bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Socio-Environmental Integration in Taiwan's Financial Industry: A Path to Low-Carbon Transition
Authors: Hsu Yuchen , Tung Ching-Pin
Published: March 2024

Integrating social science into environmental research is essential in order to reduce people’s climate anxiety and assist human beings adapt in the low-carbon transition process. The concept of a just transition, emphasizing dignified work contributing to environmental sustainability, has gained prominence in socio-environmental discussions, seeking a balanced and equitable transition process that incorporates considerations of environmental justice, labor relations, and social inequality. However, the application of just transition in the commercial sphere remains underexplored.  This research aims to investigate decent work and just transition at the micro-level, centering on the financial industry in Taiwan, currently actively adopting advanced strategies for a low-carbon transition. In the transition to a low-carbon economy, workers frequently encounter the challenge of insufficient knowledge to shift towards more sustainable practices, along with the adverse effects of unemployment. The study emphasizes the pivotal role of social dialogue among corporate decision-makers and employees, urging the decision makers to consider the wider impact of their actions on stakeholders and society from a bottom-up perspective. The methodology involves a comprehensive investigation, including literature reviews on decent work, social dialogue, and just transition. A structured social dialogue framework is formulated to ensure the inclusion of workers' voices in decision-making. Social indicators, drawn from the literature review, are utilized to assess the effectiveness of corporate practices, labor conditions, and social sustainability. The initial findings highlight challenges in implementing environmental practices, gaps in salary ratios, inclusivity in decision-making, and the impact of extended working hours on employee well-being. These identified factors not only present alternative perspectives from workers in the decision-making process but also contribute to shaping inclusive adaptation strategies to enhance climate resilience during the low-carbon transition. As Taiwan progresses in this direction, the findings and approach outlined in this study could serve as a model for other nations with similiar systems, facilitating broader discussions on the adaptation of just transition into a sustainable society.
Variability of annual primary production in the North Sea from 1983 to 2014: diatoms and non-diatoms show different trends
Authors: Paetsch Johannes , Lessin Gennadi , Artioli Yuri , Blackford Jeremy
Published: March 2024

Nitrogen and phosphorus inputs via rivers entering the North Sea showed maxima in the early 1980s. This led to eutrophication phenomena near the coast with high primary production and further negative consequences for the North Sea ecosystem.Recent simulations with the ecosystem model ECOHAM for the North Sea, nested in the model NEMO-ERSEM for the Northwest European continental shelf, show that diatom and non-diatom driven productions behave differently with respect to decreasing eutrophication. In the southern and central North Sea, non-diatom production including calcifiers has indeed responded to the changes in nutrient supply via the rivers. However, diatom production in this region mostly remained stable and even increased in some cases.A different picture emerges in the northern North Sea, where the reversal of the winter NAO index from high to lower values (1995/1996) was followed by a drastic collapse in the inflow of North Atlantic water. This also led to a cut in the nutrient supply. Here, both phytoplankton groups reacted similarly: from 1996, the primary production of both species declined and then recovered again from 1999.Our results confirm the hypothesis of Desmit et al. (2019) that in the southern North Sea primary productivity responds to reduction in nutrient inputs with shifts in community structure, and in the northern North Sea with decrease in total productivity rates.Reference:Desmit, X., A. Nohe, A. V. Borges, T. Prins, K. De Cauwer, R. Lagring, D. Van der Zande and K. Sabbe (2019). Changes in chlorophyll concentration and phenology in the North Sea in relation to de-eutrophication and sea surface warming. Limnology and Oceanography 9999. DOI: 10.1002/lno.11351.
Multidisciplinary integration of FAIR Research Infrastructures in the Geo-INQUIRE initiative: the EPOS – EMSO case
Authors: Giuliacci Kety , Bailo Daniele , Michalek Jan , Paciello Rossana , Vinciarelli Valerio , Goffi Claudio , Strollo Angelo , Cotton Fabrice , Nedrebø Harald , Näsholm Sven Peter , Brissaud Quentin , Kaschwich Tina , Martinez Enoc , Maslo Aljaz , Röhling Volker , Frezot Olivier , Quinteros Javier , Atakan Kuvvet , zu Castell Wolfgang
Published: March 2024

In the last decade, the scientific community has witnessed growing emphasis on data integration. The primary objective is to harness multidisciplinary data and resources to drive novel methodological approaches and scientific breakthroughs. Among the projects that have emerged in response to this trend is the Geosphere INfrastructures for QUestions into IntegratedREsearch (Geo-INQUIRE, https://www.geo-inquire.eu/).Geo-INQUIRE was launched in October 2022 and comprises a unique consortium of 51 partners, including prominent national research institutes, universities, national geological surveys, and European consortia. Geo-INQUIRE is dedicated to surmounting cross-domain challenges, particularly those pertaining to land-sea-atmosphere environments. To accomplish this mission, Geo-INQUIRE is committed to consolidating the resources and capabilities of key research infrastructures (RIs) specializing in geosphere observations. These RIs include EPOS, EMSO, ARISE, ECCSEL, and ChEESE.By providing access to its expanded collection of data, products, and services, Geo-INQUIRE empowers the upcoming generation of scientists to conduct cutting-edge research that addresses complex societal challenges from a multidisciplinary viewpoint. This encourages the utilization of these resources to foster curiosity-driven research endeavors.To harmonize and prepare the data produced by these different RIs for integration, substantial efforts have been undertaken, which required cataloging all installations provided by the data providers, their analysis, and assessment concerning the maturity level required for FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperabile, and Reusable) data integration. In addition, dedicated seminars focused on data integration were carried out to boost the FAIR data provision process. Technical activities have been carried out to achieve cross-RI integration. In this contribution, we demonstrate and exemplify one such integration: between EMSO (https://emso.eu/) and EPOS (https://www.epos-eu.org/). This has been achieved on multiple fronts, including metadata and services.The successful integration of metadata and services was made possible by adopting the EPOS-DCAT Application Profile (https://epos-eu.github.io/EPOS-DCAT-AP/v3/), allowing an intelligent system like the EPOS platform (https://www.ics-c.epos-eu.org/) to access the EMSO services seamlessly. Work is currently underway to develop software that will enable the visualization of heterogeneous time series data from EMSO within the integrated framework, a crucial step to achieve full data integration.
MagMaTaB: A machine learning-based model for magmatic liquid thermobarometry
Authors: Weber Gregor , Blundy Jon
Published: March 2024

Determining pressures and temperatures of magmas is crucial for addressing diverse challenges in petrology, geodynamics, and volcanology. However, inherent inaccuracies, especially in barometry, have limited the effectiveness of existing models in unravelling the architecture of crustal igneous systems. In this presentation, I will introduce a novel machine learning model, calibrated using an extensive experimental database, to create regression models for extracting P-T conditions of magmas. Calculations are conducted by considering melt chemistry and the coexisting mineral assemblage as input variables.Our approach is versatile, applicable across a wide range of compositions from basalt to rhyolite, covering pressures from 0.2 to 15 kbar and temperatures ranging from 675 to 1400°C. Testing and optimization demonstrate that the model can recover pressures with a root-mean-square error of 1.1-1.3 kbar and temperature estimates with errors as low as 21°C. This indicates that melt chemistry-mineral assemblage pairs reliably capture magmatic variables across a broader spectrum of conditions than previously thought. We propose that this reliability arises from the relatively low thermodynamic variance in natural magma compositions, despite the presence of numerous oxide components.Applying our model to two cases with well-constrained geophysics - Mount St. Helens volcano (USA) and the Askja caldera in Iceland - we analyse dacite whole-rocks from Mount St. Helens, erupted between 1980-1986. These rocks, inferred to represent liquids extracted from a complex mineral mush, yield melt extraction source pressures that align remarkably well with geophysical constraints. For Askja caldera, our model allows to assign basaltic and rhyolitic magma chemistries to distinct seismic wave speed anomalies, highlighting the potential of our model to bridge the gap between petrology and geophysics. Our model, named MagMaTaB, is accessible through a user-friendly web application.
The Italian Alpine Drought Impact Inventory through an automatic text analysis of newspaper articles: the case of 2022-2023 drought
Authors: Terzi Stefano , Piemontese Luigi , Schneiderbauer Stefan , Pittore Massimiliano
Published: March 2024

Droughts in mountains are expected to increase in the future with consequences downstream and beyond mountain ranges. While these conditions are internationally recognized, quantitative data on drought effects and impacts are still lacking or not available. This gap hampers a clear understanding and modelling of drought conditions for future adaptation. For these reasons, unconventional data types (such as newspaper articles) have been recently explored to fill this gap with information on drought extension, duration and impacts. In particular, the 2022-2023 drought in the North of Italy was one of the most impactful events in the modern history of the country causing severe damages for a long period on multiple sectors. However, data on its impacts is not available.For these reasons, this study aims to create an automatic and open near-real time drought impact inventory from newspaper articles for the Italian Alps focusing on the 2022-2023 event. By doing so, the database allows to investigate drought impacts looking at their dynamics in space, time and across multiple sectors. Building on concepts and classifications from the European Drought Impact Inventory, the Italian Alpine Drought Impact Inventory includes an automatic identification of newspaper article, harvesting and classification of information on drought impacts according to the: geographical area (e.g., municipality, river basins and province), the affected sectors (e.g., agriculture, energy, urban and tourism) and temporal duration of events occurred in the Italian Alps. Information is sourced and categorized from newspaper articles from 2022 on a weekly basis through an automated text analysis of Google News query results which are processed using Natural Language Processing methods of tagging and classification. The resulting inventory provides an open-source database of drought information making data available for further research on droughts.Preliminary analyses of the Italian Alpine Drought Impact Inventory show the largest number of news reported during the July-2023 period covering multiple sectors, mainly agriculture and water supply. A high number of news can also be observed in March 2022, capturing the early signals of snow drought conditions in the Alps that led to extended impacts during summer and autumn. Overall, the open dataset has the potential to advance the understanding of drought impacts in the Italian Alps towards a better informed implementation of prevention strategies and future climate change adaptation.
An analysis to interpret the heterogeneous resident's willingness to pay for green roofs to improve the understanding of decision heterogeneity
Authors: Yang Pan , Wu Jiahong
Published: March 2024

Urban waterlogging has become a frequent and threatening issue in recent years due to rapid urbanization and extreme weather conditions, resulting in economic losses and health hazards. In this context, green roofs (GRs) emerge as a sustainable and innovative solution to mitigate these issues by absorbing rainfall, reducing runoff, and enhancing urban biodiversity. Despite the apparent benefits, the adoption of GRs remains limited, largely due to a lack of quantitative understanding of the factors that influence urban residents' GR adoption willingness.This study aims to fill this knowledge gap via a survey approach, and distribute and collect survey responses from 999 residents in Shenzhen, a rapidly developing coastal city in China. The survey is designed to capture a range of variables that may influence residents' decision-making regarding GR adoption, including demographic information, housing characteristics, waterlogging experiences, roof utilization preference, knowledge of and preference for GR, and willingness to adopt GR. The GR adoption willingness is collected assuming two policy scenarios, one with government subsidy and the other without. By leveraging a machine learning model for data analysis, the study identifies five key predictors that commonly influence GR adoption willingness with and without subsidy: recognition of the advantages of GRs (GR_advantage), whether a resident lives on the top floor (Top_floor), the degree of concern about GRs (GR_concern), the duration of waterlogging experienced in and around the community (WL_time), and the individual's level of education (Education). Interestingly, the study also reveals that GR adoption willingness is affected differently under scenarios with and without policy incentives. In the absence of subsidies, the property fee (Pro_fee) is a significant factor; conversely, when policy incentives are present, age and house ownership (House_own) emerge as influential factors.The complexity of these influencing factors is further evaluated using the SHAP (SHapley Additive explanation) model, which provides a nuanced interpretation of how these factors interact and exert nonlinear impacts on residents' willingness to adopt GRs. The insights derived from this analysis are critical for policymakers and urban planners who are looking to promote GRs as part of an integrated urban water management strategy. Specifically, a combination of long-term subsidies and one-time subsidies can be combined to motivate residential adoption. Recognizing the general unfamiliarity with GRs and related policies among residents, relevant outreach and education programs are essential. In addition, targeted subsidy levels could be helpful in stimulating more GR adoptions. An important consideration in this targeting process is the frequency of waterlogging events, which has been shown to significantly influence residents' willingness to pay for GRs. 
Improvement of contaminant retention with the use of biochar in the groundwater infiltration basin of Korba (Tunisia)
Authors: Hammecker Claude , Maalaoui Hadhemi , Hmaied Asma , Lachaal Fethi
Published: March 2024

The overexploitation of the Korba aquifer (Cap Bon, North Tunisia) has led to the drawing down of its static water level and the degradation of its quality due to the intrusion of saline water from the sea. To address this situation, treated wastewater is used for the artificial recharge of the aquifer through three infiltration basins.Treated wastewater is known to carry various emerging contaminants and pharmaceuticals as they are often not retained in traditional wastewater treatment plants. To tackle this problem the use of biochars is often recommended to conduct a second stage low-cost decontamination strategy. Indeed, biochar can be produced easily at a low cost, with different agricultural residues. In this study, the impact of biochar derived from Rosemary, Bamboo, St. John's Wort, Olive, Cypress, and Palm Trees on the mobility and retention of emerging contaminants was evaluated.The first stage of this work was to evaluate the potential retention capacity of the different biochars produced in a low-cost metallic kiln with local biomass residues. Therefore we used Methylene Blue (MB) as a proxy for organic contaminants to establish adsorption isotherms to quantify their respective specific surface area and adsorption capacities.The adsorption isotherms at 20°C were established to evaluate their respective specific surface areas and were fitted to different adsorption models.The surface functional groups of biochars were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy.The analysis of the results showed that the biochar obtained from Rosemary, Bamboo, and St. John's Wort exhibited remarkable elimination and better adsorption capacity with values of 1.6g/L for Rosemary, 0.4g/L for St. John's Wort, and 0.2g/L for Bamboo. An average adsorption capacity was observed with 0.09g/L for Cypress, 0.055g/L for Olive, and low adsorption with a value of 0.03g/L for traditional Olive and Palm Trees.The second stage was to test the dynamic retention properties of biochar on soil monolith experiments, where the MB elution curves were analyzed with and without the addition of biochar. The presence of biochar in the soil monoliths drastically reduced the retention of MB, demonstrating its efficiency as an adsorbent filter. These results underscore the strong potential of biochar in water treatment to enhance quality by reducing pollution.
Deep-seated gravitational slope deformations of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (NE Italy)
Authors: Leone Christian , Devoto Stefano , Zini Luca
Published: March 2024

Deep-seated Gravitational Slope Deformations (DGSDs) are common phenomena and are observed across various mountain belts worldwide. These phenomena are characterized by the presence of multiple landforms which are important for the recognition of the occurrence of DGSDs. The latter pose significant geological hazard due to their impact on society, economy and environment. They can affect vast areas, potentially endangering large sections of infrastructure, transportation routes, settlements and natural habitats. Furthermore, they cause collateral landslides that can evolve in catastrophic events.In the past, a comprehensive inventory detailing DGSDs at the scale of the entire European Alps was compiled. This work shows a relatively limited DGSD population in Friuli Venezia Giulia, if compared to other mountain areas such as Central or Western Alps. The final objective of this study is to produce a detailed inventory of DGSDs that affect Alps of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region. Preliminary activities were aimed to desk activities such as analysis of historical documents, reports, aerial images and geomorphological interpretation of LiDAR-derived DTMs. We identified during preliminary activities several DGSDs and tens of possible gravity-induced landforms such as double ridges, ridge top depressions, uphill and downhill-facing scarps, trenches, toe bulges and persistent discontinuities. These gravity-induced features were validated by extensive field surveys carried out in 2023 and the beginning of 2024, also using HR images provided by low-altitude UAV surveys. DGSDs and their landforms were mapped and stored in a GIS.DGSDs of Friuli Venezia Giulia Alps are favored by: (i) exceptionally high mean annual precipitation (ranging from 1400 to 3400 mm/y), (ii) the presence of several regional faults, (iii) the high-energy relief, (iv) the presence of different rock units (rigid materials and plastic terrains).
Co-evolution of the oceans and inorganic carbon cycle
Authors: Barrett Ruby , Power Ann , Halloran Paul , Schmidt Daniela
Published: March 2024

The Cenozoic shift from a hothouse to icehouse provides a natural experiment to explore how a changing climate and macroevolutionary trends control marine pelagic carbonate production and burial. In the modern ocean, the key components of pelagic carbonate burial — planktic foraminifera and coccolithophores — contribute approximately evenly. However, in the past, coccolithophores dominated open ocean inorganic carbon burial. Exactly when and why this shift away from a coccolithophore dominated ooze occurred is unresolved. To this end, we reconstructed a 65Myr record of foraminifer to nannofossil ratios from sites covering the Pacific, Southern, Indian, and Atlantic Ocean. To better understand the climate and macroevolutionary controls on carbonate production, we move away from the commonly reported bulk changes and instead investigate the individual components of carbonate production:  foraminiferal and coccolithophore size, weight and abundance. We use a suite of methodologies to extract these data, including the novel application of imaging flow cytometry to rapidly and digitally reconstruct the fossil record of coccolithophore size and abundance. Our ratio data shows a shift towards calcareous zooplankton during the Neogene. Initial qualitative analysis reveals that coccolithophore size is relatively smaller in the modern part of the record, whilst automated microscopy shows that modern subtropical and tropical foraminiferal size is greater than recorded in the previous 65Myr. Foraminiferal size-normalised weight (SNW) is expected to be higher in the modern ocean than in the past due to its suggested carbonate system control (i.e. higher carbonate ion concentrations being conducive to heavier tests). However, SNW data from a high latitude site during the Palaeogene are similar to modern values for extant species – potentially implying something other than a carbonate system control on SNW.
Insights into the LGM-to-present evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet from a data evaluated ensemble of numerical model simulations
Authors: Leger Tancrède , Ely Jeremy , Clark Christopher , Bradley Sarah , Archer Rose , Zhu Jiang
Published: March 2024

Ice sheets have a memory that is stored within both the geometry and thermal properties of the ice. The current Greenland Ice Sheet is thus not in equilibrium with present-day climate, but is in fact affected by a complex product of past changes that occurred over millennial timescales. Therefore, simulating the late-Pleistocene evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet accurately is important when running future projections using paleo model initialization procedures. Using a novel model-data comparison procedure, we ran an experiment that aimed to produce numerical model simulations that fit available empirical data on the extent and timing of the grounded margin evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet from the global LGM (24 kyr BP) to 1850 AD. Given the numerous uncertain parameters and boundary conditions required by numerical ice sheet models, finding simulations which adequately replicate empirical data on past grounded ice extent is a challenging task. In an attempt to address this challenge, we ran a perturbed parameter ensemble of 100 ice-sheet-wide simulations at 5 km spatial resolution using the Parallel Ice Sheet Model. Our simulations are forced by the latest transient paleo-climate and ocean simulations of the isotope-enabled Community Earth System Model (iCESM 1.2 and 1.3). Using quantitative model-data comparison tools and the newly developed, Greenland-wide PaleoGrIS 1.0 isochrone reconstruction of former ice extent, each ensemble simulation’s fit with empirical data was assessed quantitatively across both space and time. Using our best-scoring simulations, we here present new insights into the former Greenland Ice Sheet’s likely response to transitional climatic phases throughout the last deglaciation. Secondly, our results suggest ice temperature, geometry, and glacial isostatic adjustment-induced mechanisms of centennial to millennial-scale inertia in ice-extent response to past climatic forcing, with potential implications for the future evolution of the ice sheet. Thirdly, our results show that different parameter combinations produce a better model-data fit during different time periods and for different regions of the ice sheet – i.e. parameter values that work well at one place or time, produce worse fit at others. We hypothesise that better paleo model initializations may be achieved using time- and space-dependent parameter configurations. Finally, after extending several past ensemble simulations to the end of the 21st century under CMIP6-derived forcing, we find that accounting for the past modifies projections of the future. Using a steady-state contemporary ice sheet as an initial state leads to vastly different projected sea level contributions when compared to simulations that perform well at recreating past glacial history.
Impact-based forecasting for human displacement by tropical cyclones to support anticipatory humanitarian action
Authors: Kam Pui Man , Ciccone Fabio , Kropf Chahan M. , Riedel Lukas , Fairless Christopher , Bresch David N.
Published: March 2024

Tropical cyclones (TCs) displace the second-largest number of people each year among all natural hazards, following floods.  While TCs impose hardships and threaten lives, the negative impacts can be mitigated through anticipatory action such as evacuation, emergency protection, and humanitarian aid coordination. An impact-based forecast can support anticipatory action planning by providing detailed information about the numbers and locations of people at risk of displacement.Here we introduce the first implementation of a globally consistent and regionally calibrated TC-related displacement forecast that combines the (1) TC weather forecast with (2) the spatially explicit representation of population distribution and (3) their vulnerability. Furthermore, we emphasise the importance of incorporating uncertainties from all three components in a global uncertainty analysis to reveal the full range of possible outcomes. Additionally, sensitivity analysis can help us helps us understand how the forecast outcomes depend on uncertain inputs.We demonstrate the TC displacement forecast through a case study of storm Yasa in the Fidji in 2020. Additionally, we conduct a global uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for all recorded TC displacement events from 2017 to 2020. Our findings suggest that for longer forecast lead times, decision-making should focus more on meteorological uncertainty, while greater emphasis should be placed on the vulnerability of the local community shortly before TC landfall. The open-source code and implementations are also readily transferable to other hazards and impact types.
Espresso: An Open-Source Software Tool for Visualizing and Analysing Multibeam Water-Column Data
Authors: Schimel Alexandre , Ladroit Yoann , Watson Sally
Published: March 2024

There is currently a lack of tools for the rapid visualisation and analysis of multibeam water-column data. To address this gap, a software tool named Espresso has been developed at NIWA. Its main feature is the capability to echo-integrate the water-column data vertically and display the result in the manner of an “aerial shot”, allowing for rapid broadscale visualisation of georeferenced acoustic anomalies in the water-column across multiple files. Espresso is now open-source, licensed under MIT, maintained internationally, and available on GitHub. The software is coded in MATLAB and a compiled version is available for Windows.Espresso is a lightweight tool with a focused set of features. It can read water-column data in the Kongsberg formats (.all/.wcd, and .kmall/.kmwcd) and Teledyne Reson format (.s7k). Data from a single ping can be visualised in the traditional “wedge” display, while multiple pings can be visualised stacked in range, depth, and vertically echo-integrated. It allows the parameterizable masking of data to be ignored, such as samples within a set distance from the seabed, from the outer beams, or within the innermost or outermost range. Espresso incorporates the “slant-range signal normalisation” algorithm (Schimel et al. 2020, doi:10.3390/rs12091371) to filter out specular artefacts. Echo-integration can be referenced to the water surface or to the seabed, with parameterizable limitations in depth or height above the seabed. The software also includes geo-picking tools for interpreters to record the location of acoustic anomalies of interest and export their information.Espresso implements strategies to manage the typical high-volume of water-column data including memory-mapping the converted data, and parallel processing on machines disposing of a GPU. As a research software, Espresso still has some limitations, including the need for data conversion into its internal format and limited data capacity (depending on the available RAM), and thus is best seen as a complement, rather than a replacement, to commercial software for the analysis of water-column data. Despite these limitations, Espresso has already been used for several research projects, including detecting gas seeps and extracting water-column features for supervised classification approaches to habitat mapping.
Evidence for Eurekan deformation within and around the Morris Jesup Plateau, Arctic Ocean
Authors: Klitzke Peter , Geissler Wolfram H. , Reinhardt Lutz , Ruppel Antonia , Engels Martin , Lutz Rüdiger
Published: March 2024

The Morris Jesup Plateau is located offshore North Greenland and includes the Morris Jesup Rise in the west and the Morris Jesup Spur in the east. The Yermak Plateau north of Svalbard represents the conjugate margin of the Morris Jesup Plateau. Both margins are separated by the southernmost part of the Eurasia Basin with the Gakkel Ridge. The wider Eurasia Basin started to open in Paleocene-Eocene times. At those times, Greenland moved northwards due to active spreading both in the NE Atlantic and the Labrador Sea. This northward motion of Greenland resulted in the Eurekan compressional deformation between Greenland and Svalbard and limited or strongly influenced the opening of the Eurasia Basin towards the southwest. Only with the cessation of the Eurekan deformation in late Eocene times, the spreading system of the Eurasia Basin advanced southwards and finally separated the Yermak and Morris Jesup plateaus.While Eurekan deformation is well documented onshore across the West Spitsbergen Fold-and-Thrust Belt and complex thrust and strike-slip zones in North and NE Greenland, only little is known about how these compressional/transpressional structures continue offshore across the North Greenland continental margin towards the Morris Jesup Plateau. Furthermore, the extent to which the Morris Jesup Plateau was affected by extension prior to its separation from the Yermak Plateau in the early Oligocene is poorly resolved. Answering these questions is essential to determine where the Morris Jesup and Yermak plateaus were situated along the North American margin in the late Mesozoic and earliest Cenozoic. Was the opening of the Eurasia Basin compensated by deformation within the plateaus, or did strike-slip movements reactivate the ancient Paleozoic Canadian Arctic transform system? Are there any indications for initial subduction to the North of Greenland as previously proposed on base of potential field data?Here we report on the first multichannel seismic survey along with magnetic data of the southern Morris Jesup Plateau. The seismic data image transpressional and transtensional deformation likely associated with the two Eurekan deformation episodes, the transition to passive margin evolution as well as glacial sedimentation. We compare the results with two seismic lines of the northern Morris Jesup Plateau, which allow to discuss structural variations along the Morris Jesup Spur. 
The effect of lithology on leaf litter decomposition of Pinus pinaster forests along a Mediterranean precipitation gradient
Authors: Fishburn Daniel , Smith Andy , Markesteijn Lars , Rey Ana
Published: March 2024

Above-ground plant litter decomposition has a major influence on the global carbon (C) cycle by transferring 50% of net primary productivity to soil organic matter and releasing 60 Pg C annually into the atmosphere. Despite extensive research devoted to disentangling the main drivers controlling litter decomposition, the role of lithology remains understudied. Here, two studies were conducted to investigate the combined effects of lithology and climate on needle litter decomposition on three distinctive lithological substrates (calcareous, peridotite, and metapelite) along a precipitation gradient (ranging from 641 to 1097 mm yr-1) in the province of Málaga, south of Spain.Study one examined needle litter decomposition of Pinus pinaster (maritime pine) along the experimental gradient, and study two was a reciprocal transplant experiment established on calcareous and peridotite lithological substrates located in the centre of the precipitation gradient with litter of contrasting chemical recalcitrance obtained from P. pinaster and Abies pinsapo (Spanish fir) to assess the impact of lithology on the home field advantage hypothesis.Total litter mass loss during decomposition was highest in the calcareous substrate, exceeding metapelite and peridotite substrates by 24% and 50%, respectively. Decreased precipitation reduced litter mass loss only in calcareous soils (35%) but had little effect on metapelitic and peridotite sites indicating that more productive bedrock types are influenced to a greater degree by reducing precipitation, supporting the boom-bust hypothesis. On peridotite substrates, decomposition of the labile soluble cell fraction and cellulose-based crude fibre fractions of intermediate recalcitrance was delayed by one dry season whereas lignin decomposition ensued immediately highlighting physicochemistry-induced modification of substrate accessibility.  Moreover, study two demonstrated a pronounced home-field advantage for litter on calcareous substrates, contrasting with an away-field advantage for litter derived from peridotite substrates. These results underscore the significant role of lithology in dictating litter decomposition dynamics, directly influencing both litter quality and microbial substrate accessibility.Given that lithology directly impacts litter quality and its response to changing precipitation patterns—both critical variables in global ecosystem carbon models—incorporating lithological factors is essential for accurately predicting how plant litter decomposition will respond to climate change.
3D Crustal Imaging of North-East India and Indo-Burmese Subduction Zone
Authors: Mishra Anurima , Maurya Satish , Mohanty William Kumar , Gollapally Mohan
Published: March 2024

We present a high-resolution 3D shear wave velocity (Vsv) model for the North-East India Region (NER) and Indo-Burmese Subduction Zone (IBSZ) down to an 80 km depth by inverting a new and extensive Rayleigh wave dispersion dataset. We retrieved vertical component dataset of more than 900 seismic events recorded by 26 global and regional seismic broadband networks. We picked and analyzed ~20,000 paths of Rayleigh wave fundamental mode group velocity dispersion curves across a wide period range of 4-70s. The methodology involved a two-step inversion approach: a 2D continuous regionalization incorporating azimuthal anisotropy was utilized to produce tomographic images from the local velocity dispersion curves. Subsequently, a Markov Chain Monte Carlo scheme within a trans-dimensional Bayesian framework was employed for the inversion process. The resulting 2D tomograms of the regionalized dispersion data at different periods and the subsequent inverted 3D model are consistent with the velocity values associated with the known geologic features, accurately outlining the primary tectonic boundaries in the study area. The region under study encompasses the Bengal basin (BB), Shillong plateau (SP), Mikir Hills, Assam-Brahmaputra-valley (BV), North-Eastern Himalayas, Indo-Burma ranges (IBR) and western Myanmar. Sediment thickness is highest in the southern delta region (18-22km), increasing from west to east towards the northern part of the BB and thinnest at the Dauki fault zone (8-10km). Crustal thickness under BB varies widely, from 33-46km. The velocity model reveals an undulating mantle and higher upper-crustal shear wave velocity (Vsv~3.3-3.6km/s) under the SP than its surrounding regions. Moho thickness varies across the region: ~33km in Garo Hills, ~38km in Assam valley, and ~42km beneath the Lesser Himalayan foredeep. There is a clear eastward dipping subduction geometry along ~22°N from under BB towards the Central Myanmar Basin (CMB) (at ~95°E). Sediment thickness in the CMB varies from 10-12km. The Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT) depth is ~18km under the Arunachal Himalaya, which moving northward dips down to ~28km under the Greater Himalaya. The crustal thickness at the syntaxial corner and BV is significantly greater than its surficial topography. The maximum crustal thickness of ~52km is on the southern IBR, along its eastern side.  Keywords: Crustal Structure, North-East India, Indo-Burma subduction zone, Rayleigh wave, group velocity, 3D shear wave velocity model, Bayesian inversion. 
A remote-sensing-based assessment of a city's urban environmental quality
Authors: Singh Srashti , Shukla Anugya , Jain Kamal
Published: March 2024

Unprecedental and unplanned urban sprawl poses a substantial challenge for cities in developing nations, detrimentally impacting the environmental quality of the urban landscape. The key environmental factors affected by urbanization must be vigilantly monitored to ensure sustainable urban development. Consequently, it is imperative to have a sustainable framework for a comprehensive and critical assessment of the environmental parameters that are affected because of urbanization. The aim of this research is to assess the environmental quality of a developing city in India – Bhopal and to quantify the environmental damage. The environmental quality is compared at 5-year time steps from 2000 to 2020 keeping 2000 as the benchmark year. The study employs satellite-based remote sensing data to extract all the parameters that are considered. The biophysical indicators (BI), include Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST), Particulate Matter concentration (PM2.5) and actual Evapotranspiration (ETa), and the census-related parameters include the Population Density (PD) and Built-up Volume (BV). The research assesses the relation between these parameters, followed by the quantification of an Environmental Quality Index (EQI) for the years 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 to investigate the city's environmental quality. The city's environmental quality is then categorized based on the EQI values in each year. The results reveal that there is a poorer quality of environment where the BV and PD is high, and vegetation cover is low, which also results into higher LST. PM2.5 was higher in the traffic congestion zones, industrialisation areas and major roads. The comprehensive findings indicate pronounced environmental degradation in specific areas characterized by dense urbanization, heavy traffic, industrial zones, and major highways. This study sheds light on the adverse environmental impacts of unplanned urbanization, providing valuable insights for policymakers and urban designers to enhance the quality of urban development and promote sustainability. Additionally, the research proposes strategies and policy interventions for addressing industrial and vehicular pollutants, emphasizing the crucial role of urban greening in elevating the overall urban environment.
Geo Educational Games for Kids
Authors: Panovska Sanja , Sanchez Sabrina
Published: March 2024

Fostering the next generation of global citizens and scientists is crucial to confront the global challenges humanity faces and continue scientific development. We aim to promote Earth, planetary, and space sciences to children ranging from 3 to 8 years old through an activity booklet. It contains games, drawings, colouring and simple logical tasks. The material is intended to support children in learning about the world around them and engage their curiosity and observational skills. Children will gain knowledge about geosciences, including the fundamental principles of the Earth system and associated processes. We cover as many different topics as possible, such as geodesy, mineralogy, volcanology, paleontology, geomagnetism, oceanography, atmospheric sciences, natural hazards, seismology, stratigraphy, planetary and solar systems sciences, etc. The activities are provided with short and simple explanations for children at reading age. For younger children, adults are encouraged to read and explain. Solutions will be presented in small boxes at the end, allowing children to evaluate their performance. The booklet will be publicly available in several languages to ensure accessibility and inclusivity on a global scale. We hope that it will serve as an amusing tool for outreach at different educational institutions and events in order to promote geosciences.
Future water resource changes in the Yangtze River Basin under the influences of climate change and human activities
Authors: Cheng Han , Wang Taihua , Yang Dawen
Published: March 2024

The Yangtze River Basin is the largest basin in China, covering an area of 1.8 million square kilometers and possessing very abundant water resources. The water resources in this basin play a crucial role in the ecological environment and socio-economic development. Understanding the future hydrological changes in the Yangtze River Basin is crucial for China's water resource allocation and planning. However, many studies have indicated that, under the influence of complex climate change and intense human activities, the hydrological cycle in the Yangtze River Basin has become more complex. This research utilized a distributed hydrological model to investigate the hydrological changes in the Yangtze River Basin during the historical period (1961-2019) and the future period (2021-2100). Historical observed data and CMIP6 data are used to drive the model. Meanwhile, machine learning methods are applied to process the output results of the hydrological model, simulating the impact of human activities within the corresponding regions. The results indicate that, during the historical period, machine learning methods could enhance the simulation accuracy of areas which are significantly influenced by human activities. The historical data show that, despite an upward trend in precipitation in the historical period, the runoff at the main hydrological stations of the Yangtze River mainstream continues to decline due to increasing evapotranspiration. Under future conditions, the total runoff in the Yangtze River Basin will further decrease compared with historical runoff, intensifying water resource risks within the basin and posing new challenges for water resource management.
Beyond Single Company Risk Disclosure – Exploring the Efficient Frontier in Physical Risk Reporting
Authors: Wattin Håkansson Victor , Hülsen Sarah , Meiler Simona , Villiger Leonie , Kropf Chahan M. , McCaughey Jamie W. , Bresch David N.
Published: March 2024

Climate change is intensifying natural hazards, significantly increasing financial risks for businesses and stakeholders. This shift in physical risk is transforming companies' risk-return profiles and driving the need for transparent risk disclosure, in line with the guidelines from the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD; now further developed as IFRS S2). Despite many companies beginning to disclose risks, standardization efforts by regulatory bodies are still evolving. The varied and proprietary nature of climate risk information from commercial providers has hindered transparency and accessibility in risk scoring. This complicates the comparison and evaluation of risks, as well as the aggregation of risks at the portfolio level. Additionally, the scarcity of natural catastrophe models in non-OECD countries and the need for a globally consistent framework incorporating future climate scenarios pose further challenges.Our study introduces an event-based reporting approach to address these challenges in climate risk disclosure. Companies are required to report modeled financial impacts of standardized hazard sets, including both gross and net risks due to their insurance protection. This method offers a solid foundation for risk metrics, risk-return profiling, and inter-comparison of risks at both individual company and portfolio levels. Leveraging CLIMADA (CLIMate ADAptation), an open-source climate risk assessment platform, we create a globally consistent, interoperable framework with reference hazard event sets for main perils under current and future climate conditions, accessible through a data API. By applying this method to the balance sheets of hypothetical multinational companies, we effectively assess financial risks and perform risk-return analyses, demonstrating the approach's practicality and potential in climate risk management and disclosure. We show, for instance, the potential for evaluating sectoral and cross-sectoral risk, which is only visible in the cross-company risk profile, and how portfolio risks due to spatial correlations can be captured.
Mapping ancient geochemical terranes using feldspar Pb isotopes
Authors: Daly J. Stephen , Flowerdew Michael , Badenszki Eszter
Published: March 2024

Combined with geophysical, geochronological and structural data, isotope geochemical proxies (including Pb, Nd, Hf and Sr) are commonly used to correlate basement terranes and hence to test and refine supercontinent configurations. In the case of Pb, many such studies rely on whole-rock isotopic data, which being time-dependent, can be difficult to interpret.By contrast, feldspars, by virtue of their low U/Pb and Th/Pb ratios, have time invariant Pb isotope compositions. They are also modally abundant rock-forming minerals and are amenable to in situ analysis and textural discrimination. This study evaluates the utility of Pb isotopes in feldspar as a mechanism to identify terrane boundaries and evaluate large-scale continental reconstruction models.We are systematically collating feldspar Pb isotope data from Archaean and Paleoproterozoic basement rocks in the North Atlantic region (Laurentia-Baltica and the intervening continental plateaux) from literature sources as well as new measurements from outcrop and offshore wellbores from Scotland, Norway, Greenland and Russia. A particular focus is on the Lewisian Complex of Scotland because these rocks are argued to link with terranes in both Greenland and Baltica. Our Pb isotopic data identify four Pb isotopic domains in Scotland.  The NAC, Nagssugtoqidian and Rinkian terranes are recognised onshore and offshore west of Shetland and correlate strongly with Greenland.  Moreover the boundaries between them are consistent with large-scale sutures proposed on other grounds although they do not support the traditional nine-terrane model for the Lewisian Complex [1]. Feldspar Pb isotopic data from the Kola Peninsula and northern Fennoscandia are consistent with the suggestion that the sub-Moine inliers (previously considered to have Archaean protoliths, equivalent to the Lewisian Complex) have an affinity with Baltica [2].References:[1] Kinny et al. (2005) Journal of the Geological Society, London 162, 175-186.[2] Strachan et al. (2020) Geology 48, 1094-1098.