bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydro-pedotransfer functions: A roadmap for future development
Authors: Weber Tobias K. D.
Published: February 2023

Hydro-pedotransfer functions (hyPTF) are important methods to relate available knowledge about soil properties to soil hydraulic properties and model parameters to be applied in process models. At least more than four decades have been invested to derive such relationships. However, while models, methods, data storage capacity, and computational efficiency have advanced, there are fundamental issues related to the scope and adequacy of current hyPTFs, particularly when applied to parameterise models at the field scale and beyond. Much of the hyPTF development process has focussed on refining and advancing the methods, while fundamental questions remain largely unanswered, namely i) how should hyPTFs be built for maximum prediction confidence, ii) which processes/properties need to be predicted to move beyond the van Genuchten-Mualem based parameterisation of the Richards equation, iii) which new datasets and data coverage are needed, iv) how does the measurement process of soil hydraulic properties determine the construction of hyPTFs and at which scale, iv) how can we incorporate diverging scales (scale of derivation vs scale of application), and v) what scaling/modulation/constraining strategies are affective to make hyPTF predictions at field-to-regional scale appropriate and physically meaningful? These questions have been addressed in a joint effort by the members of the International Soil Modelling Consortium (ISMC) Pedotransfer Functions Working Group with the aim to systematise hyPTF research and provide a roadmap guiding scientists, reviewers, and make users aware of the shortcomings.
Fungal plastiphily and its link to generic virulence traits makes environmental microplastics a global health factor
Authors: Gkoutselis Gerasimos , Rohrbach Stephan , Harjes Janno , Brachmann Andreas , Horn Marcus A. , Rambold Gerhard
Published: February 2023

Fungi comprise significant human pathogens, causing over a billion infections each year. Plastic pollution alters niches of fungi by providing trillions of artificial microhabitats, mostly in the form of microplastics, where pathogens might accumulate, thrive, and evolve. However, interactions between fungi and microplastics in nature are largely unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the assembly, architecture, and ecology of mycobiomes in soil (micro)plastispheres near human dwellings in a model- and network-based metagenome study combined with a global-scale meta-analysis. Our results reveal a strong selection of important human pathogens, in an idiosyncratic, otherwise predominantly neutrally assembled plastisphere, which is strongly linked to generic fungal virulence traits. These findings substantiate our niche expansion postulate, demonstrate the emergence of plastiphily among fungal pathogens and imply the existence of a ‘plastisphere virulence school’, underpinning the need to declare microplastics as a factor of global health.
Rupture processes of the 2023 Türkiye earthquake sequence: Main- and aftershocks
Authors: Petersen Gesa , Büyükakpinar Pinar , Vera Felipe , Metz Malte , Saul Joachim , Cesca Simone , Dahm Torsten , Tilmann Frederik
Published: February 2023

On February 6, 2023, southeastern Turkey was hit by two of the most devastating earthquakes in the instrumental period of the country, with Mw 7.7-7.8 and Mw 7.6, respectively. Both earthquakes caused massive damage and in total tens of thousands of casualties in Turkey and Syria. In this study, we analyze the rupture processes of main- and aftershocks by combining different seismic source characterization techniques using teleseismic, regional and local data. We perform finite source inversion and back projection-based analyses for the two main shocks and invert for probabilistic centroid moment tensor solutions of both main and aftershocks (M≥4). The first earthquake was bilateral and ruptured a seismic gap along the East Anatolian Fault Zone, with rupture first propagating to the north-east for ~200 km, and in a latter phase propagating to the SSW, probably coming to a halt only on a branch extending into the Mediterranean Sea. The total length of the rupture likely exceeds 500 km. The second event ruptured the EW oriented Sürgü-Misis Fault Zone to the NW of the first event. It shows a highly concentrated rupture near the epicenter, Rupture directivity analyses for M≥5.3 earthquakes provide additional insights into dynamic source aspects. Preliminary moment tensor solutions of numerous aftershocks indicate a remarkable variability of rupturing mechanisms, suggesting stress changes and the activation of multiple faults in the vicinity of the main ruptures. With our work, we aim to shed light onto multiple aspects of the complex rupture evolution and hope to provide new insights towards a better understanding of the devastating 2023 Türkiye earthquake sequence.
February 6, 2023, Mw 7.8 and 7.6 Kahramanmaraş (Turkiye) Earthquake Sequence: Insights from Co-seismic and Post-seismic Surface Deformation
Authors: Özarpacı Seda , Özdemir Alpay , Ayruk Efe Turan , Farımaz İlay , Turğut Muhammed , Yüksel Yusuf , Eskiköy Figen , Doğan Uğur , Ergintav Semih , Zabcı Cengiz , Çakmak Rahşan , Köküm Mehmet , Çakır Ziyadin
Published: February 2023

On 6 February 2023, 04:17 in local time, Mw 7.8 earthquake and nine hours later, 13:24 in local time, Mw 7.7 earthquake struck the same region resulting a massive destruction with loss of lives more than 41,000 in Türkiye and 4,000 Syria.  The earthquake took place on the East Anatolian Fault Zona (EAFZ) which is a plate boundary (~600 km) between the Anatolian and Arabian plates from Karlıova triple junction between Arabian, Anatolian and Eurasian plates to the Dead Sea Fault Zone (DSFZ) and parts of another triple junction at the south end between Adana block, Anatolian and Arabian plates at Kahramanmaraş. Secular plate velocities between Arabia and Anatolia range from 6 to 10 mm/yr and has resulted in destructive earthquakes in eastern Turkey as documented by historical records. The largest known earthquakes along the EAFZ occurred on November 29, 1114 (M > 7.8), March 28, 1513 (M > 7.4) and March 2, 1893 (M > 7.1).  The activity of these large devastating historical earthquakes contrasts with the low-level activity during the 20th century. The quiescence ended with the Mw 6.9 1971 Bingöl earthquake, which is followed about 50 year later by the Mw 6.9 January 24, 2020 Sivrice, Elazığ earthquake that ruptured only 45 km of the 95 km long Sivrice-Pütürge segment. With the latter event, seismicity accelerated along the rupture zone and activity moved towards to the SW.Our aim is to monitor and estimate the co- and post- deformation field from geodetic measurements (InSAR and GNSS). While maximum co-seismic displacement at the ANTE GNSS station was 0.4 m in the first event (KMRS, Kahramanmaras), the biggest co-seismic displacement observed in the second event was 4.5 m in EKIZ (Ekinozu) station which is ~1.5 km away from the epicenter of the second earthquake. This co-seismic deformation field was estimated from open station of TUSAGA-Active GNNS Network. Following the earthquakes, we established three new continuous GNSS stations to monitor the postseismic deformation in Hatay province close to Türkoğlu segment of the East Anatolian Fault. Preliminary analysis indicates about 20 mm of postseismic deformation 10 days following the earthquakes. We have also conducted a GNSS campaign and occupied nearfield benchmarks. We will also monitor postseismic deformation using Sentinel and CosmoSkyMed SAR data field.This work is supported by TUBITAK project number 121Y400 and 1002-C project “Mw 7.7 Pazarcik (Kahramanmaras) Earthquake Sequence”.Keywords: 06.02.2023 Turkiye Earthquake Sequence, Kahramanmaras Earthquake, GNSS, InSAR, Coseismic and Postseismic Deformation
Reconstructing the input of volcanic ash to the Pacific Ocean over the Cenozoic era
Authors: Longman Jack , Dunlea Ann , Anderson Chloe , Scudder Rachel
Published: February 2023

Volcanic ash is known to influence a range of biogeochemical processes once deposited in the oceans. These processes include the fertilisation of phytoplankton, and the enhancement of organic carbon burial, and the impact typically scales with the volume of ash. It has been shown that during periods of intense volcanic ash deposition, the impact on the ocean carbon cycle can be significant enough to cause global cooling. As a result, knowing the volume of ash entering the world’s oceans through time is vital to understanding the role explosive volcanism plays in setting global climate states. However, records of ash deposition consist of a small number of individual archives of ash input estimated via either layer counting or from multivariate statistical partitioning. Here, we compile the discontinuous and patchy records of volcanic ash deposition in the Pacific Ocean over the past 70 million years and synthesise all available data to produce a coherent record of ash accumulation rates. We show how the development of certain provinces, such as the Izu-Bonin Arc led to considerable upticks in ash input, and discuss how changing levels of ash deposition may have impacted Cenozoic climate change. Using a global biogeochemical model, we demonstrate mechanistically the role changing ash supply has in controlling global climate.
Magnetic storms during the space age: Occurrence and relation to varying solar activity
Authors: Mursula Kalevi , Qvick Timo , Holappa Lauri , Asikainen Timo
Published: February 2023

We review here the occurrence of magnetic storms during the space age (1957 - 2021), as observed by two storm indices, the Dst index and the Dxt index. We study the solar sources of storms, describe the dramatic changes in the different types of storms during the space age, and explain these changes in terms of the long-term change of solar activity and solar magnetic fields during the decline of the Modern Grand Maximum.We find 2526/2743 magnetic storms in the Dxt/Dst index, out of which 45% are weak (-50 nT <  Dxt/Dst ≤ -30 nT), 40% moderate (-100 nT < Dxt/Dst ≤ -50 nT), 12% intense (200 nT < Dxt/Dst ≤ -100 nT) and 3% major (Dxt/Dst ≤ -200 nT) storms. Occurrence of storms in space age follows the slow decrease of sunspot activity and the related change in solar magnetic structure. We quantify the sunspot - CME storm relation in the five cycles of space age. We explain how the varying solar activity changes the structure of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) and how this affects the HSS/CIR storms.Space age started with a record number of storms in 1957 - 1960, with roughly one storm per week. Solar polar fields attained their maximum in cycle 22, which led to an exceptionally thin HCS, and a space age record of large HSS/CIR storms in 1990s. In the minimum of cycle 23, for the only time in space age, CME storm occurrence reduced below that predicted by sunspots. Weak sunspot activity since cycle 23 has weakened solar polar fields and widened the HCS, which has decreased the occurrence of large and moderate HSS/CIR storms. Moreover, because of the wide HCS, the Earth has spent 50% of its time in slow solar wind since cycle 23. The wide HCS has also made large and moderate HSS/CIR storms to occur in the early declining phase in recent cycles, while in the more active cycles 20-22 they occurred in the late declining phase.
A new earthquake catalogue for seismic hazard assessment in metropolitan France and neighboring countries
Authors: Arroucau Pierre , Drouet Stéphane , Daniel Guillaume , Traversa Paola , Manchuel Kévin
Published: February 2023

In this work, we present a new earthquake catalogue for metropolitan France (i.e. the part of France located in Europe), which can be used to derive parameters of interest for seismic hazard modeling in that region. The catalogue is built from the amalgamation of existing catalogues for France but also neighboring countries, for both historical (here, ante-1965) and instrumental times. It covers a period ranging from 250 to 2020. Magnitudes are homogenized as moment magnitudes (Mw) using adequate conversion laws when needed. Uncertainties on location and magnitude are also provided so they can be used to realistically quantify epistemic uncertainties in hazard models. This catalogue somehow represents an updated version of the catalogue used in Drouet et al. (2020), augmented from recently published information. It extends from -8.1°E to 11.°E in longitude and from 38°N to 51°N in order to encompass the three area source models that were used in that study. The core of this catalogue is FCAT-17 (Manchuel et al., 2018), completed using the most recent ESHM2020 catalogue, FCAT-17 being given priority on the French territory plus a 20 km buffer beyond its borders and exclusive economic zone. Then, national catalogues for neighboring countries (Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy) are also incorporated and are given full priority over their territory. The final model contains more than 45,000 events with magnitudes as low as Mw=2.0. Such low magnitudes were considered in order to provide as much constraint as possible to recurrence models, despite the fact low magnitude events are -per se- of little interest for seismic hazard models.
Microbial metabolic response to throughfall exclusion and feedback on soil carbon dynamics along a tropical forest precipitation gradient
Authors: Chacon Stephany S. , Karaoz Ulas , Louie Katherine , Bowen Ben , Northen Trent , Dietterich Lee H. , Cusack Daniela F. , Bouskill Nick
Published: February 2023

Tropical forest soils represent some of Earth's largest stores of soil carbon. Humid and warm conditions promote high primary productivity offsetting high ecosystem respiration rates, and this balance has resulted in significant carbon accumulation in plant biomass and soils. These vast carbon stocks can be destabilized under a changing climate, and model projections predict tropical and subtropical regions will experience disturbance to the hydrological cycle, with an increased likelihood of more frequent and prolonged droughts interspersed with periods of intense precipitation. Herein, we examine the functional response of belowground communities to a reduction in throughfall across a 1 m precipitation gradient (2350 to 3400 mm) spanning three sites from the Caribbean coast to the interior of Panama. At each site, 4 throughfall exclusion plots (10 x 10 m) were established to reduce precipitation, and exacerbate the natural variability in seasonal hydrological cycles. In January 2020, approximately 18 months since the inception of throughfall exclusion, each plot was sampled at six locations and two depths (0-10 and 10-20 cm). To identify the traits and mechanisms involved in responding to drought perturbation, we sequenced the microbiomes of the soil samples from the throughfall exclusion and corresponding controls at each site, and measured metabolite accumulation within the soils. Here we report on the accumulation of distinct metabolites along the precipitation gradient and under throughfall exclusion. We note that constitutive production of compatible solutes increases from the wettest to the driest site, indicative of trait selection due to climate history. However, under throughfall exclusion the gradient end members show a more muted metabolic response than the intermediate site. We discuss these responses with respect specific pathways invoked under drying stress, and soil carbon dynamics.  
Systems-based framework for measuing heatwave resilience
Authors: Rubenstein Naomi , Keating Adriana
Published: February 2023

The question of how to live in a rapidly urbanising, climate change impacted world with more frequent and intense heatwaves is more urgent than ever. While recent heatwaves have increased awareness of the immediacy and seriousness of the heatwave threat in some regions, significant questions remain about if and how better awareness will translate into effective resilience building actions that target the underlying drivers of heat risk. Many challenges remain in improving heatwave resilience including an absence of data and understanding about the direct and indirect linkages between heat impacts which have been problematic for the governance of anticipatory planning and action to mitigate risks.This presentation outlines the key findings from our experience of adapting the approach of the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance for measuring community flood resilience, to heatwaves. It is widely recognized that operationalising and measuring progress in building resilience is extremely challenging, yet measurement is critical for more accurate and nuanced tracking of key indicators to inform prioritisation, policy, and planning. Using examples of indicators – called ‘sources of resilience’ - from the heatwave framework we will illustrate the way in which we have responded to key themes, specifically the resilience of heatwave for critical urban systems; heatwave vulnerability and equity; and heatwave governance and capacity. It is hoped that this approach can help lead to more anticipatory and integrated heatwave responses that are community specific, and which can help enable transformational change. We also show how we have attempted to integrate climate change adaptation planning into the resilience measurement. The framework we present here is, to our knowledge, the only standardized and holistic, yet globally applicable, heatwave resilience measurement framework available.
Opportunistic rain sensors and flood modelling to assess the risk of failure of surface drainage in urban areas
Authors: Lanza Luca G. , Cauteruccio Arianna , Chinchella Enrico
Published: February 2023

High-resolution space-time measurements of rain fields in urban areas are crucial to support the assessment of the risk of failure of urban drainage systems. In this work, opportunistic rain sensors based on optical principles and mounted on board moving vehicles are tested and used as an input to a hydraulic model to assess the risk of flooding of selected urban areas. Opportunistic sensors can be joined with other innovative measurement techniques (satellite links) and traditional instruments (radars and rain gauges at the ground) to provide the best real-time estimate of the space-time rain field for selected events. Synthetic hyetographs based on the local DDF curves are also used to assess the return period of flooding scenarios.The focus of this work is on the impact of the inlet number, positioning, and efficiency on the risk of flooding. Detailed information about the inlet characteristics, including the potential degree of clogging, were obtained from the archives of the company in charge of the street and inlet maintenance, corroborated by a dedicated survey in the study area. This allowed obtaining a complete definition of the geometric and hydraulic characteristics of the surface drainage system (inlets), connecting the runoff produced during rain events with the underground storm sewers. It is assumed here that the capacity of the storm sewers is sufficient to drive away the water conveyed through the inlets, therefore no backflow is considered.Hydraulic modelling is performed by using the HEC-RAS 2D software code (v. 6.3.1) and inlets are simulated as pumping stations with a customised stage-discharge relationship based on the available literature studies. Results are presented in the form of maps of the water depth and velocity over the study areas, and critical regions are identified based on the observed frequency (return period) of the expected flooding.This study aims at providing suitable information to plan priorities in the maintenance interventions (cleaning and repairing of inlets) and possible expansion of the surface drainage system. The model is applied to a case study of an urban district of the town of Genoa (Italy), to support the activities of the project RUN – “Urban Resilience: Now-casting of the risk of flooding with IoT sensors and Open Data”, funded within the ROP-ERDF (Regional Operational Programme of the European Regional Development Fund).
How Predator-Prey Dynamics Creates ‘Straw’ in the Strongest Density Waves
Authors: Esposito Larry W. , Sremcevic Miodrag , Colwell Joshua E. , Eckert Stephanie , Green Melody
Published: February 2023

The Cassini cameras detected elongated structures in Saturn’s ring in highly perturbed regions near ring edges and within the strongest density waves. These ‘straw’ features are likely triggered by the periodic forcing arising from the nearby moons. We investigate the temporal response to this forcing by interpretation of the ring occultation counting statistics. The varying geometry of Cassini star occultations by Saturn’s rings constrains both the size and shape of structures that block starlight. Statistics of UVIS star occultations measure structures as small as meters, on times scales of minutes to decades. We calculate the excess variance, skewness and kurtosis including the effects of irregular particle shadows, along with a granola bar model (GBM) for gaps, ghosts and clumps. We then use the statistics of ring occultations observed by the Cassini UVIS High Speed Photometer to characterize structures in Saturn’s rings. Skewness for small τ has a different sign for transparent and opaque structures, and can distinguish gaps from clumps. The higher order central moments are more sensitive to the extremes of the size distribution and opacity.

To calculate the expected variance, skewness and kurtosis, we use the moments approach of Showalter and Nicholson (1990), extended to higher moments and removing their restrictions on fractional particle area δ <<1 and line-of-sight optical depth τ <<1. We include Poisson contributions, but ignore Sheppard’s corrections for data compression; and use the exact formulas, not Taylor expansions. The measured Cassini occultation statistics show the expected extrema and zero crossings. The observed excess variance shows aggregate growth following the passage of a density wave crest. For self-gravity wakes in the A ring, we find wake width W = 18-29m; typical wavelength S+W ~ 60m; H/W < 0.12, thus vertical height H < 4m. These results are consistent with a simple dynamical model of the rings, analogous to an ecological Predator-Prey interaction. Compression drives aggregation, which lags the forcing. Perturbed by passing density waves, self-gravity wakes grow and erode on orbital timescales with a full amplitude of 60%, and a phase lag
Changes in climate sensitivity and polar amplification over the last 500 million years
Authors: Lunt Dan , Valdes Paul , Scotese Chris
Published: February 2023

During the Phanerozoic (the last ~0.5 billion years), the Earth has experienced massive changes in climate, spanning the extensive glaciations of the Permo-Carboniferous (~300 million years ago), to the mid-Cretaceous super-greenhouse (~100 million years ago). Recently, several studies have used geological data to reconstruct global mean temperatures through this period, as a way of characterising the zeroth-order response of the Earth system to its primary forcings.Here we use two new ensembles of model simulations covering the entire Phanerozoic, consisting of 2× >100 simulations at a 5 million year resolution, to explore the key metrics of climate sensitivity and polar amplification using the HadCM3 climate model.  The model version we use has undergone a substantial development process and can simulate the climate of the Eocene, where extensive observations exist, at least as well as much more recent (CMIP5) models, but at a fraction of the computational cost.The two ensembles explore uncertainty in the CO2 forcing during the Phanerozoic, being forced by (a) a published CO2 curve based on proxy reconstructions, and (b) a derived CO2 curve that results in global mean temperatures in agreement with temperature reconstructions.  Comparison of the ensembles indicates that the climate sensitivity is both temperature and paleogeography dependent, increasing with increasing temperatures, and varying as a function of the supercontinent configuration.  We also explore polar amplification, and again find that this is dependent on background climate and paleogeography.  We apply energy balance methods to explore the reasons for the varying polar amplification, and also find a key role for the ocean circulation state.
Modelling transport pathways of varying microplastics in an estuarine environment
Authors: Summers Emily , Du Jiabi , Park Kyeong , Kaiser Karl , Ryder Jodi
Published: February 2023

Plastics have become ubiquitous in the modern consumer economy. Unchecked production, failure to implement efficient recycling practices, and poorly defined global policy regarding production and disposal has led to a prevalent plastic problem. Over the past decade, microplastic pollution has emerged as a forefront concern of plastic in the global environment. As marine microplastic pollution becomes a predominant area of interest, it is important to understand microplastic sources, delivery pathways, and ultimate fate. Estuaries are key zones to monitor for microplastic pollution, due to their close proximity to source areas, and their natural ability to filter pollutants. The Galveston Bay watershed is located near the densely populated Houston, TX metro area and manufactures potentially half of the United States’ pre-production plastics. Using a Lagrangian particle-tracking method coupled with a validated 3D hydrodynamic model, we examined the transport behavior of microplastics, as well as export ability of the Galveston Bay estuary. Accounting for the variability of type and density of microplastics, multiple settling velocities were simulated to examine their effect on behavior. Four release sites were chosen near highly populated river connections. We found that settling velocity has significant impact on both local exposure time and retention time. Neutrally buoyant particles were flushed quickly out of the bay, while heavier particles migrated westward and spent far more time in the bay overall. Release location influenced percent of particles retained in bay, with a higher percent of particles still present from northern release locations than southern release locations after two years of simulation. The use of modelling studies to provide successful estimation of microplastic transport pathways and export efficiency of Galveston Bay will help contribute to a more robust understanding of microplastic behavior within estuarine environments. 
Ancient science laboratorial instruments from Latino Coelho High school, Lamego, Portugal
Authors: Borges Andreia Liliana Santos
Published: February 2023

This school year I am teaching physics and chemistry at Latino Coelho´s High school, in Lamego, north of Portugal, one of the oldest schools of the region, started the activity in the nineteenth century (1880). Like lots of others centuries-old schools in Portugal, I understood that Latino Coelho’s High school has a heritage of ancient and valuable laboratorial instruments that  are of high interest and must be shown to the scientific community. Some of this equipment, related particularly with natural and physical sciences issues, is still in use, so teachers and students have the opportunity to work with. This legacy is an important resource to develop skills in the scope of History of Science as a testimony of the evolution of the technology, the science and the Portuguese school system. With this communication I intend to present some of the oldest instruments from my schools´ heritage as promoters of experimental science teaching through these 143 years of school activity.
Changing glaciers in a changing climate through changing modelling approaches
Authors: Zekollari Harry
Published: February 2023

Glaciers outside the ice sheets are key contributors to sea-level rise and act as essential fresh-water resources in various regions around the world. Glaciers are also important sources of natural hazards, directly impact biodiversity, and have a significant touristic value. Given these crucial societal and environmental roles, having reliable projections on the evolution of these precious ice bodies under changing climatic conditions is of paramount importance. In this presentation, I will highlight how modelling glacier changes goes hand in hand with rapidly increasing remotely sensed glacier observations and derived products at the global scale (e.g., glacier outlines, surface elevation, ice thickness, surface velocities, and elevation changes). These new observations, combined with ever-increasing computational capacities and novel numerical tools have recently allowed us to transition from modelling a few individual glaciers to now modelling the evolution of glaciers at regional- to global scales while accounting for ice-dynamical processes. Whereas these recent advances are encouraging, I will also highlight the challenges that we are still facing and that we will need to tackle in the coming years to provide more trustworthy glacier evolution projections.
Failure mechanisms in low-porosity carbonate rocks during the reactivation of deformation bands with various orientations
Authors: Charalampidou Elli-Maria , Taxopoulou Maria-Eleni , Beaudoin Nicolas , Aubourg Charles , Cartwright-Taylor Alexis , Butler Ian , Atwood Robert , Michalik Stefan
Published: February 2023

Deformation bands, or tabular zones of localised strain, are a common manifestation of deformation in upper crustal sedimentary rocks. Any mining or energy-related engineering applications must consider the possibility of reactivating these pre-existing failure planes because doing so can cause seismicity and compartmentalise the reservoir. However, there has only been a small amount of research done on laboratory-induced deformation in rocks with natural deformation features.On a low porosity bioclastic calcarenite from the Cotiella Basin, Spanish Pyrenees, our current experimental work aims to capture, for the first time to our knowledge, the dominant failure mechanisms during the reactivation of natural deformation bands oriented at different angles to the principal stress direction. At the I12-JEEP beamline at the synchrotron facility of Diamond Light Source, UK, we carried out triaxial compression experiments using a modified version of the Mjolnir cell used by Cartwright-Taylor et al., (2022) to examine how these highly heterogeneous rocks respond to additional mechanical deformation. During the deformation experiments, 4D (time and space) x-ray tomography images (8 m voxel size resolution) were acquired. We tested confining pressures between 10 MPa and 30 MPa.The mechanical data demonstrate that the existence of natural deformation features within the tested samples weakens the material. For instance, solid samples of the host rock subjected to the same confining pressures had higher peak differential stresses. Additionally, our findings demonstrate that new deformation bands form as their angle, θ, to σ1 increases, while the reactivation of pre-exiting deformation bands in this low porosity carbonate only occurs for dipping angles close to 70o. The spatio-temporal relationships between the naturally occurring and laboratory-induced deformation bands and fractures were investigated using time-resolved x-ray tomography and Digital Volume Correlation (DVC). Volumetric and shear strain fields were calculated using the SPAM software (Stamati et al., 2020). The orientation of the recently formed failure planes is influenced by the orientation of the pre-existing bands, as well as their width and the presence (or absence) of porosity along their length. Additionally, pre-existing secondary deformation features found in the tested material trigger additional mechanical damage that either promotes the development or deflects the new failure planes.ReferencesCartwright-Taylor et al. 2022, Nature Communications 13, 6169, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33855-zStamati et al. 2020, Journal of Open Source Software, 5(51), 2286, https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.0228
Comparison of earthquake swarm detection methods: Case study at Mór Graben, Hungary
Authors: Czecze Barbara , Kalmár Dániel , Kiszely Márta , Süle Bálint , Fodor László
Published: February 2023

The seismicity of the Pannonian Basin can be described as moderate. The study area is located in the northern part of the Pannonian Basin, which is one of the most active area in terms of earthquakes.We found that earthquake swarms occur in the Mór graben quite regularly. The Kövesligethy Radó Seismological Observatory deployed three temporary stations in the graben to monitor the local seismicity, and these stations operated for ca. 20 months. We can study the very small magnitude events because the detection capability is more sensitive from 2020.After relocating the events with a multiple-event location algorithm, we compare three different real swarm detection methods based on the filtered three-component waveforms, to find the best one to collect a complete swarm event list in the Mór Graben.Using the temporary and permanent stations of the Kövesligethy Radó Seismological Observatory and the GeoRisk Ltd. networks we can identify more than a hundred swarms with small magnitudes.Our results show that the Mór Graben is still active, where some of the largest earthquakes occurred in Hungary in the past. 
Soil Microorganisms Involved in Glucose Assimilation in Small and Large Pore Micro-habitats of Different Plant Systems
Authors: Li Zheng , Cupples Alison , Guber Andrey , Kravchenko Alexandra
Published: February 2023

Background. High plant diversity is known to increase carbon inputs to soils, impact soil microbial community composition and promote soil microbial activity. Large pores are likely to hold more roots residues, provide more efficient oxygen supply, and have more dissolved nutrients and carbon carried by water fluxes. Soil pore structure also impacts the activities of soil microbial communities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 1) plant systems, representing a 9-year gradient of plant diversity (no plants, monoculture switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), and high diversity prairie), 2) soil pore size (small (4-10 µm Ø) and large (30-150 µm Ø)), and 3) incubation time (24 hr (short-term) and 30 days (long-term)) on the microbial communities involved in the utilization of a newly added carbon (glucose). This is the first work to explore the influence of soil micro-habitat, as presented by pores of different sizes ranges, on the microbial communities’ responses to new carbon inputs.Methods. The intact soil cores (5 cm Ø) from the three systems were supplied with either 50 μM C g-1 soil of 13C labeled glucose, unlabeled glucose, or no glucose. Glucose was added to small or large pores based on matrix potential approach. After 24 hr or 30 day incubations stable isotope probing (SIP) was used to identify the phylotypes actively responsible for glucose assimilation in the small and large pore micro-habitats. Both extracted DNA and the fractions separated by SIP were subject to 16S rRNA gene sequencing. PICRUST2 was used to predict the microbial functions of the sequencing data from KEGG orthologs.Results. The overall microbial communities were affected by multiple years of contrasting vegetation, but not by pore sizes or incubation times. Pseudomonas (Proteobacteria) played an important role in carbon uptake from glucose in all short-term incubations and in the long-term incubations within large pores. In the long-term incubations of both switchgrass and prairie systems’ soils, the community compositions of carbon consumers acting within the small and large pore micro-habitats differed and could be linked to disparate carbon assimilation strategies (r- vs. K-strategists) and to disparate carbon acquisition ecological strategies (plant polymer decomposers, microbial necromass decomposers, predators, and passive consumers). The predicted enriched functional genes indicated the dominance of glucokinase in the soil of the prairie, but not switchgrass system, suggesting a competitive advantage for consuming glucose.
Characterizing nitrogen dynamics in a groundwater-dependent wetland in South Korea using field and novel laboratory methods
Authors: Lee Eung Seok , Johns Thomas , Linville Luke , Moon Hee Sun , Kim Yongchul
Published: February 2023

Wetlands are affected by and also have a significant influence on climate change because of their ability to regulate atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). This study aimed to characterize nitrogen dynamics in a groundwater-dependent wetland in South Korea. Soil textures and compositions, surface and groundwater constituents, groundwater levels, and air temperatures were determined in the field and laboratory in summer, 2021. Production rates and isotopic signatures of N2O gases were measured using static chamber and novel kinetic cell methods. Production rates of N2O gas were were up to 78.8 g N2O N/ha/d, N2O production was most active at 20-32 cm depths, and the source of N2O production was identified as denitrification of nitrate in groundwater. Statistical analyses indicated N2O flux generally increased with increased groundwater level and air temperature. Quantitative analyses via in situ N2O gas isotopic transport modeling will provide novel approach for rapidly characterizing the sources and dynamics of nitrogen and other greenhouse gases in groundwater-dependent wetlands around the world.
A Resource Dependent Competition Model
Authors: Garvey Robert , Fowler Andrew
Published: February 2023

There have been five major mass extinction events and a number of smaller extinction events throughout geological time. Each of these events characterises a widespread decrease in species diversity. The largest of these was the End-Permian extinction which saw about 90% of species go extinct. Extinction may be caused by a variety of factors such as asteroid impacts, CO2 driven ocean acidification, large igneous provinces, global warming/cooling, and oceanic anoxic events. All of these factors cause stress on the environment.The ability of a species to avoid extinction is dependent on its environmental tolerances, i.e., the ability of a species to tolerate, or survive, changes in environmental conditions.In population biology one way in which species may become extinct is through competition. The classical theory of competitive exclusion does not consider the type of interaction between species. We create a new mathematical model of competition between species in which the maximum population of a species is dependent on the availability of resources (or food supply) and competition is in the form of competition for these resources. We find this model always leads to stable coexistence. Another way in which populations can go extinct is through extreme oscillations in predator-prey systems; we explain how this can occur and illustrate this with a specific realistic predator-prey model that we then couple to our competition model.
The diurnal variation of pollutant distributions over Asia using observations from the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS)
Authors: Edwards David , Martinez-Alonso Sara , Jo Duseong , Ortega Ivan , Emmons Louisa , Worden Helen , Kim Jhoon
Published: February 2023

Over the last 20 years, low-Earth orbit (LEO) atmospheric composition observations have provided amazing satellite measurements of atmospheric pollutants, mainly at continental-to-global, weekly-to-seasonal scales. The new-generation geostationary (GEO) satellite perspective, with high spatial resolution and hourly measurements, represents a major step forward in capability for understanding how air quality processes change diurnally at the local scale. South Korea's Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) was launched in February 2020 over Asia and is the first member of the GEO constellation that will eventually include the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring Pollution (TEMPO) mission over North America, and Sentinal-4 over Europe. The measurement hourly time resolution is truly the new perspective that the GEO platform provides, and in this presentation, we use a combination of satellite observations from GEMS and chemical transport model simulations to investigate the diurnal variation of pollution over several Asian regions. When considering the GEMS whole-Asia field-of-regard, the most striking impression of the NO2 diurnal variation is of how large it is in magnitude as well as how much the spatial distribution changes hour-by-hour. This questions our understanding of the distributions of reactive species based on the representativeness of once-a-day LEO observations. To help understand daily differences in diurnal patterns at regional and local scales, we use the Multi-Scale Infrastructure for Chemistry and Aerosols (MUSICA-V0). This uses a global modeling framework with regional grid refinement to resolve chemistry at emission and exposure relevant scales. The model shows reasonable agreement with the GEMS data and captures the different diurnal patterns at the different spatial scales and the degree of day-to day variability. The model also allows the drivers of variability due to emissions, meteorology, and photochemistry to be considered separately. The results of this analysis are further compared with the NO2 diurnal variability observed by PANDORA sun spectrometer measurements at polluted and less-polluted Korean and other Asian sites. We investigate spatial scale, including the city-scale within Seoul, at which GEMS captures the differences in diurnal variability between the PANDORAs.
Effects of gaps on proxy records and evolutionary history in carbonate platforms: interactive visualizations and teaching tools via R Shiny apps and CarboCAT
Authors: Hohmann Niklas , Burgess Peter , Jarochowska Emilia
Published: February 2023

The stratigraphic record preserves key information on past climate and evolutionary dynamics in the form of fossils and proxies. However, not all information can be recovered due to gaps in the stratigraphic record. It is challenging to assess (1) how strong the stratigraphic overprint of geohistorical data is (2) how it changes along an onshore-offshore gradient, and (3) how it is linked to external drivers of basin formation such as variation in sea level. Stratigraphic paleobiology has demonstrated how gaps distort reconstructed rates of evolutionary events and positions of stratigraphic markers in a non-random pattern. Yet a systematic evaluation of their effects on information reconstructed from strata is lacking.We present DarwinCAT and ProxyCAT, two interactive web-based applications that visualize how stratigraphic architectures systematically change the expression of evolutionary history and proxy records. They combine simulations of a carbonate platform generated in CarboCAT with geohistorical records simulated in the R software into a Shiny app. They can be used in any web browser and require no installation or coding knowledge. In addition to simulations of trait evolution and proxy records, users can upload their own proxy data and examine its preservation in different parts of the carbonate platform.Due to their strong visual component and interactive interface, the apps are an intuitive and easy to use tool for teaching, self study, and science communication. To facilitate their use for teaching, we provide predefined teaching units for undergraduate and graduate students of the geobiosciences. The teaching units allow exploring the preservation of geohistorical records within a stratigraphic framework, as well as hypothesis-driven research.
Land Subsidence in Wuhan Revealed Using a Multi-Sensor InSAR Time Series Fusion Approach
Authors: Jiang Haonan , Balz Timo , Cigna Francesca , Tapete Deodato , Li Jianan
Published: February 2023

Satellite Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is widely used for topographic, geological and natural resource investigations. However, most of the existing InSAR studies of ground deformation are based on relatively short periods and single sensors. This paper introduces a new multi-sensor InSAR time series data fusion method for time-overlapping and time-interval datasets, to address cases when partial overlaps and/or temporal gaps exist. A new Power Exponential Knothe Model (PEKM) fits and fuses overlaps in the deformation curves, while a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network predicts and fuses any temporal gaps in the series. Taking the city of Wuhan (China) as experiment area, COSMO-SkyMed (2011-2015), TerraSAR-X (2015-2019) and Sentinel-1 (2019-2021) SAR datasets were fused to map long-term surface deformation over the last decade. An independent 2011-2020 InSAR time series analysis based on 230 COSMO-SkyMed scenes was also used as reference for comparison. The correlation coefficient between the results of the fusion algorithm and the reference data is 0.87 in the time overlapping region and 0.97 in the time-interval dataset. The correlation coefficient of the overall results is 0.78, which fully demonstrates that the algorithm proposed achieves a similar trend as the reference deformation curve. Based on the long time series settlement results obtained by fusion, we analyze the causes of settlement in detail for several subsidence zones. The subsidence in Houhu is caused by soft soil consolidation and compression. Soil mechanics are therefore used to estimate when the subsidence is expected to finish and to calculate the degree of consolidation for each year. The COSMO-SkyMed PSInSAR results indicate that the area has entered the late stage of consolidation and compression and is gradually stabilizing. The subsidence curve found for the area around Xinrong shows that the construction of an underground tract of subway Line 21 caused large-scale settlement in this area. The temporal granularity of the PSInSAR time series also allows precise detection of a rebound phase following a major flooding event in 2016. The experimental results demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed new fusion method to provide robust time series for the analysis of long-term land subsidence mechanisms and unveil previously unknown characters of land subsidence in Wuhan, thus clarifying the relationship with the urban causative factors.