bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aerosol Characterization Using Spectral Sorting and Machine Learning
Authors: Natraj Vijay , Chen Sihe , Yung Yuk L.
Published: February 2023

Atmospheric aerosols play a central role in the Earth’s radiative budget. They represent a significant part of the anthropogenic forcing responsible for climate change. However, uncertainties in the origin and composition of aerosol particles, their size distribution, concentration, spatial and temporal variability, make it difficult to model their radiative effects. In order to quantify the influence of aerosols on Earth’s climate and to better validate climate models, information about their global abundance, properties and height distribution are needed.Prior research has shown that spectrally resolved measurements of gaseous absorption contain information about the vertical distribution of aerosols. We use measurements of the O2 A-band from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2), in conjunction with spectral sorting and machine learning approaches, to retrieve aerosol optical depth and layer height. The retrievals compare well with collocated lidar measurements. This approach also has the potential to reduce biases in greenhouse gas retrievals.© 2023 California Institute of Technology. US Government sponsorship acknowledged.
Evaluating probabilistic forecasts of extremes using continuous ranked probability score distributions
Authors: Taillardat Maxime , Fougères Anne-Laure , Naveau Philippe , De Fondeville Raphaël
Published: February 2023

Verifying probabilistic forecasts for extreme events is a highly active research area because popular media and public opinions are naturally focused on extreme events, and biased conclusions are readily made. In this context, classical verification methods tailored for extreme events, such as thresholded and weighted scoring rules, have undesirable properties that cannot be mitigated, and the well-known continuous ranked probability score (CRPS) is no exception.
Here, we define a formal framework for assessing the behavior of forecast evaluation procedures with respect to extreme events, which we use to demonstrate that assessment based on the expectation of a proper score is not suitable for extremes. Alternatively, we propose studying the properties of the CRPS as a random variable by using extreme value theory to address extreme event verification. An index is introduced to compare calibrated forecasts, which summarizes the ability of probabilistic forecasts for predicting extremes. The strengths and limitations of this method are discussed using both theoretical arguments and simulations.
A soil moisture downscaling playground of multiple resolution physics-based simulations
Authors: Leonarduzzi Elena , Maxwell Reed M
Published: February 2023

Knowing soil moisture conditions accurately is extremely important for natural hazards prediction, agriculture, and other water resources management practices. Remote sensing products have been used more and more in these contexts. Their main advantage is the spatial coverage, which allows one to obtain continental or even global products. Nevertheless, there are limitations associated with them, such as reduced penetrating depth, impact of cloudiness and snow/ice, and low spatial and temporal resolutions. To compensate for the low spatial resolution, downscaling techniques have been developed that combine different remote sensing products and/or other data considered to affect soil moisture redistribution. The main limitation in their development, is the lack of data to validate the techniques and the final product. Oftentimes in situ measurements are used for the calibration/training and for the testing/verification. These are very sparse, i.e., only available at few locations, and hard to compare directly, as both the satellite products and the downscaled estimates are volumetric and not point estimates.Here, we create a soil moisture downscaling playground by generating soil moisture estimates with a physics-based hydrological model (ParFlow-CLM) at different resolutions, from a few kilometers to 100 meters. Having continuous gridded estimates of high- and low- resolution soil moisture with a reliable physics-based model, allows us to test and compare different downscaling techniques as well as the impact on the scaling of individual inputs/parameters. As an initial experiment, we model the East Taylor catchment (Colorado, USA) at 100m and 1000m resolution, by only changing the topography (i.e., all other inputs are resolved at 1000m), which is not only the best-known input even at high resolutions, but also the most impactful in soil moisture redistribution. The best performing downscaling technique will allow us, in an operational setup, to run the physics-based model at a coarser resolution but still have a high-resolution product in a computationally inexpensive manner. Beyond our application, the high- and low- resolution simulations generated in this work can be used for the validation of any downscaling technique also applicable with remote sensing products.
Turbulent heat exchange over polar leads – an LES study
Authors: Gryschka Micha , Mostafa Zakaria
Published: February 2023

Leads are Chanel-like openings in the sea-ice through which heat of several 100 Watt/m2 is transferred from the ocean into the atmosphere. Even though leads account only for a view percent to the total ice coverage in polar regions, they modify the polar boundary layer significantly. Therefore, leads need to be considered in numerical weather and climate models. Since, generally leads are not explicitly resolved in these models it is important to understand the overall effect of leads of different sizes onto the boundary layer for different meteorological conditions.With numerous Large-Eddy simulations, we investigated the dependency of the lead averaged surface heat flux on the lead width in a range between a few meters to several kilometers for different meteorological and surface conditions. Generally, we found under same temperature differences between ice and water and same meteorological conditions for small leads a decrease of lead averaged surface heat flux with lead width (as often observed in experimental studies), but for wider leads a significant increase.We like to give some brief explanations of the possible causes for this behavior as well as to oppose these results to other former studies in this field, which might disagree to these in some points.
Geoelectric characterization of Quaternary basin bounded by active fault: TEst Site IRpinia fAult project
Authors: Tarallo Daniela , Bruno Pier Paolo Gennaro , Cavuoto Giuseppe , Ferrara Giuseppe , Pelosi Nicola , Punzo Michele , Di Fiore Vincenzo
Published: February 2023

In this study, we performed two electric resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles and a 3-D volume to characterize and reconstruct an active fault located at “Pantano di San Gregorio Magno”, an intramontane basin of  Southern Apennines, Italy, shaped by the active tectonics and hit by the Ms= 6.9, Irpinia 1980 earthquake, generated by a fault rupturing the soil in Pantano. The  overall Irpinia Fault has a  total length of about 40 km and with a thickness of the seismogenic layer of 8-10 km. The Irpinia Fault is among the faults with highest seismogenic potential in the Mediterranean region, causing the 4th Italian earthquake of last century (1980, Ms=6.9, Pantosti & Valensise, 1990) and generating a modest surface throw at Pantano San Gregorio Magno (SA). The basin is filled by lacustrine sediments, bassing laterally into alluvial fans and slope debris, laying over Mesozoic carbonate bedrock. The two 2D ERT surveys and the 3D volume allowed us to obtain high resolution images of the electrical resistivity of the subsoil both in 2D and in 3D. The results provided us with an opportunity to achieve a better understanding of the geometry of the active fault. The filling sediments are characterized by resistivity ranging from 10 to 150 Ohm m while the Mesozoic carbonate bedrock from 500 up to 1500  Ohm m. Furthermore, strong resistivity gradients are consistent with the tectonic structure characterizing the active fault.
Heterolithic Hillslopes in Kansas Seem to Never Reach Equilibrium
Authors: McCarroll Nicholas , Temme Arnaud
Published: February 2023

Many of the world’s sedimentary basins feature layered sedimentary rocks with vertical differences in mineralogy, hardness and weathering rates. Landscapes formed in such heterolithic rocks often feature stepped hillslopes, where flatter and steeper sections alternate, resulting from different weathering rates of different lithologies. On occasion, the steeper sections have developed cliff faces where undermining from the underlying, faster weathering lithology causes the slower weathering lithology to collapse and break before developing its own regolith cover. As a result of undermining and collapsing, often unweathered (harder) blocks are found on top of weathered (softer) regolith, and these blocks can move downslope over time. The geomorphic dynamics and rates of change in these landscapes have been insufficiently explored and rarely dated. Specifically, the ability of multiple steps in hillslopes to delay a landscape’s response to baselevel shifts and return to equilibrium remains unknown. Here, we present numerical modelling results as well as 20 cosmogenic exposure dates of cliff faces and blocks on hillslopes that detail key dynamics of a stepped landscape in the Flint Hills, part of the Great Plains sedimentary basin in Kansas in the United States. For modelling, we adapted a recently published 2-dimensional model that combines terms for hillslope diffusion and rock weathering with rules for hard rock break-up and movement through undermining. The model suggests that if hard-to-weather layers are sufficiently numerous, equilibrium at the top of the hillslope is elusive because of the long times needed to undermine hard layers until blocks break off. For exposure dating of our limestone cliffs and blocks, we used the cosmogenic nuclide Chlorine36. Dates suggest that almost all breaking of cliffs and movement of blocks happens during periglacial conditions in the LGM, despite anecdotal evidence of recent small movements of blocks.
Combined surface and borehole seismic investigations at the ICDP COSC-1 and COSC-2 drillholes (Sweden)
Authors: Buske Stefan , Simon Helge , Bräunig Lena , Juhlin Christopher , Giese Rüdiger
Published: February 2023

The ICDP funded project COSC (Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides) is investigating mountain building processes with the help of two ~2.5 km deep fully cored boreholes in Central Sweden. While borehole COSC-1, drilled in 2014, studied the emplacement of the high-grade metamorphic allochthons, borehole COSC-2, drilled in 2020, focuses on defining the character and age of deformation of the underlying greenschist facies thrust-sheets, the main Caledonian décollement and the Precambrian basement.We have performed combined surface and borehole seismic investigations at both drill sites in order to characterize the Earth’s upper crust in the direct vicinity of the boreholes. Both surveys were designed as multi-azimuthal walkaway VSP surveys that have the potential to yield not only a 3D seismic image around the borehole both also to derive information about seismic anisotropy related to the drilled rock units.During the COSC-1 survey in 2014, three surface lines were acquired centered radially around the COSC-1 drillsite. In the central part up to 2.5 km away from the borehole a hydraulic hammer was used as the seismic source, while for larger offsets up to 5 km explosives were employed. The wavefield of both source types was recorded using an array of 15 three-component receivers with a spacing of 10 m deployed at 7 different depth levels in the borehole. Simultaneously, the wavefield was recorded at the surface by 180 standalone three-component receivers along each of the three up to 10 km long lines, as well as by a 3D array of single-component receivers in the central part of the survey area around the borehole.The COSC-2 survey in 2021 comprised two surface lines across the COSC-2 drillsite with densely spaced single- and three-component receivers and maximum source-receiver offsets of ~11 km. The location of the COSC-2 borehole right next to lake Liten made it necessary to design the survey as an amphibious seismic experiment using a 32 t Vibroseis truck and wireless geophones on land along the lake as well as an airgun and three-component OBS along the profile part across the lake. An array of 17 three-component receivers with a spacing of 10 m recorded the seismic wavefields of both sources along the entire borehole length.In both cases, a 3D velocity model including anisotropy information was obtained from the seismic data by first-arrival traveltime tomography. In the case of COSC-1, the anisotropic velocity model was used to perform an anisotropic prestack depth migration of the surface data, while for COSC-2 this part of the data processing and imaging is still ongoing. We show a comparison of the characteristics of both data sets, compare the obtained results and present lessons learnt for the planning of similar projects in the future.
Sensitivity of Heinrich events to boundary forcing perturbations in a coupled ice sheet-solid Earth model
Authors: Schannwell Clemens , Mikolajewicz Uwe , Kapsch Marie , Ziemen Florian
Published: February 2023

Heinrich events are one of the prominent signals of glacial climate variability. They are characterised as abrupt, quasi-periodic episodes of ice-sheet instabilities during which large numbers of icebergs are released from the Laurentide ice sheet. These events affect the evolution of the global climate by modifying the ocean circulation through the addition of freshwater and the atmospheric circulation through changes in ice-sheet height. However, the mechanisms controlling the timing and occurrence of Heinrich events remain enigmatic to this day. Here, we present simulations with a coupled ice-sheet solid Earth model that aim to quantify the importance of different boundary forcings for the timing of Heinrich events. We focus the analysis on two prominent ice streams of the Laurentide ice sheet with the land-terminating Mackenzie ice stream and the marine-terminating Hudson ice stream. Our simulations identify different surge characteristics for the Mackenzie ice stream and the Hudson ice stream. Despite their different glaciological and climatic settings, both ice streams exhibit responses of similar magnitude to perturbations to the surface mass balance and the geothermal heat flux. However, Mackenzie ice stream is more sensitive to changes in the surface temperature. Changes to the ocean temperature and the global sea level have a negligible effect on the timing of Heinrich events in our simulations for both ice streams. We also show that Heinrich events for both ice streams only occur in a certain parameter space. Transitioning from an oscillatory Heinrich event state to a persistent streaming state can lead to an ice volume loss of up to 30%. Mackenzie ice stream is situated in a climate that is particularly close to this transition point, underlining the potential of the ice stream to have contributed to prominent abrupt climate events during glacial-interglacial transitions.
Three-dimensional modelling of a complex metamorphic nappe stack from field survey only: the case study of the Aosta Valley (Italian NW-Alps)
Authors: Arienti Gloria , Bistacchi Andrea , Caumon Guillaume , Bonneau François , Dal Piaz Giorgio Vittorio , Dal Piaz Giovanni , Monopoli Bruno , Bertolo Davide
Published: February 2023

Three-dimensional structural modelling of complex metamorphic settings is an extremely challenging task. In these settings, rocks sequences record multiple ductile and brittle events, leading for instance to refolded fold structures, isoclinal folds and dense network of faults. In this contribution, we build a 3D structural model of a portion of the highly deformed core of the Alpine orogeny in the North-Western Italian Alps, by using field data (1:10,000 geological map and a dense database of structural stations) as unique input source. Our model area has an extension of ca. 1,300 km2 and a vertical elevation difference between the highest mountains (e.g., Cervino-Matterhorn) and the valley floors of ca. 4,000 meters, reflecting a truly three-dimensional dataset.Our workflow expects a first phase of orientation statistics study of the structural field database, followed by structural interpretation in vertical cross-sections and 3D interpolation using implicit surfaces and structural constraints. The implicit approach allows us to propagate field data and geological interpretation through mathematical constraints and to obtain structural interfaces reflecting observations.After introducing the new 3D structural model of the portion of the North-Western Alps, we discuss the difficulties related to geomodelling using input surface data only, by qualitatively addressing the uncertainty aspects of our workflow. We also focus on the range of geological and structural constraints that fieldwork allows us, reasoning on the distinction between observed and interpreted geological information.
Effective seismic properties of fractured rocks: the role played by fracture scaling characteristics
Authors: Quiroga Gabriel , Solazzi Santiago , Barbosa Nicolás , Rubino J. Germán , Favino Marco , Holliger Klaus
Published: February 2023

The seismic characterization of fractured geological formations is of importance for a wide range of applications throughout the Earth, environmental and engineering sciences, such as, for example, hydrocarbon exploration and production, CO­­2 sequestration, monitoring of enhanced geothermal reservoirs, nuclear waste storage, and tunneling operations. Seismic methods are indirect in nature, and, hence, comprehensive modelling techniques are required to translate corresponding observations into rock physical properties. In this regard, numerous works have employed the theoretical framework of poroelasticity in order to explore the seismic response of particularly complex and elusive parameters of fluid-saturated fracture networks, such as their fracture density and interconnectivity. This is motivated by the fact that poroelasticity allows to account for fluid pressure diffusion effects between connected fractures as well as between fractures and their embedding background. Fluid pressure diffusion prevails when zones of contrasting compliance are traversed by a seismic wave, as this results in pressure gradients, which induce oscillatory fluid flow and, consequently, energy dissipation. This form of energy dissipation has a significant impact on seismic velocity dispersion, attenuation, and anisotropic characteristics, which are key seismic observables. While a wide range of approximations are employed to represent fracture properties in order to compute the seismic response of formations, they do tend to inherently ignore the complex interrelationships between the lengths, compliances, apertures, and permeabilities of fractures remains, as of yet, unaccounted for. In this work, we seek to alleviate this in combination with a poroelastic modelling approach to explore how length-dependent fracture scaling characteristics affect the effective seismic properties of fractured rocks. We start by revisiting canonical models with two orthogonally intersecting fractures of different lengths to analyze the interactions occurring when fractures are affected by a seismic wavefield. We then proceed to explore how scaling relations affect these results. Finally, we consider fracture networks with realistic stochastic length distributions, for which we compare the effective seismic response with and without the proposed length-dependent scaling of the fracture characteristics. Our results demonstrate that the scaling of fracture properties does indeed have a significant effect on the seismic response, as it dramatically reduces the contribution of smaller fractures to fluid pressure diffusion between connected fractures, which, in turn, affects the overall seismic characteristics of the formation.
Observability of Seafloor Deformation in OBP Records: an A-0-A Experiment in the Context of the Mayotte Volcanic Crisis, Using Ocean Models
Authors: Tranchant Yann-Treden , Ballu Valérie , Dausse Denis , Testut Laurent
Published: February 2023

Ocean bottom pressure (OBP) records are an important source of information for monitoring seafloor motion due to tectonic and magmatic processes, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, at a centimeter-level precision. Although centimeter-level resolution is commonly accessible with high-resolution sensors;  monitoring seafloor deformation of a few centimeters through time with OBPs is challenging due to the instrumental drift and the existence of oceanic variations at different timescales.In the context of the Mayotte volcanic crisis, which occurred in the western Indian Ocean in 2018 and was characterized by a series of more than 10,000 small-magnitude earthquakes and a subsidence of tens of centimeters (Peltier et al., 2022), three RBR Ambient-Zero-Ambient (A0A) drift-controlled pressure gauges were consecutively deployed in 2020, 2021 and 2022 for seafloor vertical deformation monitoring. The A0A system allows the in-situ estimation of the instrumental drift  by periodic venting from ocean pressures to a reference atmospheric pressure (Wilcock et al., 2021). Since no significant vertical ground displacements are recorded by ground GNSS stations since 2020, the overall objective of this study is to assess the calibration method of these innovative pressure gauges, reduce the oceanic “noise” in corrected OBP records and thus discuss our ability to observe any seafloor deformation in the Mayotte region.To do so, we investigated the use of numerical models, including available global ocean circulation reanalyses (OGCMs) and barotropic simulations, in order to better understand the relative influence of each processes evolving at different timescales, to reduce the oceanic “noise” in drift-corrected OBP records and thus improve our ability to derive accurate estimates of seafloor motion in the Mayotte region. In addition, we exploited temperature and salinity collected by repetitive glider transects to validate OGCMs in the region and quantify the contribution of unresolved fine-scale processes, such as sub-mesoscale eddies, to OBP records. Our results provide valuable insights into the feasibility of using numerical modeling for improving the accuracy of OBP-based monitoring in the context of the Mayotte seismic crisis as well as for other seafloor deformation monitoring. It also has important implications for future A0A deployments and in the perspective of the planned MARMOR seafloor cabled observatory.References Peltier, Aline, et al. "Ground deformation monitoring of the eruption offshore Mayotte." Comptes Rendus. Géoscience 354.S2 (2022): 1-23.Wilcock, W. S., Manalang, D. A., Fredrickson, E. K., Harrington, M. J., Cram, G., Tilley, J., ... & Paros, J. M. (2021). A thirty-month seafloor test of the A-0-A method for calibrating pressure gauges. Frontiers in Earth Science, 8, 600671.
The Digital Era in Hydraulic Engineering Comes with Applications of Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Mavrova-Guirguinova Maria
Published: February 2023

The Building-Information Modelling (BIM) of hydraulic engineering structures introduces new opportunities for analysis. It is the digital core of the automation of design, construction, and operation processes in water management. Managing the communication of BIM with other hydraulic engineering specific platforms is a relevant current field of research.Site characteristics, interconnected urban infrastructure and construction methods significantly influence the Infrastructure Engineering and Water Resource Management design process. Digitization and BIM development including its accompanying technologies create the needed prerequisites for hydraulic engineering facilities to be designed and constructed in parallel where any influences from the site influence the design process in real time .The present study illustrates such a technology development implemented and tested on an example from the practice - a project for a river correction in a settlement. The approach takes advantage of the ability to automate the workflow and communication between Civil 3D and HEC-RAS using Dynamo for Civil 3D. The procedure makes it possible to generate data from design options to fill in a desired sets of parameters. Experiments are being made to create a Deep Learning model -replacement of HEC-RAS for the verification of necessary changes in BIM, as imposed by the general development of the project in the parts roads and sewage system in real time.The application of Deep Learning techniques requires large volumes of data. The results show that BIM and its automation create prerequisites for using Deep Learning more often. Herein, the possibility of blunders is avoided as such a volume of data would be difficult to obtain manually.
Phase 4 of PAGES 2k: Hydroclimate of the Common Era
Authors: Falster Georgina , Sayani Hussein , Orsi Anais , McGregor Helen , Kaushal Nikita , Jonkers Lukas , Jones Matthew , Henley Benjamin , Eggleston Sarah , Atwood Alyssa
Published: February 2023

The climate of the past two thousand years (2k) provides context for current and future changes, and as such is vital for developing our understanding of the modern climate system. Building on previous phases of the PAGES 2k network, Phase 4 of the PAGES 2k Network paves the way for a new level of understanding of the global water cycle, including enhanced science-policy integration. Previous PAGES 2k network phases emphasised temperature reconstructions, fundamentally improving our understanding of global climate changes over the Common Era. These reconstructions received widespread recognition and were featured in the Summary for Policymakers of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report. Integration of this data with state-of-the-art Earth systems models, proxy system models and data assimilation yielded a more comprehensive understanding of the associated physical drivers and climate dynamics.  Phase 4 challenges our community to turn its focus towards hydroclimate. Our aim is to reconstruct hydroclimatic variability over the Common Era, from local to global spatial scales, at sub-annual to multi-centennial time scales, developing a process-level understanding of past hydroclimate events and variability. Our multi-faceted approach includes (1) developing new hydroclimate syntheses that are well-suited for data-model comparisons, (2) improving the interoperability and scope of existing data and model products, and (3) facilitating the translation of our science into evidence-based policy outcomes. In this presentation, we report on our activities and progress to date, particularly highlighting the early stages of our data synthesis efforts.
Atmospheric oxidation of imine derivative of piperazine by OH radical
Authors: Golin Almeida Thomas , Kurtén Theo
Published: February 2023

Amines are emitted to the Earth's atmosphere by several biogenic and anthropogenic sources. One such source, expected to increase in importance in the coming decades, is Carbon-Capture (CC), which often employs amine solvents as CO2 filters. Given that atmospheric oxidation of amines have the potential to produce nitrosamines (R1R2NNO) and nitramines (R1R2NNO2), known carcinogenic compounds, several chemical kinetics studies have investigated these reactions aiming to assess the impact on air quality from CC emissions. Piperazine is a widely employed CC amine solvent whose reaction with OH radical, the main atmospheric oxidant, has been the target of previous works, revealing a low yield of hazardous products. However, almost nothing is known about the fate of the major oxidation product, the cyclic imine 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyrazine (THP). In fact, only a few studies focused on the atmospheric chemistry of imines in general, despite consistently appearing as major products of amine oxidation. In this work, we employed quantum chemistry and theoretical kinetics methods to investigate the mechanism and kinetics of reaction between THP and OH radical. Our findings predict that this reaction has a low, but not negligible potential to produce nitrosamines and nitramines, with a maximum yield of ~18% under high NOx conditions. The major reaction channels involve the formation of a second imine functional group, leading to the diimines 2,3-dihydropyrazine and 2,5-dihydropyrazine. Our calculations also revealed two new oxidation pathways, both involving fast C-C bond scissions. One of these pathways produce an isocyanate (RN=C=O), which is also potentially toxic. While this channel is minor for THP + OH radical (maximum yield of 14%), we argue that it could be more important during the OH radical-initiated oxidation of other imines relevant to the atmosphere.
Using satellite, airborne laser scanning and socio-economic data in a machine learning framework for improved fire danger modelling in the Alps
Authors: Zotta Ruxandra , Schlaffer Stefan , Hollaus Markus , Dostalova Alena , Vacik Harald , Müller Mortimer , Atzberger Clement , Immitzer Markus , Dioszegi Gergö , Dorigo Wouter
Published: February 2023

The frequency and severity of wildfires in the Alpine region will likely increase due to climate change. Most fire danger forecasts currently adopted in this region are based on meteorological data, such as the Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI). They are typically only available at relatively coarse spatial resolutions (up to ca. 1 km) and, therefore, are of limited use in mountain regions with complex topography. Other factors, such as vegetation type and structure and the role of humans causing ignitions, are typically not considered.  

We address this gap by presenting a novel, high-resolution, satellite-supported integrated forest fire danger system (IFDS) for Austria. For this purpose, we use radar and optical satellite data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 missions, airborne laser scanning (ALS), socio-economic data, and topographic properties next to meteorological data. Two independent methods were investigated: (i) an expert-based approach that allows combining various data layers with different weightings assigned by experts and (ii) a machine-learning approach. Here, we focus on the results of the machine learning approach for a study area covering the federal state of Styria in Austria (ca. 16 400 km²). We use several data layers computed within our study as predictors in random forest models. Moisture indicators and tree species maps were derived from satellite data from the Copernicus Earth observation programme. Vegetation structure parameters, solar potential and a digital surface model (DSM) were derived from ALS data. In addition to the remote sensing data, we used meteorological variables, fire weather indices (FWI) and socio-economic data. We trained the model using forest fire events from the Austrian fire database.  

The cross-validation showed that the best-performing model predicts high fire danger for most fire events (87%). By integrating all the information layers compared to a baseline model using only FWI, the overall accuracy improved from 68% to 87%. The feature importance showed that the vegetation structure parameters, tree species, socio-economic parameters and DSM are essential for the model in addition to the meteorological predictors. Using this data-driven approach allowed us to learn from past fire occurrences and improved the spatial representation of fire ignition drivers, their importance and interactions. Also, this method permitted the identification of areas with higher danger risk, typically located in the vicinity of densely populated settlements. 

This study has been performed within the CONFIRM project with funding from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). 
How to reduce the carbon footprint of Earth and Space Science? Potential strategies based on a comprehensive greenhouse gas budget for five French labs
Authors: Pantillon Florian , Kuppel Sylvain , Biancamaria Sylvain , Derrien Solene , Gheusi François , Knödlseder Jürgen , Maisonobe Marion , Marc Odin , Mialon Arnaud , Martin Pierrick , Tibaldo Luigi , Toublanc Florence
Published: February 2023

To maintain global warming below 1.5°C the last IPCC report indicates global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions should be reduced by 45% and 80% before 2030 and 2050, respectively, reaching an average of 2tCO2e.pers-1.yr-1 on Earth. Recent estimates of the carbon footprint of universities and research centers accounting for indirect emissions often exceed 10tCO2e.pers-1.yr-1.Here we find similar or higher values (10-30tCO2e.pers-1.yr-1) for the year 2019 for five research labs encompassing the solid Earth and the environment, the superficial biosphere, oceanography and glaciology, atmospheric physics and chemistry, and astronomy and astrophysics. These values are derived through a common procedure (see Mariette et al., 2022) in which any activity data quantifying the usage of a given resource (e.g., in kWh or km) is multiplied by an appropriate emission factor quantifying the unitary carbon footprint of the resource (e.g., electricity production or air travel). Our budget quantifies the share of emissions from local facilities (about 1tCO2e.pers-1.yr-1), lunch meals and commuting (about 1tCO2e.pers-1.yr-1), professional trips (2-6tCO2e.pers-1.yr-1), services and equipment (3-5tCO2e.pers-1.yr-1), and the use of observational data from research infrastructures, in particular scientific satellites (up to 10tCO2e.pers-1.yr-1; derived similarly to Knödlseder et al., 2022).These numbers imply radical changes to make scientific activity sustainable and have strong implications on potential strategies to reduce GHG emissions. For example, a predominant discussion in the literature in the past years focused on avoiding air travel. However, in our case, shifting all national travels to train or halving the number of plane trips would reduce the total emissions by a fraction only. Similarly, any strategy targeting local building efficiency or individual habits will little influence the budget. In contrast, reducing or changing practice for services and equipment may have stronger impact but requires collective thinking, especially for research infrastructures that are planned and managed at national and international levels.The sheer magnitude of our GHG emissions questions the degree of reduction that can be achieved without redirection of scientific activity. We present and discuss examples of changes such as shifting to interdisciplinary research including social sciences, focusing on archived data, relocating field work, or engaging more with students and society.
Can video game maps be deceptive in their realism?
Authors: Albert Gáspár , Tóth Kornél , Szigeti-Pap Csaba
Published: February 2023

One of the main functions of maps is to provide information to the map user, and to pick out from the infinite amount of information that the map maker thinks the reader might find important. It does so in a way that also tries to reflect the character of the area depicted, so that the reader can more quickly recognise the map symbols. Cartography is the science of visual info-communication in the earth sciences: without it, we would not be able to perceive spatiality. Maps also shape perceptions: the content they display can influence the worldview of a generation of readers. So they have a significant role to play, and as virtual worlds become more and more common, the maps that are created for them are playing an increasingly important role in shaping people's perceptions. In this research, we investigated whether users perceive a boundary between virtual and real world maps, and whether they are more attached to one or the other.Maps in video games are all artworks closely related to the style, world and gameplay of the game. Their aim is to provide a two-dimensional representation that helps the user to navigate through the fictional world of the game. As realism is becoming more and more important in some games, there is also a growing demand - from developers and players - for realism not only in the characters and the environment, but also in the game map. Both the role of realism and the role of maps are particularly important in open-world RPG and FPS games. Therefore, this research has examined these types of recently developed games in relation to four main map representations: city maps, topographic maps, historical maps and realistic terrain representations (based on satellite imagery). The study was carried out with online user tests involving around 300 people, who had to decide which of two randomly displayed map segments was made for a video game. Respondents were assessed by gender, age and education. When responding, they were also asked to indicate what they based their decision on and which map they liked more from an aesthetic point of view. The results show that people typically recognise video game maps for the types of games studied (with the lowest proportion recognising realistic surface renderings), but they find maps for games more appealing.The present research is a snapshot of how map representations of virtual and real space can or cannot be confused. It also highlights the process whereby the generated reality will sooner or later reach a level that makes it difficult to distinguish from reality, and thus increases the chances that the reader of the map may not be aware that he or she is not seeing reality.The research was carried out within the project no. TKP2021-NVA-29 and supported by the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Hungary from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund, financed under the TKP2021-NVA funding scheme.
A Hydraulic Modelling Approach to Study Flood Sediment Depositions in Floodplain Lakes
Authors: Reinders Joeri B. , Sullivan Richard M. , Winkler Tyler S. , van Hengstum Peter J. , Beighley R. Edward , Munoz Samuel E.
Published: February 2023

Abandoned river channels on alluvial floodplains represent dynamic systems where sediments, organic matter, and pollutants preferentially accumulate during extreme discharge events. Descriptive models that explain the infilling of these floodplain lakes due to sedimentation processes recognize different stages in their evolution. For example, the threshold for hydrologic connectivity and the transfer of material increases in older lakes as a plug-bar develops. Sedimentary archives collected from floodplain lakes are widely used to reconstruct ecological and hydrologic dynamics in riverine settings, but how floodplain lake evolution influences flow velocities and sedimentation patterns on an event scale remains poorly understood. In this study, we examine a floodplain lake along the Trinity River at Liberty during the extreme flood event associated with the landfall of Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. We combine sediment samples collected in and around a floodplain lake with hydraulic modeling simulations in the HEC-RAS modeling platform from the US Army Corps of Engineers to examine inundation, flow velocity, and sedimentation patterns. Additionally, we develop a series of alternative lake bathymetries to study the influence of floodplain lake evolution on flow velocity patterns during the flood. The hydraulic model reproduces the sediment patterns that we observe around the lake resulting from Hurricane Harvey and matches descriptive models on the behavior of a young floodplain lake. We find that sediments deposited in the lake following the Hurricane Harvey flood become thinner and finer with distance from the lake entrance in accordance with simulated flow velocities that are lower further from the lake entrance. Flow velocity simulations from model runs with alternative plug-bar geometries and lake depths imply that sedimentation patterns will shift as the lake evolves and infills. As the floodplain lake becomes shallower and narrower, flow velocities extend further into the lake resulting in more extensive transport of coarse-grained material into the lake. These simulations are coherent with observed sediment records from lakes in different stages of floodplain lake evolution. The integration of sediment sampling and hydraulic model simulations provides a method to understand the processes that govern sedimentation in floodplain lakes during flood events that will improve interpretations of individual events in sedimentary archives from these contexts.
Remote sensing of vegetation dynamics as an indirect assessment of soil compaction
Authors: Weninger Thomas , Konzett Matthias , D´Hose Tommy , Teuling Kees , Schmaltz Elmar
Published: February 2023

Soil compaction is a major threat to global agriculture as it can affect crop production and negatively impact the environment. This can result in increased production costs, additional labor requirements and reduced time windows for field access. Nevertheless, the actual effects of soil compaction on the growth of different crops in different pedo-climatic regions are insufficiently investigated. In this study, possibilities for such assessments by remote sensing are evaluated in three pedo-climatic zones of Europe using a harmonized experimental design. Oceanic climate is subject in Belgium and The Netherlands, while in Austria a location with continental, drier climate and another location in an intermediate continental-hemiboreal climate are included.By means of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) equipped with optical and multispectral cameras, plant-physiological indicators are surveyed frequently throughout the vegetation period. Examples for such indicators are crop height, vegetation cover and density, NDVI, and a set of further indices derived from the reflectance signature of the plants. Fields are monitored that partly underwent a defined and delimited compaction (headlands or wheel tracks from management using heavy machinery) and soil physical standard methods are applied to characterize the compaction state of the soils (e.g. bulk/packing density, soil penetration resistance). Differences in the listed indicators are analyzed between plants in compacted parts and the non-compacted areas closely nearby under the same growing conditions.Results from the first year of observations revealed distinct differences between plant growth in compacted and non-compacted areas. Several indicators showed interesting patterns throughout the vegetation period, which will be subject of further in-depth analyses. In the continental climate and affected by an exceptionally dry winter, early stage development of winter wheat was even more vital in compacted areas. Further statistical analyses of the gathered datasets from the UAV- and in-field-observations will provide insights on whether information about the state of soil compaction and its effects on plant physiology are supposed to be derived from these surficial indicators.
Magnetic characterization of PM10 using non-linear Preisach maps. Toward domain state identification of magnetic anthropogenic particles
Authors: Dumitru Adriana , Necula Cristian , Dumitru Marius , Iorga Gabriela
Published: February 2023

According to World Health Organization, nowadays almost the entire global population (99%) breathes air that threatens its health (WHO, 2022), The greatest concern is related to air pollution by particles and nitrogen dioxide, people living in cities facing every day’s unhealthy levels of these pollutants. Due to their multitude of sources, natural (mineral dust, sea salt, volcanoes, etc.) and anthropogenic (traffic, industry, constructions, agricultural activities, etc.), atmospheric particulate matter (PM) levels and physical properties vary greatly in time and space. Here we investigate the magnetic properties of PM10 (PM less than 10 µm) sampled in three different locations from Romania chosen so as to reflect as much as possible different origin of atmospheric particles. We use non-linear Preisach maps in tandem with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), SEM/EDS, to specify more precisely domain states and characteristic magnetic signature of magnetic grains in PM10 fraction. PM10 aerosol samples were collected at three different sites in southern Romania: Bucharest site as urban, heavy impacted by traffic in the very center of the city, Magurele as suburban, under the influence of Bucharest and of the agricultural activities in the surrounding areas and Matasari, a rural site located in south-western Romania that was heavily impacted by the industrial activities at the open-pit coal mines located in the proximity. Our study highlighted three main types of magnetic mineral pollutants in the PM10 samples from Romanian industrial, urban traffic and suburban environments. AcknowledgmentAD and GI gratefully acknowledge the funding from the NO Grants 2014-2021, under Project contract no. 31/2020, EEA-RO-NO-2019-0423 project. This work was also supported by a grant of Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CCCDI - UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2021-3678, within PNCDI III
A spatially and temporally high-resolution 4-year soil compaction risk analysis at field scale
Authors: Kuhwald Michael , Augustin Katja , Duttmann Rainer
Published: February 2023

Soil compaction due to intensive field traffic is one of the main threats to agricultural soils. Besides lower biomass productivity, compacted soils have a reduced regulation function which affects the air, water and nutrient cycles. To evaluate and mitigate soil degradation by field traffic, it is important to know where, when and to what extent soil compaction may occur during certain work processes.For this purpose, we modelled and analysed the soil compaction risk for each work process during a 4-year crop rotation (winter wheat, maize, winter wheat, sugar beets) for one field in Lower Saxony, Germany. Based on RTK-GPS tracks recorded by the farm machineries, FiTraM (field traffic model) was used to model the spatial representation and the wheel load for each tire of each work process. Subsequently, these data were used for the soil compaction risk assessment by the SaSCiA-model (Spatially explicit Soil Compaction risk Assessment). In total, 63 work processes were modelled with a spatial resolution of 20 cm.The model results revealed that the soil compaction risk at field scale is highly variable in space and time. The spatial variations in soil compaction risk are mainly determined by the spatial distribution of soil properties like soil texture, carbon content and soil moisture. In combination with changing wheel loads, e.g. during harvest processes, the soil compaction risk ranges from low to extremely high during one work process. The temporal variation is mainly caused by the weather conditions. A prolonged period with low precipitation resulted in no subsoil compaction risk during maize harvest, although maize harvest is often a major cause of soil compaction.This study shows that the soil compaction risk varies in a wide range within a certain field. Efforts to mitigate soil compaction should consider spatio-temporal dynamics at high resolution to achieve a sustainable soil management.