bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resilience of planktic and benthic foraminifera across the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) along a shallow water mixed siliciclastic and carbonate succession in NW Italy
Authors: Gandolfi Antonella , Giraldo Gomez Victor-Manuel , Luciani Valeria , Piazza Michele , Briguglio Antonino
Published: February 2023

The early Paleogene is characterized by several warming episodes that are evaluated as analogues to the ongoing climate change. Specifically, we focalize on the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO, centered at ~40 Ma) which is one of the major Eocene global warming events, characterized by ~4–6°C warming, shifts in the global carbon cycle and rise in atmospheric pCO2. Even though the MECO is a still enigmatic event, studies on paleobiotic effects across this interval are yet rather limited. We present here new quantitative analysis on planktic and benthic foraminifera to evaluate the impact of the MECO on the investigated biotic groups along the Sealza section (Liguria, NW Italy). This succession is interpreted as the result of a drowning ramp that was affected by continuous tectonic activity and offers the exceptional opportunity to compare the biotic variations across the MECO in shallow-water assemblages with the deep-water communities. The MECO interval at Sealza is constrained by the stable isotope oxygen data and by the occurrence of the species Orbulinoides beckmanni that has a range mostly coincident with the MECO event. Planktic foraminiferal abundance is generally scarce, as expected from a shallow-water succession. The most abundant genus is Subbotina, which however records its lowest abundance within MECO interval. We interpret this record as a response to the MECO warming because this genus is a cold-water index. The genera Acarinina and Morozovelloides show low abundance in the lower part of the section, but they record an increase across the MECO interval, as expected by these warm indices. The most abundant genus among benthic foraminifera that are well preserved and easy recognizable, is the epifaunal? Cibicidoides, adapted to oxygenated conditions. This genus records a marked decrease across the MECO. Similarly, the opportunistic genus Heterolepa shows an increase in abundance across the MECO interval. Another abundant genus is Anomalinoides that is very abundant in the lower part of the section but also displays a decrease across the interval corresponding to the MECO but differently from Cibicidoides, it did not recover in the post-MECO and is absent at the top of the section. This suggests that Cibicidoides was more resilient than Anomalinoides which proved to be less flexible to the paleoenvironmental changes induced by the MECO warming. The decrease of Cibicidoides coupled to the increase in abundance across the MECO by the genera Uvigerina and Bolivina, infaunal forms tolerating low-oxygen conditions, possibly indicate less oxygenation at the bottom and a change in the quality of organic matter (i.e., more labile) reaching the seaﬂoor.
A holistic view of water sources in Kyiv, Ukraine using tap water, surface water, groundwater, and precipitation hydrogen (𝛿2H) and oxygen (𝛿18O) stable isotope ratios
Authors: Erhardt Andrea , Avery Elizabeth , Samonina Olena , Kryshtop Lidiia , Vyshenska Iryna , Fryar Alan
Published: February 2023

The water supply for Kyiv (Ukraine) is a seasonally and spatially variable mixture of both ground and surface water. This water supply is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, pollution, and geopolitical conflict. Climate change has resulted in changing precipitation patterns, potentially altering the balance between ground and surface water utilization. Additionally, the ongoing conflict makes a holistic understanding of water resources and pathways critical for water management. This study uses water stable isotopes as tracers for water sources and the importance of different reservoirs in water management.For this study tap water, surface water, groundwater, and precipitation were collected over 14 months (2019-2020) in Kyiv and nearby Boryspil, Brovary, and Boyarka and measured for hydrogen (𝛿2H) and oxygen (𝛿18O) stable isotope ratios. Precipitation data was used to capture seasonal variability in storm trajectories and create a meteoric water line. These results were then compared to surface, ground, and tap water to capture water sources and residence times.The stable isotope values from the tap water for each district show a general seasonal trend in water sources, with more groundwater used in the supply in the winter for most districts. Spatially, groundwater use increases from south to north in the left-bank districts in Kyiv city and groundwater use generally decreases from south to north in the right-bank districts. As precipitation patterns shift and temperatures increase, the reliance on particular water sources may need to shift as well. Overall, 𝛿2H and 𝛿18O data provide a baseline expectancy for current water use throughout the year and, from this, deviations can be assessed early. A holistic view of the water system will be critical to assess changes due to infrastructure damage and/or other impact on water management in the Kyiv region.
On modeling of silicon detector for space applications using Geant4
Authors: Rashev Mikhail
Published: February 2023

Silicon detectors are widely used for analyses of particles/radiation in space. They show a good response for a wide spectrum of different particles. Via construction of an appropriate shielding, one can select and analyze only a single sort of particles/their energy and suppress detection of particles of all other kinds. It is difficult to find a good solution for shielding only experimentally. A modeling software such as Geant4 allows us to find a solution for the shielding. This software calculates interaction of particles with shielding or detector and the resulting energy deposition.The current work is based on modeling of aluminum shielding of the RAPID/IES instrument on board of four Cluster spacecrafts. Since 2000 Cluster mission encounters the Earth's radiation belts and measures energetic electrons among other particles, waves and electromagnetic fields. Accurate modeling using Geant4 allows us to filter unwanted particles out of the result and possibly remove some artifacts in space.The Geant4 code calculates an attenuation of radiation. Preliminary this software does not calculate electrical signal. There is, however, a possibility to extend the code and add other functionalities. We are exploring possibilities to include signal processing in the Geant4 code for the detector, analog and digital processing units.
Tropospheric ozone budget in AerChemMIP experiments
Authors: Griffiths Paul , Shin Youngsub , Keeble James , Archibald Alexander
Published: February 2023

A grand challenge in the field of chemistry-climate modelling is to understand the connection between anthropogenic emissions, atmospheric composition and the radiative forcing of trace gases and aerosols.  The AerChemMIP model intercomparison project, part of CMIP6, aims to understand the role of near-term climate forcers, aerosol and chemistry and includes experiments focused on tropospheric ozone.We present an analysis of the trends in tropospheric ozone budget in the UKESM1 and other models for which diagnostic data is available from CMIP6 experiments. We focus on the historical period, and evaluate trends in ozone budget terms of chemical production and loss of ozone as well as physical processes such as transport and deposition.  We include AerChemMIP attribution experiments such as histSST-piCH4, to quantify the effect of individual emissions and forcing changes on the historical ozone burden and budget.  We include a comparison of ozone budget over ocean basins with data from recent ATom field campaigns.
Permanent Monitoring Solution based on 3D Terrestrial Laser Scanner
Authors: Groiss Bernhard , Gaisecker Thomas , Handl Markus
Published: February 2023

RIEGL Laser Measurement Systems GmbH produces different laser scanners for a very wide range of applications. The technology is based on the time-of-flight principle and thus allows surfaces to be measured over a large distance in a very short time.These devices are designed for use under difficult external conditions. Therefore terrestrial laser scanners have been used for many years for monitoring purposes e.g. landslides, erosion, avalanches etc. The effort to process the data and make it usable for further steps was left to the individual user.We at RIEGL have taken on the topic and developed a solution how to achieve the mentioned results quickly and above all reliably.In combination with increasingly efficient processors and communication technologies, it is possible to make the results of measurements, differences to previous measurements, available almost in real time for further interpretation via the Internet.The current terrestrial laser scanners allow apps to be run directly on board. With the existing interfaces, the sensor can also be connected with the RIEGL V-Line CB23, a communication box, which ensures smooth 24/7 operation with SMS notification in case of a system failure and full remote operation of the system via LTE mobile network. The complete package, represents a very efficient monitoring solution for measuring surfaces, even at long distances and under demanding environmental conditions.
European winter climate response to projected Arctic sea-ice loss strongly shaped by change in the North Atlantic jet
Authors: Ye Kunhui , Woollings Tim , Screen James
Published: February 2023

Previous studies have found inconsistent responses of the North Atlantic jet to Arctic sea-ice loss. The response of wintertime atmospheric circulation and surface climate over the North Atlantic-European region to future Arctic sea-ice loss under 2°C global warming is analyzed, using model output from the Polar Amplification Model Intercomparison Project. The models agree that the North Atlantic jet shifts slightly southward in response to sea-ice loss, but they disagree on the sign of the jet speed response. The jet response induces a dipole anomaly of precipitation and storm track activity over the North Atlantic-European region. The changes in jet latitude and speed induce distinct regional surface climate responses, and together they strongly shape the North Atlantic-European response to future Arctic sea-ice loss. Constraining the North Atlantic jet response is a priority for reducing uncertainty in the North Atlantic-European precipitation response to future Arctic sea-ice loss.
Towards understanding the crustal response of slab tearing and detachment: inferences from the Dinarides-Hellenides transition
Authors: Randjelovic Nikola , Matenco Liviu , Maleš Maja , Krstekanic Nemanja , Stojadinovic Uros , Trivić Branislav , Toljić Marinko
Published: February 2023

Convergence zones are often characterized by numerous subduction- to collision-related dynamics in many orogenic areas worldwide. Processes such as continental indentation, extrusion and slab roll-back can occur simultaneously along orogens as a consequence of different rates of convergence. Such along-strike variability accross the orogen can lead to migration of deformation from partly detached slab to the still active oceanic or continental subduction. These conditions create slab tearing often followed by rotation, rapid roll-back of the attached slab and/or exhumation of previously buried crust in the upper plate above the already detached slab. The main mechanism that explains transition from slabs with contrasting kinematics to the crustal level strain partitioning is still not fully understood.One very good example of strain partitioning associated with indentation, slab-detachment and slab-tearing is the junction between the Dinarides and Hellenides in southeastern Europe. Following the Jurassic – Eocene closure of the Neotethys Ocean and subsequent Adria – Europe collision, the Dinarides - Hellenides orogen has recorded a significant extensional deformation. This extension was driven by the Oligocene – early Miocene slab detachment of the Dinarides slab, while the Hellenides segment continued its evolution until the present day.We have performed a field kinematic and structural study in the less understood area of Montenegro near Dinarides - Hellenides transition to determine the influence of Oligocene – early Miocene deformation on Dinarides composite nappes. The results imply that Oligocene – early Miocene slab detachment followed by slab tearing was accommodated in crustal domain by bi-directional extension associated with the exhumation of mid-crustal levels in the footwall of both orogen-parallel and orogen-perpendicular faults, reactivation of inherited Cretaceous-Paleogene nappe contacts and formation of extensional klippen.
The Alteration Chemistry of a Multi-Stage Volcanic Hosted Epithermal Gold Mineralization; Kısacık Case (Biga Metallogenic Province of NW, Turkey)
Authors: Bakkalbaşı Ali Erdem , Döner Zeynep , Bayram Hatice Nur , Ünlüer Ali Tuğcan , Kumral Mustafa
Published: February 2023

The Biga peninsula (NW, Turkey) hosts numerous polymetallic mineral deposits including skarns, porphyry Cu-Mo, vein type Pb-Zn, and epithermal Au–Ag. These mineralizations are mainly associated with widespread high-K magmatism in the Oligo-Miocene period. Of these the epithermal veins which have economic grade Au-Ag concentrations are generally found in volcanic rocks such as dacites, andesites, and pyroclastic rocks. The hydrothermal aureoles' interaction with highly permeable volcanic rocks caused voluminous alteration zones with potential precious metal enrichments. The Kısacık (Biga Metallogenic Province of NW, Turkey) area can be considered as a promising precious metal mineralization zone due to the high-intensity alterations observed in Miocene volcanic rocks (dacites and pyroclastic rocks). In the study area, the hydrothermal activity can also be seen in basement metamorphic (calcschists) and ophiolitic (basalts - dolerites) rocks. The identified hydrothermal alterations in the field are sericitic and argillic alterations with intense silicifications. The silicifications are mostly observed in cracks and joint fractures of volcanic rocks in the form of veinlets and cavity fills. Major oxide-Trace Element and ICP-MS Ag-Au-PGE’s analysis was performed on the samples taken from the field. The calculated alteration indexes (AI) are ranging between %82-99.2 and Chlorite-Carbonate-Pyrite Indexes (CCPI) values are between %73-97 according to major oxide values of altered volcanics. The Au content varies between 0.03 – 21.34 ppm. When the hydrothermal trend is examined in the AI-CCPI diagram, the altered high grade volcanics shows a chlorite-sericite-pyrite alteration trend. These implications are parallel with field observations. The less altered volcanics are located within the andesite/basalt field. Highly altered volcanics are located in the "ore center" area of the diagram. The calculated alteration index (AI&CCPI) values of the volcanic rocks are high, mainly caused by the removal of mobile cations such and a significant enrichment in immobile cations such as Al and Fe. In addition, a silica-carbonate alteration zone around ophiolitic rocks was observed and gold content of up to 0.16 ppm was detected in samples from this area which indicates a listwanite-type Au deposit.Keywords: Alteration indexes, Miocene Volcanics, Hydrothermal Deposits, Biga Peninsula, Turkey
Investigating precession cancellation across the MPT using a zonally averaged energy balance model
Authors: Gunning Daniel
Published: February 2023

The precession of the equinoxes has a strong influence on the intensity of summer insolation according to most metrics and we would therefore expect the 23-Kyr and 19-Kyr precession cycles to be strongly reflected in our records of global ice volume, if summer insolation is indeed important for pacing glacial-interglacial cycles as proposed by Milutin Milankovitch. Instead, the precession signal is reduced in amplitude compared with the obliquity cycle in the Late Pleistocene, and in the Early Pleistocene (EP) precession appears completely absent in the δ18O stack. For this reason, the ‘40-Kyr world’ of the EP has been referred to as Milankovitch's other unsolved mystery. Indeed, numerous models of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) ice sheets simulated across the Plio-Pleistocene predict both a strong precessional and obliquity variability during the EP, at odds with the δ18O record. This points to the possibility of a dynamic Antarctic Ice Sheet in the EP that varied out-of-phase with the NH ice sheets at the precession period. In the original theory proposed by Raymo et al., (2006), from 3 to 1 Ma the East Antarctic Ice Sheet may have been land-terminating between 70ᵒS to 65ᵒS and sensitive to local summer insolation forcing. As precession is out-of-phase between the hemispheres, these variations could be cancelled out in globally integrated proxies of sea-level, concealing the true precession variability of both hemispheres in the marine sediment record. While studies have demonstrated  that precession-driven variations of the Antarctic Ice Sheet could cancel out NH variations in the deep-ocean record, no studies have investigated the actual feasibility of strong precession variability of the Antarctic Ice Sheet in the EP driven by local summer insolation, and whether it would have the magnitudes necessary to offset larger variations of the NH ice sheets. The question remains under what CO2 concentrations and orbital configuration can the East Antarctic Ice Sheet realistically be sensitive to local summer insolation forcing and possibly deglaciated from 70ᵒS to 65ᵒS, as postulated by Raymo et al. (2006). Can this produce the 10-30 m of sea-level necessary to offset NH variations in ice volume? To investigate the feasibility for anti-phased precession variability between the NH ice sheets and Antarctica in the EP, we use a zonally-averaged energy balance model coupled to a 1-D ice sheet model of a northern and southern hemisphere ice sheet, forced by atmospheric CO2 concentrations and daily insolation fields. The model will simulate glacial cycles across the Quaternary for different CO2 scenarios and determine whether anti-phased precessional cycles in ice volume between the hemispheres is a viable mechanism to explain the 40-Kyr world found in the δ18O record.
Learning fluid dynamical statistics using stochastic neural networks
Authors: Brolly Martin
Published: February 2023

Many practical problems in fluid dynamics demand an empirical approach, where statistics estimated from data inform understanding and modelling. In this context data-driven probabilistic modelling offers an elegant alternative to ad hoc estimation procedures. Probabilistic models are useful as emulators, but also offer an attractive means of estimating particular statistics of interest. In this paradigm one can rely on proper scoring rules for model comparison and validation, and invoke Bayesian statistics to obtain rigorous uncertainty quantification. Stochastic neural networks provide a particularly rich class of probabilistic models, which, when paired with modern optimisation algorithms and GPUs, can be remarkably efficient. We demonstrate this approach by learning the single particle transition density of ocean surface drifters from decades of Global Drifter Program observations using a Bayesian mixture density network. From this we derive maps of various displacement statistics and corresponding uncertainty maps. Our model also offers a means of simulating drifter trajectories as a discrete-time Markov process, which could be used to study the transport of plankton or plastic in the upper ocean.
A stakeholder-based approach for the sustainable deployment of renewable energies in conflictual social contexts
Authors: Tutunaru Robin , Bosch Stephan , Greßhake Lukas , Holzhammer Uwe
Published: February 2023

For a sustainable energy transition, concepts are needed that can map the techno-economic, socio-ecological, spatial and temporal complexity of regional site decisions for renewable energies (RE). Remarkable in this respect is that so far hardly any knowledge is available on how to design a computer-based methodological approach that precisely analyses and reflects the individual positions of the regional actors of the energy transition and visualises them with respect to the specificity of the actor-related land use interests. Our study therefore aims to analyse the complex interactions between the diverse competing land use claims. The central thesis is that a sustainable deployment of RE has to address in particular the communication processes between actors of the energy transition. Hence, we aim to capture the specific perspectives of certain stakeholders on the expansion of renewable energies. In doing so, we want to visualise the results by means of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in such a way that they can be understood by each stakeholder or citizen and subsequently allow a constructive debate on the suitability of certain areas for the RE expansion. Favourable and unfavourable renewable energy sites cannot be generalised from the outset, rather they are linked to the interests, values and norms of the actors (e.g. cost minimisation, sustainability, land use efficiency, landscape aesthetics).In order to analyse this complex interplay of technological, economic, ecological and social parameters and to be able to carry out a standardised evaluation of a socially balanced regional renewable energy deployment, this study will introduce an innovative GIS-based methodology. Our approach helps to deal with the competing social interpretations and constructs of all regional stakeholders that strive for a sustainable energy future.
Devising storylines of Arctic climate change from a large ensemble of CMIP6 models
Authors: Levine Xavier , Williams Ryan , Seland Graff Lise , Mooney Priscilla
Published: February 2023

While polar amplification has been established as a defining feature of Arctic climate change, poor quantitative agreement among models remains when assessing its magnitude and spatial pattern. Here, we apply the storyline approach to a large ensemble of CMIP6 models, with the aim of distilling the wide spread in model predictions into four physically plausible outcomes of Arctic climate change. This is made possible by leveraging strong covariability in the climate system: specifically, we find that differences in Barents Sea warming and lower tropospheric warming among CMIP6 models explain most of the intermodel variability in pan-Arctic surface climate response to global warming. Based on this novel finding, we compare regional disparities in climate change across the four storylines, and discuss potential implications for modeling climate change impacts on ecosystems and human activities. 
Tide propagation in the hyper-turbid Gironde and Loire estuaries
Authors: Jalon-Rojas Isabel , Cheynel Julie , Clercx Hannah , Defontaine Sophie
Published: February 2023

Most estuaries display strong decadal changes in morphology, bottom friction and river flow due to human activities and climate change. These changes can in turn modify tide propagation and flow. In macrotidal and highly turbid estuaries characterized by strong seasonal shifts in the Estuarine Turbidity Maximum, these hydro-morpho-sedimentary changes may be relevant even at seasonal time scales. In this study, we evaluate the amplification, damping, distortion, and asymmetry of tidal waves in the hyper-turbid Gironde-Garonne and Loire estuaries in relation to hydrological, sedimentary and morphological seasonal changes. For this purpose, a non-stationary harmonic analysis based on S-TIDE was applied to 5-year times series of water level from 10 (Gironde) and 14 (Loire) stations. River discharge strongly influences tidal range, overtides generation/damping, and therefore tidal deformation in both estuaries. For example, in the Gironde-Garonne (Loire) estuary, the M2 tide peak increased by 20% (6%) and shifted upstream by 74 km (43.5 km) from high to low river discharge periods, while M4 tidal peak increased by 21% (21%) and shifted upstream by 31 km (16 km). A river flow threshold for the maximum tidal distortion was observed in the upstream reaches of both estuaries: e.g., 1500 m3/s at 136 km from the mouth in the Gironde-Garonne estuary, and 500 m3/s at 94 Km from the mouth in the Loire estuary. The influence of annual and seasonal changes of bottom roughness on tidal range was highlighted in the upper reaches of both estuaries. For example, in the Garonne tidal river, the tidal range can increase by 25 cm after the ETM installation near Bordeaux Harbour, for the same (average) river flow. Morphological changes seem to have a relatively lower impact on tides in the Garonne tidal river at these time scales. Future analytical and numerical simulations of tide propagation will provide further insight into the relative role of the different morpho-sedimentary factors on tide propagation in both estuaries.
Electromagnetic signatures of deep-sea massive sulfide deposits
Authors: Schwalenberg Katrin , Mueller Hendrik , Barckhausen Udo
Published: February 2023

Deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields associated with the formation of seafloor massive sulfides (SMS) may become a future source of high-tech minerals such as Cu, Ni, Pb, Co, and REE, which are all in demand for the energy transition away from hydrocarbon resources. The identification and evaluation of the deposits in the deep ocean is a needle in a haystack problem. They are relatively small (size of a soccer field) and form in complex terrain at mid-ocean ridges, island arcs and back-arc spreading centres. Active hydrothermal vents are often accompanied with black smokers and have an abundant, environmental sensitive fauna and low mineral potential. Inactive and extinct vent sites are generally missing characteristic seafloor expressions and distinct vent fauna, and may be hidden under a thin layer of sediments. Thus, video observations and sampling may not be sufficient to evaluate the size and spatial extent of the SMS deposit. Massive sulfides are known to belong to the group of natural rocks with the highest electrical conductivity due to their electronic surface conduction, which makes them an interesting target for electromagnetic and electrical methods. BGR’s GOLDEN EYE electromagnetic deep-sea profiler has been developed to collect a variety of marine frequency domain CSEM loop data and electric dipole-dipole data in the German license areas for SMS exploration located in the Indian Ocean. The data are analyzed in terms of frequency, thus depth-depending conductivity models, chargeability and self-potential effects. The latter has been also measured with two deep-towed Vulcan E-field receivers. Both systems reveal significant anomalies over visually identified sulfide targets, but also in so far uncovered areas. We present details on instrumentation, data analysis, and preliminary results from resent cruises.
The outstanding 2022 hydrological drought in France within a 150-year historical context
Authors: Vidal Jean-Philippe , Devers Alexandre , Lauvernet Claire , Héraut Louis , Delaigue Olivier
Published: February 2023

The 2022 European drought affected the whole of France, leading to very severe summer low-flows. The outstanding characteristics of this event is questioned within a long-term historical context. It first makes use of 600+ daily streamflow series gauging near-natural catchments from all French regions. The historical background is provided by the 25-member ensemble hydrological reanalysis FYRE Hydro which covers the period 1871-2012 for the above stations. FYRE Hydro originates from a 25-member ensemble streamflow simulation using the GR6J lumped conceptual model. These simulations integrate three types of uncertainty: (1) the meteorological uncertainty through the use of the 25 members of the high-resolution FYRE Climate meteorological reanalysis (Devers et al., 2021) as forcings, (2) the uncertainty in streamflow measurement used to calibrate the hydrological models, and (3) the hydrological model error based on relative discrepancies between observed and simulated streamflow (Bourgin et al., 2014). An ensemble Kalman filter furthermore combined these ensemble simulations with available historical series together with their uncertainties to produce the FYRE hydro reanalysis. Streamflow observations from 2022 are compared to severe drought years in the FYRE Hydro reanalysis as identified by Caillouet et al. (2021). Results show that 150-year records were broken over a large number of stations for various low-flow indicators, confirming the exceptional nature of this hydrological drought event. Bourgin, F., Ramos, M., Thirel, G., and Andréassian, V.: Investigating the interactions between data assimilation and post-processing in hydrological ensemble forecasting, Journal of Hydrology, 519, 2775 – 2784, 85 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.07.054, 2014Caillouet, L., Vidal, J.-P., Sauquet, E., Devers, A., Lauvernet, C., Graff, B., and Vannier, O.: Inter-comparison of extreme low-flow events in France since 1871, LHB: Hydroscience Journal, 107, 1-9 https://doi.org/10.1080/00186368.2021.1914463, 2021Devers, A., Vidal, J.-P., Lauvernet, C., and Vannier, O.: FYRE Climate: a high-resolution reanalysis of daily precipitation and temperature in France from 1871 to 2012, Clim. Past, 17, 1857–1879, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1857-2021, 202
Data-integrated executable publications for reproducible geohazards research
Authors: Yildiz Anil , Kowalski Julia
Published: February 2023

Investigating the mechanics of physical processes involved in various geohazards, e.g. gravitational, flow-like mass movements, shallow landslides or flash floods, predicting their temporal or spatial occurrence, and analysing the associated risks clearly benefit from advanced computational process-based or data-driven models. Reproducibility is needed not only for the integrity of the scientific results, but also as a trustbuilding element in practical geohazards engineering. Various complex numerical models or pre-trained machine learning algorithms exist in the literature, for example, to determine landslide susceptibility in a region or to predict the run-out of torrential flows in a catchment. These use FAIR datasets with increasing frequency, for example DEM data to set up the simulation, or open access landslide databases for training and validation purposes. However, we maintain that workflow reproducibility is not ensured simply due to the FAIRness of input or output datasets. Underlying computational or machine learning model needs to be (re)structured to enable the reproducibility and replicability of every step in the workflow so that a model can be (re)built to either reproduce the same results, or can be (re)used to elaborate on new cases or new applications. We propose a data-integrated, platform-independent scientific model publication approach combining self-developed Python packages, Jupyter notebooks, version controlling, FAIR data repositories and high-quality metadata. Model development in the form of a Python package guarantees that model can be run by any end-user, and defining submodules of analysis or visualisation within the package helps the users to build their own models upon the model presented. Publishing the manuscript as a data- and model-integrated Jupyter notebook creates a transparent application of the model, and the user can reproduce any result either presented in the manuscript or in the datasets. We demonstrate our workflow with two applications from geohazards research herein while highlighting the shortcomings of the existing frameworks and suggesting improvements for future applications.
Experiments on the grain size gap in river bed sediments
Authors: Dingle Elizabeth , Venditti Jeremy
Published: February 2023

Riverbed sediments often lack fine gravel between 1 and 5 mm, a phenomenon referred to as the ‘grain size gap’. The gap corresponds to the rapid reduction in grain size associated with the gravel-sand transition, where median bed material grain size reduces from ~10 mm gravel to ~1 mm sand. Fine gravel grain sizes are often present in hillslope sediment, so it is not clear why they are absent on riverbed surfaces. We present a phenomenological laboratory experiment examining changes in sediment dynamics across a gravel-sand transition to explore the fate of grain size gap material. Our observations indicate that where sand falls out of washload, forming persistent surficial deposits at the gravel-sand transition, grain size gap material experiences enhanced mobility. This is due to hydraulic smoothing by sand that occurs because of a geometric effect, where medium sand bridges interstitial pockets in fine gravel bed surfaces. Our experiments show that fine gravel flux is enhanced by sand deposition making gravel beds at the threshold of motion, mobile. We are unable to maintain an immobile fine gravel bed when sand is fed, which explains why gravel beds composed of 1 to 5 mm particles are so rare on Earth. Our experiment shows that fine gravel particles mobilized by sand deposition are transported out of the flume. We hypothesize that in natural systems, fine gravel particles are either buried in the diffuse extension of gravel-sand transitions or transported into coastal and marine environments where they are more commonly observed.
Developing an Indicator of Pesticide Pollution Risk: Integrating the site specific water scarcity, biodiversity and impacts on human Health
Authors: Ray Sujata , Mohasin Piya , Chakraborty Paromita
Published: February 2023

Detection of high pesticide concentrations in sediments and water often leads to prioritizing a site as being ‘at risk’. However, the risk does not depend on pesticide concentration alone, but on other site-specific characteristics also. We developed an indicator that identifies the ‘Level of Concern’ by integrating five such characteristics: (i) pesticide concentrations in surface and groundwater causing risks to ecological health (ii) impacts on human health, (iii) water scarcity, (iv) agricultural production, and (v) biodiversity richness. We applied this framework in an agricultural region of the Lower Ganges Basin in West Bengal, India. We measured concentrations of selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface and groundwater within an 8 km2 area in 2019. Of 20 banned and restricted OCPs, 11 were detected as a cause of high risk to ecological health and 10 were detected at concentrations above the Accepted Carcinogenic Risk Limit (ACRL) for humans. In the pre-monsoon, the mean concentrations of ΣOCPs in groundwater and surface water were 126.9 ng/L and 104 ng/L,in the monsoon they were 144.7 ng/L and 138 ng/L, and in the post-monsoon 122.1 ng/L and 147 ng/L respectively. In groundwater, no significant seasonal difference was observed in most pesticides. In the surface water, 7 pesticides were significantly higher in the monsoon and post-monsoon, which may be attributed to increased runoff as well as post monsoon application of OCPs. In September 2022we again measured OCP concentrations in surface water and sediment. The mean concentration of 14 of the 20 measured OCPs were found to be significantly lower in the post-pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic time. These lower pesticide concentrations may indicate a reduced use of OCPs in agricultural practices during the pandemic. This area was identified as being at the highest Level of Concern, even though the OCP concentrations alone conformed to general guidelines.
Identification and analysis of Quaternary alluvial terraces for climatic and tectonic signals detection purposes: a case study from the central Marche Apennines (central Italy)
Authors: Ruscitto Valeria , Delchiaro Michele , Della Seta Marta , Iacobucci Giulia , Piacentini Daniela , Troiani Francesco
Published: February 2023

River terraces, together with their deposits, can provide a great deal of information about the history of a drainage system, from a hydrological and sedimentological perspective. As such, they are functional to understand the influence of tectonics, varying climate and base level change on landscapes, and their relevance as geomorphic markers is widely recognized. Through the complete and accurate analysis by remote sensing and field work of the Marche drainage network, it has been possible to identify and reinterpret the main river terrace staircase and to map its remnants in detail, with the perspective of attempting the detection and interpretation of the tectonic and climatic signals preserved in it.The selected area is challenging from a geomorphological and geomorphometric standpoint because it is characterized by low-rate tectonic activity and a well-preserved fill terrace staircase, middle-to-upper Pleistocene in age, allowing to analyse this classic climatic signal-bearing feature in a tectonically active setting. This work was based on a relatively innovative approach, that analyses Relative Elevation Models (REMs), converted from 1 m/pixel DEMs collected from a 1x1 LiDAR dataset, to better pinpoint river terraces through the identification of their surfaces with the Surface Classification Model (SCM). Once detected through remote techniques, the fill terraces will also be interpreted basing the analysis on field data and geochronological constraints, with the aim of isolating the climatic and tectonic signal they have recorded.
Benchmarking downscaled satellite-based soil moisture products using sparse, point-scale ground observations
Authors: Crow Wade , Colliander Andreas , Chen Fan
Published: February 2023

While great strides have been made in their accuracy and availability, the overall utility of satellite-derived surface soil moisture (SM) datasets derived from passive microwave radiometry is still reduced by their relatively coarse spatial resolution (typically >30 km). In response to this shortcoming, many independent satellite-based SM downscaling approaches have been introduced recently. However, owing to limitations in the spatial sampling characteristics of existing SM ground-monitoring networks, it has proven difficult to obtain reliable reference SM observations at the target downscaling resolution for these approaches (typically 1 to 10 km). As a result, the objective evaluation of SM downscaling approaches is often challenging and/or limited to very localized conditions. In this talk, we introduce and evaluate a point-scale downscaling (PSD) benchmarking strategy whereby spatially sparse, long-term, point-scale SM observations available from existing ground-based SM networks are utilized for the objective benchmarking of downscaled satellite-based SM products. First, we will define criteria that must be met for a given SM downscaling strategy to add either temporal accuracy or spatial skill relative to its coarse-resolution SM baseline. Next, we will illustrate, both analytically and numerically, that such criteria can be accurately evaluated using sparse, point-scale SM observations available from existing ground-based SM networks. Finally, we apply our new PSD benchmarking approach to evaluate existing fine-scale SM products. Results demonstrate that the PSD approach, in concert with existing ground-based network data, can be leveraged to robustly evaluate SM downscaling approaches.
Improving 1km Sentinel-1 Soil Moisture Retrievals by Optimizing Backscatter Preprocessing Workflows
Authors: Wagner Wolfgang , Massart Samuel , Raml Bernhard , Quast Raphael , Muguda Sanjeevamurthy Pavan , Navacchi Claudio , Reuß Felix , Bauer-Marschallinger Bernhard , Vreugdenhil Mariette
Published: February 2023

Most scientific studies dealing with the retrieval of soil moisture data from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data focus on the formulation, training, and validation of the models used to convert the backscatter measurements into soil moisture data, while paying little attention to how the backscatter data are preprocessed. This is insofar surprising given that the topography of the Earth surface in combination with the variable SAR imaging geometry may introduce strong orbit-related geometric effects that obscure the soil moisture signal in backscatter time series. Furthermore, backscatter mechanisms are characterized by a very high spatial variability, leading to variable sensitivity to soil moisture. Differences in backscatter mechanisms and soil moisture sensitivity are hardly ever accounted for except for masking some obvious soil-moisture-insensitive areas such as water bodies, dense forest and urban areas. In this contribution we give an overview of the ongoing efforts at TU Wien to develop Sentinel-1 preprocessing workflows to produce 1 km backscatter time series that are optimized to the task of retrieving soil moisture data at the same spatial resolution. The following topics are addressed: (i) the use of radiometric terrain corrected backscatter data instead of the standard ground range detected products, (ii) the masking of subsurface scattering areas, dense forest and other soil-moisture-insensitive areas, and (iii) the standardization of the backscatter data to a reference incidence angle using machine learning techniques. Our preliminary results over Europe and the Mediterranean region show a substantial improvement of the Sentinel-1 soil moisture retrievals that would be impossible to achieve by a sole focus on the scientific retrieval algorithm.AcknowledgementsWe acknowledge funding by the European Space Agency (DTE Hydrology and 4DMED), the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, and the Austrian Space Applications Programme (ROSSHINI and GHG-KIT). The computational results presented have been achieved in part using the Vienna Scientific Cluster (VSC).
The large San Vito Romano (central Italy) landslide system 3D geological-technical model
Authors: Seitone Francesco , Buleo Tebar Victor , Licata Michele Camillo Gabriele , Bonasera Mauro , Argentieri Alessio , Rotella Giovanni , Fubelli Giandomenico
Published: February 2023

On large landslide areas, two-dimensional and three-dimensional geological-technical models realization require a large number of subsurface data.We investigate a complex landslide system located in San Vito Romano, Central Italy, 40 km east from Rome where a large number of boreholes, piezometers and geophysical surveys are available.  The purpose of this work is the San Vito Romano landslide characterization in order to create a simplified graphic 3D model and to support a monitoring plan. The aim is also to support local authorities in civil protection activities.The geological context is characterised by a Tortonian sequence of turbidite deposits, characterised by marls and arenaceous intercalations, forming a monocline with 15-20° dip-direction eastward, parallel to slope inclination. Moreover, a complex hydrogeological system characterises the groundwaters.This landslide has a spatial extent of about 0.5 km2 and it has been studied for lot of years. It affects San Vito Romano’s new town (built from the 60s) and it has been interpreted as a large rock translational slide. From a geomorphological point of view the village is located along a cuesta. Human activities consist in buildings, roads and public services, built over the years, even in the recent past.A multitude of technical reports were carried out in this area during the last decades: geological surveys for building projects, geotechnical surveys for landslide monitoring planning, academic studies and field survey to understand the geomorphological slope evolution, hydrogeological and geophysical survey.All the available surveys were censored in order to create a large database in GIS environment. The database containing all the information from 80 linear and punctual surveys.Therefore, a boreholes surveyed quick interpretation was carried out. First, the stratigraphy was simplified into three different lithological units: loose material belonging to the landslide, bedrock involved in the gravitational process and bedrock in place. The stratigraphic and geotechnical data were implemented by the seismic data.A Digital Terranean Model was created using contour lines and elevation points from a 1:2000 scale local topographic map.All available data has been entered into AutoCAD Map 3D and georeferenced in GIS environment. 7 E-W and 8 S-N cross sections were realized allowing a first two-dimensional landslide system interpretation. Finally, the cross sections were correlated to create a single simplified three-dimensional subsurface model.This model shows at least three surfaces of rupture at different depth and the geological setting of the wide translation slide. Moreover, it could be implemented with new data and it could be imported into slope stability and hydrogeological modelling software for numerical analysis.
A multi-model assessment of the early last deglaciation (PMIP4 LDv1)
Authors: Snoll Brooke , Ivanovic Ruza , Gregoire Lauren , Sherriff-Tadano Sam ,   PMIP4 Working Group
Published: February 2023

At the onset of the last deglaciation, beginning ~19 thousand years ago, ice sheets that covered the Northern Hemisphere at the Last Glacial Maximum started to melt, Earth began to warm, and sea levels rose. This time period is defined by major long-term, millennial-scale, climate transitions from the cold glacial to warm interglacial state, as well as many short-term, centennial- to decadal-scale warmings and coolings of more than 5 °C, sudden reorganisations of basin-wide circulations, and jumps in sea level of tons of meters. Long transient simulations of the deglaciation have been increasingly performed to better understand the long and short term processes, examine different possible scenarios, and compare model output to observable records. The Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP) has provided a framework for an international coordinated effort in simulating the last deglaciation whilst encompassing a broad range of models and model complexities. This study is a multi-model intercomparison of 17 simulations of the last deglaciation from nine different climate models. Unlike other multi-model intercomparison projects, these simulations do not follow one particular experimental design but follow an intentionally flexible protocol suitable for all participants. The design of the protocol provides the opportunity to compare results from models using different forcings and examine a variety of scenarios, hence, representing the range of uncertainty in climate predictions of the time period. One particularly challenging choice to make in the experimental design is how to incorporate the resultant freshwater flux from the melting ice sheets. This research focusses on the divergence between climate trajectories in the simulations as a result of the meltwater scenario preferred by the modelling groups as well as other experimental design choices and their impact on the onset of the deglaciation. These results provide a better understanding of modelling this time period as well as model biases and uncertainty with respect to deglacial forcings and the observable proxy records. 