bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Various Spatial Resolutions for Modelling Sector-Coupled Energy Systems
Authors: Rosendal Mathias
Published: March 2024

Large-scale energy system modelling plays a crucial role in the debate on energy system decarbonisation. It is common to use a bidding zone representation to model the European energy system due to the structure of the electricity market. However, this may underestimate infrastructure constraints at higher spatial resolutions. This question has been investigated in the literature, while methods for aggregating highly resolved data remain a research gap. In this study we explore various spatial resolutions using the sector-coupled energy system model Balmorel with a focus on the Danish energy system. The modelling framework will encompass detailed geospatial data of existing Danish power plants in combination with the atlite module for generating variable renewable energy (VRE) production profiles at different geographical locations. Utilising the further developed modelling framework in Balmorel, the impact of applying various spatial resolutions is thus investigated from a bidding zone, NUTS2, NUTS3, to municipal spatial resolution. Preliminary results indicate that transmission costs are underestimated at low spatial resolution. However, they remain a small part of total system costs at very high spatial resolution. Large operational differences are observed, which will be investigated further. These results will be discussed considering spatial aggregation methods and used to inform further research on a similar investigation at the European scale to advance the modelling of sector-coupled energy system models with high penetrations of VRE. 
Interactive GIS mapping of local site effects in Dalmatia region in Croatia
Authors: Mravlja Bruno , Stanko Davor , Gazdek Mario , Lončar Iva , Dvornik Lada , Korbar Tvrtko , Markušić Snježana
Published: March 2024

In order to produce an input for more accurate Ground motion prediction equations (GMPE) that will include site effects, an array of geophysical measurements was done in Dalmatia region in Croatia, as part of CRONOS Project – Investigation of seismically vulnerable areas in Croatia and seismic ground motion assessment. Research methods used were Horizontal/vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) and Multichannel analysis surface waves (MASW), measured at 21 locations with different site effects across this seismically active region. That included over 230 microtremor HVSR measurements, enabling local soil conditions characterization, alongside seismic microzonation mapping of town of Sinj. Around 40 MASW profiles were studied, providing site Vs30 estimation. Also, continuous borehole and surface accelerographs were installed at 14 locations to assemble strong motion database for the region.Based on this research, an interactive and open access Geographic information system (GIS) map was constructed, showing locations of measurements and all related geophysical and geological data. The regional extent of map displays locations of all measurements, combining those that are close. The local map extent shows more detail about every measurement site, in form of a label, symbol classification or a pop-up window. Additionally, in case of dense measurement data at one location (e.g. microzonation of Sinj), interpolation map of area was created, offering a fast and visually intuitive way of understanding results. Adding geological layers to the map allowed for correlation with geological site conditions, which facilitated analyses results interpretation and detection of sites that required additional measurements.
Application of pXRF technique to the determination of major and trace elements in large soil datasets, advantages and limitations
Authors: Martínez del Pozo Iker , Gomez-Pachón Mónica , Ferri-Moreno Inmaculada , Esbrí José María , García-Lorenzo Luz , Higueras Pablo , Lorenzo Saturnino , Arroyo-Rey Xabier
Published: March 2024

Soil plays a fundamental role for both ecosystems and humans, and its characterization is an essential tool for strategic planning in areas such as agriculture, natural resource exploration and detection of potential soil contamination. To achive an effective geochemical characterization, it is necessary to study the background geochemical levels, considering the local geology of the environment and anomalous levels derived from point mineralization and anthropogenic activities such as mining or industrial activities. These background and reference levels are often published by each country or region. Although many regions in Spain have determined these levels, Castilla-La Mancha present incomplete partial information due to its extensive (79461 km2), complex geology (Variscan (meta)sedimentary and granitic domain, Alpine domain, Undeformed Mesozoic domain and Post-Alpine domain) and diverse mining activities (Almadén Hg district, Pg-Ag-Zn-Cu districts, Sb district, Campos de Calatrava volcanic field, clay, granite, Ca salts, Na salts and Diatomites mining areas). Given this scenario, the main objective of this work is to evaluate the applicability of portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) techniques to the determination of generic reference levels from large datasets. The proposal involves the analysis of a shortened pretreatment method to get an aliquot for analysis, and an analytical data quality study using certified reference materials (Soil-1, Soil-2, NIST-R, STSP-2, STSP-3 and STSP-4). For this purpose, the fine fraction dried in the laboratory were analyzed with a pXRF spectrometer in different modes, with “mining mode” and “soil mode”. Optimization of analysis times was carried out, setting it in 45s as the optimum time, after testing 60 and 90 seconds. Recovery percentages of major elements using “Mining mode” ranged Al, Mgand Si and “Soil mode” Ca, Fe and K, and for trace elements using “Mining mode” ranged Nb and P and using “Soil mode” As, Ba, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, Zn, Zr. The following elements, Ag, Au, Cd, Co, Hg, Mo, Sn, Ta, Th and U have been discarded as being too different from the reference materials used. In conclusion, this rapid analysis technique offers an efficient solution for the characterization of large surface areas or the sampling of large number of samples. Of the analytical modes of pXRF, the “soil mode” is the most suitable in terms of quantification, providing results that are optimally adjusted to the analyzed patterns and on a larger number of analyzed elements.
 A rapid disaster intensity assessment method using social media data: a case study of the flood disaster in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region
Authors: Zhang Xiaohan
Published: March 2024

With the worsening of climate change, extreme weather events are on the rise, leading to more frequent occurrences of climate-related disasters. Analyzing people's perceptions and attitudes towards disasters after they occur can help determine the spatial pattern of the disaster intensity and the post-disaster needs of different populations. The implication is to provide references for disaster assessment and post-disaster relief needs analysis. Starting from July 29, 2023, due to the influence of Typhoon Dusrayi and Typhoon Canu, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in China suffered from catastrophic rainfall, resulting in severe flooding in multiple areas. This study utilized web crawlers to collect relevant Weibo data during the disaster, applied machine learning models to conduct public opinion analysis on the flooding disaster, developed the evolutionary patterns of public opinions on the disaster, and obtained heat maps and sentiment indicators for different cities. The results will contribute to the rapid assessment of post-disaster losses and guide the resource allocation in the initial emergency rescue process after the disaster.
Multi-centennial evolution of the climate response and deep ocean heat uptake in a set of abrupt stabilization scenarios
Authors: Fabiano Federico , Davini Paolo , Meccia Virna L. , Zappa Giuseppe , Bellucci Alessio , Lembo Valerio , Bellomo Katinka , Corti Susanna
Published: March 2024

A set of 1000-year long abrupt stabilization simulations have been performed with the EC-Earth3 climate model. Each simulation follows a sudden stabilization of the external forcing, starting at different years of the CMIP6 historical and SSP5-8.5 scenario. The final global mean temperature increases range between 1.4 and 9.6 K with respect to the pre-industrial baseline.We first explore here the evolution of the climate response at multi-centennial timescales and its dependence on the level of forcing, with regards to the climate feedback parameter and to patterns of surface warming. We then focus on the rate of heat storage in the global ocean, which is the main driver of the climate response at multi-centennial timescales. We find that the rate of warming of the deep ocean is almost independent from the amplitude of the forcing, so that most of the additional heat remains in the upper layers at high forcing. We hypothesize that this is due - at least partly - to a decreased ventilation of the deep ocean, caused by a general reorganization of the Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC). 
Constraining fiber-optic cable observations of internal waves with conventional oceanographic measurements
Authors: Claret Mariona , Ugalde Arantza , Winters Kraig , Vladoiu Anda , Williams Ethan , Salvador Joaquim , Hoareau Nina , Martins Hugo , Latorre Hugo , Vidal-Moreno Pedro J. , González-Herráez Miguel , Pelegrí José Luís
Published: March 2024

Ocean mixing plays a crucial role in the Earth’s climate, however quantifying it is challenging because energy enters the ocean at basin-scale but it dissipates at cm-scale over the vast ocean. Internal waves play an important role in the cascade of energy toward dissipative scales. Energy transfers to the internal wave field are greatly enhanced through flow interactions with topography. Observations of wave-topography interactions are, however, scarce. Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) has recently opened a new door for exploring near-bottom wave dynamics using fibre-optic cables at unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution (meters and seconds) over long spatio-temporal scales (kilometers and months). DAS is particularly attractive as it can use telecommunication cables already in place so that it could potentially be implemented at global scale.
Here we present repeated DAS observations on the continental slope east of Gran Canaria island complemented with contemporaneous hydrographic and velocity data collected with bottom moorings for the first time. Results show that upslope propagation of internal tides is a permanent feature at this site. DAS-inferred tidal temperature oscillations of 2 K magnitude agree with direct temperature observations. Preliminary results showing spectral peaks at the M2 tidal frequency and its harmonics is suggestive of wave-wave interactions. Finally, the potential of DAS to estimate lateral diffusion coefficients is considered.
A prototype of catchment-scale digital twin systems (cDTS) for debris-flow early warning 
Authors: Tang Hui , Francis Oliver
Published: March 2024

Debris flows as fast-moving and water-saturated sediment masses are particularly hazardous in alpine areas due to their high destructive power and poor predictability. We still do not fully know under what conditions debris flows occur and how to predict them. The most common method for predicting debris flow in warning systems and hazard assessment uses precipitation intensity and duration thresholds. However, these do not provide accurate and quantitative predictions of debris flow occurrence and are subject to high uncertainty due to limited data. Thanks to recent developments in novel monitoring technologies that have led to an unprecedented data explosion, it is now time to address these knowledge gaps innovatively and interdisciplinaryly. To this end, we develop a scalable and transferable catchment Digital Twin System (cDTS) that combines the latest knowledge from geomorphology, remote sensing, and hydrology to derive probabilistic rainfall intensity-duration (ID) thresholds from limited observations. The cDTS is a physics-informed genetic machine learning framework based on partially known physics, sparse and noisy data, and nonlinear dynamical networks. We test this framework on a small catchment in the Italian Dolomites to determine probabilistic thresholds for the occurrence of debris flows. The new rainfall thresholds are a negative exponential function controlled by infiltration capacity instead of a power law relationship. The cDTS is a lighthouse case for applications of the digital twin in geoscience, helping improve early warning system performance by providing timely, evidence-based information to the public and policymakers.
Relocated Earthquakes Confined to the Upper Crust in the Southern Tibet
Authors: Wang Gaochun , Thybo Hans , Artemieva Irina M.
Published: March 2024

We have located a total of 202 local earthquakes, based on the data recorded by the Hi-CLIMB seismic stations from 2002-2005, in the southern Tibet. The focal depths of all relocated earthquakes, in the Lhasa terrane, are shallow than 30km, however, the depths can extend to 50km under Himalaya, although there are many earthquakes deeper than 80 km according to the catalogue.  The absence of the earthquakes of the lower crust, in Lhasa terrane, implying a brittle upper crust lying on a soft felsic lower crust. Moreover, the focal depths, in Himalaya, show a low angle (~12°) of subducted Indian lower crust. The focal mechanisms show that the normal faults are the main type of the crustal deformation, which indicate the dominant direction of the extension is approximately east-west, in Lhasa terrane. The strike-slip faults played a regulatory role between normal faults. The thrust faults are only occurred in the south of STDS. The calculated mechanisms correlate well with the surface geology features. Our new results suggest that the whole crust of the Himalaya is brittle and prone to triggering earthquakes under the northward convergence of the Indian plate. However, the lower crust of the Lhasa terrane may be soft, felsic and stable floating above the mantle, under a brittle upper crust which is easier to collapse.
Characterizing subsurface structures from hard and soft data with multiple-condition fusion neural network
Authors: Chen Qiyu , Cui Zhesi
Published: March 2024

Accurately inferring realistic subsurface structures according to different types of geophysical observations and interpretations remains a significant challenge as the morphology controls the subsurface flow and transport behavior. Hard data and soft data are most commonly used in subsurface characterization. Among them, hard data are observations obtained from subsurface measurements. Soft data are remotely sensed geophysical information and interpretations. The deep learning technique is able to automatically learn the nonlinear relationships and extract implicit features of prior samples. In this work, we propose a deep-learning-based multiple-condition fusion network (MCF-Net) to accurately characterize subsurface structures according to both hard and soft data. Two encoders are used to extract the deep implicit features of the hard and soft data in multiple-level representations. To effectively integrate the multiple-level representations of multiple data, multiple-condition fusion blocks are introduced to extract the representing characteristics. These blocks are also equipped for the reconstruction of heterogeneous structures. MCF-Net can accurately estimate subsurface structures using a variety of available observations. Experimental results prove the utility of MCF-Net in many fields of Earth science.
Unravelling the role of groundwater in the Water-Energy-Food NEXUS
Authors: Yue Xinyuan , Joodavi Ata , Ercoli Laura , Sebastiani Luca , Nardi Fernando , Rossetto Rudy
Published: March 2024

Human societies and the whole planet are facing a number of challenges, due to climate and global changes, including freshwater scarcity and increase in demand for food and energy. Groundwater is a valuable resource supporting life, ecosystems, agriculture, and in general several human activities. Compared to surface water, groundwater has a longer temporal buffer, wider spatial distribution and more reliable water quality, making it a major source of freshwater in many areas of the world.The concept of Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus has been proposed to highlight the complex interactions between water, agricultural production and energy, in order to ensure an integrated planning and management for these main assets. In such a context, groundwater plays a key role in the WEF Nexus, but the interdependencies with the agricultural and the energy sectors and their synergistic impacts have been rarely evaluated.This work aims at addressing this issue by means of a systematic review searching the Scopus database for scientific articles published up to December 2023. Our search resulted in a total of 392 papers, and after analyzing all of them, we identified 217 papers suitable for our current research objectives, and an additional 3 papers were included by snowballing.Groundwater is the main source for irrigation in many parts of the world. Inefficient irrigation may be one cause of aquifer overexploitation, while increasing efficiency may be thought of as a way to save groundwater. However, there are several cases where technological improvements in turn, may call for larger irrigated areas, hence creating a loop. At the same time irrigated agriculture increases the use of fertilizers and pesticides, which in turn means larger energy consumption and CO2 emissions for their production, transportation and distribution. Energy is needed in farming for groundwater pumping, and in some cases routing. Energy may be needed also for treating groundwater to drinking standards. Competition for groundwater may exist between the industrial (including energy production) sectors and the agricultural one. Solutions to reduce groundwater exploitation (i.e. reuse of treated wastewater or desalinated water) may in turn increase energy consumption and decrease environmental quality. Our work provides a matrix to highlight the most relevant interdependencies among the groundwater resource, energy and agricultural production in order to support sustainable planning and development. AcknowledgementThis contribution is presented within the framework of the NEXUS-NESS project. The NEXUS-NESS received funding from the PRIMA Programme, an Art.185 initiative supported and funded under Horizon 2020, the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
The European Mediterranean RCMT Catalog: more than 25 years of activity and data
Authors: Pondrelli Silvia
Published: March 2024

When in 1997 we started to compute Regional CMT for seismic events in the Euro-Mediterranean region, we could not expect to create a Catalog that can well describe the seismicity, the seismotectonics of this really active region with such complex characteristics. The RCMT Catalog includes more than 3200 seismic moment tensors for earthquakes with a magnitude starting from 4.5, but for the Italian region also down to M 4.0, for the time span 1997 to 2023. All RCMTs are available on the web, on dedicated pages, with the possibility to select the preferred dataset choosing intervals for time, geography, magnitude, depth and quality factors (http://rcmt2.bo.ingv.it/searchRCMT.html). In the first years the RCMT computation was based only on the modelling of intermediate-period surface waves. After 2002, it has been possible to invert also for body waves, an improvement that for the RCMT computation has been important for events with M greater than 5.0. The homogeneity of the dataset given by the continuous use of the same algorithm is an added value that has been underlined by several comparisons with other regional catalogs. The lower magnitude threshold applied in the Euro-Mediterranean region produces a dataset three times more numerous with respect to what is available with the Global CMT data only. In 1997 RCMTs were the only seismic moment tensors available for earthquakes with M lower than 5.0 in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Later, several regional and local focal mechanisms have been computed, with different methods and for different sub-regions. At present, on average three or more regional solutions appear on the web after a M4.5 earthquake hits the Mediterranean. However, RCMT Catalog is the one with the longer time interval covered by homogeneous data. Today, the Catalog is continuously updated with a few months of delay between definitive and quick solutions, that are however available on the RCMT web pages up to the time the revised solution is ready.
The Next Era of CME Modeling at NASA's CCMC with CORHEL-CME
Authors: Reiss Martin , Barrous-Dume Damian , Caplan Ronald , Downs Cooper , Lesko Matthew , Linker Jon , MacNeice Peter , Mays Leila , Petrenko Maksym , Reyes Andres , Titov Viacheslav , Török Tibor , Tsui Tina
Published: March 2024

NASA's Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) presents CORHEL-CME, our newest addition to the Runs-On-Request system in the solar and heliospheric modeling domain. CORHEL-CME, developed by Predictive Science Inc., is a highly automated and interactive MHD modeling framework designed to simulate multiple coronal mass ejections within a realistic coronal and heliospheric environment. It combines three key innovations:1. Interactive design of CMEs using a GUI-based web interfaceCORHEL-CME's user interface is designed for non-experts. It offers real-time diagnostics to assist with model settings, guides users through creating full physics-based CME simulations, and provides web-based visualization reports.2. Modeling CMEs originating from complex active regionsCORHEL-CME includes a flux rope model called RBSL (Titov et al., 2018), allowing users to create pre-eruptive flux rope configurations above elongated and curved polarity inversion lines. This feature enables users to realistically simulate CMEs originating from complex active regions.3. Efficient, full physics-based simulations of CMEsUsing the web interface, the users set up simulation runs, including a simplified (zero-beta) MHD model of multiple flux ropes, a quasi-steady-state coronal MHD background model, and a high-fidelity time-dependent CME simulation. All simulation runs are performed on AWS high-performance GPU servers maintained by the CCMC.In this presentation, we will showcase the usage of CORHEL-CME via CCMC's Runs-On-Request system and show an example run based on an event from March 7th, 2012. The new framework is publicly accessible through the CCMC website.
Carbon dynamics at the mudflat-marsh edge of a temperate tidal bay
Authors: Polsenaere Pierre , Péry Camille , Lamaud Eric , Paschal Maxime , Lachaussée Nicolas , Volto Natacha , Long Nathalie , Dubillot Bénédicte , Deborde Jonathan , Costes Louis , Xaus Lucila , Amann Benjamin , Chaumillon Eric , Lacoue-Labarthe Thomas , Guéret Jean-Pierre , Afonso Marine , Dupuy Christine
Published: March 2024

Vegetated coastal ecosystems are still under represented in regional/global carbon cycling and flux studies. Despite their small surface area, they represent a significant part in annual global ocean productivity (mudflats, up to 20%), carbon stored on Earth and in air-sea CO2 fluxes (wetlands, 17%). In the context of rising greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and mitigation, it is paramount to increase integrative and multidisciplinary approaches to better understand processes, flux dynamics and controlling factors at terrestrial-aquatic-atmospheric exchange interfaces at the various spatiotemporal scales. In this objective and the framework of the La Rochelle Zero Carbon Territory project (LRTZC 2019-27), the carbon dynamic was studied within a temperate intertidal bay (Aiguillon, French Atlantic coast) at its mudflat - salt marsh edge, colonized by microphytobenthic communities and halophytic plants respectively, and likely to influence associated carbon processes and fluxes. An atmospheric Eddy Covariance station was deployed with simultaneous seasonal in situ and satellite measurements within the different compartments (air, soil/sediment, water) and associated interfaces to temporally and spatially characterize atmospheric CO2 exchanges and controlling factors. Our first results showed mean CO2 sink values higher in spring than winter (-2.42±4.21 and -0.73±1.83 µmol m−2 s−1), at low than high tides (-1.26±3.14 and -0.49±2.45 µmol m−2 s−1) and from mudflats than marsh habitats (-1.47±2.79 and -0.98±3.56 µmol m−2 s−1). Photosynthetically active radiation, air temperature as well as wind direction significantly controlled CO2 fluxes through photosynthesis and respiration activities of involved habitats. At the small-time scales (diurnal, tidal), the tide clearly influenced carbon processes and fluxes at the studied site, though 90% of the time emerged. However, at larger time scales (seasonal, annual), observed incoming CO2 oversaturated coastal waters did not question the overall CO2 sinks ensured by the mudflat – marsh system. These ongoing LRTZC measurements and results take part in the better carbon process/flux understanding of under studied blue carbon ecosystems in France and elsewhere and will earn to be discussed in the context of the climate change and its potential impact on carbon budgets.
Introducing WSFS-P, Process-based Version of the Watershed Simulation and Forecasting System (WSFS) in Finland
Authors: Menberu Meseret , Jakkila Juho , Veijalainen Noora , Böttcher Kristin , Fronzek Stefan , Kolhinen Vesa , Havu Paula , Fazel Nasim , Kumpumäki Miia , Koistinen Ari , Huttunen Markus
Published: March 2024

This study introduces the WSFS-P model, an evolution of the well-established national WSFS (Watershed Simulation and Forecasting System) hydrological model. This new model represents a significant shift, moving from a conceptual WSFS hydrological model framework to a more physically based, and process-oriented approach (WSFS-P). WSFS-P is a two-layer semi-distributed hydrological model developed at the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) in order to offer more detailed physical representations in hydrological forecasting and research. This hydrological model incorporates a number of sub-models that cover a wide range of hydrologic processes, including precipitation, snow dynamics, evapotranspiration, lake evaporation, soil moisture, groundwater, river routing, and ice thickness. The model utilizes meteorological inputs such as precipitation, temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, net radiation, cloudiness, and wind speed to deliver a comprehensive and detailed simulation of the hydrological cycle. The WSFS-P aims to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of hydrological forecasting and research in Finland by leveraging spatially distributed data, such as Corine land use, altitude, and Finnish soil database. This model covers the entire Finnish mainland and transboundary catchments but excludes islands and smaller coastal catchments. This study assesses the WSFS-P model in 58 different catchments in Finland that were selected to cover diverse hydrological characteristics, reliable data, and minimal influence from lake regulation. The selected catchments feature a variety of catchment sizes and topographical and land-use patterns, including forests and agricultural areas, and have varying soil types and distinct climatic conditions. Several catchments are characterized by numerous lakes typical to Finland. Additionally, the study provided a comprehensive examination of five specific catchments to highlight the model’s effectiveness. The preliminary results demonstrate the model’s capabilities in predicting water availability, contributing to efficient water resource management and enhanced flood and drought prediction in Finland. This study aims not only to introduce the WSFS-P model but also to validate its operational readiness for diverse hydrological conditions.
Floods automatic rapid mapping through Sentinel-2 MSI multitemporal data
Authors: Satriano Valeria , Ciancia Emanuele , Pergola Nicola , Tramutoli Valerio
Published: March 2024

Floods are widespread natural disasters on Earth affecting the planet with increasing frequency and intensity. Climate changes are responsible of the increasing number of heavy and persistent rains generating these destructive events often resulting in fatalities, injuries, and extensive infrastructural damages. A near real time monitoring system able to provide timely and accurate information about location and extent of the flooded areas is crucial for the authorities to implement the right mitigation actions. Currently, the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) supports at European level the crisis management activities in the immediate aftermath of a flood, exploiting multi-source satellite data to provide flood delineation with a release time ranging from 7 to 48 hours (from the satellite acquisition). Map characterization and relative information are retrieved through semi-automatic or manual methodologies which do not allow for a complete automation of the analysis crucial to speed up the procedure and shorten the release time.In this study, carried out in the framework of the MITIGO project (funded by MIUR PON R&I 2014-2020 Program), results coming from a multi-temporal optical satellite technique able to quick detect and accurately map flooded areas will be presented. This technique, namely RST-Flood, exploits the statistical characterization of the satellite observed signal to retrieve accurate background information useful to promptly and automatically identify ground changes directly linked to events occurrence. RST-Flood has already been successfully implemented with mid-low spatial resolution (from 1000 to 375m) optical satellite data sensors (i.e., Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite), and here is for the first time exported to Sentinel-2 Multi Spectral Instrument (MSI) data at mid-high spatial resolution (20m) to study recent floods events. The achieved results demonstrated the easy implementation of RST-Flood to different sensors and geographic areas and its capability in providing fast (processing time less than 15 min from data availability) and robust mapping of flooded areas. Furthermore, its design developed to work in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) environment makes it suitable for global scale implementation without altering its performance.
Multi-year aboveground dataset of minirhizotron facilities on a cropland site with two soil types in Western Germany
Authors: Nguyen Thuy , Lopez Gina , Seidel Sabine , Lärm Lena , Bauer Felix , Klotzsche Anja , Schnepf Andrea , Gaiser Thomas , Hüging Hubert , Ewert Frank
Published: March 2024

Improved understanding of crops’ response to soil water stress is important to advance soil-plant system models and to support crop breeding, crop and varietal selection, and management decisions to minimize negative impacts. Studies on eco-physiological crop characteristics from leaf to canopy for different soil water conditions and crops are often carried out at controlled conditions. In-field measurements under realistic field conditions and data of plant water potential, its links with CO2 and H2O gas fluxes, and crop growth processes are rare. Here, we presented a comprehensive data set collected from leaf to canopy using sophisticated and comprehensive sensing techniques (leaf chlorophyll content, hourly leaf stomatal conductance and photosynthesis, canopy CO2 exchange, sap flow, and canopy temperature) including detailed crop growth characteristics based on destructive methods (seasonal dynamics of crop height, leaf area index, above-ground biomass, and yield). Data were acquired under field conditions with contrasting soil types, water treatments, and different cultivars of wheat and maize. The data from 2016 up to now will be made available together with the below-ground data. This dataset produced under field conditions is unique and could be used by different users (agronomists, hydrologists, crop modelers, breeders, etc.) for studying soil/water-plant relations and improving soil-plant-atmospheric continuum models.
Variation characteristics of rainfall along elevation gradient in the Yarlung Tsangbo Grand Canyon, China
Authors: Cao Dianbin , Huang Lingxin , Chen Xuelong , Yang Kun , Zhao Wanglin , Chen Fahu
Published: March 2024

The Yarlung Tsangbo Grand Canyon, situated in the eastern section of the Himalayas, serves as the most important channel for transporting South Asian monsoon water vapor to the Tibetan Plateau. However, owing to the lack of observational data, the rainfall characteristics in this region remain unclear. In this study, a vertical observation network, characterized by intervals of approximately 300 meters between 800 and 4200 meters, was established within the canyon. Based on the analysis of in situ data from 2020 to 2022, the results demonstrate that: (1) A rainfall peak manifests at approximately 2,400 meters above mean sea level, with an average rainfall amount exceeding 2,800 mm during the South Asian summer monsoon season (May to October); (2) Heavy rainfall accounts for the largest contribution in excess of 30% to the total precipitation; (3) The diurnal cycle of rainfall exhibits a single nocturnal peak with the amplitude increases and then decreases with increasing altitude. The spatiotemporal characteristics of rainfall indicate the unique climate within the canyon. Furthermore, the insights derived from this study provide the crucial observational support to improve satellite inversion inaccuracies and simulation biases inherent in weather and climate models specific to the Yarlung Tsangbo Grand Canyon.
Cool pavements for adapting Paris to climate change
Authors: Abboud Charbel , Parison Sophie , Filaine Frédéric , Hendel Martin , Royon Laurent , Chanial Maïlys
Published: March 2024

In order to adapt to climate change, cities are studying various urban cooling techniques to improve pedestrian thermal comfort of users during heatwaves including urban greening and cool materials [1,2]. On technique being considered by the City of Paris is cool pavements [3] . To this aim, an experimental test site has been constructed and instrumented to study the thermal and climatic behavior of candidate sidewalk structures.The experimental demonstrator is located in Bonneuil-sur-Marne near Paris, France. This experimental device consists of 16 samples of various sidewalk structures [4]. Each sample is approximately 4x4m across by 25 cm deep and is composed of several layers following real-world conditions. The samples are instrumented with temperature and heat flow sensors at several depths, with the data recorded every 5 minutes. Additional weather measurements are also conducted onsite to monitor air temperature and humidity, global horizontal short- and longwave irradiance as well as wind speed and direction. This communication is focused on data collected during the summers of 2021 and 2022, specifically temperatures and heat fluxes and the derived surface heat budget of each sample. These data from each strcture will be analyzed with respect to their contribution to the degradation of pedestrian thermal comfort as well as to the urban heat island effect in order to inform the city services in their selection of suited sidewalk materials. Additional testing inside a climate chamber will supplement the demonstrator test site with complementary measurements performed in the laboratory. References:[1] H. Akbari, M. Pomerantz, and H. Taha, “Cool surfaces and shade trees to reduce energy use and improve air quality in urban areas,” Sol. Energy, vol. 70, no. 3, pp. 295–310, Jan. 2001.[2] M. Chanial, G. Karam, S. Parison, M. Hendel and L. Royon. (2022). Microclimatic analysis of an experimental cooling watering device (in French).. CIFQ 2022, Paris (France).[3] Santamouris, M. (2013). Using cool pavements as a mitigation strategy to fight urban heat island—A review of the actual developments. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 26, 224-240. [4] S. Parison, M. Chanial, F. Filaine and M. Hendel. (2022). Surface heat budget of sixteen pavement samples on an experimental test site in the Parisian region. SURF 2022, Milano (Italy).
InSAR illuminates Pohnpei island's subsidence, validating GNSS and late Holocene seal-level data
Authors: Radha Krishnan Sree Ram , A. Karegar Makan , Kusche Jürgen , E. Engelhart Simon , C. Kemp Andrew , P. Sefton Juliet
Published: March 2024

Relative sea level (RSL) reconstructions using radiocarbon-dated mangrove sediment from Pohnpei Island, Federated States of Micronesia, in Remote Oceania reveal that RSL rose at an average rate of 0.7 mm/yr since 5,700 years BP. This is contrary to the predictions of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) models that suggest a RSL fall. This RSL rise was attributed to ongoing subsidence supported by GPS CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Station) on the coastal plain of the island directly measuring subsidence at 1.0 ± 0.2 mm/yr over 2003-2021 (Sefton et al., 2022, PNAS). The availability of Sentinel-1 SAR data for Pohnpei presents a unique opportunity to further investigate subsidence and independently evaluate the trends inferred from proxy RSL records and GPS CORS.To create a robust vertical land motion (VLM) map of the island, we employed the coherence-based Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) method for InSAR analysis of Sentinel-1 data. This generated a high-resolution VLM map that provides detailed insights into deformation patterns across the island from 2016 to 2021. Application of corrections for tropical atmospheric condition and tidal loading significantly improved the results. We found an average subsidence rate of 0.89 mm/yr with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 2.47 mm/yr. The InSAR findings validate the previous results indicating island-scale subsidence of Pohnpei.
GEORGE-project provides next-generation multiplatform ocean observing technologies for RIs, a joint data flow from the sea bed to the surface ocean, and applies novel tools for knowledge sharing.
Authors: Rintala Janne-Markus , Loucaides Socratis , Mowlem Matt , Coppola Laurent , Edouard Leymarie , Schuster Ute , Becker Meike , Dañobeitia Juanjo , Lanteri Nadine , Sanders Richard , Männistö Tommi , Sinikallio Laura , Ahlgren Katri , de Roeck Yann-Hervé , Kutsch Kutsch ,   GEORGE-Project
Published: March 2024

The ocean observing research infrastructures (RIs) in Europe (i.e. ICOS, EMSO, Euro-Argo) have successfully implemented a world-leading system of standardised Ocean observations over the past 15 years, building on more than a century of experiences by the involved marine institutes. This community has joined forces in the GEORGE project to take their observation to the next level of technology: GEORGE aims to develop an already existing observations network with novel state-of-the-art biogeochemical, multi-platform observing system operated across ERICs that can carry out integrated biogeochemical observations for characterisation of the Ocean carbon system. We have brought together 28 partners from leading European ocean-observing technology developers, academia, and the observing community. In addition to improving the measurement technologies of the existing RI’s, GEORGE will also streamline data treatment, e.g., quality control and the data flow to repositories, as well as adopt the novel methods developed for knowledge sharing to endorse rigorous learning without boundaries to ensure the sustainability of future ocean observations.
The assimilation of surface observations in mountainous terrain in the WRFDA system
Authors: Doglioni Giorgio , Serafin Stefano , Weissmann Martin , Ferrari Gianluca , Zardi Dino
Published: March 2024

Assimilating surface observations in convective scale data assimilation (DA) systems is not straightforward, since these observations may be affected by small-scale effects not represented in the model, and the model itself might not be able to accurately represent the features of the atmosphere close to the surface. These issues are particularly evident in mountainous terrain. In variational DA systems, such as the Weather Research and Forecasting, Data Assimilation (WRFDA) suite, the available background error (BE) models produce BE variances and covariances that vary smoothly over long distances. Therefore, for instance, assimilating a valley-floor surface observation typically leads to large analysis increments even at nearby mountain tops, which are physically unwarranted and cause high levels of gravity-wave noise. Such problems can be partially mitigated in WRFDA by modeling the BE using the Alpha Control Variable Transform (Alpha CVT). Like other BE models in WRFDA, this technique derives BE statistics from an ensemble of differences between forecasts with different initial and identical valid times (NMC method), and it makes use of a control variable transform (CVT). Differently from other BE models in WRFDA, it computes analysis increments as a linear combination of the NMC ensemble members.In this work we consider simulations with a grid spacing of 3.5 km over a domain encompassing the European Alps. We first use pseudo-observation tests to show how different BE specifications in WRFDA affect the assimilation of surface observations of temperature, specific humidity, pressure and horizontal winds components in complex terrain.We then present real-case assimilation experiments with a limited set of surface observations. Considering the consistency between the variances of innovations and the assigned observation and background errors, we demonstrate the positive impact of the Alpha CVT.
Seismic Data Archive in the United Kingdom to support Nuclear Test Monitoring
Authors: Peacock Sheila , Bartholomew Peter ,   Forensic Seismology Team
Published: March 2024

In 1961, AWE Blacknest became the home of Forensic Seismology in the UK, with the aim of developing and maintaining a capability to provide seismological advice to the UK government. During the 1960s the group set up a seismometer array in Scotland and worked with host countries to set up arrays in Canada, Australia (now both IMS stations), India and Brazil. AWE Blacknest has continuous data archives from these sites dating back to 1961 on a mix of paper helicorder records (seismic and infrasound traces), analogue FM-encoded tape and digital tape. From 2006-15 Blacknest developed and ran an extensive programme to overcome the ageing issues presented by vintage magnetic media condition and formats, and recovered and digitised the tapes, putting the continuous data on to modern computer storage systems. Since the 1990s data have been directly recorded to digital storage systems. Historically only events of interest, including data recorded from suspected nuclear explosions, were extracted, and Blacknest is running a programme of analysing these events and preparing the data and analysis in a form for public release. I will present on the work undertaken to develop the programme, data recovery and digitization methods from magnetic media, and the modern storage systems Blacknest use for serving seismic data. This will also include analysis work and the data inventories that Blacknest is making available.UK Ministry of Defence © Crown Owned Copyright 2024/AWE
Statistics of sudden stratospheric warmings using a large model ensemble
Authors: Ineson Sarah , Dunstone Nick , Scaife Adam , Andrews Martin , Lockwood Julia , Pang Bo
Published: March 2024

Using a large ensemble of initialised retrospective forecasts (hindcasts) from a seasonal prediction system, we explore various statistics relating to sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). Observations show that SSWs occur at a similar frequency during both El Niño and La Niña northern hemisphere winters. This is contrary to expectation, as the stronger stratospheric polar vortex associated with La Niña years might be expected to result in fewer of these extreme breakdowns. We show that this similar frequency may have occurred by chance due to the limited sample of years in the observational record. We also show that in these hindcasts, winters with two SSWs, a rare event in the observational record, on average have an increased surface impact. Multiple SSW events occur at a lower rate than expected if events were independent but somewhat surprisingly, our analysis also indicates a risk, albeit small, of winters with three or more SSWs, as yet an unseen event.
In-situ Airflow Measurements over Surface Waves using Particle Image Velocimetry
Authors: Tenhaus Janina , Buckley Marc , Carpenter Jeffrey
Published: March 2024

The input of wind energy by wave growth into the upper ocean is an important process for the global energy budget. However, observing and measuring the near surface physics that control these fluxes remains challenging, especially in field experiments.We were able to capture small-scale motions in the airflow above surface waves. A high resolution 2D Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system was developed for velocity measurements within the first micrometers to centimeters above the air-water interface. The system, installed on a single pile platform in the Szczecin Lagoon (Baltic Sea coast, Germany) at a fetch of approximately 20 to 25 km, was remotely operated and could be rotated to measure the airflow velocities in a range of wind directions. In this study, we focus on a peak wave age (cp/u*) of 14.2, classified as "growing sea", with a slope (akp) of 0.08 and a 10-m wind speed of 5.7 m/s.We observe modulations of the airflow by locally generated wind waves, including small sheltering events downwind of sharp wave crests. The pattern of the vertical wave-coherent velocity field shows a critical layer where the wind speed equals the wave speed. The phase of the observed vertical velocity eigenfunction is in agreement with the linear theory of Miles (1957, J. Fluid Mech., doi: 10.1017/S0022112057000567). In addition, we find a dimensionless wave growth rate using wave slope, wave age, and wave-coherent momentum flux, which is consistent with other studies.