bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Review of methods that implement active faults characterization for PSHA in Southern Spain. Preliminary results of the application of the FAMS method.
Authors: Ornelas-Agrela Adriana Fatima , Gamboa-Canté Carlos , Benito María Belén , Rivas-Medina Alicia , Quirós-Hernandez Ligia
Published: March 2024

Incorporating faults as independent seismic sources in Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) significantly influences the ground motion values when compared to classical zoning methods (CZM). This practice holds particular relevance for populations situated top or near active faults. Some hybrid methods (HM) and fault-based methods, implemented in Spain, show that Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) values increase in the vicinity of the fault traces. In some cases the hazard levels may double, consistent with the PGA observed in recent earthquakes (Rivas-Medina, A., 2018; Gómez-Novell O., 2020). Despite the existence of methods that combine zones and faults in seismic sources characterization, there is a lack of allocation of seismic potential between these two types of sources. Additionally, there is an increasing use of geological data since seismic catalogs alone are insufficient to fully characterize the seismic potential of faults. This limitation becomes particularly evident in slow deformation zones, such as southeastern Spain, where the recurrence period of faults exceeds the temporal coverage of the seismic catalog.The present investigation addresses two key aspects: how to quantify the geological information of the faults and transfer it to recurrence models, and how to distribute the seismic potential of the region between faults and zone. This research contemplates two steps. In the first step, four methods were applied: 1) Moment rate-based method, 2) Slip rate-based method, both proposed by Bungum (2007); 3) the hybrid method developed by Rivas-Medina et al. (2018), which considers both zone-type and fault-type sources; and 4) SHERIFS, a fault system-based assessment proposed by Cartier et al. (2019). In the second step, Faults and Area Moment Sharing (FAMS) (Ornelas-Agrela et al., 2022*) is applied. This new method enables characterizing the faults based on their associated seismicity, improving the distribution of seismic potential between faults and zones. The five methods were applied to multiple seismogenic zones within southeastern Spain, recognized as one of the most seismically active areas in the country. An analysis was conducted, highlighting the sensitivity of the results of PSHA implementation. The preliminary results of the FAMS method application are presented.* first presented by Ornelas-Agrela, A. et al. at the Iberfault2022 congress in Teruel, Spain.
Utilizing large woody structures (LWS) for the restoration of agriculture streams in eastern Mediterranean watersheds
Authors: Egozi Roey
Published: March 2024

In Israel, like in many other countries, many professionals in the field of river restoration offer "restoration" actions based on form and static landscaping design rather than on function, i.e., eco-hydro-morphological processes. In process-based river restoration, it is assumed that the river system maintains a dynamic complexity and changes in space and time in the stream corridors and the alluvial valley in which it flows. The flow path and the morphology of the riverbed are temporary. Herein, the focus is on the functions of the stream: transporting sediments and conveying a range of water discharges, including flooding of the riparian area. The overall goal is to increase the resilience of the ecosystem that moderates disturbances (e.g. droughts, floods) and strengthens biodiversity. The study utilizes large woody structures to renew and restore physical, chemical, and biological processes to corrected rates. We argue that the benefits of using unnatural timber within the watershed is valid for degraded agriculture streams. We constructed different LWS in Nahalal stream where the wood is part of the agricultural land uses. The source of timber is in plantations or orchards that are uprooted occasionally due to the farmer's desire to rejuvenate the plantation or orchard. We install LWS along a stream section of 2.5 km with a longitudinal gradient of 2.7%. We report on initial findings of water quality and quantity and dynamics of the LWS during winter 2023/24.
Utilizing Ambient Seismic Noise in Hydrogeology Studies 
Authors: Galone Luciano , Panzera Francesco , Colica Emanuele , Fucks Enrique , Carol Eleonora , Cellone Francisco , Rivero Lluís , Agius Matthew R. , D'Amico Sebastiano
Published: March 2024

Ambient seismic noise has become a valuable tool in seismology, playing a crucial role in environmental seismic studies. This research explores the Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) method's applicability to groundwater studies in two distinct cases: the Río de la Plata Coastal Plain, Argentina, and the Maltese archipelago.In the hydrogeology of the Río de La Plata region, partially interconnected coastal porous aquifers within sedimentary formations prevail. Employing HVSR analysis on ambient seismic noise reveals two prominent peaks. The low-frequency peak is associated with the sediment-basement interface, while the higher frequency is linked to a shallower stratigraphic discontinuity. Temporal analysis unveils cyclical patterns in mean frequency and amplitude, correlating with estuarine levels. This suggests a compelling connection between variations in subsurface mechanical properties and tidal dynamics, supported by phreatic and piezometric measurements.In Malta, with primary aquifers developed on limestone rocks, a distinct HVSR peak related to a claystone-limestone stratigraphic boundary is observed. Preliminary results indicate changes in HVSR shape associated with seasonal variations in groundwater. This study underscores the potential of ambient seismic noise analysis as a non-invasive and cost-effective approach to studying aquifers and gaining insights into groundwater dynamics.This work has been supported by DEMUWA project which is financed by the Malta Council for Science and Technology through the Space Research Fund (Building Capacity in the Downstream Earth Observation Sector) a program supported by the European Space Agency. Funds were also made available through the IPAS (Internationalisation Partnership Awards Scheme) funded by the Malta Council for Science and Technology.
Analysis of an upward discharge above a thundercloud over Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Soula Serge , Hausknost Gabriel , Ventre Axel , Coquillat Sylvain , Mlynarczyk Janusz , Hermant Alex
Published: March 2024

On the night of November 1st, 2022, several weather photographers obtained remarkable photos showing a jet-like phenomenon with long blue filaments above a Mediterranean storm. An unprecedented set of optical and electrical data, including two pictures, one movie, VHF sources from a Lightning Mapping Array (LMA), detections from a LLS and Current Moment Waveforms from an ELF detection, makes it possible to characterize this event. It consists of a two-part upward luminous channel emerging from the cloud top at 11.8 km of altitude, developing up to 14.2 km and topped with blue streamers up to 17.2 km. It is embedded in a flash which starts with a positive 25 kA-discharge followed by a continuing current during 75 ms associated with VHF sources at 10 km. Contrary to blue jets and blue starters which have a positive polarity, the luminous event above the cloud is identified as a negative leader followed by three channel brightenings linked to the negative charge of a positive cloud dipole. The luminous event-producing flash is preceded by a convective surge and a production of positive flashes within the same region of the cloud. The triggering conditions and mechanisms of the event share similarities with gigantic jets, especially its polarity and a reduced upper positive charge.
Visualizing three years of STIX X-ray flare observations using self-supervised learning
Authors: Drozdova Mariia , Kinakh Vitaliy , Ramunno Francesco , Lastufka Erica , Voloshynovskiy Slava
Published: March 2024

Operating continuously for over three years, Solar Orbiter's STIX has observed more than 43 thousand X-ray flares. This study presents a compelling visualization of this publicly available database, using self-supervised learning to organize reconstructed flare images by their visual properties. Networks designed for self-supervised learning, such as Masked Siamese Networks or Autoencoders, are able to learn latent space embeddings which encode core characteristics of the data. We investigate the effectiveness of various pre-trained vision models, fine-tuning strategies, and image preparation. This visual representation offers a valuable starting point for identifying interesting events and grouping flares based on shared morphological characteristics, useful for conducting statistical studies or finding unique flares in this rich set of observations.
Advancing Open Science in Oceanography: A Global Assessment of Data Availability and Sharing Practices
Authors: Dunic Natalija , Vilibic Ivica
Published: March 2024

Although open science practices have become the standard in disseminating research to research communities, there is a strong discrepancy between declarative principles and actual practice. While this gap has been minimized in some science systems, by certain journal publishers, and in scientific disciplines, there is still a long pathway to fully realizing open science principles. One aspect of open science is the open research data policy, which includes integrating research data with articles, guided by FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse) principles, particularly emphasizing the reproducibility of research for which open research data is a prerequisite.  This principle applies to the field of ocean sciences, which is rapidly evolving with new technological advancements.Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive global analysis of research data availability in oceanography over the 5-year period (2018-2022). This analysis involved a randomized selection of 1000 scientific papers in total (200 per year) indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection under the category “Oceanography”. Our investigation encompasses a broad spectrum of oceanographic parameters, spanning sea surface temperatures, ocean currents, sea-level, salinity, and biological indicators, both measured and modelled. We aimed to examine data sharing principles associated with papers, both at a declarative level (i.e., following a data availability statement, if any) and in reality (i.e., checking whether the data is available from public repositories or provided by authors). Our analysis included bibliometric and publications data (e.g., number of authors, country of the corresponding author, multi-country authorship, publisher, journal, impact factor, number of citations, existence and form of a data availability statement, real data availability). Additionally, we contacted corresponding authors to inquire about the data availability, especially if the data was not already accessible from public repositories. With such approach, we aim to highlight the current state of data availability in oceanography and track changes since the introduction of FAIR principles to the research community, ultimately fostering a collaborative and open research culture.
Experiences in a full-scale cyclone plant treatment of Hg-contaminated port sediments.
Authors: garcia-Ordiales Efren , Barquero Peralbo JoseIgnacio , Navarro Murillo Enol , Rico Fernandez Pelayo , Cienfuegos Suarez Pablo
Published: March 2024

The present work is based on a full-scale project for the treatment of port sediments with high Hg concentrations. The port area of this work is located in the Principality of Asturias (northern Spain). Preliminary studies for the implementation of a dredging activity on the sediments of the Llanes port showed Hg concentrations in the sediments ranging from 0.19 to 1.13 µg g-1, with an average of 0.81 µg g-1. This Hg average concentrations exceeds the legal threshold in Spanish territory for returning dredged sediment to the sea, so that according to current legislation it must be extracted from the coastal system and managed on land, generating a substantial loss of a significant volume of sediment in the system. In order to improve a circular economy and to be able to manage these Hg-contaminated materials to be dredged more efficiently, laboratory-scale tests verified that the Hg contamination was mostly found in the finets fraction
Simulating cracks in glacier ice by means of the phase field method
Authors: Sondershaus Rabea , Humbert Angelika , Müller Ralf
Published: March 2024

Calving is still a poorly understood process, hence a physically based calving law has not yet been found. Large ice sheet models are using simplified parameterisations to describe calving, which are tuned by observational data. Therefore the demands for the development of physically based models for calving are large.Calving is facilitated by fracture formation and propagation, which description is the objective of fracture mechanics. Based on the fundamental theory for fracture proposed by Griffith a numerical approach has been developed to describe cracks: the so-called phase field method. This method represents the state of a material, whether it is intact or broken, by means of an additional continuous scalar field. The advantage of the phase field method is its simple numerical implementation and the avoidance of explicit representation of crack faces as well as costly remeshing.This work adjust the phase field method for fracture to simulate fracture in glacier ice. Thereby the ice rheology is considered by using a viscoelastic material description where a nonlinear viscosity, based on Glen’s flow law, is taken into account. Furthermore finite strain theory is used to capture the large deformations occurring in ice shelves and floating glacier tongues.The developed theoretical framework is utilized to simulate crack initiation and propagation at ice rises. Here the calving front geometry of the 79N Glacier in Greenland is used to validate the proposed model by comparing the simulated crack paths to satellite imagery.
Insights into the site-to-site correlation of paleoseismic data 
Authors: Pinzon Nicolás , Klinger Yann
Published: March 2024

Integration of paleoseismic data from multiple sites is important to assess the past fault rupture scenarios and determine an earthquake chronology for the entire fault system. However, the current methods used to combine paleoseismic data are diverse and lack theoretical foundations from a mathematical perspective. We present a method to evaluate and integrate paleoseismic event data from multiple sites into a single earthquake time history. We apply this method to the central-eastern fault sections of the Altyn Tagh Fault using data from ten fault trenches. Applying a Bayesian approach we constructed time-stratigraphic models that yield the probability density functions corresponding to the age of individual earthquakes at each site. Then, our method to integrate these data consists of two main steps: 1) we constructed a rupture pool with all the modeled event ages, and we evaluated the overlapping degree between the site PDFs; 2) For sufficiently contemporary PDFs we combine them by computing the weighted-mean method which emphasizes the overlap in the site earthquake times. The weighted-mean method yields smaller earthquake-time uncertainties compared to the rupture-mean approach and is consistent with the earthquake rupture assumptions behind the integration of paleoseismic data and the probability theory of density functions. This approach helps to clarify the timing and rupture extent of past earthquakes along central-eastern ATF and is essential to improve the earthquake probability assessment for the region.
Investigating dynamic parameter importance of a high-complexity hydrological model and implications for parameterization
Authors: Wang Lu , Xu Yueping , Gu Haiting , Liang Xiao
Published: March 2024

Deeper insights on internal model behaviors are essential as hydrological models are becoming more and more complex. Our study provides a framework which combines the time-varying global sensitivity analyses with data mining techniques to unravel the process-level behavior of high-complexity models and tease out the main information. The extracted information is further used to assist parameter identification. The physically-based Distributed Hydrology-Soil-Vegetation Model (DHSVM) set up in a mountainous watershed is used as a case study. Specifically, a two-step GSA including time-aggregated and time-variant approaches are conducted to address the problem of high parameter dimensionality and characterize the time-varying parameter importance. As we found difficulties in interpreting the long-term complicated dynamics, a clustering operation is performed to partition the entire period into several clusters and extract the corresponding temporal parameter importance patterns. Finally, the clustered time clusters are utilized in parameterization, where each parameter is identified in their dominant times. Results are summarized as follows: (1) importance of selected soil and vegetation parameters varies greatly throughout the period; (2) typical patterns of parameter importance corresponding to flood, very short dry-to-wet, fast recession and continuous dry periods are successfully distinguished. We argue that somewhere between “total period” and “continuous discrete time” can be more useful for understanding and interpretation; (3) parameters dominant for short times are much more identifiable when they are identified in dominance time cluster(s); (4) the enhanced parameter identifiability overall improves the model performance according to the metrics of NSE, LNSE, and RMSE, suggesting that the use of GSA information has the potential to provide a better search for optimal parameter sets.
Cushion Gas Type and Optimal Volume for Underground Hydrocarbon Storage in a Depleted Gas Reservoir in the Celtic Sea
Authors: Abedi Solmaz , Heinemann Niklas , Satterley Arthur , Coll Carolina , Park Philippa
Published: March 2024

Transitioning to renewable energy is crucial for combating climate change, but solar and wind power face supply-demand gaps due to seasonal dependencies. To bridge this gap, converting excess renewable energy into hydrogen for storage in depleted onshore and offshore gas fields offers a promising solution, enabling stored energy for use during high-demand periods without carbon emissions. These sites offer an attractive option for underground hydrogen storage, facilitating global distribution and using existing infrastructure.However, selecting the type and required optimum volume of cushion gas is crucial to ensure the effective reproduction of working gas and economic feasibility. To address this, an analogue model was built based on the geology of the Kinsale field, a depleted gas field potential future hydrogen store in the Celtic Sea. This model uses reservoir and flow properties derived from wireline data of existing wells and the geological system in the area.For fluid flow, a compositional simulator was used to model changes in fluid composition. Actual field operational control parameters such as maximum and minimum pressure ranges were considered. A uniform depletion procedure was initiated reflecting current field production data. The study investigated the impact of various aspects of the hydrogen storage operation, including reservoir heterogenity, number of wells, cushion gas types, and optimal scenarios for working gas production.The findings reveal that after the first storage cycle, injecting hydrogen as a cushion gas yields the highest purity (93.5%) of produced hydrogen working gas, while methane as a cushion gas exhibits the lowest purity (85.2%). The hydrogen purity increases with increasing cycles, but 100% purity cannot be achieved because of the in-situ natural gas. Moreover, across production phases, the hydrogen purity in the produced gas within each cycle declines over time. This decline is attributed to decreasing pressure during production leading to the migration of methane from the surrounding flanks toward the wellbore area.  Additionally, an increase in the number of wells decreases the required volume of cushion gas because multiple wells require lower production pressures to produce the same volume of stored gas.Based on the findings derived from the simulations, we conclude that depleted natural gas reservoirs offer a viable option for hydrogen storage in terms of both dynamic storage capacity and hydrogen purity.
A high-resolution European emission inventory of anthropogenic direct and indirect N2O emissions
Authors: Denier van der Gon Hugo , van Mil Sophie , Dröge Rianne , Zhang Xinxuan , Wang Junjie
Published: March 2024

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is the third most important long-lived greenhouse gas (GHG) and an important stratospheric ozone-depleting substance. We present the first version of a new high-resolution European emission inventory of anthropogenic direct and indirect N2O emissions. This inventory is developed to achieve one of the special objectives of the AVENGERS project, namely to advance the provision of high-resolution prior emissions by use of innovative activity data. AVENGERS is a Research and Innovation project funded under the Horizon Europe program of the European Union whose objective is to reconcile reported GHG emissions with independent information from atmospheric observations using top-down methods and process-based models, and thereby reduce the most important uncertainties of national emission inventories. To be able to compare national reported emission data against observations and model estimates, these reported emissions need to be available in a gridded form including essential emission characteristics such as emission timing and emission height. Our emission inventory starts from the reporting by European countries in their National Inventory Reports (NIR) to UNFCCC. Emissions are collected at the highest sectoral level. Each (sub)sector is connected to a specific spatial proxy, whereafter a consistent spatial distribution is applied for Europe at a resolution of 0.05∘ × 0.1∘ grid resolution (~6x6km). To support inverse modelling over a longer period where measurements are available, the inventory covers the period 2010-2021. Differences in country-specific choices in emission reporting to UNFCCC, e.g., in the waste sector, may lead to inconsistent emission estimates; we provide options for harmonization of these discrepancies. We pay special attention to understanding the role of indirect N2O emissions that may be equivalent to 15-20% of the total anthropogenic N2O emissions. Indirect emissions involve nitrogen that is emitted by anthropogenic activities and/or removed from agricultural soils and animal waste management systems via volatilization, leaching, runoff, or harvest of crop biomass, leading to N2O formation elsewhere. The reported indirect emissions, emitted from natural ecosystems and/or waterbodies are compared against process-model based emission estimates. The ultimate objective of this research is to reduce uncertainties in the key sources of N2O and support the implementation of top-down methods in support of the UNFCCC’s NIR preparation in collaboration between inverse modellers and inventory compilers.
Terrain-Based Groundwater Potential and Groundwater Level Monitoring in Mountainous Regions of Central Taiwan
Authors: Lin Jung-Jun , Li Feng-Mei , Chen Nai-Chin , Ke Chien-Chung , Lin Yen-Tsu , Liang Chia-Hung , Lai Tzi-Hua , Huang Chi-Chao
Published: March 2024

The scarcity of freshwater has become a global issue in recent years, particularly in the plain regions of Taiwan. To address this challenge and enhance groundwater management for sustainable use, it is crucial to assess the groundwater resource potential in mountainous regions, as they serve as major recharge sources for the plains in Taiwan. To understand the relationship between groundwater potential and the geological settings of mountainous regions, various field investigation techniques were employed, including geological drilling, core logging, down-hole geophysical well logging, packer tests, and constant-rate pumping tests. This study focused on the main watershed in Central Taiwan, integrating all field investigation results to assess and analyze groundwater potential. Long-term groundwater monitoring wells were established to observe seasonal fluctuations.Given the geological complexity of the mountainous region, a total of 75 boreholes with a depth of 100 meters were drilled in different geological units. Among the 48 selected sites with higher groundwater potential, groundwater monitoring stations were established, and constant-rate pumping tests were conducted to determine well yields and estimate the hydraulic properties of the rock aquifer. Integration of core and well logging revealed a composition of regolith and fractured bedrock. Geomorphological assessments, including slope analysis and the index of topographic position and wetness, categorized seven terrains: areas near the roof, at ridges, steep slopes, flat slopes, valleys or creek bottoms, alluvial fans downstream from valleys, and main riverbed deposits.The results showed that the thickness of regolith ranged from 0.5 to 80.8 meters, with a geometric average of 14.7 meters, depending on different terrain types. Well yields ranged from 0.5 to 900 L/min, with an average of 134.4 L/min. Groundwater-level fluctuations ranged from 2.04 to 39.71 meters in shallow aquifers and 1.64 to 29.62 meters in deep aquifers, with outliers reaching 60.53 meters. Notably, higher average well yields and groundwater fluctuations were observed in main riverbed deposits and flat slopes. These findings highlight the observed terrain-based groundwater potential, emphasizing the pivotal role of groundwater-level fluctuation in recharge dynamics.
Trojan Asteroid Mass Determination using the Radio-Science Experiment onboard the LUCY Mission
Authors: Hahn Matthias , Paetzold Martin , Andert Tom , Levison Harold , Noll Keith , Marchi Simone
Published: March 2024

The LUCY spacecraft was launched in 2021. The main objective of the NASA mission is to characterize several trojan asteroids. These outer solar system asteroids are located in the Lagrange points L4 and L5 of the Jupiter-Sun system.The first flyby will be at (3548) Eurybates and its moon Queta in August 2027, followed directly by the flyby at (15094) Polymele with its moon Shaun (informal name) in September 2027. Two more flybys in the so-called Greek camp in the L4 point are at (11351) Leucus in April 2028 and at (21900) Orus in November 2028. After orbiting the Sun once more the spacecraft will reach the L5 swarm of asteroids and will flyby at the binary system of (617) Patroclus and Menoetius in March 2033.During these flybys the mass of the target asteroids shall be determined using the Doppler tracking method. Analytic solutions for the error estimation of the mass determination have already shown that the required precision will be met. However, this analytic approach does not take into account several error sources like time limited tracking, no Doppler data +/- 2h around closest approach, uncertainties in the initial spacecraft position and velocity for a flyby, non-gravitational forces, etc. Another contributing error source is the Doppler noise imposed on the signal. Doppler data from ESAs Rosetta mission and NASAs New Horizons spacecraft as well as tracking data recorded during the first 2 1/2 years of LUCYs cruise phase could be analyzed regarding distance, solar wind turbulence, integration times etc.A numeric orbit determination using simulated Doppler data can provide the most realistic error estimation using all perturbing forces and uncertainties. A detailed analysis of the error of the mass determination for all flybys shall be presented.
Where Environments Collide: Aeolian-Fluvial Interactions on Ancient Mars
Authors: Bohacek Eleni , Bahia Rickbir , Braat Lisanne , Boazman Sarah , Sefton-Nash Elliot , Wilson Colin , Riu Lucie , Orgel Csilla
Published: March 2024

In deserts on Earth, aeolian (wind-blown) and fluvial (river) (AF) processes display considerable interactions, which have an impact on dune and river trajectories, morphologies, geometries, and distributions. These interactions can lead to water loss to the subsurface and the formation of sabkhas, which are interdune ponds that transform into salt flats. These pools are where primordial continental life on Earth is hypothesized to have emerged, evidenced by microbial mats. Lithified dunes and interwoven inverted river channels, and the discovery of aqueously altered lithified dunes by the Curiosity rover, indicates synergy between AF interactions on ancient Mars.We report the results of the pilot study by the Working group on Aeolian-Fluvial Terrain Interactions (WAFTI), based at the European Space Agency, which examines the effects of these processes in synergy under ancient Martian conditions, using a combination of modelling and geomorphological analysis. Our Martian Aeolian-Fluvial Interactions (MAFI) model is a landscape evolution model based on a coupled implementation of the Caesar-Lisflood fluvial model, and Discrete ECogeomorphic Aeolian Landscape model (DECAL) dunes model. It routes water over a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and calculates erosion and deposition from fluvial and slope processes changing elevations accordingly. Aeolian material is discretized into slabs on the DEM, and slabs are moved across the space according to a set of simple rules.We conduct simulations of various scenarios to model the interactions between perennial and ephemeral rivers, actively migrating dunes, and different types of terrain (bedrock and unconsolidated sediment). These simulations incorporate factors such as evaporation and water loss to the subsurface. We measure changes in the grainsize distribution of the river sediment both upstream and downstream of a dunefield, and analyse the effects of dune migration on river morphology and pond evolution over hundreds of years of AF interactions.These interactions have a number of salient impacts: meandering inverted channels, the sediment size and distribution of Martian rivers, the formation of interdune pools, and the preservation of Martian valley networks.
Path flow of water, use of circular economy principle on water resources and biodiversity management in a port area using eDPSIR and causal network
Authors: Solere Jérémie , Borrell-Estupina Valérie , Moussa Roger , Mainprize-Saurel Clara , Clément Jérémy , Papuga Guillaume , Martin Arnaud
Published: March 2024

Global change threatening water resources for both human activities and biodiversity. Mediterranean coastal area is an hotspot of biodiversity among the most vulnerable in the world due to human activities and severe impact of climate change.
We propose a new methodology to assess threats on water resources, including biodiversity and human use of water, in order to identify where adaptative responses are needed in global change context. This method is based on causal network, enhance Driver Pressure State Impact Response (eDPSIR) framework and concepts from the circular economy.
Port industry is mostly located in coastal areas where climate change has a major impact on water resources from sea level rise and groundwater salinization. We use the industrial port area of Fos-sur-Mer, located on the French Mediterranean coast, property of the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille (GPMM) as a study case. The GPMM is both a land-use planner and economic development agent, as well as a water and biodiversity manager on its territory.
First, we use technical report, scientific literature and cartographic database to identify the overall hydrological functioning of the study site and known issues and translate the results into a simple model of “path flow of water”. Second, we define and identify circularities in water path flow considered as a causal network. Third, we highlight the DPSI within the study case that allows us to find where and from who Responses are needed.
Evaluating the North-South deformation component from DInSAR data in volcanic framework.
Authors: Barone Andrea , Fedi Maurizio , Pepe Antonio , Mastro Pietro , Tizzani Pietro , Castaldo Raffaele
Published: March 2024

Nowadays, modeling ground deformation field is a widely used strategy for monitoring volcanic areas since Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) technique provides maps and time-series with satisfactory spatial and temporal resolutions. In particular, in the case of SAR images acquisitions along both satellites orbits, the estimated information is the East-West and vertical components of the related three-components ground deformation field. The deformation along the North-South direction (i.e., along track) is therefore usually not available; while different techniques have been proposed to solve this task, the resolutions and accuracies of these retrieved measurements are not always satisfactory.We propose a novel methodology for the imaging of the North-South deformation related to volcanic environments and, therefore, the retrieval of the three-component ground deformation field. In particular, we employ the theory of the potential functions on deformation in order to use the integral transforms of potential fields and recover the North-South component.The proposed workflow is here tested on simulated deformation datasets by considering the commonly used analytic volcanic deformation sources, such that Mogi’s, Okada’s and Yang’s models. The outcomes of the simulations prove that the use of the potential functions theory allows the imaging of the North-South component of deformation with negligible errors with respect to the expected one.We finally use this new methodology for studying the Sierra Negra volcano (Galapagos Islands, Ecuador) and retrieving the three-component of ground deformation field occurred during the 2017 – 2018.5 unrest, which has preceded the eruption. Specifically, we perform a comparison with GNSS data by showing that the proposed technique is able to image the pre-eruptive North-South component of deformation with a mean error of about 5% for this case-study, which is a surprising result for this kind of application.We conclude by specifying the next step of this study, which will be based on the modeling of volcanic deformation sources through the use of the inferred three-component ground deformation field.
"Reservoir Dynamics: Assessing Sustainable Operations' Impact on Water Cycle"
Authors: sharma prateek , saharia manabendra
Published: March 2024

River impoundments play a substantial role in altering the global water cycle and terrestrial water storage (TWS) dynamics. In light of the vulnerability of the global water cycle to both climate change and human activities, there is a pressing need for an integrated approach to water management that combines scientific insights with sustainable reservoir operation strategies. In this context, the integration of the advanced computational model Noah-MP and an innovative satellite-based reservoir operation scheme called HyMAP offers a comprehensive understanding of the reservoir dynamics of Tawa reservoir situated along the Narmada River in India. To accurately depict absolute water storage, a ground-based lake bathymetry is incorporated into the analysis, merging it with global satellite-based topography. Additionally, radar altimetry data is integrated into the hydrodynamic model to serve as a proxy for reservoir operation practices. Comparing the results against an idealized naturalized system (assuming no anthropogenic impacts) during the period from 2005 to 2022, the study reveals that reservoir operation has a substantial impact on water elevation, extent, storage, and outflow. These operational practices exert control over lake dynamics and TWS, emphasizing the need for a sustainable and informed approach to reservoir management.
Quantifying the effect of urban agglomerations on coastal sea surface temperatures
Authors: Plakias Alexander , Churkina Galina , Schubert Sebastian
Published: March 2024

Effects of urban agglomerations on the land surface and atmospheric temperatures have been highly studied topics in recent decades. However, their effect on the temperature of adjacent water bodies has been poorly addressed. On the other hand, severe ecological and socio-economic consequences of rising water temperatures, especially in coastal ecosystems, such as harmful algal blooms, coral bleaching and fish mortality, are well-documented and huge efforts are being made to reduce negative impacts.This study aims to improve understanding of spatio-temporal heat transfer from urban agglomerations into coastal ecosystems. We analyse coastal sea surface temperature anomalies around multiple cities in different climate zones using the Global Ocean OSTIA Sea Surface Temperature and Sea Ice Reprocessed dataset and additionally high resolution thermal infrared data acquired form Landsat 8/9. Cities are selected for comprehensive analysis based on varying latitudes and climate zones, with an additional requirement of present quantitative studies on the UHI. A quantification of the UHI propagation into coastal waters and comparison of magnitude of such localised coastal warming would not only be valuable for coastal modelling, but also enable impact evaluation of city designs on coastal warming to provide actionable knowledge for decision-makers to mitigate rising temperatures in urban coastal ecosystems. 
Modelling dynamics of sedimentary basins: using geological history to predict subsurface activities at large-scale
Authors: Gout Claude , Cacas-Stentz Marie-Christine , Traby Adriana , Collard Nathalie
Published: March 2024

The dynamics of sedimentary basins is a complex combination of synchronous generally non-linear processes. In these natural systems, fluids migration and associated transfers play a fundamental role, even more so as they represent resources that are or may become essential for human societies. One way of assessing the potential of sedimentary basins is to model their past behaviour numerically.Basin models have been developed since the 1990s for the needs of the oil industry, with the initial aim of assessing the thermal history, i.e. the maturation and expulsion of hydrocarbons from source rocks with variable kinetics and initial composition. These models are used for hydrocarbon prospect assessment in a wide range of sedimentary basins. They have evolved with the integration of the simulation of compaction mechanisms and fluid migration by Darcean single-phase or multi-phase flows. Still with an operational objective in mind, one of these models has been extended to simulate the transport of thermal energy and chemical elements in fluids, thereby helping to assess the geothermal and large-scale storage potential of a basin. The explicit representation of faults and unconformities, as well as the calculation of seal or reservoir formation fracturing as a function of fluid pressures, enables the plumbing system to be represented on a basin scale. In this network of drains, single- or multiphase fluids carrying compounds can interact with the rocks, according to the principles of reactive transport. Some of these simulations are being experimented using AI techniques. In these digital experiments, elements tracking could be a true added value for basin’s dynamics understanding.A coupled simulation of this kind, combining conductive and advective thermal physics, mechanics (particularly of porous media), the hydraulics of multiphase fluids in porous media, chemistry of reactive transport and even the impact of bioactivity on basin’s fluids, representing geological processes in the subsurface on a large scale, makes it possible to quantify mass and energy transfers in the past. The result is a physically balanced model of the current spatial distribution of pressure, stress, temperature, mass, solid or fluid elements.These results can be useful both in economic applications for first-order assessment of the resources of any sedimentary basin and in the scientific field for defining the boundary conditions of more specialised models. Initial experiments demonstrating the use of multiphysics models on a basin scale for CCS applications and geothermal energy assessment will be shown.
Rockfall/Rockslide hazard analysis in tuffaceous coastal cliffs: The case of Miseno cliff, Phlegraean Fields, Italy
Authors: Tursi Maria Francesca , Matano Fabio , Sacchi Marco , Aucelli Pietro Patrizio Ciro
Published: March 2024

Along the coastal stretch of the Phlegraean Fields, an active volcanic district near Naples (Italy), significant erosion processes affect a large part of the coastal cliffs, being the latter mainly composed of fractured volcanic tuff and pyroclastic deposits. Assessing processes related to cliff instability, factors contributing to cliff failures, and evaluation of retreat rates, is essential for effective coastal hazard assessment and management.In view of this, this research aims to identify the main predisposing factor to rockfall/rockslide phenomena in tuffaceous coastal cliffs in this coastal area assessing any relationships between meteorological factors (rain, temperature, wind, etc.), weathering, and structural and geomechanical characteristics of rocks.This was made by using, as an example, the large landslide that affected the Capo Miseno cliff on March 25, 2015, when approximately 87.000 m3 of material detached from the slope, reshaping the morphology of the coastline.In order to determine the triggering factors of this landslide, a database of meteorological measurement time series taken over ∼ 2 years (January 2013–March 2015) was used coupled with a geomechanical survey carried out on the contiguous cliff known as 'Spiaggetta Verde' in 2014, which shares broad characteristics with the considered cliff.This survey shows the presence of several sets of long and deep discontinuities identifying rockfall and rockslide as potential landslide kinematics. In addition, the meteorological analysis demonstrated that several diurnal and seasonal cycles of heating and cooling may lead to deformation and crack opening and propagation. Both increasing temperature and temperature fluctuations may enhance fracturing.However, the predisposing factors identified by the field analyses are not sufficient to make hazard assessments if sea condition factors are not considered in detail. The analysis of the relationships between structural characteristics and meteo-marine forcing factors may be very useful in the perspective of hazard assessment being this study site located in a densely urbanized area.
Central Europe paleotemperature estimates over the last 300,000 years inferred from speleothem fluid inclusion water isotopes from Milandre Cave (Switzerland)  
Authors: Hofmeister Elisa , Fleitmann Dominik , Cheng Hai , Kipfer Timon , Häuselmann Anamaria , Affolter Stéphane
Published: March 2024

 Speleothems are continental archive used to reconstruct paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental settings at a high resolution of time. One advantage is that they can be precisely dated using Uranium-Thorium dating methods. Speleothems usually contain small amounts of paleowater trapped in micrometer voids named fluid inclusions, which are sealed in the calcite fabric. This water constitutes a witness of past precipitation falling above the cave at the time the inclusion was sealed. To extract and analyze this water, we use a crushing and extraction line available at the Quaternary Geology group of the University of Basel, that allows the simultaneous analyses of fluid inclusion oxygen (δ18Ofi) and hydrogen (δDfi) water isotopes. In this study, we analyzed several stalagmites from Milandre Cave (Jura Mountains, Switzerland). Previous studies from this cave have already shown that δ18Ofi and δDfi can serve as key-proxies for paleotemperature reconstruction in central Europe (Affolter et al., 2019). For the temperature reconstruction, we use either the oxygen isotope fractionation between calcite and water as a paleothermometer or a transfer function based on the regional modern relationship between the water isotopes in precipitation and temperature. The resulting temperature estimates provide absolute mean annual cave and surface air temperatures, which, however, may be slightly biased towards the cold season. Stalagmites investigated in this study cover several glacial and interglacial periods, allowing us to reconstruct temperatures for the Holocene, Younger Dryas as well as for Marine Isotope Stages 5, 7, 8 and 9. Our preliminary results show absolute mean annual temperature in a plausible range with values ranging between 0°C and 9.6°C. To gain more information about glacial temperature change, we will use stalagmites coming from additional caves located in the western part of the Jura Mountains.These quantitative paleotemperature snapshots obtained from Milandre Cave, together with those obtained from speleothems from neighboring caves in the Jura Mountains, will allow to document and enhance the comprehension of the temperature evolution of central Europe over the last 300,000 years before present. Affolter et al. (2019), Sci. Adv. 5 eaav3809, doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aav3809
Global and local interactions of hydrological processes – challenges and opportunities for Theme 1 of the IAHS Science for Solutions scientific decade
Authors: Sheffield Justin
Published: March 2024

The new scientific decade (2023-2032) of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) aims at searching for sustainable solutions to undesired water conditions - may it be too little, too much or too polluted. Theme 1 of the decade “Global and local interactions” is focused on the science to accelerate hydrological understanding of hydrological processes at local and global scales, how they interact, and how they and their interactions affect water resources in the local context. It recognizes the interconnectedness of processes across scales and the need to understand local variability in the context of large-scale processes and changes. This theme is being implemented via 14 Working Groups (WG) which span a range of topics including retrieving historical data, urban water issues, water quality under global change, soil moisture variability across scales, aquifer governance for agriculture, and drought in mountain regions. As such there are significant opportunities to make progress on a wide range of scientific questions over the next decade. This talk summarizes the overarching objectives of Theme 1, including the goals for advances in scientific understanding, the potential outcomes and products (e.g. datasets, methods, case studies) and goals for community activities (e.g. synthesis, collaboration, recognition of local context). We also highlight the opportunities for the Theme, including the potential to develop generalized frameworks and approaches for understanding cross-scale interactions and identifying emergent properties, as well as challenges in driving forward a diverse set of WG activities globally to provide more than the sum of the parts.