bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Response of the surface climate to different groundwater options using the WRF model
Authors: Lima Daniela C.A. , Cardoso Rita M. , Soares Pedro M.M.
Published: March 2022

An analysis of the sensitivity of different surface model options in the WRF model was performed. The main goal is to investigate the transition from wet to dry regimes through the analysis of the soil moisture–temperature, and soil moisture–precipitation interactions; and explore the response of the surface climate to different model options. Four simulations with the WRF model were carried out with different land surface model schemes for the 2004-2006 period, driven by ERA5 reanalysis. The WRF model was used for the simulations over the European domain with a horizontal resolution of 0.11 degrees and 50 vertical levels, which follows the CORDEX guidelines. These simulations rely on the same physical parameterisations with different surface model options. For the first experiment, the Noah land surface model was used. For the remaining simulations, the Noah-MP (multi-physics) land surface model was used with different runoff and groundwater options: (1) original surface and subsurface runoff (free drainage), (2) TOPMODEL with groundwater and (3) Miguez-Macho & Fan groundwater scheme.

An extensive evaluation of all simulations against observations was performed, which is an important step to determine the quality of the simulations. In this way, precipitation, maximum and minimum temperatures from all simulations were compared against observations. The new version of the Europe‐wide E‐OBS temperature and precipitation data set was used to compare with the output of the simulations performed. This dataset has a regular grid with 0.1o spatial resolution. The evaluation of temperature and precipitation showed that the 1st and 4th setup have the best agreement against observations. Additionally, for each WRF experiment, the land energy balance and the land water balance were computed. These results showed some differences between simulations, in particular for the land water balance. Additional analysis are being carried out to determine the impact of different groundwater options of LSMs in surface climate.

 

Acknowledgements. The authors wish to acknowledge the LEADING (PTDC/CTA-MET/28914/2017) project funded by FCT. The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support FCT through project UIDB/50019/2020 – Instituto Dom Luiz.
Suggesting a new diagram and convention for characterising and reporting model performance
Authors: Khatami Sina , Di Baldassarre Giuliano , Gupta Hoshin , Moallemi Enayat A , Pool Sandra
Published: March 2022

A long-standing research issue, in the hydrological sciences and beyond, is that of developing methods to evaluate the predictive/forecasting skill, errors and uncertainties of a model (or model ensembles). Various methods have been proposed for characterising time series residuals, i.e. the differences between observed (or target) and modelled (or estimate) time series. Most notably, the Taylor Diagram summarises model performance via a single plot based on three related metrics: the (linear Pearson) correlation, standard deviation, and root mean squared differences of one or multiple pairs of target and estimate time series. Despite its theoretical elegance and widespread use, the Taylor diagram does not account for bias errors, which is an important summary statistic for evaluating model performance. Further, it is very common to evaluate, compare, and report on model “skill” by use of a single aggregate metric value, even when a vector of metrics is used to calibrate/train the model; most commonly this is a dimensionless efficiency metric such as Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) or Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE). Such “efficiency” metrics typically aggregate over multiple types of residual behaviours: for example the most commonly used version of KGE is based on correlation, bias, and variability errors, although the authors recommended that it should be applied in a context-dependent fashion based on which model behaviours are deemed to be important to a given situation. Nevertheless, the use of a single summary value fails to account for the interactions among the error component terms, which can be quite informative for the evaluation and benchmarking of models. In this study, we propose a new diagram that is as easy to use and interpret as the Taylor Diagram, while also accounting for bias. We further suggest a new convention for reporting model skill that is based on foundational error terms. Our vision is that this new diagram and convention will enable researchers and practitioners to better interpret and report model performance. We provide multiple numerical examples to illustrate how this approach can be used for evaluating performance in the context of multi-model and multi-catchment (large-sample) studies.
Closure study of aerosol-stratocumulus interactions with UCLALES-SALSA
Authors: Calderón Silvia M. , Tonttila Juha , Buchholz Angela , Joutsensaari Jorma , Komppula Mika , Leskinen Ari , Liqing Hao , Moisseev Dmitri , Tiitta Petri , Virtanen Annele , Kokkola Harri , Romakkaniemi Sami
Published: March 2022

We carried out a closure study of aerosol-cloud interactions during stratocumulus formation using a large eddy simulation model UCLALES-SALSA and in situ observations from the 2020 sampling campaign at the Puijo SMEAR IV station in Kuopio, Finland. UCLALES-SALSA uses spectral bin microphysics for aerosols and hydrometeors and incorporates a full description of their interactions into the turbulent-convective radiation-dynamical model of stratocumulus. Typical closure studies use observations to assess agreement between aerosol properties and cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) in updrafts. Here, the unique observational setup allowed a closer look into the aerosol size-composition dependence of droplet activation and droplet growth in turbulent boundary layer driven by surface forcing and radiative cooling. The model successfully described probability distribution of updraft velocities and aerosol activation efficiency curves, and nicely recreated the size distributions shapes for aerosol and cloud droplets. This is the first time such a detailed closure is achieved not only accounting for activation of cloud droplets in different updrafts, but also accounting for processes evaporating droplets and drizzle production through coagulation-coalescence. 
We studied two cases of cloud formation, one diurnal (24/09/2020) and one nocturnal (31/10/2020), with high and low aerosol loadings, respectively. Aerosol number concentrations differ more than an order of magnitude between cases and therefore, lead to CDNC  of less than 100 cm-3 up to 1000 cm-3. Different aerosol loadings affected the supersaturation at the cloud base, and thus the minimum size of aerosol particles producing cloud droplets. Also, as the mean size of cloud droplets in the diurnal-high aerosol case was lower, the droplet evaporation process was found to be decreasing the observed CDNC more than in the low aerosol case.   In addition, in the low aerosol case, the presence of large aerosol particles played a significant role on the droplet spectrum evolution as it promoted the drizzle formation through coalescence and collision processes enhanced by cyclic turbulence fluctuations. Also, during the event, the ice particle formation was observed due to subzero temperature at the cloud top. 
The studied cases are presented in detail and can be further used by the cloud modellers to test and validate their models in a well characterized modelling setup. We also provide recommendations on how increasing amount of information on aerosol properties could improve the understanding of processes affecting cloud droplet number and liquid water content in stratified clouds.
Intercomparison of Ceilometer aerosol profiling versus Raman lidar including  pollution events and transported biomass burning aerosols across the United Kingdom
Authors: Buxmann Joelle , Osborne Martin , Mortier Augustin , Ruefenacht Rolf , Turp Myles , O'Sullivan Debbie
Published: March 2022

Raman lidars are often used to gain quantitative aerosol profile information in the atmosphere including the atmospheric boundary layer. While ceilometers are less powerful  and show some technological disadvantages compared to lidars, their lower cost and low maintenance needs may be useful to fill geographical and temporal gaps between advanced lidar stations.

The Met Office operates a ground based operational network of nine dual-polarisation Raman lidars  and co-located sun photometers (column integrated information), as well as  more than 40 ceilometers across the United Kingdom. In this study we present a comparison between attenuated backscatter profiles, extinction profiles and mass concentration retrieved from the Raman lidars as well as selected ceilometer stations. The AERONET data from the sun photometers are used as an additional input parameter in the retrieval, and for validating the integrated extinction profiles. Aerosol optical properties from the Raman lidars are calculated from glued analogue and photon-counting signals using a data analysis package developed at the Met Office. A-Profiles, which is a python library dedicated to the analysis of atmospheric profilers, is used for the Ceilometer data. The calibration constant of the ceilometer in particular, is shown to impact the quality of the retrieval and will be investigated in detail. The Raman LR111-300s lidars (manufacturer: Raymetrics) emit at 355 nm and have polar and cross-polar depolarisation detection channels at 355 nm and a N2 Raman detection channel at 387 nm. The Ceilometer network consists of a mix of Vaisala CL31 and CL61 operating at 910.5nm, as well as Lufft CHM15K with an emitting wavelength at 1064nm. The CL31 and CHM15K ceilometers are part of the E-PROFILE network. In this study, we focus on several pollution events in the boundary layer, as well as aerosol transported from the Canadian wild fires in September 2020. The aerosol information at different wavelengths is used to inform the origin and type of the aerosols in conjunction with satellite images and dispersion model outputs using the Met Office Numerical Atmospheric-dispersion Modelling Environment (NAME).

Ceilometers show a good potential for aerosol profiling, especially in synergy with lidars and sun photometers. The higher spatial resolution of the ceilometer network in conjunction with the better sensitivity and accuracy of the lidar, improves the  knowledge of the vertical aerosol distributions and transport in near real time. This is needed to complement in situ surface measurements especially for monitoring air pollution and related health impacts.
Coastal upwelling variability along the Northern Margin of the Gulf of Cadiz.
Authors: Júnior Luciano , Garel Erwan , Relvas Paulo
Published: March 2022

The norther margin of the Gulf of Cadiz (NMGC) at the southern limit of the Portuguese branch of the Canary upwelling system is often reported to be affected by local upwelling. However, the oceanic wind field over this region has not been fully documented yet in order to corroborate this effect. This study aims to describe the wind forcing to characterize the wind-driven upwelling over the NMGC and its spatio-temporal variability. The Upwelling Index (UI) and Ekman pumping (Ekp) are estimated using ERA5 reanalysis surface winds with 0.25° resolution. On average, the wind over the shelf is strongest at west and mainly orientated south-eastward. It weakens progressively towards the east and rotates counter-clockwise to eastward. Off the shelf, the wind is mainly south-eastward with a slightly less pronounced counter-clockwise rotation and is stronger than on the shelf.  This pattern result in a weak positive (upwelling favourable) mean UI along the coast with minor alongshore variability. By contrast, the mean Ekp is null at east but significant and positive (upwelling favourable) at west, due to sheltering effects induced by the presence of a cape (São Vicente). The highest positive Ekp values are observed near Cape São Vicente during spring summer. The largest range, due to variability between low positive and negative values are observed during autumn and winter. The seasonal mean maps suggest that enhanced upwelling due to Ekp develops in summer near Cape São Vicente, only. This pattern explains the recurrent signal of cold water and high chlorophyll concentrations often observed in the vicinity of the cape during this period. It is also suspected to be important for the development of a mesoscale cyclonic eddy observed when upwelling favourable winds relaxes. In this case, Ekp would promote the rising of the isopycnals slightly off the coast and the adjustment of the pressure field would promote such circulation pattern. UI patterns are consistent along the coast, being persistently positive and moderate during spring and summer and with largest range of variation in autumn and winter too. Thus, the seasonal mean is positive and stronger in spring and summer than in autumn and winter, even though some strong events may cause water to upwell in winter. These winter events do not have clear signal in the temperature variability but may be important in terms of nutrients supply. Overall, this study indicates the predominant seasons and locations for coastal upwelling along the NMGC and evaluates the distinct contributions of UI and Ekp. It confirms the effect of the wind in driving local upwelling as previously described for summer events but also indicate that upwelling in autumn and winter is a recurrent feature.
Simulation of hydrological and land surface variables over Iran – a new 24/7 operational system based on the coupled WRF-SEBAL model
Authors: Nikfal Amirhossein , Vazifedoust Majid , Khosravi Tabrizi Amirmahdi , Karimi Mohammad Amin , Khorani Masoumeh , Rezvani Mohammad , Toofaninejad Zahra
Published: March 2022

Water scarcity is regarded as one of the most important issues in many dry climates, with serious impacts on the food security and national development. Since agriculture irrigation accounts for the most of water use worldwide, providing a water management system is of paramount importance to cope with water stress and its challenges. Agricultural water management is an interdisciplinary task including meteorological and environmental factors. In this work, we have established a 24/7 system to simulate those land surface variables, associated with evapotranspiration, biomass growth, and water deficit, using the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL). SEBAL simulates the energy balance, using satellite data for shortwave and thermal bands, as well as soil and meteorological data (such as wind speed and humidity).

This system consists of 3 interconnected units: WRF model, Python implementation of the SEBAL model (pySEBAL), and a web-based management panel for the visualization, reanalysis, and publishing the results. The WRF model is run in a daily basis for 36 hours, starting from 12:00 UTC, to provide the meteorological data for the next day. At the next stage, the simulated WRF data after some required processing (converting formats and units of files and variables, etc.)  will be incorporated as input data into the SEBAL model. The key data for the SEBAL model is the “Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite” (VIIRS) real-time data over the Suomi satellite, which is received automatically after tracking the satellite and picking the appropriate data files for download. SEBAL outputs include some of the variables with key role in agricultural water management, such as actual and potential evapotranspiration, biomass production and deficit, albedo, NDVI, etc, with a resolution of 375m over Iran.

The third part of operational system is a web-based panel, consisting of an open-source server to share and edit the SEBAL outputs. An open-source database management system for the client-based analysis of the SEBAL outputs, and an open-source JavaScript library for displaying the maps of the SEBAL outputs in web browsers.
New insights to characterize the La Cerdanya basin structure from 3D gravity modelling
Authors: Clariana Pilar , Muñoz Roberto , Ayala Concepción , Bellmunt Fabián , Piña-Varas Perla , Soto Ruth , Gabàs Anna , Macau Albert , Rubio Félix , Rey-Moral Carmen , Martí Joan
Published: March 2022

The acquisition and interpretation of gravity and magnetic data represents a cost-effective tool in geophysics since it allows to determine the geometry and distribution of the density and magnetic properties at depth of the subsurface rocks. The study area, where gravity and magnetic data have been interpreted, is the La Cerdanya basin (Eastern Pyrenees), a Neogene ENE-WSW oriented half graben located in the Axial Zone, the central part of the Pyrenees mainly formed by Paleozoic rocks. It is situated in the NW block of the La Tet fault and its Neogene sediments lie unconformably on top of the Paleozoic basement. Its dimensions are approximately 30 km long and 7 km wide. The tectonic evolution and geometry of the La Cerdanya basin is not well known and this work aims to add new constraints to help solving the Neogene tectonic evolution of the Eastern Pyrenees and to improve the knowledge of its 3D geometry. 

The magnetic anomaly map of the study area, based on airborne magnetic data, shows very little contrasts of the magnetic properties between the Neogene rocks of the La Cerdanya basin and the Paleozoic rocks surrounding it. Gravity data consist of previous and new acquired gravimetric stations and the residual Bouguer anomaly map shows density contrasts big enough to model the geometry of the basin and the neighbor intrusive bodies. They have been incorporated into a 3D geological model based on available geological and petrophysical data using the 3D GeoModeller software. The 3D potential fields model has been made taking into account the three most representative units outcropping in the study area: the Neogene rocks, the Late Carboniferous intrusive bodies and the Paleozoic basement. The resulting potential fields response of the model is consistent with the observed data. The 3D model shows a basin slightly deeper than shown in previous works and has helped to better define the 3D geometry of the basin and the along-strike geometry of the La Tet fault.
Submarine landslide tsunamis in fjord environments: the case of Pangnirtung Fjord, eastern Baffin Island (Nunavut, Canada)
Authors: Gallotti Glauco , Sedore Philip , Armigliato Alberto , Normandeau Alexandre , Maselli Vittorio , Zaniboni Filippo
Published: March 2022

Fjord environments are subject to submarine mass wasting events due to their steep slopes, high sedimentation rates, and tectonic activity driven by glacial-isostatic rebound. In specific cases, these events can generate tsunami waves whose coastal heights are strongly influenced by the physiography, both subaerial and submarine, of the fjord. Here we present modeling simulations of a potential tsunami initiated by a submarine landslide in Pangnirtung Fjord, eastern Baffin Island (Nunavut, Canada). Pangnirtung Fjord, a 43 km long, 1 to 3 km wide, and 165 m deep fjord, is fed by numerous rivers that transport sediment from the surrounding high-relief, partially glaciated landscape. Collapse of the Kolik River delta, situated directly across from the hamlet of Pangnirtung, is the likely cause of the largest submarine landslide (2.1 km2) identified in the fjord using multibeam bathymetric data and 3.5 kHz sub-bottom profiles collected in 2019. The mapped landslide extends across the flat basin and features a blocky deposit directly downslope of the delta. The landslide dynamics, the consequent water waves generation and propagation were simulated by means of codes developed by the Tsunami Research Team of Bologna University. The landslide parameters characterizing the downslope motion have been retrieved by matching the landslide dynamics with the observed deposit. As the landslide impulses to the water column are considered, the propagation of the waves inside the fjord is determined through the shallow water approximation of the Navier-Stokes set of equations. The waves reach the hamlet (3.5 km from the landslide source) in 200 s, and the surrounding fjord coasts in approximately 800 s. Maximum wave height values of approximately 2 m were modeled and used to construct an inundation map for the area, over a 2 m regularly spaced grid for the hamlet of Pangnirtung.
A passive seismic approach including fiber-optic sensing for permafrost monitoring on Mt. Zugspitze (Germany)
Authors: Lindner Fabian , Smolinski Krystyna , Igel Jonas , Bowden Daniel , Fichtner Andreas , Wassermann Joachim
Published: March 2022

As observed elsewhere on a global scale, permafrost at Mt. Zugspitze (German/Austrian Alps) is warming in response to climate change. To monitor permafrost warming and thawing, which affect the rock slope stability and thus the hazard potential, borehole temperature logging and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) have been employed at Mt. Zugspitze for more than a decade. Furthermore, a recent study shows that the ambient seismic noise recordings of a single seismometer at the same site can be utilized to track permafrost changes over the past 15 years. This passive seismic approach is non-invasive, labour- and cost-effective and provides high temporal resolution. Together with recent advances in instrumentation allowing the measurement of seismic vibrations on a meter scale along a fiber-optic cable (known as distributed acoustic sensing), passive seismology provides unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution for monitoring applications.

 

Starting in July 2021, we extended the single-station deployment on Mt. Zugspitze with three small seismic arrays (six stations each, aperture ~25 m) along the permafrost-affected ridge. The stations are partly installed in a tunnel beneath the surface, which intersects a permafrost body, thus allowing in-situ observations of the frozen rock. We equipped the tunnel facilities with a fiber-optic cable, which we will interrogate on a regular basis, about once per quarter year, to resolve seasonal permafrost dynamics. A first 10-day data set of this monitoring element with seismic channel spacing of 2 m along a cable exceeding 1 km in length is already available and shows that artificial avalanche triggering explosions were successfully recorded. We present data and first results dedicated to permafrost monitoring along the fiber-optic cable and between pairs of seismic stations through cross-correlation of ambient seismic noise. In addition, the seismic arrays are designed to derive rotational ground motions, which we expect to be more sensitive to local subsurface/permafrost changes compared to the classical translational motion measurements. The experiment aims to explore the permafrost monitoring capabilities of passive seismology compared to more classical and established methods as ERT.
Quantifying Causal Pathways of Teleconnections
Authors: Kretschmer Marlene
Published: March 2022

Due to their relevance for regional weather and climate, teleconnections are an extremely active area of research. One key task is to quantify the contribution of a teleconnection to regional anomalies in both models and observations. This is, for instance, important to improve forecasts on time scales ranging from subseasonal to multidecadal, or to attribute ensemble spreads to changes in large-scale drivers. However, robustly estimating the effects of a teleconnection remains challenging due to the often simultaneous influences of multiple climate modes. While physical knowledge about the involved mechanisms is often available, how to extract a particular causal pathway from data are usually unclear.

In this talk I argue for adopting a causal inference-based framework in the statistical analysis of teleconnections to overcome this challenge. A causal approach requires explicitly including expert knowledge in the statistical analysis, which allows one to draw quantitative conclusions. I illustrate some of the key concepts of this theory with simple examples of well-known atmospheric teleconnections. Moreover, I show how the deductive nature of a causal approach can help to assess the plausible influence of Arctic sea ice loss on mid-latitude winter weather, thereby helping to reconcile differences between models and observations. I finally discuss the particular challenges and advantages a causal inference-based approach implies for climate science.

 

References

Kretschmer, M., Adams, S. V., Arribas, A., Prudden, R., Robinson, N., Saggioro, E., & Shepherd, T. G. (2021). Quantifying Causal Pathways of Teleconnections, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 102(12), E2247-E2263. Retrieved Jan 13, 2022, from https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/102/12/BAMS-D-20-0117.1.xml

Kretschmer, M., Zappa, G., and Shepherd, T. G. (2020), The role of Barents–Kara sea ice loss in projected polar vortex changes, Weather and Climate Dynamics, doi: 10.5194/wcd-1-715-2020
Rapid-update X-band radar observations of two severe storms in Vienna, Austria
Authors: Klaus Vinzent , Kaltenböck Rudolf , Rieder Harald
Published: March 2022

Severe thunderstorms and associated weather phenomena like large hail, heavy precipitation and strong winds pose a substantial threat to public safety and infrastructure. Thunderstorms are commonly monitored using C- or S-band weather radars with update times between 2 to 5 minutes for volumetric scanning, and range resolutions in the order of 250 to 500m. Recent studies, however, suggest potential benefits of rapid-update dual-pol radar observations for operational nowcasting and the understanding of microphysical processes in thunderstorms.

Since early 2020, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna operates a mobile, dual-pol X-band radar. While its range is limited to 50 km - significantly less than the maximum range of conventional C- or S-band radars - it provides a radial resolution of 50 m and update times of 1 min for volumetric scans with up to 8 elevation angles.

We present detailed observations of two severe thunderstorms passing over Vienna: A supercell in June 2020 producing hailstones of up to 4 cm diameter, and a squall line in July 2020 with wind gusts up to 40 knots. Both systems showed typical polarimetric signatures of heavy storms such as ZDR columns, albeit with large differences regarding their temporal evolution and their location within the storm. In addition, a dual-Doppler retrieval of the three-dimensional wind field using data of the C-band radar at Vienna airport was conducted to examine the storm dynamics.
Broadband seismic instrumentation for monitoring CCS sites
Authors: Cilia Marcella , Reis Will , Watkiss Neil , Mohr Sally , Barbara Rui , Hill Phil
Published: March 2022

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) sites require microseismic monitoring before, during and after operations to ensure safety of operational personnel and the wider public.

The high dynamic range and low self-noise of broadband seismometers allows for the detection of low magnitude microseismic events which fall below the threshold of less sensitive geophones. Higher long-period sensitivity also allows the full source spectra of earthquakes to be accurately measured, resulting in more accurate magnitude estimations which improve the integrity of any microseismic monitoring system.

Borehole instruments such as the Güralp Radian are a natural fit for detecting low magnitude microseismic events. Optional high gain at the higher frequencies makes the Radian extremely suitable for monitoring low-magnitude induced events while retaining long-period sensitivity for larger ruptures. The slim form factor and omni-angle operation allows the instrument to easily be lowered into decommissioned wells with little information about the orientation at depth.

The Radian is currently being utilised by the British Geological Survey as part of the UK GeoEnergy Test Bed (GTB) to monitor and improve understanding of fluid flow through natural subsurface pathways. A string of 6 interconnected Radians provides vertical profiling around the injection site with a maximum of 8 units able to join in a single string. The Radian will detect and monitor small changes in the subsurface at the GTB as part of the suite of monitoring technologies deployed onsite. 

In addition to onshore networks, offshore depleted gas fields are becoming increasingly scrutinised for potential to store CO2. The advent of Güralp omnidirectional sensor technology combined with acoustic near-real-time data transmission means the Aquarius OBS provides a cost-effective solution for monitoring offshore CCS sites, with infrequent and rapid battery recharging and acoustic data extraction while the unit is still on the seafloor.
Oceanic drivers of air-sea-ice interactions: the imprint of mesoscale eddies and ocean heat content on the sea ice, atmosphere, and ice sheet
Authors: Huot Pierre-Vincent , Kittel Christoph , Fichefet Thierry , Marchi Sylvain , Van Lipzig Nicole , Fettweis Xavier , Verfaillie Deborah , Klein François , Jourdain Nicolas
Published: March 2022

The Antarctic Climate is characterized by strong interactions between the Southern Ocean, its sea ice cover, and the overlying atmosphere taking place over a wide range of spatio-temporal scales. This coupling constrains our ability to isolate the role of specific components of the climate system on the dynamics of the Antarctic Climate, especially with stand-alone approaches neglecting the feedbacks at play. Based on coupled model simulations, we explore how the ocean can drive the interactions with the cryosphere and atmosphere at two distinct spatio-temporal scales. First, the role of ocean mesoscale eddies is investigated. We describe the imprint of mesoscale eddies on the sea ice and atmosphere in a high-resolution simulation of the Adélie Land sector (East Antarctica) performed with a regional coupled ocean--sea ice--atmosphere model (NEMO-MAR). Specific attention is given to the role of the sea ice in the modulation of the air-sea interactions at mesoscale and to the influence of eddy-driven fluxes on the ocean and sea ice. We show that mesoscale eddies affect near-surface winds and air temperature both in ice-free and ice-covered conditions due to their imprint on the sea ice cover. In addition, eddies promote northward sea ice transport and decrease momentum transfer by surface stress to the ocean. In a second section, we move to larger spatial and temporal scales and delve into the influence of the ocean on the seasonal to interannual variability of the sea ice, atmosphere, and ice shelves basal melt at the scale of the Southern Ocean. This work is based on early results from a new coupled ocean–sea ice--atmosphere--ice sheet configuration with explicit under-ice shelf cavities called PARASO. We focus on subsurface heat content variability and its influence on the interactions between the ocean, the sea ice, the atmosphere, and the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Injection of geothermal gases at the Kızıldere field: A pre-injection overview
Authors: Akın Taylan , Erol Selçuk , Akın Serhat , Şentürk Erdinç , Şengün Çetin Raziye
Published: March 2022

Emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 emitted at Turkish geothermal power plants are an obstacle to accepting geothermal energy as green power. However, recent advances in carbon capture and storage technologies have enabled low emissions by re-injecting produced CO2. Carbfix is one of the recent projects where geothermal gases are re-injected into the reservoir. In the Carbfix project, waste gases from Hellisheidi Power Plant are dissolved in effluent water and gas-charged fluid is injected into the basaltic subsurface where some portion of the gases precipitate as minerals. To understand whether the Carbfix methodology can be a standard application for the geothermal industry worldwide, an international research project called Geothermal Emission Control (GECO) was started in 2018. GECO is funded by the EU through the H2020, and the project consortium is consisting of 18 partners from 9 countries across Europe.

GECO aims to develop near-zero-emission geothermal power plants in four sites by providing clean geothermal energy at a lower cost. Kızıldere (Turkey) geothermal field (KGF) is one of the demonstration sites in the project where emission gases are injected into Menderes Metamorphic units. Zorlu Energy and METU are partners of the project from Turkey, and they operate the demonstration and monitoring of CO2 injection in KGF. We present here a geological overview of the Kızıldere injection site, baseline monitoring studies, fluid chemistry of the reservoir, and the predicted chemistry of the gas-charged fluid at the site. Moreover, geochemical simulation conducted for predicting fluid-rock interaction taking place in the geological formation is being assessed.

This work was done in the framework of the GECO Project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 818169.
Soil pH Influences on Microbial Functional Responses to Crop Rotational Management and Field Translocation
Authors: Horne Jack , Hallett Paul D , Fraser Fiona C , Willoughby Catriona
Published: March 2022

Structural disturbance of soil such as that caused by tillage or translocation for infrastructure projects can induce changes in soil microbial functions eliciting large fluxes of CO2. Soil pH, often referred to as a master variable in the context of soil biology, exerts a strong influence on both the structure and function of microbial communities as well as the physical structure of the soil. In order to better understand the interaction of soil pH and large-scale physical disturbances in controlling these fluxes, we took the opportunity presented when moving an entire experimental field to a new location to look at how changing soil structural conditions influenced the activity of the microbial community. Soils under long-term (60 years) pH manipulation were dug from the original experimental site (Woodlands Field, SRUC, Aberdeen) and transported to a new experimental site less than 1 mile away (Aberdeen Cropping Experiment (ACE), Aberdeen), excavated soils were thoroughly mixed before reinstatement. This produced a significant decrease in bulk density and concomitant increase in macroporosity as expected (p = 0.027 and p = 0.021 respectively), with more pronounced changes at lower pH. There were consistent increases in the fraction of water-stable aggregates from the soil translocation, where the field averages of Woodlands and ACE were 91% and 95% respectively (p < 0.001). However, there were no discernible differences across the pH range (p = 0.641), despite greater changes occurring at lower pH treatments. We also observed changes in respiration rates of soils after translocation, rates were slightly increased at low pH, reduced at mid-range pH, and stable at high pH, although none of these were significant changes (p = 0.081). Soil pH was a dominant factor in controlling some aspects of the soil physical properties. Soil pH had variable magnitudes of influence, in particular, more acidic soils were more vulnerable to changes in the physical structure, where the volume of large pore spaces increased dramatically. This could explain the increased CO2 efflux in acidic soils, however, microbial communities in mid-range pH treatments demonstrated the greatest vulnerability to large-scale physical disturbance, which is likely due to the threshold pH determining their respiration pathway. This research demonstrates that soil management in large-scale disturbance should have altered management, guided by the soil pH. 
Assessment of the variation of soil trace metals using artificial intelligence: A case study from Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Yassin Mohamed , Benaafi Mohammed , Tawabini Bassam , Abba Sani
Published: March 2022

Soils may preserve metals from different sources that might pollute the environment. Hence, it is very important to assess the concentration of the geochemical elements of areas where intensified agriculture and industrial activities. This study involved the spatial assessment of topsoil contamination with trace metals in selected areas in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. To achieve this objective, more than 130 samples of topsoil from residential, industrial, and agricultural areas were collected and analysed. Inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to analyse the samples for various trace metals. Moreover, different artificial intelligence (AI) models such as artificial neural network (ANN) were applied to estimation the zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) using feature-based input selection. The experimental results depicted that the average concentration levels of HMs were as follows: Chromium (Cr) (31.79±37.9 mg/kg), Copper (Cu) (6.76±12.54 mg/kg), Lead (Pb) (6.34±14.55 mg/kg), and Zinc (Zn) (23.44±84.43 mg/kg). The modelling accuracy showed that agricultural and industrial stations performance merit with goodness-of-fit ranges of 51-91% and 80-99%, respectively. This study concluded that AI models might be successfully applied for the quick estimation of soil trace metals and for decision support system.
 Structural evolution of the outer Indo-Burma Wedge: Insights from field observations and laboratory experiments
Authors: Das Animesh , Roy Sreetama , Dasgupta Sujit , Bose Santanu
Published: March 2022

The outer wedge of the Indo-Burma wedge (IBW) has resulted due to oblique subduction of the Indian Plate below the Burma. In this study, we will use the analysis of outcrop-scale structures from Tripura-Mizoram fold belt (TMFB) to evaluate the structural evolution of the outer wedge of IBW. TMFB belongs to the widest section of the outer wedge that stretches from east to west for around 270 km (along 23.5° N latitude). The first order structure of the outer wedge is characterized by a series of north-south trending anticlines-and-synclines of varying tightness. Analysis of our field observations provide a detailed understanding on the evolution of the first-order structure of the outer wedge of IBW. Weshow that the style of folding progressively becomes complex towards the hinterland direction of the wedge. The complexity of the fold structure is defined by the development of different geometries of folds, including refolding of earlier structures. Interestingly, different geometries of folds towards the hinterland share a uniform orientation of folds axes, implying pure shear deformation. Our field observations allow us to infer that the outer wedge sediments of IBW have deformed in a ductile manner over a shallow decollement, lying beneath the Neogene sediments of the outer wedge. We attribute the ductile behaviour of the outer wedge sediments to the dominance of weak shale horizons and high pore fluid pressure in the entire Neogene sequence of the outer wedge. To gain a complete understanding on the style of the strain distribution within TMFB, we performed scaled laboratory modelling under oblique convergence. We used Polydimethyl Siloxane (PDMS) to simulate the viscous rheology of the Neogene sediments. Model results show strong consistency not only with the existence of across-strike variations in the tightness of fold patterns from east to west but also provides a strong basis for explaining the occurrence of along-strike variations of deformation intensity in the outer wedge of IBW, which gradually increases southward with narrowing the width of the wedge.
Active Strike-Slip Fault Monitoring Using Marine Geodesy, Offshore Mt Etna, Sicily (Italy)
Authors: Royer Jean-Yves , Lenhof Edgar , Poitou Charles , Ballu Valerie , Coulombier Thibault , Dausse Denis , Sakic Pierre , Jamieson Gregor , Morvan Pierre-Yves , Gutscher Marc-André
Published: March 2022

In the framework of the European Research Council (ERC) funded project – FOCUS, testing laser reflectometry in a fiber optic cable to detect movement across an active submarine fault in real time, an array of eight acoustic beacons has been set up for monitoring motions across the fault and calibrating the observation from the fiber optic cable (see Gutscher et al. abstract in session SM2.1). The two experiments jointly started in October 2020. The selected North-Alfeo Fault is located at the foot of Mount Etna and shows evidence of right-lateral strike-slip motion.

The geodetic array forms a triangular web of 28 baselines, 16 of which cross the fault and 4 of which are parallel to the sections of fiber-optic cable cutting the fault.  Beacon depths range from 1910 to 1806m.  Each baseline, 400 to 1800 m long, is measured 4 times a day in both directions. Additional sensors simultaneously monitor the temperature (at ±0.001˚C) and pressure (at ±0.01dbar), so that sound-speed can be derived, and acoustic ranging (at ±1 microsecond) converted into distances. Inclinometers monitor the stability of the beacons (at ±0.05˚), mounted on 3m-high tripods, which, so far, have remained stable on the seabed.

The collected data (Jan. 2022) show transient and inhomogeneous environmental changes, due to cold bottom-water flows or mixing that last from days to weeks, and hence causing transient changes in the sound-speed and measured acoustic flight-times between beacons. Sound-speed (SSP) varies up to 0.1 m/s, inducing changes up to 25 microsecondes in one-way flight-times (equivalent to a 4-cm displacement at a constant SSP). Unfortunately, such an episode occurred when the optic fiber detected a significant elongation (20 - 40 microstrain) at two fault crossings, between 19 and 21 November 2020. Further processing is underway to extract possible actual displacements from the first 14 months of continuous acoustic ranging.
Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Coupling study at Jupiter Based on Juno First 30 Orbits and Modelling Tools
Authors: Blanc Michel , Al Saati Sariah , Clement Noe , Wang Yuxian , Louis Corentin , Andre Nicolas , Lamy Laurent , Gérard Jean-Claude , Bonfond Bertrand , Clark George , Mauk Barry , Allegrini Frederick , Gladstone Randy , Bolton Scott , Kotsiaros Stavros , Kurth William
Published: March 2022

The dynamics of the Jovian magnetosphere is controlled by the complex interplay of the planet’s fast rotation, its solar-wind interaction and its main plasma source at the Io torus, mediated by coupling processes involving its thermosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere, referred to as “MIT coupling processes”. At the ionospheric level, these processes can be characterized by a set of key parameters which include ionospheric conductances, currents and electric fields, transport of charged particles along field lines which carry electric currents connecting the ionosphere and magnetosphere, and among them fluxes of electrons precipitating into the upper atmosphere which trigger auroral emissions. Determination of these key parameters in turn makes it possible to estimate the net deposition/extraction of momentum and energy into/out of the Jovian upper atmosphere. A method based on a combined use of Juno multi-instrument data (MAG, JADE, JEDI, UVS, JIRAM and WAVES) and three modelling tools was first developed by Wang et al. (2021) and applied to an analysis of the first nine Juno orbits to retrieve these key parameters along the Juno magnetic footprint. In this communication we will extend this method to the first thirty Juno science orbits and to both north and south main auroral ovals crossings. Our results make it possible to characterize how the local systems of field-aligned electric currents, height-integrated ionospheric conductances, electric currents and fields, and Joule and particle heating rates vary across the main ovals between their poleward and equatorward edges. They suggest that southern current systems display a trend consistent with the generation of a region of sub-corotating ionospheric plasma poleward of the main aurora, while this dominant trend is not found around the northern main auroral oval.
Magma effect on the electrical resistivity: La Palma (Canary Islands)
Authors: Piña-Varas Perla , Ledo Juanjo , Martínez van Dorth David , Queralt Pilar , Cabrera Pérez Iván , D’Auria Luca , Pérez Nemesio
Published: March 2022

The recent eruption in La Palma (September 19th-December 14th, 2021) represents a unique opportunity to assess the effect of the magma on the electrical resistivity distribution of the subsoil. On the one hand, the presence of magma generates strong resistivity contrasts with the hosting units, since magmas contain dissolved water in their composition that reduces its resistivity. On the other hand, a 3-D resistivity model of La Palma Island was performed in 2019, proving us with a baseline model.

Several electromagnetic experiments have been performed in the island since the beginning of the volcanic eruption, in order to understand the changes of the resistivity associated to the magma intrusion, as well as the potential of these methods for the volcanic monitoring.

Here, we present in the frame of PIXIL project some preliminary results of a set of tests conducted against the 3-D resistivity model of the island (baseline model), to determine the characteristics of the detectable magmatic body at depth with the magnetotelluric data available. Understanding the extension, geometry, pathway, etc. of the magma is essential since many volcanic hazards are related to the size and depth of the sources of magma, especially in La Palma Island which is one of the highest potential risks in the Canary Islands.
Quantifying intra- and interspecific competition effects on water use of different tree stands using sap flow, terrestrial lidar scan and advances in stable water isotopy
Authors: Kinzinger Laura , Mach Judith , Haberstroh Simon , Dumberger Stefanie , Dubbert Maren , Frey Julian , Seeger Stefan , Seifert Thomas , Weiler Markus , Orlowski Natalie , Werner Christiane
Published: March 2022

The ecological impacts of climate change encompass significant consequences on the interactions of soil-plant-atmosphere-continuum and flux dynamics and will thus affect forest ecosystems. Much work needs to be done to understand the distribution of ecosystem specific flow pathways and the characteristic timescales of water movement. Understanding the linkages and interactions between water use strategies, water storage and competition effects can thereby provide valuable knowledge about drought resilience of different tree stands.

 We assessed water fluxes and their water stable isotopy at high temporal and spatial resolution to evaluate ecohydrological processes and competition effects on water use strategies in a mixed forest in south-west Germany. Measurements in pure and mixed tree stands with two temperate tree species, European beech (Fagus sylvatica, n=18) and Norway spruce (Picea abies, n=18), include sap flow, stem water content, in-situ water isotopy, radial stem growth and climate conditions. Furthermore, a terrestrial lidar scan provided tree anatomical characteristics.  Our central hypothesis is that species identity and water competition between tree species is a major driver for ecohydrological flux dynamics. Thus, we aim to gain a comprehensive knowledge of water use strategies of the two dominating tree species and their competitive balance.

First results from the wet summer of 2021 indicated that, spruce trees showed lower sap flux densities in mixed stands compared to pure stands. Inversely, beech trees in mixture with spruce had higher sap flux densities than in pure stands. Although we only observed small species-specific differences in stem water content, a competitive impact could be shown on spruce trees by a reduced leaf area density in mixed stand trees. Dynamics in water isotopy of beech trees provided further insight in water use strategies between different stands. Future work will focus on exploring ecohydrological feedback processes and water transit times with high temporal resolution in situ isotope and sap flow measurements and labelling campaigns.