturated zone, where water and nutrients are accessible to plants, controlling hydrological responses, vegetation dynamics, biogeochemical processes, and land-atmospheric interaction. The root zone storage capacity (Sumax) represents the maximum subsurface moisture volume that can be accessed by the vegetation’s roots, controlling the partitioning of precipitation into storage, runoff and percolation. Previous work has illustrated that Sumax varies spatially, largely responding to climatic conditions. It can be therefore expected that Sumax varies temporally as well in response to climate change. However, this hypothesis has not been tested. In this study, we utilized a conceptual hydrological model and a dynamic parameter identification analysis method, to quantify the temporal trends of Sumax for 497 catchments in the USA. We found that 423 catchments (85 %) showed increasing Sumax, which averagely increased from 178 to 235 mm between 1980 and 2014. The increasing trend was also validated by multi-sources data and independent methods. Our results suggest that ecosystems dynamically adapt their root zone in response to climate change, which significantly affects hydrological processes and water resources availability. Moreover, the increase of Sumax significantly correlates to hydroclimatic indicators and vegetation dynamics. These results highlight the importance of considering the co-evolution of climate, ecosystems, and hydrology.
Internal magnetic field structures observed by PSP/WISPR in a filament-related CME event
Authors: Cappello Greta , Temmer Manuela , Vourlidas Angelos , Braga Carlos , Liewer Paulett , Qiu Jiong , Stenborg Guillermo , Kouloumvakos Athanasios , Veronig Astrid , Penteado Paulo , Bothmer Volker , Chifu Iulia
Published: March 2024

Parker Solar Probe (PSP; launched in 2018) observes the Sun from unprecedented close-in and out-of-ecliptic orbits. The unique and high-resolution data from the Wide-Field Imager for Solar Probe (WISPR) aboard PSP give us new insights about the initiation and early evolution of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) in the inner Heliosphere. We investigate the morphology and propagation behavior of distinct small-scale structures associated with a CME caused by a filament eruption, together with blobs related to the post-CME current sheet. Within this work we want to answer the following questions: how do the small scale magnetic field structures develop, how do they change in shape over time and what is their relation with the erupting filament and flux rope, respectively. The fast PSP motion at perihelion allows one to have views from different angles of the same event, hence we apply a single-spacecraft triangulation technique to derive coordinates and kinematics of each tracked feature. We find distinct groups of small-scale features which appear to be the building blocks of the global CME. We categorised the small scale magnetic structures based on their morphology and extent in longitude and latitude. We obtained a large range of longitudes among the different blobs related to the CME-aftermath. Thread-bundles are identified in the inner Heliosphere, which might be related to the vertical threads that are seen evolving during the filament eruption. Finally, we discuss on the different global appearances of the CME as observed from 1 AU compared to 0.18 AU (PSP).
The recent crustal stress state of Germany - results of a new geomechanical–numerical model
Authors: Ahlers Steffen , Reiter Karsten , Henk Andreas , Hergert Tobias , Röckel Luisa , Morawietz Sophia , Heidbach Oliver , Ziegler Moritz , Müller Birgit , Kuznetsova Victoria
Published: March 2024

Knowledge of the recent crustal stress state is crucial for a better understanding of crust stability. However, the amount of available stress data in Germany is low. Therefore, a reliable and comprehensive prediction of the complete stress tensor is not possible with these only. However, 3D geomechanical-numerical models, which represent the geometry of the subsurface and its mechanical properties and are calibrated to stress data, allow a continuum-mechanics based prediction of the complete stress tensor and its lateral and vertical variability. A new geomechanical-numerical model of Germany provides new insights into the recent crustal stress field. In contrast to previous models, an improved geological model with a significantly higher stratigraphic resolution is used, a high vertical resolution of ~40 m allows a better mechanical representation of individual units and mechanical inhomogeneities and new data records are used for calibration.The results provide a comprehensive prediction of the complete stress tensor for Germany and can be used for a wide range of scientific questions and applications. Examples are the prediction of the fracture potential, the slip tendency of faults or as boundary conditions for small-scale models usable for example for engineering applications.
Biostratigraphy and paleoecology of calcareous nannoplankton at Broken Ridge, eastern Indian Ocean, during the Middle to Late Miocene (ODP Site 752)
Authors: Puentes Jorge Xabier , Piller Werner E. , Hechemer Tamara , Lyu Jing , De Vleeschouwer David , Auer Gerald
Published: March 2024

The Middle to Late Miocene represents an important time interval in the Indian Ocean (IO), due to the reorganization of land masses, the establishment of monsoonal wind system and climatic changes. However, variations in intermediate and surface water dynamics through the IO still remain poorly understood. In this regard, Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 752, located in the western flank of Broken Ridge (30° 53.475ˈS/93° 34.652ˈE), constitutes a key location to understand how the above-mentioned dynamics may have affected the path of oceanic currents within the eastern sector of the IO during the studied Miocene interval.A first biostratigraphic framework for ODP Site 752 was established during ODP Leg 121. However, the poor preservation of the material for the Middle to Late Miocene sediment interval resulted in only limited biostratigraphic data and consequently low-resolution age-depth model. In this regard, our study presents a newly updated high-resolution biostratigraphic age-depth model for this time period (from ~8 to ~15 Myrs) at Hole 752A, based on fully quantitative nannofossil assemblage analyses. Furthermore, a recently published astronomically tuned age-depth model (Lyu et al., 2023; DOI: 10.1029/2023PA004761), tied to the shipboard biostratigraphic age model, was used in order to validate our new quantitative nannofossil record. The comparison showed a high consistency for the whole record, with the exception of the interval between ~12-13 Myrs, where the age difference between the two respective models is high. We link these discrepancies to the potential variance in age of the recorded bioevents for this interval between basins, as well as the error associated with the mathematical approach of the tuned age model.Based on our quantitative nannofossil data, we further evaluated overall changes in the nannofossils assemblages at ODP Site 752. The assemblage is dominated by reticulofenestrids (e.g., Reticulofenestra minuta, Reticulofenestra pseudoumbilicus). Other species with a contribution >1%, are Calcidiscus tropicus, Calcidiscus pataecus, Coccolithus pelagicus, Coronocyclus nitescens, Discoaster spp., Helicosphaera spp., Sphenolithus moriformis and Umbilicosphaera jafari. Statistical analyses will be performed on the assemblage to define variations on the nutrient availability of the Broken Ridge surface waters and will be presented afterwards.
Re-assessment of methane cycle dynamics from the preindustrial to present-day 
Authors: Strawson Ivo , H. Rhodes Rachael , Bauska Thomas , Riddell-Young Ben , Marks Peterson Julia , Faïn Xavier , Prié Frédéric , Harris Stuart Romilly , Landais Amaëlle , R. Thomas Elizabeth , Buizert Christo , Brook Edward
Published: March 2024

Ice core reconstructions of atmospheric methane (CH4) and its stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13CH4) provide important constraints for understanding the links between human activity, methane and climate. However, uncertainties in existing δ13CH4 records since the preindustrial (~1850 CE), reconstructed from measurements of polar firn air and a small number of high-accumulation ice core sites, limit the precise determination of the timing and rate of recent changes in source/sink evolution. To re-assess methane dynamics over the last two centuries, we present continuous multi-core records of atmospheric CH4 and carbon monoxide (CO) between 1824 and 1994 CE reconstructed from high snow accumulation Antarctic sites and supplement these data with new bubble ice measurements of δ13CH4 spanning 50-years from 1938 to 1988 CE at a < 5-year resolution. Across the 50-year record, atmospheric CH4 mixing ratios increase by > 580 ppb and each δ13CH4 measurement therefore requires a considerable correction for diffusive fractionation resulting from a sustained growth in the overlying atmospheric methane burden during firn transport. An overlap with direct atmospheric observations is used to validate corrections for this phenomenon. Source/sink dynamics necessary to drive the simultaneous temporal trends observed in CH4, CO and δ13CH4 since 1850 CE are then inferred using a 6-troposphere, multi-tracer box model. Isotopic corrections, their implications and subsequent modelling results will be discussed.
Evaluation of pesticide use restrictions near urban areas in the European Union
Authors: Galimberti Francesco , Catarino Rui , Fellmann Thomas , Florio Pietro , Kempeneers Pieter , Klinnert Ana , Olvedy Michael , Pistocchi Alberto , D'Andrimont Raphael
Published: March 2024

The European Commission’s strategies under the European Green Deal aim at reducing the risks to human health and the environment from pesticide use. One of the proposed policies to achieve that goal is a restriction in use of pesticides within and near urban areas. In this study, we aim to estimate the impact of a full pesticide use restriction on crops near urban areas at the EU scale, by combining available EU data on urban settlements and crops. We will achieve this by utilizing spatial layers from the Joint Research Centre (JRC), including the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) and the EUCROPMAP 2018 integrated with information from the Corine Land Cover (CLC) 2018.Using various buffer distances from urban areas, the study seeks to quantify the agricultural area and crop types that will be impacted by the full restriction in use. The results will also provide insights into the percentage of treated vs. non-treated crops present in these buffer zones, highlighting country and regional differences. The economic importance of crops, together with reduced crop yields can be explored as well. Additionally, reduction in health risk to residents can be estimated from information on crop-specific intensities in pesticide use.
Understanding the impact of large fires in air quality in a Mediterranean area
Authors: Pellizzaro Grazia , Bacciu Valentina , Scarpa Carla , Arca Bachisio , Salis Michele , Casula Marcello , Canu Annalisa
Published: March 2024

Fires have been a natural component of Mediterranean ecosystems for centuries, contributing to their ecological balance. However, they also release significant amounts of smoke and various pollutants like carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter (PM). The emissions not only compromise air quality but also pose a threat to human health, particularly for those with chronic heart and lung diseases. These impacts have been largely studied in the United States and in neighboring countries, while in the Euro-Mediterranean continent the studies available on the patterns of wildfires and fire emissions are more limited. However, the increase in the frequency of large fires recorded in recent years, especially in southern Europe and often close to inhabited centers, urges the scientific community to investigate on the impact of these events on air quality and human health at European level as well.This study examines six large fires (>2000 ha) in Sardinia, Italy, over the past fifteen years, with the main aims to (i) characterize the six forest fires in term of size, fuel, and weather conditions; (ii) estimate the contribution of the six forest fires to environmental PM levels.Meteorological conditions at synoptic scale have been investigated through NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) data with a spatial resolution of 0.5° x 0.5° and maps of 850 hPa temperature and airmasses from WetterZentrale (https://www.wetterzentrale.de/). The impacts on particulate matter on air quality has been evaluated through data obtained from the monitoring stations of the Air quality control network of the Regional Environment Protection Agency of Sardinia (ARPAS).  To further investigate the impacts of the fire plumes, the study employs the HYSPLIT (hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory) model developed by NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory to compute the forward trajectories of air masses. Finally, for selected recent fires, the plume spatial distribution has been investigated and verified using Modis satellite images on board the Aqua satellite as well as the visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Corrected Reflectance imagery on board the joint NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite.Preliminary findings reveal varying degrees of correlation between air quality and fire events in the six examined cases. This variability could be attributed to different fuel types, atmospheric conditions, and, to a significant extent, the location and density of air monitoring stations.
Forest fire risk under a changing climate in Croatia
Authors: Anić Mislav , Ostrogović Sever Maša Zorana , Bitunjac Doroteja , Marjanović Hrvoje
Published: March 2024

Fire represents one of the major disturbances in natural ecosystems around the planet. By burning ecosystems, fire has a significant role in shaping global biome distribution and influences biogeochemical cycles such as the carbon cycle. Particularly in the coastal part of Croatia during the summer months, wildfires often escalate to catastrophic levels, posing serious threats to human lives, infrastructure, and the natural environment.Our study aims to estimate the changes in forest fire danger in Croatia between 1981 and 2020 based on the Fire Weather Index (FWI) and seasonal severity rating (SSR) calculated using data from the National Meteorological Observation Network. To estimate the risk of forest fires in this region, the study utilizes the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System. The original system consists of six components that solely depend on meteorological conditions. The calculated FWI represents the potential fire intensity and is a very good indicator of fire danger. The initial equations are calibrated for Canadian boreal forests, characterized by distinct differences in vegetation and climate features when compared to forests of the Mediterranean regions. Despite these differences, researches have revealed a noteworthy correlation between the components of the FWI system and fire activity in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Greece.Measurements of air temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity taken at 14h, along with daily precipitation records from 83 meteorological and 119 rain gauge stations were used in the analysis. Daily severity ratings were calculated from FWI values and averaged over the fire season, spanning from June to September, to obtain SSR. The station-based SSR were spatially interpolated using regression kriging and a 1 x 1 km horizontal grid, resulting in 40 raster maps (one for each year). Results from a trend analysis, aimed at identifying areas with the highest increase in fire risk during the period 1981-2020, indicate an overall increase in SSR across a significant portion of the country. The observed trends align well with the positive trends identified in maximum air temperature and the lengthening of dry periods.Additionally, to evaluate changes in fire weather extremes in Croatia the seasonal count of days with FWI > 30 (FWI30) and the seasonal 90th percentile of FWI (FWIp90) indices were calculated. A comparison of these indices between the periods 1981-2000 and 2001-2020 revealed an increase both in FWI30 and FWIp90 across a substantial portion of the country. These trends highlight a concerning escalation in fire risk for Croatia.Keywords: forest fire risk, fire weather index, extreme fire weather, climate change, trends
The effect of the reliability of pumping stations on coastal flood risk under a changing climate 
Authors: Van Gijzen Laurie , Bakker Alexander
Published: March 2024

Climate change and sea level rise is expected to increase the flood risk in coastal regions. These areas will not only suffer from more frequent and severe storm surges, it will also become increasingly challenging to naturally discharge the excess water from rivers and precipitation. Large pumping stations along the coast can contribute in discharging excess water if high sea levels prevent the natural outflow. A large pumping station is already employed in the Netherlands at IJmuiden, which is responsible for the drainage of a large area in the western Netherlands, including cities as Amsterdam and Utrecht. Pumping stations will often not function at full capacity due to failures, maintenance, or high sea water levels that may reduce the operational pump capacity or even exceed the operational threshold.  Pump reliability can have a significant effect on the flood risk in a water system and thereby strongly influence the optimal investment strategy. Nevertheless, the influence of pump reliability is not considered when designing pumping-sluice stations.  Two separate approaches (graphical and computational modelling) were developed in this study to include pump reliability in when determining the required buffer and pump capacity in a water system. The graphical approach is most suitable for comprehensive visualizations and sensitivity analysis of the water system, while the computational modelling approach allows for a more detailed analysis. Including pump reliability in the design can lead to an increase in required buffer capacity or pumping capacity. However, it can also optimize the mitigation strategy and prevent unnecessary investments as the sensitivity of water systems depends on the system’s characteristics such as water storage capacity.
Impact of Marine Heatwaves on Ocean Carbon Sink: A Case Study of Coastal Areas in California, USA
Authors: Fu Ching-Hao , Tsai Christina W.
Published: March 2024

An extreme event, Marine heatwave, has become a pressing concern in recent years. It is defined as a discrete event where the sea surface temperature remains above a specific threshold value of climatology for several consecutive days, and the intervals between two consecutive abnormal high-temperature events are less than two days. Due to climate change, there is an increasing trend in both the intensity and duration of marine heat waves. Marine heatwaves may not directly affect human society; however, they can pose significant threats to marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and the ocean carbon sink, thereby impacting human well-being. The ocean carbon sink is the most significant carbon sink among the world's three major carbon sinks. It absorbs around 25% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions annually. Dissolved inorganic carbon within the ocean carbon sink relies on the carbon sequestration of biological pumps such as coral, seagrasses, and kelps to store it in the deep water. Influenced by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and currents, the northeastern Pacific Ocean is a hotspot for marine heatwaves, typically beginning from the North Pacific offshore regions in the spring and impacting the U.S. West Coast in the fall. Consequently, the coastal area of California is selected as the study area and divided into three regions.Previous studies have shown that the escalating severity of marine heatwaves may result in these biological pumps losing their functions or habitats. However, regarding ocean carbon sequestration, whether the incapacities of these biological pumps due to marine heatwaves will have a short-term impact on the carbon sequestration capacity in the ocean remains to be verified. This study aims to analyze the time series of marine heatwaves and ocean carbon sink capacity with the time series analysis and determine the impacts on ocean carbon sink. We categorize marine heatwave extreme events in California into three indicators and the ocean carbon sequestration capacity into physical and biological indicators. Improved Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (ICEEMDAN) is employed to extract the trends and interannual variations. Meanwhile, to identify the correlations between the marine heatwave and the ocean carbon sink at different time points and different time scales, we apply Time-Dependent Intrinsic Correlation (TDIC). Due to the longer temporal scales in changes in the ocean, the impact of marine heatwaves on the ocean carbon sink may have a potential delay. Therefore, we employ Time-Dependent Intrinsic Cross-Correlation (TDICC), a method based on TDIC that could be utilized to analyze the time-lag effects in the interaction between marine heatwaves and the ocean carbon sink.
Erosional behaviour of a glacial till cliff coast in Stohl, Baltic Sea, Germany
Authors: Rossius Jan-Eike , Averes Tanita , Krämer Knut , Winter Christian
Published: March 2024

Erosional processes at an approximately one kilometre long coastal cliff stretch were investigated. The cliff is located at the German Baltic Sea coast and mainly made up of glacial till from the last glaciation. Glacial deposition and folding in multiple advances resulted in complex stratigraphy and locally diverse geology of at least two distinct glacial till complexes and intermediate layers of sand, now eroded by wave action and subaerial processes on the cliff face. To study the changes on the cliff, drone surveys were carried out roughly every month over three years and used to create elevation models with structure from motion. This data was combined with time series of water levels, wave characteristics and precipitation. Three main erosion processes could be identified: marine erosion at the cliff foot, surface runoff and mass movements. 13 marine erosion events are clearly connected to high waves and water levels. Surface runoff creates alluvial fan deposits at the cliff foot and is driven by precipitation. However, the correlation is not clear as the deposition depends on local properties and preconditioning and is very susceptible for marine erosion. The more than 400 detected mass movements cannot clearly be correlated with precipitation, most likely due to the local geology, but they show a distinct negative magnitude-frequency-relation and often follow marine erosion events at the cliff foot. 
Using a detailed abstraction database to plan assessing current and future water resources availability in Scotland.
Authors: Haro Monteagudo David , Naha Shaini , Glendell Miriam
Published: March 2024

Scotland’s land and water resources are increasingly vulnerable to periods of droughts, impacting water users and the water environment. Abstractions from sectors with high water demands are forecasted to exacerbate the direct impacts of climate change by amplifying both the frequency and the duration of drought events. Previous studies that have assessed the potential future water scarcity in Scotland were limited by the lack of available data on actual abstractions. These studies assumed that all abstraction licences were used at their maximum (i.e., were based on worst case scenario); and did not account for public water supply abstractions. Therefore, there is a need for accessible data on timely, open, and detailed abstraction return values for all sectors to overcome these limitations to allow a more accurate assessment of the current state of Scotland’s water resources and their vulnerability to climate extremes. We have collated a database that comprises of abstracted daily volumes from different locations within the water bodies, for various sectors from Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and abstracted daily volumes for public water supply aggregated at the catchment level from Scottish Water. We then use these daily abstraction time series available for the common time 2018-2022, in conjunction with available daily river flow historical and future projections, to determine the available volume of water, per catchment, per day. This enables extracting the drought events, and drought characteristics such as frequency, duration, and intensity of droughts. This research will inform future water resources management in Scotland by identifying which regions and sectors may be subject to increased water scarcity pressures in the future.
Predicting forest structural complexity in Europe through an integration of radar, optical data and machine learning
Authors: Oton Gonzalo , Girardello Marco , Ceccherini Guido , Piccardo Matteo , Pickering Mark , Elia Agata , Migliavacca Mirco , Cescatti Alessandro
Published: March 2024

Forests stand as vital components of the Earth's biosphere, comprising a significant fraction of the world's terrestrial biomes. The management of forest ecosystems is pivotal in addressing environmental challenges, including the development of climate mitigation strategies. The three-dimensional architecture of forest ecosystems, defined by canopy height, height heterogeneity, and horizontal canopy distribution, is known to be a major driver of ecosystem processes. Thus, quantifying structural heterogeneity of forest ecosystems is fundamental for predicting their resilience and ability to moderate environmental fluctuations. Historically, comprehensive data on forest structure at a macro scales have been scarce. However, advancements in spaceborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), particularly through the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission, have revolutionized our capacity to monitor forest structure.In this study, we integrated various earth observation datasets, including Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), along with optical imagery, within a machine learning framework to predict structural complexity. We constructed a forest structural complexity dataset encompassing Europe, including eight structural metrics that characterize the three-dimensional nature of forests. The metrics encapsulate the variability, dispersion and asymmetry in vertical stratification, the dispersion and volume of the canopy in the horizontal plane. Our findings elucidate the multifaceted nature of the structural complexity forest ecosystems. Furthermore we provide a prognostic framework for monitoring changes in this key ecosystem property. By providing a comprehensive picture of forest structural complexity across Europe, our study offers tangible support for the development of effective forest management strategies and climate change mitigation plans.
Climate adaptation through educational vertical greenery in high schools: key lessons from the city of Berlin
Authors: Kluge Bjoern , Dahm Yannick
Published: March 2024

Vertical greenery (VG) provides mutliple ecosystem services and diverse forms of implementation. Benefits are linked to maintenance, irrigation, and appropriate planning. The focus of the Fabikli project was to apply these aspects to educational purposes in three highschools in Berlin. This case study delineates the planning, implementation, maintenance, and educational operation of the project.Complications arose due to planning errors and the still pending building permit of the systems, demonstrating the cumbersome administrative barriers regarding VG. Three energy-efficient rainwater irrigation systems and and a supporting structure that can be harvested from the ground were developed and implemented. Maintenance of these systems is designed to be infrequent and accessible, with low-tech solutions ensuring easy repairs.At the center of the educational offer were the multidimensional issues addressed by the implemented VG systems. Examples include urban heat stress, land and water use, and CO2 sequestration. The school personal was directly involved in the participation process. Consequently, teachers incorporated the VG-topic creatively into their classes. Here we present the harvest of the VG as an exemplary illustrative showcase.In addition, the project aimed at a multiplication and propagation of similar systems, which did occur, but with serious design flaws. This demonstrates the importance of appropriate planning, implementation, and continuous attendance, even for low-tech solutions.In conclusion, schools offer an influential societal overlap between generations and functions such as teachers, parents, or administration. VG can convey several key aspects of environmental education about the ecology with cities.
Poleward migration of soil moisture–temperature coupling hotspots under global warming
Authors: Hagan Daniel F.T. , Miralles Diego , Wang Guojie , Kennedy-Asser Alan T. , Li Mingxing , Ullah Waheed , Li Shijie
Published: March 2024

Global hotspot regions where soil moisture (SM) constrains temperature changes are expected to migrate and change in intensity under climate change, impacting hydroclimatic events; however, the nature of these changes is still uncertain. Using multiple model outputs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), we assessed potential future changes in the coupling between boreal summer SM and near-surface mean air temperature (T) across the globe under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs, 2015–2100). We find weakening SM impacts on T (SM-T coupling) in semi-arid, low-latitude regions with increasing emission scenarios due to reduced sensitivity of evaporation to SM. However, our results showed intensifying SM-T coupling primarily over humid regions with increasing precipitation yet decreasing SM due to increasing evaporation. We demonstrate that these changes could be linked to the poleward expansion of the Hadley cells and water-limiting conditions, shifting SM controls on partitioning the surface net radiation and subsequently on T under global warming. These results suggest a higher likelihood of extreme hydroclimatic events, such as heatwaves in higher latitudes associated with the SM–T coupling, which could impact food and water security.
Evaluating the Utility of b-Value for Discriminating Foreshocks and Mainshocks in Yunnan, southwest China
Authors: Lau Tsz Lam , Yang Hongfeng
Published: March 2024

Determining mainshocks from an ongoing seismic sequence poses a challenge for real-time hazard assessment. This study aims to address this issue by analyzing temporal variations in the b-value derived from the Gutenberg-Richter law, with a focus on moderate-to-large events in Yunnan province, southwest China. Yunnan is well known to experience frequent earthquakes due to the convergence of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, along with its complex subsurface geological structure and active fault zones. Earthquake data were analyzed from the Unified National Catalog over the period from January 2000 through December 2022 and the magnitude of completeness is 1.4. We selected seismic sequences where the mainshock magnitudes were above 5. We employed a temporal b-value calculation approach, utilizing a minimum of 10 years of seismic data and including earthquakes within 20 km from the mainshock hypocenter. We used the long-term average b-value preceding the mainshock as the reference. Specifically, we compared the temporal b-value variation calculated for the one-month period following each mainshock to the reference b-value. In total, we investigated 23 sequences in the region. The b-value increased by 10% or more for 4 sequences and by
A comprehensive tool for prioritising ecologically sensitive locations and driving nature-positive actions
Authors: Piovano Thea , Jenkins Rhosanna , Burnell Lorna , Burke Claire , Wilebore Beccy
Published: March 2024

There exists an urgent need to address the ongoing nature crisis, and businesses must play a pivotal role in fostering positive change. As a result, there has been a significant increase in corporate attention on biodiversity. In response to this attention, several frameworks for companies to report their impacts on nature have emerged, including the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). These frameworks set out steps for companies wanting to make a positive impact and include nature in business, particularly through determining their proximity to ecologically sensitive locations.Our advanced prioritisation tool enables screening of any site in the world (both terrestrial and marine assets) for its proximity to ecologically sensitive locations. This tool incorporates metrics including Ecological Integrity, Decline in Ecological Integrity, Areas of High Physical Water Stress, Areas of High Potential Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity Sensitive Areas. Our tool aligns with best practices and with reporting guidance and standards (TNFD and CSRD).By leveraging our screening tool, businesses can turn data-driven insights into responsible nature-positive actions.
Trace element and bulk chemistry of plumes and ridges in geodynamic simulations
Authors: Panton James , Davies Huw , Beguelin Paul
Published: March 2024

Volumetrically, the most important magmatic source on Earth is beneath mid-ocean ridges, from which mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) are sourced. Second to this is plume related magmatism, the source for ocean-island basalts (OIBs). Decades of geochemical analysis have discerned that MORBs exhibit low isotopic variation, which is interpreted to mean that their source is globally homogeneous at an ocean basin (and possibly global) scale. OIBs, however, exhibit strong isotopic variation not just spatially, but even temporally, indicating a compositionally heterogenous source region. Global scale numerical geodynamic models, driven by reconstructed plate motions, generate both plume and ridge structures at which melting occurs, similar to Earth, however it is not known how well dynamic models can re-create the first-order observation that ridge lavas are typically homogenous compared to plume lavas.Using the 3D spherical mantle convection code, TERRA, constrained by plate motion reconstructions spanning 1Gyr of Earth’s history, ridge and plume structures are simultaneously generated. The location of ridges is known from the input plate reconstruction model, while plumes are identified using the simulated temperature and radial velocity fields and a combination of K-means and density-based clustering. Using our approach, we can not only compare the properties of ridges and plumes, but can also compare the properties of ridges across different ocean basins and of individual simulated mantle plumes. Analysis of the bulk composition and melting age of tracer particles associated with ridges and plumes allows us to better interpret the history of material found in these regions. We analyse the U ratio to see if recent (~600 Ma) changes in the subducted U flux are evident in differences in the U composition of plume and ridge material.
Modeling Solar Wind Interaction with Mars through a Ten-ion-species Multifluid MHD Approach
Authors: Wang Jianxuan , Lu Haoyu , Li Shibang
Published: March 2024

The configurations of the Martian ionosphere and magnetosphere play a crucial role in the process of ion escape, given that the ionosphere serves as an important source of Martian ion escape and the magnetosphere is closely associated with the escape channels. In this study, we introduced a recently developed three-dimensional multifluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model involving ten ionospheric ion species prevalent on Mars, Ar+, CO2+, CO+, C+, N2+, N+, NO+, O+, O2+, and H+. We solved control equations for each species integrated with their self-consistent chemical reactions. The model successfully reproduced the large-scale structure of bow shock (BS), magnetic pile-up boundary (MPB), and induced magnetosphere consistent with observational statistical results. Benefiting from the consideration of more species and relevant chemical reactions, the model calculated ionospheric profiles are in good agreement with existing studies derived from observations. Moreover, the presence of the crustal magnetic field concentrated in the southern hemisphere of Mars tends to elevate the boundary position of MPB by tens to hundreds of kilometers and impact ion escape processes. Therefore, our model, by calculating ion density and velocity for individual species, can reveal diverse effects of the crustal magnetic field on each ion species.
Cyber-Echoes of Climate Crisis: Unraveling Anthropogenic Climate Change Narratives on Social Media
Authors: Yosipof Abraham , Elroy Or , Komendantova Nadejda
Published: March 2024

Social media platforms have a key role in spreading narratives about climate change, and therefore it is crucial to understand the discussion about climate change in social media. The discussion on anthropogenic climate change in general, and on social media specifically, has multiple different narratives. Understanding of the discourses can assist efforts of mitigation, adaptation, and policy measures development. In this work, we collected 333,635 tweets in English about anthropogenic climate change. We used Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning methods to embed the semantic meaning of the tweets into vectors, cluster the tweets, and analyze the results. We clustered the tweets into four clusters that correspond to four narratives in the discussion. Analyzing the behavioral dynamics of each cluster revealed that the clusters focus on the discussion of whether climate change is caused by humans or not, scientific arguments, policy, and conspiracy. The research results can serve as input for media policy and awareness-raising measures on climate change mitigation and adaptation policies, and facilitating future communications related to climate change.
Revisiting the barometric effect on cosmic-ray neutron soil moisture sensing
Authors: Davies Patrick , Baatz Roland , Bogena Heye , Quansah Emmanuel , Amekudzi Leonard
Published: March 2024

Accurate soil moisture estimation from Cosmic-ray neutron sensor (CRNS) entails necessary steps in pre-processing observed neutrons at the Earth's surface. One of the most important corrections to the measured neutron data is compensation for the influence of the atmosphere, also called the barometric effect (β). However, the correction for this effect is not universal, as values can vary depending on geographical location (i.e. cut-off rigidity), altitude, atmospheric conditions, and sensor type (i.e. energy range); hence, site-specific β values are required to reduce these offsets. In this study, 25 CRNS stations from around the world are used to estimate site-specific and to explore the sensitivity of β on soil moisture measurement with CRNS. The results obtained showed that β varied both spatially and temporally. Within the cut-off rigidity range of 1 to 4.5 GV where these sites are found, the average monthly for the investigated sites ranged between -0.53 to -0.96 %mbar. Although the cut-off rigidity range was small, we found an increasing relationship of β with increasing cut-off rigidity. In addition, we show how β affects soil moisture estimates through its effect on the atmospheric pressure correction during the CRNS calibration. The results of our study highlight the importance of site and sensor-specific for CRNS calibration and the correction of atmospheric effects on CRNS-derived soil moisture.
Climate change and islands’ ecosystem services: a global meta-analysis 
Authors: Zittis George , Zemah-Shamir Shiri , Tase Mirela , Zotos Savvas , Demirel Nazli , Zoumides Christos , Albayrak Tamer , Kaptan Ayhan Cigdem , Christoforidi Irene , Dindaroglu Turgay , Fois Mauro , Manolaki Paraskevi , Sandor Attila , Sieber Ina , Valentini Stamatiadou , Tzirkalli Elli , Vogiatzakis Ioannis , Zemah-Shamir Ziv , Moustakas Aristides
Published: March 2024

Islands are hotspots of biological and cultural diversity, which, compared to mainlands, are more vulnerable to environmental degradation, climate change, uncontrolled land use changes and financial or societal crises. Particularly when combined, these factors can increasingly impact the environmental and socioeconomic services in many of such isolated ecosystems and communities. Atmospheric warming, ocean acidification or other abrupt climate changes can directly impact the biodiversity of islands and surrounding water bodies, the associated Ecosystem Services and, in turn, the well-being of islanders. Although existing techniques can adequately predict climate-induced ecological changes over the continents or in the larger islands, this is not the case for smaller islands, where refined climate information is typically not available. The primary objective of the present review is to better understand the linkages between Ecosystem Services and climate change on islands from the global to regional and local scales. This is not limited to the direct positive or negative impacts of changes in environmental and climate conditions but also includes the potential of ecosystem services to provide nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Non-climatic drivers, e.g., land use changes, that may augment or alleviate the effects of climate change on islands’ Ecosystem Services are also explored.
VNIR-SWIR spectral signatures of the Cu-Co-Ni mineralization and the host rocks of El Aramo (Asturias, España).
Authors: Suarez Mercedes , Ramírez José Daniel , Santamaría Ángel , Morales Juan
Published: March 2024

The mineralization of the Aramo Plateau is a carbonate-hosted deposit with major Cu-Co-Ni sulphides and arsenides and minor precious metals. There are a few studies on the deposit, but according to Paniagua et al., (1988), it is an epithermal mineralization with an evolutive sequence involving temperatures from 85ºC to 170ºC whose hydrothermal systems were related to the distensive Late-Variscan tectonic activity in the region. Weathering and oxidation of primary sulfides in ore and waste rock materials has resulted in the formation of secondary minerals such as goethite, hematite, malachite, azurite, and others, causing the release of elements, such as Cu or As, to soils, waters or stream sediments (Loredo et al., 2008).This study is a part of the S34I project (Secure and Sustainable Supply of raw materials for EU Industry) which research and innovate new data-driven methods to analyze Earth Observation data, supporting systematic mineral exploration and continuous monitoring of extraction activities with the aim to increase European autonomy regarding raw materials. This work shows the preliminary results of a study conducted by X-ray diffraction and field VNIR-SWIR spectroscopy related to 1) the identification the mineralogical composition of a very wide group of representative samples from old mines in the area and from the surface of the Aramo Plateau, both outcropping rocks and soils; 2) the spectral response in the VNIR-SWIR wavelength range (the same range that hyperspectral remote sensors use); and 3) the determination of the spectral signatures of the different paragenesis of the mineralization, the host rocks and the soils in which supergenic processes could occur.Financial support by S34I project (DOI: 10.3030/101091616) is acknowledged.