bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geodiversity – culture relationships within the concept of geosystem services
Authors: Kubalíková Lucie , Coratza Paola
Published: February 2023

Relationships between geodiversity and culture are very close and frequent and they are reflected in numerous and different areas, situations, or levels. This contribution aims to analyse the links geodiversity – culture within the concept of geosystem services (or abiotic ecosystem services). Based on the definitions of culture and analysis of geosystem services schemes (Gray 2013, Gordon 2018), it was possible to catch some reflections of geodiversity-culture relationships not only within cultural and knowledge services, but also within supporting and provisioning services. Moreover, the geodiversity – culture connections are reflected in every day’s life and language, thus a quick insight into these topics is also presented.While some aspects of geodiversity – culture relationships have been given more attention and been investigated more thoroughly (e.g. building stone and architecture, or geotourism and geoeducation), other aspects remain unexplored (e.g. geodiversity – culture links in geo-toponyms, heraldry, myths, language, sense of place). Focused attention and further research is also needed in the case of societal development, citizen science projects and participative research (Kubalíková and Coratza 2023). Generally, it can be said that when studying geodiversity – culture links, the multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary approaches are necessary.Geosystem services approach can represent a step towards integrated management, conservation and promotion which is always more effective than conserving, managing or promoting particular landscape (both natural and cultural) elements in an isolated way. Anchoring the geodiversity – culture relationships within the concept of geosystem services may provide a framework for future studies and may contribute to the better understanding of protection and sustainable use not only of geoheritage, but entire geodiversity and justify conservation measures applied not only on the site level (that means on particular geosites, geomorphosites or geocultural sites), but also on the geodiversity as a whole. Keywords: geosystem services, local identity, building stone, language, heritage, geodiversity, culture References:Gordon JE (2018) Geoheritage, geotourism and the cultural landscape: enhancing the visitor experience and promoting geoconservation. Geosciences, 8, 136, https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences8040136Gray M (2013) Geodiversity: Valuing and Conserving Abiotic Nature. 2nd edn. Wiley BlackwellKubalíková L, Coratza P (2023) Reflections of geodiversity – culture relationships within the concept of abiotic ecosystem services. In Kubalíková L et al. eds. Visages of Geodiversity and Geoheritage. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 530, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP530-2022-155 
Processes Controlling Methane Emissions from a Tropical Peatland Drainage Canal
Authors: Somers Lauren , Hoyt Alison , Cobb Alexander , Isnin Suhailah , Suhip Muhammad Asri , Sukri Rahayu , Gandois Laure , Harvey Charles
Published: February 2023

Most peat domes in Southeast Asia are crisscrossed by networks of drainage canals. These canals are a potentially important source of methane to the atmosphere because the groundwater that discharges into them carries high concentrations of dissolved methane that is produced within peat. In this study, we present an isotope-enabled numerical model that simulates transport, degassing, and oxidation of methane and DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon) along a drainage canal. We then estimate methane fluxes through a five-kilometer canal that crosses a disturbed, forested, but undeveloped, peat dome in Brunei Darussalam by applying this model to field data: concentrations and stable carbon isotopic ratios of both methane and dissolved inorganic carbon from both peat porewater and canal water. We estimate that approximately 70% of the methane entering the canal is oxidized within the canal, 26% is degassed to the atmosphere, and 4% is transported towards the ocean, under low to moderate flow conditions. The flux of methane to the atmosphere is lowest at the maximum elevation of the canal, where flow is stagnant and methane concentrations are highest. Downstream, as flow velocity increases, methane emissions plateau even as methane concentrations decrease. The resulting methane emissions from the canal are large compared to emissions from the peat surface and vegetation on a per-area basis. However, since the canal covers only a small portion of the catchment area, the canal may be a substantial but not dominant source of methane from the peatland.
How does the Greenland ice sheet respond on a medium-term time scale to various levels of warming?
Authors: Delhasse Alison , Beckmann Johanna , Kittel Christoph
Published: February 2023

The Greenland ice sheet is considered as one of the main causes of sea level rise (SLR) at the end of the 21st century. But what if it is already too late to reverse the loss of ice from the Greenland ice sheet? The mass balance (MB) resulting from the coupling between the Regional Atmospheric Model (MAR, ULiège) and the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM, PIK) over Greenland following the CESM2 ssp585 climate indicates that even if we stop the CESM2 warming in 2100 and continue with a +7°C climate until 2200 with respect to the reference period (1961-1990), the GrIS continues to lose mass up to a contribution equivalent to 60 cm of SLR in 2200. From this coupling experiment, we ran several coupled simulations by stabilizing the warming at different thresholds (+ 1, 2, 3, ... °C) with respect to our reference period in order to highlight a kind of tipping point of the ice sheet with respect to atmospheric warming. Other experiments have been launched by reversing the climate imposed by CESM2 from 2100 to 2000, for example, with the aim of identifying whether the GrIS could gain ice mass again with a climate as warm as the present one.
The controversial rigidity of southern Africa block: Insights from geodetic results and seismicity
Authors: Mukandila Ngalula Raphaël , Meghraoui Mustapha , Masson Frédéric , Tondozi Keto François
Published: February 2023

The southern Africa block (SAB) is one of the 4 blocks of the Africa plate (Mukandila, 2020). Using the east African seismicity as defined by Bird (2002), the Zululand boundary between the Nubia and Somalia plates separates this block into eastern (SABE) and western (SABW) sub-blocks. In addition, the level of seismicity in this region is remarkable (e.g., the 2006 Mozamique Mw 7 and 2017 Botswana Mw 6.5 earthquakes). However, there is no dense geodetic studies that establish correlation between the seismic activity and active deformation in this intraplate tectonic domain. In this study, we use position timeseries (longer than 20 years) from about 65 GNSS stations in southern Africa. The rigorous inversion of the GNSS velocities using the least square method and Newton-Raphson methods. The combined two methods make it possible to minimize the uncertainties in the location coordinates and angular velocities of the Euler poles (0.5e**-5° and 0.5e**-5 °/Ma, respectively). This approach made it possible to determine three Euler poles with the aforementioned precision, namely the pole of the SAB and those of its respective sub-blocks. The relative velocities between the southern and northern sub-blocks of (~0.157) mm/yr. at south and (0.185) mm/yr., respectively, with respect to the Zululand bourdary line describe a predominantly extensional deformation regime that correlates with seismic activity in the region.
Aerosol Radiative Forcing time development in the CMIP6 historical experiment
Authors: Skeie Ragnhild Bieltvedt , Myhre Gunnar
Published: February 2023

In this study, radiative forcing time series on a component basis from the historical experiment in CMIP6 are presented. For each aerosol component (sulphate, black carbon, organic aerosols, nitrate) aerosol radiative forcing for aerosol-radiation interaction (RFari) is calculated from 1850 to 2014 using a radiative kernel and modelled changes in aerosol mass. The radiative kernel has been generated using the DISORT radiative transfer model. Aerosol radiative forcing for aerosol-cloud interaction (RFaci) is calculated offline based on the monthly fields from CMIP6 and simulate changes in the effective radius. For the individual models the time development of total aerosol radiative forcing is compared to aerosol effective radiative forcing (ERF) time series calculated within RFMIP, that take into account the adjustments. The radiative forcing trend will be presented on a global and a regional scale. The calculations are also done for the AeroCom phase III historical experiment. Both the AeroCom phase III and CMIP6 historical experiment use the CMIP6 CEDS emissions. These emissions are recently updated and extended. Using results from a chemistry transport model (OsloCTM3) we show how the updated emissions have changed the radiative forcing trends in the model. The emissions used to drive the models play an important role for determining the time development of the aerosol radiative forcing. At the end we will discuss uncertainties in the trend based on available historical global emission inventories for aerosol and aerosol precursors.
Monitoring of an Alpine landslide using dense seismic observations: combining Distributed Acoustic Sensing and 1000 autonomous seismic nodes
Authors: Kiers Tjeerd , Schmelzbach Cédric , Edme Pascal , Paitz Patrick , Amann Florian , Maurer Hansruedi , Robertsson Johan
Published: February 2023

Landslides are a major natural hazard that can cause significant loss of life and property damage around the world. As global temperatures rise and weather extremes become more frequent, we can expect an increase in the hazard emanating from landslides too. In order to better understand and mitigate landslide risks, a variety of strategies have been developed to characterize and monitor landslide activity. Many established approaches provide valuable information about surface displacement and surface properties, but are not suited to inspect the subsurface parts of a landslide body. In contrast, seismic imaging and monitoring methods allow us to study subsurface structures, properties, and internal processes that control landslide behaviour.In our project, we develop novel seismic data acquisition and interpretation approaches to characterize and monitor one of the largest active unstable slopes in the Alps, the Cuolm da Vi landslide, with an unprecedented spatial resolution. We achieve this by combining an array of over 1’000 seismic nodes with fiber-optic based monitoring techniques such as Distributed Acoustic (DAS) and Strain Sensing (DSS).The deep-seated Cuolm da Vi landslide is located near Sedrun (Central Switzerland) and consists of approximately 100-200 million m3 of unstable rock reaching displacement rates up to 10-20 cm/yr with clear seasonal cycles. In summer 2022, we buried over 6 kilometres of fiber-optic cable in this alpine environment covering the most active part of the landslide with multiple cable orientations. Additionally, we deployed a nodal array of 1046 accelerometers in a hexagonal grid covering around 1km2 with a nominal spacing of 28 meters. Seismic data were acquired with the nodes and the DAS system continuously for four weeks. This time period included the blasting of 163 dynamite shots for calibration and active-source imaging purposes. In 2023, we plan to conduct data acquisition for longer periods using primarily fibre-optic based techniques with a focus on the temporal evolution of the landslide dynamics.Our first goal is to resolve the internal structure of the landslide based on the controlled-source data acquired in summer 2022 to construct, for example, a seismic velocity model. Based on the models derived from the active-source seismic data, we plan to exploit the continuous seismic recordings of ambient vibrations and potential seismic signals produced by the landslide activity to complement structural models and study the landslide dynamics. We will present our current results and discuss their implications for the next steps towards monitoring this landslide over time.
Modelling of Fragmentation Process in Deformation Bands and Faults
Authors: Mathur Bakul , Koehn Daniel , Smith Ruaridh
Published: February 2023

Fragmentation in deformation bands and faults is relatively complex with multiple fracture sets breaking single grains into anisotropic splinters. An understanding of the development of deformation bands and faults and the associated mechanical and permeability evolution is important for many applications including treatment of faults in reservoir models, flow properties of faults in geothermal systems and CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage), and seismic hazards. Various mathematical models have been developed to capture rock fragmentation process at single and multi-grain scale as well as to study the hydraulics in large scale geological discontinuities. However a multi-scale approach is needed to understand the implications of the changes in mechanical properties and permeability due to small scale rock fragmentation on the large scale bands, faults and fractures. This study aims to employ an extended Discrete Element Method (DEM) approach with multi-scale aggregates to model the evolution of deformation bands in porous sandstones.Grain failure in rocks can be caused by different loading conditions, such as compressive loading, shear displacement, thermal, hydraulic or chemical effects. In this study, simulation of the comminution  process of the polyhedral shaped grains is achieved under compressive and shear loading. Single grain fragmentation is realised with the Mohr-Coulomb approach, which is a classical failure criterion for brittle particle systems. The failure criterion is combined with the Weibull statistical distribution that captures the grain size effect. A multiple grain model is simulated with DEM combined with the Mohr-Coulomb-Weibull concept. The computations are carried out with an open-source discrete numerical modelling framework YADE. The study sheds light on the influence of initial rock properties (porosity, grain size and shape) and deformation mechanism (compaction, shearing and combinations) on the development of deformation bands and faults.
Predictability of Flood and Landfall Events Using Five-day GRACE/GRACE-FO Mascon Solutions from CSR
Authors: Hasan Emad , Save Himanshu , Sun Alex , Scanlon Bridget , Rateb Ashraf
Published: February 2023

This research evaluates the short-term flood and landfall events using a new Five-day GRACE/GRACE-FO mascon solution developed by the Center for Space Research (CSR) at the University of Texas at Austin. The new solutions were developed without exogenous variables and depend solely on native GRACE gravity change measurements. The short-term mode of variability in the high-frequency signals was filtered and coupled with cumulative precipitation estimates from daily GPM products. We tested the predictability and flood detection from the five-day mascons and other standalone hydrologic models, i.e., CLM and ITSG-2018. The association between the five-day mascons, antecedent conditions, and cumulative precipitation indicates good spatial and temporal correspondence to extreme flood events. The five-day solutions open new frontiers for the gravimetry mission to map short-term changes in the terrestrial storages derived from extreme atmospheric events within a sub-monthly timescale.
Forcing of cross-shelf plumes on a wide continental shelf
Authors: Yankovsky Alexander , Dykstra Steven , Ricche Gabrielle
Published: February 2023

Analysis of satellite imagery of the Carolinas continental shelf (the US East Coast) shows frequent occurrences of cross-shelf buoyant plumes under upwelling winds. Forcing conditions for fifteen representative events spanning 2017 through early 2020 are analyzed. The buoyancy forcing is represented as an estuarine Richardson number accounting for freshwater discharge and its tidal mixing. The wind forcing is represented as the low-passed alongshore wind stress component, the wind stress magnitude and its standard deviation. Forcing elements are averaged over three days preceding the event. Three cross-shelf plume patterns emerge: the separated plume, when a single streak of buoyant water spreads offshore (an archetypical cross-shelf plume structure), the curving-back plume turning against the wind at some offshore distance, and the multi-lobe plume partially trapped by the coast, with more than one streaks protruding offshore. The latter two regimes represent a low-wind and a strong-wind limit of cross-shelf plumes, respectively. 
How the Juno Ganymede Flyby Has Changed our Understanding of its Aurora and Atmosphere
Authors: Waite J. Hunter , Greathouse Thomas , Carberry Mogan Shane , Ebert Rob , Connerney Jack , Kurth William , Gladstone G. Randall , Allegrini Frederic , Johnson Robert , Vorberger Audrey , Valek Phillip , Clark George , Bolton Scott , Hansen-Koharcheck Candice
Published: February 2023

Juno flew within 1053 km of the surface of Ganymede on June 7, 2021. A unique data set of the interaction of its magnetosphere with the magnetosphere of Jupiter was obtained during the flyby. Auroral imaging was carried out by the UVS experiment simultaneous with the in-situ sampling of the polar cap ionosphere by the Waves, MAG, JEDI, and JADE experiments onboard Juno. Significant outflow of Ganymede’s polar cap ionosphere was observed as well as an in-situ sampling of reconnection processes near the magnetospheric boundary on the flank of the trailing side of the magnetospheric interaction region. Assuming that the electrons measured in the reconnection/interaction region are representative of the electrons producing the aurora, we use the UVS auroral vertical profiles obtained from the flyby and modeling to dramatically improve our understanding of the Ganymede atmosphere. The results of the relevant flyby measurements and the modeling of the atmosphere and aurora will be presented in this talk. 
PITHIA-NRF offers Trans-national access to European upper atmosphere research facilities
Authors: Häggström Ingemar , Mihalikova Maria
Published: February 2023

One of the objectives of the PITHIA-NRF project is to provide effective and convenient access to the best European research facilities for observations of the upper atmosphere. The individual PITHIA-NRF nodes provide access to key experimental and data processing facilities for studies and modeling of physical processes acting in the Earth’s plasmasphere, ionosphere and thermosphere. The facilities connected to the nodes are geographically distributed over Europe, as well as internationally, and their expertise and dedication span over a wide range of topics within the research area. This variety of expertise and techniques, all with the purpose of studying specific parts of the ionosphere-thermosphere-plasmasphere (ITP), allows for common ground and a platform for a better understanding of the many different complex couplings and interactions within ITP as well as between ITP and the magnetospheric/space environment.The access to the nodes is organised through the Trans-National Access (TNA) programme and provides an opportunity for researchers and other users to execute and carry out their own projects at one of the twelve PITHIA-NRF research facilities. Users can request either physical access (a one-week visit at the node with support at the site) or remote access (one-month access from a distance with weekly support). Users with granted projects will learn how to work with the facilities during the complete access cycle, from setting up a campaign to the collection, analysis and finally exploitation of data with the help of tools and services provided by PITHIA-NRF via the e-science centre. There is also a possibility of virtual access - typically referring to access to data and digital tools. There are no restrictions to the number of simultaneous users, and no selective process is needed for this type of Access. PITHIA-NRF e-science centre is currently under development, and it will be offering more and more tools with time. Access to the TNA programme can be requested by scientific users from academia, Small and Medium Enterprises, large companies and public organizations by proposing a scientific project and applying through the PITHIA-NRF website: https://pithia-nrf.eu/
Tree Root Decay in Soils Following Tree Death after a Crown Wildfire, Canadian Rockies: A Field Investigation
Authors: Johnson Edward , Martin Yvonne , Chaikina Olga
Published: February 2023

Wildfire disturbances due to lighting strikes are a relatively common occurrence in subalpine forests of the Canadian Rockies. Tree roots found within forest soils are known to undergo decomposition after crown wildfires. As decay progress, this results in changes to tree root characteristics, including the number of remaining tree roots, distribution of tree root diameters and tensile force at failure of remaining roots. These changes, in turn, may impact soil hydrology and the likelihood of geomorphic process occurrence, including debris slides and debris flows. Herein, we present results of an intensive, annual field measurement program covering a period of about one decade that provides information about tree root decay following a crown wildfire in the Canadian Rockies. The crown wildfire burned a total of 17 000 hectares in Kootenay National Park and provided an opportunity to undertake this field measurement program. Hawk Creek drainage basin was the location in which field sampling of tree root data occurred. A total of 15 soil pits over a range of hillslope gradients were dug and key characteristics of all tree roots emerging from walls of soil pits were measured. Numerical analysis of tree root measurements in each year includes the frequency of tree roots in different diameter classes, frequency of tree roots at different depths below the ground surface and lateral root cohesion. One key finding is that tree roots having a smaller diameter fully disintegrate before larger tree roots. In addition, tree roots situated higher in the soil profile (i.e., closer to the surface) decay preferentially compared to tree roots located lower in the soil profile. Results also show that for a given tree root diameter class, the tensile force at failure decreased very rapidly in the first two years after wildfire occurrence. Similarly, the lateral root cohesion decreased rapidly in the first several years following the wildfire, although some root strength was documented even one decade after wildfire occurrence.
Accelerated energy transitions and the Earth system
Authors: Desing Harald
Published: February 2023

Staying below 1.5°C and returning to 350ppm require much more ambitious and radical actions than currently envisioned. This necessitates different modelling approaches too, transcending current economically optimized equilibrium models. Planetary boundaries need to span the frame for transition modelling, e.g. by setting sustainable limits for renewable energy potentials or incorporating the need to return to 350ppm, which induces negative emissions at a massive scale. Furthermore, building renewable infrastructure needs energy and this feedback loop becomes decisive when accelerating transitions. It also needs materials: speed and pathways of mobilizing materials are pivotal for impacts on planetary boundaries and the energy needed for the transition. Initial modelling with a simple, global system dynamics model suggest that it is still possible energetically to stay below 1.5°C and return to 350ppm this century; however, this requires to keep energy demand and energy storage low.
Mechanical failure to drive the glacier collapse feature at Rhonegletscher, Switzerland
Authors: Räss Ludovic , Ogier Christophe , Utkin Ivan , Werder Mauro , Bauder Andreas , Farinotti Daniel
Published: February 2023

Rapid climate modifications perturb the long-term dynamic equilibrium of many natural systems. Polar and high-altitude regions such as alpine environments represent locations where perturbations such as glacier collapse features, become visible. Glacier collapse features are characterized by a circular depressions on the ice surface, are bounded by low-angle crevasses and are the surface expression of a cavity developing most often over a subglacial channel, commonly occurring at the glacier snout. Understanding the physical processes governing the collapse feature dynamics is essential to assess hazards and processes related to them, such as, rapid glacier length variations, snout collapses and sudden blockage of the subglacial drainage system.Field observations from an on-going collapse feature developing at the snout of Rhonegletscher (Switzerland) in Summer 2022 suggest mechanical failure of ice lamellas from the underlying cavity roof to drive the collapse. In order to test this hypothesis, namely mechanical failure to drive glacier collapse features, we developed full-Stokes 2D and 3D mechanical models implementing a temperature and pressure dependent visco-elasto-plastic rheology. We use the extensive dataset from Rhonegletscher to constrain the numerical models to predict possible failure patterns as function of increasing cavity size. We use vertical displacement located in the centre of the collapse feature to validate our models. Preliminary results show the formation of tension failure patterns on the ice surface at locations coinciding with the low-angle circular crevasses. The model results will advance our understanding of the physics of collapse features and provide predictive tools to assess future occurrences and their related risks.
Enhancing projections of sea-level rise with changing seasonality
Authors: Lee-Browne Daisy , Jackson Luke , Whitehouse Pippa , Williams Sophie
Published: February 2023

There is evidence to show that anthropogenically-driven climate change will alter large-scale atmospheric circulation in the future. However, limited research has been conducted to explore how these atmospheric changes will impact seasonal sea-level change. The majority of global to local sea-level projections are made on multi-annual timescales, meaning important sub-annual changes in sea level driven by climatic oscillations are not being accounted for. Sea level on the Northwestern European Shelf (NWES) has been shown to vary in response to fluctuations in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). We examine how seasonal sea level may change on the NWES in response to changes in the NAO in the near future (2023-2053). The work uses a statistical approach that incorporates the inverse barometer effect to produce projections of seasonal sea-level change. The main objectives include quantifying the sensitivity of sea level to the NAO over the 20th century using tide gauge and satellite altimetry data in combination with historical records of the NAO index. Projections of mean sea-level change are then updated to account for seasonal variability that may occur on the NWES using CMIP5 and CMIP6 model outputs of sea-level change and the NAO for the period 2023-2053. The research aims to improve understanding of short-term drivers of future sea-level change and explore the ability of a statistical method to accurately detect and project seasonal patterns.
Climate change effects on flooding at Lurin river basin, Peru
Authors: Asencios Henry , Lavado Waldo , Sabino Evelin , Qquenta Jonathan , Felipe Oscar
Published: February 2023

The magnitude and frequency of extreme precipitation events are expected to increase in central Peruvian Andes for this century, which will pose a significant challenge on water resources management and flood risk mitigation. The present study focuses on assessing the possible flood hazard under two different climate change scenarios (SSP 4.5 and SSP 8.5) in the lower part of the Lurin River watershed (~ 1642.5 Km2) by using a distributed physically-based hydrologic and erosional model (e.g. TREX) and a 2-D depth-averaged hydraulic and sediment transport model (e.g. BASEMENT-2D). The models were calibrated using hydrometeorological data corresponding to the extreme flood events of 2015 and 2017 and satellite-based and UAV-derived inundation maps. Future climate scenarios are going to be constructed from bias-corrected outputs of CMIP6 global climate models, while the rainfall temporal patterns for different return periods will be obtained from observed precipitation events corresponding to extreme flood events of El Niño 2017. Results are expected to provide important data needed to make policy changes to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change in the Lurin River basin. 
Characterising the Chemical Additive Content of Agricultural Plastic Mulch Film
Authors: Monkley Charlie , Reay Michaela , Evershed Richard , Lloyd Charlotte
Published: February 2023

Plastic is a prominent material finding growing use globally within agricultural supply chains, through cultivational practices to product packaging. Mulch film is one such ‘plasticulture’ application where opaque film is stretched over the soil surface to maintain a humid microclimate at the crops / fruits soil-root zone as well as protecting ungerminated seeds and small crops from pests. However, mulch film represents an unregulated chemical input source to agroecosystems, whose ecotoxicological legacy is yet to be assessed. The first step in addressing this issue is characterising the chemical content of the source material that may later be released. Amidst the polymeric base, manufacturers include a diverse multitude of chemical additives into plastic formulations to aid with manufacturing, improve functionality, retard degradation and alter aesthetics. In most cases, additives are not chemically but physically bound to the polymeric matrix meaning over time they are free to migrate and be released to the surrounding agroecosystem. Once released, these chemicals may cycle between compartments, interacting with biota or entering the food chain through uptake by plant life or livestock. To trace the extend of release and subsequent interaction of chemical additives within ecosystems, the formulation of the film must be determined. An untargeted characterisation approach has to be adopted, as additive packages remain confidential as property of the manufacturers. Microwave assisted solvent extraction and dissolution-precipitation have been implemented for two agriplastic mulch films: synthetic low density polyethylene (LDPE) and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA; 15 %) / polybutyrate adipateterephthalate (PBAT; 85 %) blend. Extracts were analysed by GC-MS and spectral libraries used to characterise the leachable content of the films. Alternatively, thermal desorption of the additives from the polymeric base and subsequent analysis of the volatiles through py-GC/MS allows for rapid screening of low molecular weight species, with the caveat of loss in quantification accuracy. An array of chemicals have been identified including: plasticisers (phthalates, citrates, adipates), slip agents (fatty amides), antioxidants (hindered phosphates, hindered phenols), antistatics (fatty esters), lubricants (fatty alcohols, alkanes) and transformation products of both additives and polymer. Additive characterisation work is complimented by confirmation of the mulches polymeric compositions or revelation of unreported polymeric components, through techniques such as fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Later investigation seeks to understand the transformation, cycling and fate of these additive targets within agroecosystems at predicted release levels, which are based on leaching studies into water and in-field measurements.
The history of Geosciences, as teaching scenario
Authors: Makri Kyriaki , Danaskos Fotios
Published: February 2023

The teaching of science’s history can contribute to the understanding of the content of science as well as the position of a science. Learning the importance of science, the student can clarify the concepts that govern it as well as their evolution. "Using history can humanize science, help students improve their critical thinking skills, promote a deeper understanding of scientific concepts, and address common student misconceptions that often resemble those of scientists of old" (Matthews, 1994).According to Tomas Kuhn the character of change marked linguistically can change the criteria by which scientific terms are associated with the nature and categories of objects as well as the networks they develop within a group of terms, based on whose new paradigm is constituted and marks a break with the traditional one (Kuhn, 1970). In simpler words, conceptual change is associated with the creation of new terms and new concepts around a scientific object. To explore a set of scientific terms pertaining to a particular theory, the terms should also be explored within an environment in which their scientific terminology appears. The importance of the linguistic meaning of a term is also captured by Gundaroulis (2013). She emphasizes that language indicates social change and is a determining factor that allows us to realize changes and attributes to language both a social and a scientific character.The context of a scientific term can be a theory, such as Wegener's theory, or a wider field with clear time boundaries, such as the community of geoscientists of the 20th century. Wegener's theory includes the concepts of movement and dynamic balance in the cognitive subconscious, in contrast to the concepts of stativity and the upheavals and subsidence’s of the Earth's crust that prevailed until that period. Decades later, during the development of the theory of Tectonics Plates a significant number of new concepts emerged, in relation to the previous dominant theory of Wegener. To interpret and document the new theory, new terms were introduced into the geological vocabulary, completely changing the way scientific discourse is expressed and structured, the concepts: extension of the ocean floor, transform faults, subduction, lithosphere, asthenosphere etc. Essentially, it is a holistic approach to the study of the Earth and therein lies the characterization of revolutionary ness. This change involved the entire consideration of geological changes, highlighting the dynamics of the new interdisciplinary consideration.In the proposed scenario, the aim is the students to recognize the new terms, the connection between them and the change from the previous ones. Through the scenario, students will cultivate their verbal skills, cultivate critical thinking, and understand the processes described by Tectonics Plates theory.
Uncertainties in the regional estimation of Soil Erodibility. A German wide evaluation of the K-Factor comparing current datasets and calculation methods.
Authors: Saggau Philipp , Steinhoff-Knopp Bastian
Published: February 2023

Soil erosion by water is considered as one of the most serious processes degrading the soil functionality of arable soils around the globe. To assess the risk of water erosion at larger scales, the universal soil loss equation (USLE) and its derivates are commonly used for the implementation of policy instruments.An important factor needed within (R)USLE model exercises is the K-factor, which reflects the natural erodibility of the topsoil. The spatial explicit determination of the K-factor is crucial to create reliable soil loss estimate maps. However, the accurate estimation of the K-factor at the regional level is challenging due to different existing calculation methods and as a variety of spatial data (e.g. soil texture fractions, rock fragments, soil organic matter) is needed. The latter severely limits the choice of available data, which differ in spatial resolution and information content of the required parameters. This leads to a high potential of uncertainty in the regional estimation of K-factors, but also of the soil erosion estimates at regional level.Therefore, the aim of the study presented is to determine the spatial and quantitative accuracy of different soil data sets and calculation methods for estimating the K-factor for Germany. Furthermore, the influence of possible uncertainties on the estimation of soil erosion risk by combining all factors of the (R)USLE should be evaluated. Based on the aim of this study we modelled K-factors for three available harmonized German-wide datasets: I) LUCAS soil dataset of Europe), II) BÜK1000 and III) BÜK200 (soil overview maps for Germany) using the existing equations of A) Wischmeier and Smith (1978) and its extension of B) Auerswald et al. (2014) representing the original K-factor nomograph. For the validation of the three datasets, K-factors based on 2234 arable soil profiles across Germany from the Agricultural Soil Inventory (BZE_LW) with most detailed soil information were calculated.The results reveal significant differences between calculation methods and data sets for the German-wide assessment of K-Factors. The LUCAS soil dataset overestimates average K-Factors of the BZE-LW by ~ +21 % (RMSE = 0.015, R² = 0.30), while BÜK200 underestimates K-Factors by ~ -30 % (RMSE = 0.016; R² = 0.34). In contrast the calculation method has a low impact on the average K-Factor estimation (~ 5 %) while the RMSE is comparable high with 0.012 (R² = 0.57).The results imply that the choice of the calculation method and dataset at regional level is important and that detailed information on soil texture (e.g. very fine sand fraction) are crucial and strongly needed in order to improve the estimation of reliable K-Factors and soil erosion risk on regional-scales.  
Information entropy for assisting decision-making for critical events in surface water quality management
Authors: Pang Tianrui , Jiang Jiping , Alfonso Leonardo , Wang Peng , Zheng Tong
Published: February 2023

The information entropy method, based on mass sampling data processing, has been widely applied in environment monitoring and management. However, previous efforts have been mainly limited to the optimization of stations in discrete space with no association to critical events and their associated temporal scale. In particular, further research on integrating water quality monitoring under critical events (such a spillway accident) and the related cost-benefit analysis of environment management decisions are needed. In this study, we give an entropy-based paradigm of water quality reaction criteria R, which is analogous to the definition of Gibbs free energy (ΔG) in thermodynamics. Then we propose a systematic framework of entropy prisms (HPrisms) with four entropy indexes: dilution index (E), flux index (F), spatial entropy index (Gx) and temporal entropy index (Gt). They describe the pollutants transport process in water bodies from different perspectives, facing different water environmental management decisions. The corresponding reaction criteria of these four entropy indexes for different water quality management scenarios are defined for different spatiotemporal scales where different criteria are applicable. The method has value in emergency monitoring in rivers and lakes, useful for anomaly detection, key point identification and other water environment management scenarios. This study is a generic theoretical framework so far, and we will present specific critical cases for management reaction criteria to find the quantitative relationship between reaction criteria with information entropy indexes.
Water vapour monitoring over France using the low-cost GNSS collaborative network Centipede
Authors: Bosser Pierre , Ancelin Julien , Métois Marianne , Rolland Lucie , Vidal Maurin
Published: February 2023

In recent years, the significant growth of positioning applications has come with the development of low-cost dual frequency Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) receivers. Such receivers allow high precision positioning to be achieved. They are becoming increasingly popular for geosciences as they allow for large numbers of equipment at affordable prices. Founded in 2019, the Centipede network is a collaborative permanent GNSS network that aims to offer free real-time centimetric positioning to any user. The network is currently made up of more than 330 low-cost reference stations located mainly in France and has nearly 500 regular users. Since July 2022, the GNSS raw data acquired by the stations forming this network have been archived by the Réseau National GNSS (RENAG) scientific network data centre in order to evaluate their suitability for geosciences applications such as tectonic, sea-level monitoring, troposphere and ionosphere studies. In this study, we present a first evaluation of the use of this dataset for the retrieval of integrated water vapour content (IWV) over five months in 2022. Troposphere delays are estimated from a PPP analysis and are converted to IWV using a standard procedure. Then, the IWV are compared with those retrieved for GNSS stations from the “conventional” French permanent GNSS networks, the Réseau GNSS Permanent (RGP) and RENAG. The results of these comparisons are conclusive, with root mean square differences in the range of 0.5-2 kg/m2 and high correlations of the time series registered by nearby low-cost and geodetic-class receivers. These results confirm the high potential of low-cost GNSS networks. The development of such network is a real opportunity for geoscience applications, particularly in poorly instrumented areas.  In such areas, their contribution could be especially significant for meteorological or climatological applications for which the monitoring of water vapour by GNSS is widely used. 
Microbial niche breadth as a tool to identify controls on carbon and nutrient cycling across environmental gradients
Authors: Shek Katherine , Wymore Adam
Published: February 2023

Soil microbes govern biogeochemical processes such as carbon and nutrient cycling, but the microbial controls on soil nutrient stoichiometry vary under different environmental contexts. Recent evidence suggests that microbial genomic traits such as GC content and genome size correlate with soil pH and soil C: N ratios, but how this pattern relates to the fate of soil organic carbon (SOC) and in which microbial groups this occurs is inconclusive. The rapid generation of environmental metagenomic datasets presents a unique and relatively untapped resource that can be used to examine microbial niche breadth, or soil resource use and reuse, and how specific groups of microbes respond to environmental gradients. Metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) for soil microbes can describe the functional potential of populations, serving as valuable descriptors of niche breadth for soil microbial communities.  Here, we aimed to identify the ecological factors structuring microbiological nutrient cycling functions, and how they vary with microbial traits and functional groups by harmonizing soil metagenome datasets with soil nutrient measurements across space and time. We applied the Hutchinsonian niche hypervolume concept to examine relationships between microbial functional niche and environmental resource space. We expect that comparative analysis of MAGs across diverse environments varying in soil organic C and N can identify specific functional and/or taxonomic groups of microbes contributing to SOC dynamics, such as fungal saprotrophs. Biotic and abiotic controls such as climate and vegetation that influence these groups of microbes can then be identified using large-scale amplicon sequence datasets that represent broad spatiotemporal scales.
Predicting Spatiotemporal Soil Organic Carbon Responses to Management Using EPIC-IIASA Meta-Models
Authors: Ippolito Tara , Balkovič Juraj , Skalsky Rastislav , Folberth Christian , Neff Jason
Published: February 2023

The management of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) is a critical component of both nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and global food security. Agriculture has contributed substantially to a reduction in global SOC through cultivation, thus there has been renewed focus on management practices which minimize SOC losses and increase SOC gain as pathways towards maintaining healthy soils and reducing net greenhouse gas emissions. Mechanistic models are frequently used to aid in identifying these pathways due to their scalability and cost-effectiveness. Yet, they are often computationally costly and rely on input data that are often only available at coarse spatial resolutions. Herein, we build statistical meta-models of a multifactorial crop model in order to both (a) obtain a simplified model response and (b) explore the biophysical determinants of SOC responses to management and the geospatial heterogeneity of SOC dynamics across Europe. Using 35 years of multifactorial, spatially-explicit simulation data from the gridded Environmental Policy Integrated Climate-based Gridded Agricultural Model (EPIC-IIASA GAM), we build multiple polynomial regression ensemble meta-models for unique combinations of climate and soils across Europe in order to predict SOC responses to varying management intensities. We find that our biophysically-determined meta-models are highly accurate (R² = .97) representations of the full mechanistic model and can be used in lieu of the full EPIC-IIASA GAM model for the estimation of SOC responses to cropland management. Model stratification by means of climate and soil clustering improved the meta-model’s performance compared to the full EU-scale model. In regional and local validations of the meta-model predictions, we find that the meta-model accurately predicts broad SOC dynamics while it often  underestimates  the measured SOC responses to management.  Furthermore, we find notable differences between the results from the biophysically-specific models throughout Europe, which point to spatially-distinct SOC responses to management choices such as nitrogen fertilizer application rates and residue retention that illustrate the potential for these models to be used for future management applications.While more accurate input data, calibration, and validation will l be needed to accurately predict SOC change, we demonstrate the use of our meta-models for biophysical cluster and field study scale analyses of broad SOC dynamics with basically zero fine-tuning of the models needed. This work provides a framework for simplifying large-scale agricultural models and identifies the opportunities for using these meta-models for assessing SOC responses to management at a variety of scales.
A 1-D model for predicting surf zone waves around the Irish Coast
Authors: Kalayil Uthaman Ashly , Dabrowski Tomasz , McCarthy Gerard , Düsterhus André
Published: February 2023

Our coasts face huge challenges due to future sea level rise. A main reason for this are the changes in waves which are expected to become more powerful. As these changes will affect our coasts, the prediction of wave changes play an important role in coastal adaptation and in industries like offshore wind energy. Ireland's extended coastline and its vulnerability to extreme wave events make it crucial to understand wave climate and its changes around the Irish coast.The DeWaPic project intends to create a model framework for predicting waves around Ireland on time scales of seasons to decades. For this a global wave model, WAM, will be forced by climate model data and then coupled to a regional wave model, SWAN. In a next step the output of this model chain will be used to force a SURF zone model, with the target to generate information on coastal wave heights and wave overtopping.This contribution will present the development of a 1-D SURF zone model, covering the final stretch towards the coast. The model solves one dimensional Boussinesq equation using a two step Lax Wendroff TVD scheme. The depth integrated approach in the model reduces the computational complexity that occurs when the grid size becomes smaller. Surface elevation and depth averaged velocity is modelled using the continuity and momentum conservation equations. We show first experiments with this model and determine in sensitivity tests its applicability.