bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combining geophysical, geochemical and geological studies toward plausible geothermal models at the Hongchailin site for geothermal power generation in northeastern Taiwan
Authors: Lee Jian-Cheng , Ho Gong-Ruei , Chen Chien-Chih , Huang Hsin-Hua , Lin Cheng-Horng , Song Sherng-Rong , Lu Yi-Chia , Hase Hideaki , Chiang Chih-Wen , Chen Yue-Gau , Chung Sun-Lin
Published: February 2023

In this study, we conduct a multi-disciplinary study, including geophysics, geochemistry, and geology, in an attempt to reconstruct geothermal geological model(s) at the shallow 3 km, for a project of potential geothermal power generation at the Hongchailin site in the Ilan plain of northeastern Taiwan. Our geophysical techniques include seismic imaging from natural earthquakes as well as ambient noise. Three seismic arrays deployed at different time periods in the past decade were used. We also incorporate geophysical imaging results from previous studies, in particular a series of seismic reflection profiles. For the magnetotelluric (MT) technique, two major surveys have been conducted, including 2015-2018 AMT by National Central University and 2021-2022 MT by GERD and Academia Sinica.  Three test holes were drilled around the Hongchailin site in 2016-2019. Logging and on-site measurements were conducted at increment depths, including stratigraphy and rock types, P/T measurements, fractures analyses, geochemical analyses (e.g., hydrogen/oxygen/helium isotope, fluid inclusion, etc.), and so on.        Based on regional geology and structures, and incorporating geophysical subsurface imaging, we reconstruct geothermal geological models in line with detailed geological cross sections at the shallow 3 km level. We interpret that there exits a shallow geothermal reservoir within the massive quartz sandstone layers (Szeleng sandstone) at 1-2 km depth with the downhole temperature of 80-100 C.  Geologically, the reservoir is located at the regional Songlo syncline and its south limb; and geophysically, it corresponds to a relatively low resistivity area. Isotope results show that the cool meteoric water came from nearby higher altitude mountain area, then flew through the Szeleng sandstone, which plunges 1-2 km depth below the Ilan plain. Hot fluid is interpreted to be derived from deeper heat source and to be upflowed along a N-S trending vertical faults system near the Hongchailin area.  In addition, two E-W trending major faults, identified by the seismic reflection profiles, seem to be acted as hydrothermal fluid barriers to confine the hot fluid within the reservoir area.
Assessing the quality of gridded Climate Data Records of the Surface Irradiance using global Reference Data Sets
Authors: Trentmann Jörg , Pfeifroth Uwe
Published: February 2023

The incoming surface solar radiation is an essential climate variable as defined by GCOS. Long term monitoring of this part of the earth’s energy budget is required to gain insights on the state and variability of the climate system. In addition, climate data sets of surface solar radiation have received increased attention over the recent years as an important source of information for solar energy assessments, for crop modeling, and for the validation of climate and weather models.Gridded regional and global data records of the surface irradiance are available based on satellite measurements as well as derived from numerical models, e.g., reanalysis systems. For climatological analyses, long-term data records, covering about multiple decades, are required. Recently generated satellite-based climate data records from the EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM SAF), i.e., SARAH-3 and CLARA-A3, as well as the GEWEX SRB data set, fulfill this requirement. Corresponding reanalysis data are also available, i.e., ERA-5, MERRA-2.Here we will assess the quality of these satellite-based and reanalysis-derived climate data records of the surface irradiance by comparison with monthly surface reference data from the Global Energy Balance Archive (GEBA). The quality assessment will include the accuracy of the gridded data as well as their ability to realistically reproduce the anomalies and temporal trends as derived from the surface observations. The inter-comparison of the gridded data records allows to identify regions of high / low confidence in our knowledge of the surface irradiance and the surface radiation budget.  
Analysing the capacity of two Mediterranean semiarid ecosystems located in the southeast Spain as methane sinks
Authors: Cabrera Carillo German , Aranda-Barranco Sergio , Agea Daniel , Echeverría-Martín Enrique , Sánchez-Cañete Enrique P , Serrano-Ortiz Penelope , Oyonarte Cecilio , Villagarcía Luis , Domingo Francisco
Published: February 2023

For the last decade there has been a continuous increase in atmospheric methane. Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas (after carbon dioxide, CO2). However, despite the recent international effort to quantify global CH4 fluxes, such information is still limited, with a significant source of uncertainty (from 51% to 82%) mainly attributed to emissions from wetlands and other inland waters. On the other hand, some research in arid ecosystems (drylands) has shown that they play an important role in the CH4 cycle as CH4 sinks. These uncertainties in quantifying potential methane sinks highlight the need to increase our understanding of this effect of dryland ecosystems.In this study we have quantified the capacity of two Mediterranean ecosystems as methane sinks. A lowland site located at 200 m.a.s.l and 6 km from the coast, in Cabo de Gata Natural Park (Almería, Spain; N36°56′26.0″, W2°01′58.8). This lowland is dominated by Stipa tenacissima at 60 % cover. And a subalpine site located at 1,600 m.a.s.l. and 25 km from the coast, in Sierra de Gádor (Almería; 36º55′41.7″N; 2º45′ 1.7″W). This site is a shrubland plateau derived from an open forest and its climate is Mediterranean with hot summers. Both study sites are included in the international network FLUXNET (https://fluxnet.org/about/).For this purpose, two techniques have been used, the Eddy covariance technique to measure CH4 fluxes at the ecosystem scale and a standardized camera system composed by an infrared gas analyser (LI-7810, Li-Cor, Lincoln, NE, USA) connected to a Smart Chamber (8200-01S, Li-Cor, Lincoln, NE, USA), to measure soil CH4 fluxes in intensive campaigns. The Eddy covariance technique was applied for several weeks during the dry season, while the camera system was used to measure fluxes during the rainy season and in the middle of the growing season. Thanks to this study we will be able to establish an approximate range of CH4 assimilation by these ecosystems, comparing this value with those obtained in other studies; additionally, we will analyse the effect of the different soil conditions (humidity, temperature, porosity, texture...) on CH4 fluxes in these "drylands".This work was supported by the projects P20_00016 (BAGAMET) and LifeWatch-2019-10-UGR-01, co-funded by the MICINN through the FEDER funds.
Flood vulnerability curves and household flood damage mitigation measures: an econometric analysis of survey data
Authors: Endendijk Thijs , Botzen Wouter , de Moel Hans , Aerts Jeroen , Slager Kymo , Kok Matthijs
Published: February 2023

Natural disasters, such as flood events, are expected to increase in their frequency and severity, which results in higher flood risk without additional adaptation measures. The information gained from flood risk models is essential in flood risk management. However, vulnerability model components in the form of depth-damage curves are often a large driver of uncertainty and empirical vulnerability curves are rarely estimated due to a lack of damage data from flood events. This study uses a unique dataset with experienced damages and the implementation of flood damage mitigation (FDM) measures on the household level, collected after the flood event in the Netherlands in 2021. Two main findings emerge from an analysis of this dataset. First, depth-damage curves that control for several hazard, exposure and vulnerability indicators are estimated. These curves serve as an update to current input in flood risk models, where previous vulnerability estimates from the Netherlands are based from a flood event in the 1950s. Second, it is found that previous studies on the effectiveness of FDM measures are prone to a selection bias, as households that do and do not take FDM measures systematically differ in their risk profiles. By using an Instrumental Variable (IV)-estimation, this study overcomes this selection bias and finds significant reductions in flood damage to both buildings and household contents due to FDM measures.
Human impacts and their interactions in the Baltic Sea region
Authors: Reckermann Marcus ,   BEAR Human Impacts Author team
Published: February 2023

Coastal environments, in particular heavily populated semi-enclosed marginal seas and coasts like the Baltic Sea region, are strongly affected by human activities. A multitude of human impacts, including climate change, affects the different compartments of the environment, and these effects interact with each other.As part of the Baltic Earth Assessment Reports (BEAR), we present an inventory and discussion of different human-induced factors and processes affecting the environment of the Baltic Sea region, and their interrelations. Some are naturally occurring and modified by human activities (i.e. climate change, coastal processes, hypoxia, acidification, submarine groundwater discharges, marine ecosystems, non-indigenous species, land use and land cover), some are completely human-induced (i.e. agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, river regulations, offshore wind farms, shipping, chemical contamination, dumped warfare agents, marine litter and microplastics, tourism, coastal management), and they are all interrelated to different degrees.We present a general description and analysis of the state of knowledge on these interrelations. Our main insight is that climate change has an overarching, integrating impact on all of the other factors and can be interpreted as a background effect, which has different implications for the other factors. Impacts on the environment and the human sphere can be roughly allocated to anthropogenic drivers such as food production, energy production, transport, industry and economy.We conclude that a sound management and regulation of human activities must be implemented in order to use and keep the environments and ecosystems of the Baltic Sea region sustainably in a good shape. This must balance the human needs, which exert tremendous pressures on the systems, as humans are the overwhelming driving force for almost all changes we see. The findings from this inventory of available information and analysis of the different factors and their interactions in the Baltic Sea region can largely be transferred to other comparable marginal and coastal seas in the world.This work is published as Open Access article in Earth System Dynamics (Earth Syst. Dynam., 13, 1–80, 2022; https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-1-2022)
Assessment of environmental flow for sustainable ecosystem management and livelihood security: A case study in Lower Damodar River Basin, India
Authors: Chandra Purnanjali , Kasiapillai S. Kasiviswanathan
Published: February 2023

Rivers are one of the prime sources of freshwater, governed by disparate hydrological and social factors. In the era of extensive large and small-scale water infrastructures, maintaining the river's natural flow is vital for sustainable ecosystem management. Hence, it is essential to acknowledge and implement the concept of environmental flow as a part of functional policies for better planning and reservoir operation. This research study highlights the importance of analysing and maintaining the environmental flow through computing the degree of deviation from the natural flow conditions of the river. It used the Range of Variability Approach (RVA) to calculate the degree of deviation while also lending a special focus on the implications of altered river flow regime on fishing as a livelihood practice for downstream riverine communities. The river discharge data from lower Damodar River basin were used to demonstrate the proposed methods. For the estimation of the degree of deviation, daily discharge data during pre (1934-1948) and post (1981-2013) dam construction periods were considered.  A high degree of alteration was found from indicators such as 90-day maximum and minimum annual extreme flows suggesting a regressive alteration post dam construction. Significant degree of deviation was also observed in the seasonal flow patterns across the time period. Furthermore, the study applied a convergent parallel mixed method whereby qualitative data gathered from the fishing communities was analysed alongside quantitative computations. The fishing communities also substantiated the computational findings by reporting declining water levels to have the highest relative risk (21%) followed by lack of fish availability (19%). These analyses emphasized the importance of maintaining the environmental flow for effectively managing the ecosystem and ensuring a secured livelihood for the community.
Total organic carbon measurements reveal large discrepancies in reported petrochemical emissions
Authors: He Megan , Ditto Jenna , Gardner Lexie , Machesky Jo , Hass-Mitchell Tori , Chen Christina , Khare Peeyush , Sahin Bugra , Fortner John , Hayden Katherine , Wentzell Jeremy , Mittermeier Richard , Leithead Amy , Lee Patrick , Darlington Andrea , Zhang Junhua , Moussa Samar , Li Shao-Meng , Liggio John , Gentner Drew
Published: February 2023

Oil sands are a prominent unconventional source of petroleum. Total organic carbon measurements via an aircraft campaign (Spring-Summer 2018) revealed emissions above Canadian oil sands exceeding reported values by 1900-6300%. The “missing” compounds were predominantly intermediate- and semi-volatile organic compounds, which are prolific precursors to secondary organic aerosol formation. Here we use a novel combination of aircraft-based measurements (including total carbon emissions measurements) and offline analytical instrumentation to characterize the mixtures of organic carbon and their volatility distributions above oil sands facilities. These airborne, real-time observations are supplemented by laboratory experiments identifying substantial, unintended emissions from waste management practices, emphasizing the importance of accurate facility-wide emissions monitoring and total carbon measurements to detect potentially vast missing emissions across sources.Detailed chemical speciation confirms these observations near both surface mining and in-situ facilities were oil sands-derived, with facility-wide emissions around 1% of extracted petroleum—a comparable loss rate to natural gas extraction. Total emissions, spanning extraction through waste processing, were equivalent to total Canadian anthropogenic emissions from all sources. These results demonstrate that the full air quality and environmental impacts of oil sands operations cannot be captured without complete coverage of a wider volatility range of emissions.
An Insight on Scale Definition in JTRF202
Authors: Abbondanza Claudio , Chin Toshio , Gross Richard , Heflin Michael , Parker Jay
Published: February 2023

JTRF2020 is the latest TRF solution computed at JPL by assimilating frame input data submitted by the IVS, IGS, ILRS, and IDS for ITRF2020. Determined with SREF (Square-root Reference frame Estimation Filter), a computational code based on a square-root information filter and Dyer-McReynolds smoother algorithm, JTRF2020 adopts a time-series based representation: Its daily time series determined from observations of a multi-technique space-geodetic network of 931 stations describe, through their Cartesian coordinates, the deformation of solid Earth as a function of time. Such coordinates are inherently expressed in Earth’s Center of Mass as sensed by SLR and give access to the quasi-instantaneous scale implied by the underlying frame.  JTRF2020, like its predecessor JTRF2014, traditionally adopts a scale relying on VLBI and SLR observations only. In this presentation, we will guide the readers through the process we adopted to define and construct the scale of JTRF2020, from the determination and analysis of the scale differences between VLBI and SLR to the way in which the time-variable scale bias between VLBI and SLR is handled within the J2020 assimilation.     
A satellite era reanalysis of the Arctic sea ice cover utilising year-round observations of sea ice thickness
Authors: Williams Nicholas , Byrne Nicholas , Feltham Daniel , Van Leeuwen Peter Jan , Bannister Ross , Schroeder David , Ridout Andrew , Nerger Lars
Published: February 2023

Over the last decade, there have been a number of new observational records of Arctic sea ice thickness produced, with improved spatiotemporal coverage, that can allow researchers to better understand the Arctic sea ice system. In this study we use a newly developed sea ice data assimilation system CICE-PDAF, to reanalyse the Arctic sea ice cover over the satellite era. In various combinations we assimilate a year-round sea ice thickness cover and a sub-grid scale sea ice thickness distribution alongside sea ice concentration observations. The assimilation of year-round sea ice thickness provides substantial improvements to the modelled sea ice thickness in comparison to independent observations. The assimilation also has significant consequences on the modelled distribution of the ice thickness across the Arctic, particularly in regions of multi-year ice, and regional model biases are reduced in the reanalyses.
Suprathermal Ion Observations Associated with the Heliospheric Current Sheet Crossings by Parker Solar Probe During Encounters 7-
Authors: Desai Mihir ,   Parker Solar Probe ISOIS, SWEAP, and FIELDS Science Teams
Published: February 2023

We report observations of <100 keV/nucleon suprathermal (ST) H, He, O, and Fe ions in association with three separate crossings of the heliospheric current sheet that occurred near perhelia during PSP encounters 7-11. In particular, we compare and contrast the ST ion time-intensity profiles, velocity dispersion, pitch-angle distributions, spectral forms, and maximum energies during the three HCS crossings. We find that these unique ST observations are remarkably different in each case, with those during E07 posing the most serious challenges for existing models of ST ion production in the inner heliosphere. In contrast, the ISOIS observations during 4 separate HCS crossings during E08-11 appear to be consistent with a scenario in which ST ions escape out of the reconnection exhausts into the separatrix layers after getting accelerated up to ~50-100 keV/nucleon by HCS-associated magnetic reconnection-driven processes. We discuss these new observations in terms of local versus remote acceleration sources as well as in terms of expectations of existing ST ion production and propagation, including reconnection-driven and diffusive acceleration in the inner heliosphere.
Investigating the potential of a 1-D hydrodynamic model for flood inundation modeling and hazard mapping
Authors: Jesna  , Sm Bhallamudi , Kp Sudheer
Published: February 2023

Flooding is one of the most prevalent and disruptive natural hazards that affect livelihoods worldwide, especially in lower-income countries where proper drainage and flood protection measures tend to be less developed. Floods have become more frequent and intense over the recent decades and are expected to worsen their negative impacts in the future. Managing flood risk requires the evaluation of potential flood hazards and their consequences. Hydrodynamic models are generally employed to predict flood hazards (inundation extent, depth, velocity, etc.). One of the major concerns in flood hazard mapping is selecting an appropriate model structure. This study examines the flood predictions by a one-dimensional (1-D) hydrodynamic model for two geomorphologically distinct river reaches, the Adyar River, Chennai, India, and the Brazos River, Texas, USA. The results are compared against the simulation results of a two-dimensional (2-D) hydrodynamic model. An open-source model, HEC-RAS, with both 1-D and 2-D modeling capabilities, is employed for flood inundation modeling. The inundation patterns predicted by the 1-D model are found to vary significantly in the case of the Brazos River compared to those for the Adyar river. The study suggests that the simulations of flood inundation extent and maximum flow depth are influenced by the 1-D modeling assumptions on flood plains in river reaches characterized by wide flood plains with complex local terrain variations. The 1-D model simulations are also found sensitive to the magnitude of the flood event with respect to the hydraulic capacity of the reach.
Creation of 3D model of the Turkа quarry using terrestrial laser scanning
Authors: Oliinyk Mariia , Bubniak Ihor , Bubniak Andrij , Shylo Yevhenii , Bihun Mykola , Vikhot Yuriy
Published: February 2023

Structural studies foresee a detailed three-dimensional model. In this work we present the results of constructing a virtual outcrop at the quarry base in the city of Turka. Such objects are especially valuable for structural geology, sedimentology, mining, etc.From a geological point of view, it is located in the Outer Ukrainian Carpathians, tectonically it belongs to the Krosno nappe. Here, the rocks are mainly represented with sandstones, siltstones and argillites.Workflow. The study predicted: - Reconnaissance of the object (detailed overview of the object of research, determination of future positions of control and reference points, and standing stations);- Establishing and determining the coordinates of reference points (placement of six black and white marks);- Determining the coordinates of control points (fixation on the outcrop body using the electronic total station Leica TCR 405);- A terrestrial laser scanning process (3/4 scanning points are located approximately on the same line with a step of 25 and 15 meters, the fourth station is located at the top of the right slope of the quarry, the elevation is 29 m; scanning was performed with a Leica ScanStation C10 scanner);- Photographing the object (in order to improve the quality of the future mesh model, some details and textures. 344 pictures were taken with a Canon Mark 3 5D digital camera);- Creating a point cloud based on laser scanning data (Processing was performed in the Leica Cyclone Register 360 program. Five reference points were used to orient the cloud of points in the coordinate system);- Creating a mash model based on point clouds and digital images (This step was done in the Reality Capture program. The accuracy of the mash model was assessed by comparing the coordinates of control points obtained from the mash model and surveying with TPS; the absolute spatial difference does not exceed five centimeters).The geological field camp was financed by American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) for the first author.
Mineralogical and fluid inclusion studies of garnet and rutile quartz, Kashan, Iran
Authors: Masoumi rahim , Rezapour Mohammadreza , Entezari Harsini Azam , Masoumi Roohangiz , Fozouni Sarghin Mohammadamin , Aghamohammadi Tolon Saeideh
Published: February 2023

Quartz crystals containing garnet and rutile inclusions are found in the southwest of Kashan, Iran, adjacent to the Gohrood granitoid intrusive body. This area belongs to the Urmia-Dokhtar magmatic belt, which is located in the central part of the Iranian plateau with a NW-SE trend. The intrusive body related to the garnet and rutile bearing quartzes shows granodiorite-tonalite composition with an age of 17 to 19 million years (Middle Miocene) which has intruded into Jurassic shales, sandstones, and limestone, and also cretaceous and Eocene marls which have caused contact metamorphism in surrounding rocks and consequently the formation of typical skarn and hornfels in the area.

The studied quartz crystals show size ranges of 1-12 cm which have been formed inside cracks and fractures. The main alteration zones observed in the area consist of silicification, chlorite, epidote associated with hematite, and jarosite mineralization.

Different varieties of quartz crystals in terms of color and fluid inclusion characteristics are found in the study area: transparent and semi-transparent crystals, yellow crystals (citrine), dark crystals, smoky to reddish brown crystals (garnet inclusion), and rutile quartz.

The carried out fluid inclusion studies indicate that the mean temperature and salinity calculated for the transparent and semi-transparent quartzes are 308 °C and 7.5 wt.% NaCl and 360 °C and 1.6 wt.% NaCl, respectively, and generally, based on the carried out microthermometry studies, the estimated formation temperature range between 300-550 °C.

The Hydrothermal fluid most likely reached the surface through the faults and joints of Gohrood granitoid with minimal contact with surface fluids, and near the surface mixing with meteoric waters, causing the loss of high temperature and salinity. During rising, these fluids have decomposed the minerals such as biotite, amphibole, and feldspars, which caused the alteration of the wall-rock. The performed microprobe and SEM studies on the inclusions containing garnet in the studied samples show the mineralogical composition of grossular.

Keywords: Garnet; Rutile; Gohrood; Kashan; Iran
3D Bayesian Variational Full-Waveform Inversion
Authors: Zhang Xin , Lomas Angus , Zhou Muhong , Zheng York , Curtis Andrew
Published: February 2023

Seismic full-waveform inversion (FWI) produces high resolution images of the subsurface by exploiting information in full acoustic, seismic or electromagnetic waveforms, and has been applied at global, regional and industrial spatial scales. FWI inverse problems are traditionally solved by using optimization, in which one seeks a best model by minimizing the misfit between observed waveforms and model-predicted waveforms. Due to the nonlinearity of the physical relationship between model parameters and waveforms, a good starting model is often required to produce a reasonable result. In addition, the optimization methods cannot produce accurate uncertainty estimates, which are required to better interpret final model estimates.In principle, nonlinear Bayesian methods can be deployed to solve both issues. Monte Carlo sampling is one such class of algorithms which are computationally expensive, and all Markov chain Monte Carlo-based methods are difficult to parallelise fully. Variational inference provides a fully parallelisable alternative methodology. This is a class of methods that optimize an approximation to a probability distribution describing post-inversion parameter uncertainties. Both Monte Carlo and variational full waveform inversion have been applied previously to solve 2D Bayesian FWI problems, but neither of them have been applied in 3D.In this study we apply three variational methods to a 3D FWI problem and analyse their performance. Specifically we apply automatic differential variational inference (ADVI), Stein variational gradient descent (SVGD) and stochastic SVGD (sSVGD), and compare their results and computational costs. These tests show that ADVI is the least computationally demanding method, but its results are systematically biased as uncertainty is underestimated. The method might therefore be used to provide relatively rapid but approximate insights into the Bayesian solution. SVGD demands the highest computational cost, yet produces equally biased results. Adding a randomized term in the SVGD dynamics produces sSVGD, a Markov chain Monte Carlo method based on variational principles. This provides the most accurate results, at intermediate computational cost. We conclude that 3D variational full-waveform inversion is practically applicable, at least in small problems, and can be used to image the Earth’s interior and to provide reasonable uncertainty estimates on those images.
Slab-driven transport of ultra-low velocity material in the deep mantle
Authors: Wolf Jonathan , Long Maureen D.
Published: February 2023

It has been suggested that the present-day locations of ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs), which are thin features just above the core-mantle boundary (CMB), are influenced by mantle convection; however, apart from their preferential locations, there is little direct evidence for this connection. Observations of deep mantle anisotropy can be used to infer mantle dynamics but are not usually jointly analyzed with ULVZ structure. We newly detect and characterize a ULVZ beneath the Himalaya, located approximately at the edge between an (almost) isotropic and a large anisotropic region in the lowermost mantle. Using global wavefield simulations to model realistic mineral physics scenarios, we show that the seismic anisotropy is indicative of northeast-southwest flow directions. The southwestwards flow is likely induced by slab remnants at the CMB, and the ULVZ is located at the southwestern edge of the anisotropic province, which is indicative of slab-induced ULVZ displacement. 
Terraferma: an interactive tool for insurance seismic risk awareness in Italy
Authors: Tirri Antonio , Ferraresi Luigi , Petruccelli Antonio
Published: February 2023

Despite its high susceptibility to earthquakes, Italy's protection gap for seismic risk is one of the largest in the world: only a small percentage of economic losses caused by earthquakes come under an insurance policy. One of the reasons is a lack of public awareness of seismic risk. 

Terraferma attempts to respond to this problem.

Terraferma is an interactive tool developed by Leithà, the competence center of the Unipol Group for Data Science and Computer Science, and adopted by different insurance companies of the Unipol Group.

The main objective of this tool is to raise customers' awareness about the frequency and intensity of earthquake events in Italy, especially while underwriting a home insurance policy or getting a mortgage loan.

Starting from the user's geolocation, Terraferma shows an interactive map of the earthquakes recorded by the seismic network of the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), together with information such as the magnitude, intensity, and depth of the quakes and the estimated area of propagation.

From a technological point of view, Terraferma is an application developed in the cloud using the serverless computing paradigm.

Terraferma is accessible openly at www.incontra-terraferma.it.
How well do global snow products characterize snow storage in High Mountain Asia?
Authors: Liu Yufei , Fang Yiwen , Li Dongyue , Margulis Steven A.
Published: February 2023

Accurate characterization of peak snow water storage is essential for assessing warm-season water availability in regions reliant on snowmelt-driven runoff. However, knowledge of peak snow water storage in data-sparse regions, such as High Mountain Asia (HMA), is still lacking due to overreliance on model-based estimates. Here, estimates of peak snow storage from eight global snow products were evaluated over HMA, using a newly developed High Mountain Asia Snow Reanalysis (HMASR) dataset as a reference. The particular focus of this work was on peak annual snow storage, as it is the first-order determinant of warm-season water supply in snow-dominated basins.The results suggest large uncertainty in the eight global snow products in High Mountain Asia, with the climatological peak storage found to be 161 km3 ± 102 km3 across products. Compared to HMASR, most global snow products underestimate peak snow storage in HMA, with an average 33% underestimation. Large inter-product variability in cumulative snowfall (335 km3 ± 148 km3) is found to explain most of the peak snow storage uncertainty (>80%). Significant snowfall loss to ablation during accumulation season (51% ± 9%) also plays an important role in peak snow storage uncertainty, and deserves more investigation in future work.
Detectable Human Influence on Changes in Precipitation Extremes across China
Authors: Xu Huiwen , Chen Huopo , Wang Huijun
Published: February 2023

This study explored the human influence on the observed changes in precipitation extremes across China for the period of 1961–2014 by the latest simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). Changes in observations and CMIP6 simulations under different external forcings for annual total wet-day precipitation (PRCPTOT), the number of heavy precipitation days (R10mm), very wet days (R95p), extremely wet days (R99p), the maximum 1-day precipitation amount (RX1day), and the maximum 5-day precipitation amount (RX5day) are compared using a regularized optimal fingerprinting method. The results show that both anthropogenic (ANT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) experiments generally exhibit increasing trends in precipitation extremes over China, agreeing with the overall observed increases. The ANT influence is robustly detected for R95p, R99p, RX1day, and RX5day over China, with clear separation from the natural forcing. Additionally, the GHG signal is also detectable for R95p, R99p, and RX1day but separated from the natural and other ANT forcings for only R99p and RX1day, and from the natural and ANT aerosol forcings for only RX5day. Thus, the intensified precipitation extremes can be attributed to human influence dominated by the GHG effect. However, detections fail for PRCPTOT and R10mm. The ANT aerosol forcing may partly offset the role of the GHG responses to observed increases despite being undetectable. Based on the detection and attribution results, the observation-constrained projections indicate that precipitation extremes are projected to significantly increase under the SSP2–4.5 and SSP5–8.5 scenarios but with a smaller magnitude compared to the raw CMIP6 outputs.
Microbial cell distribution in the Guaymas Basin subseafloor biosphere, a young marginal rift basin with rich organics and steep temperature gradient
Authors: Morono Yuki , Teske Andreas , Bojanova Diana , Edgcomb Virginia , Meyer Nicolette , Schubert Florian , Toffin Laurent , Galerne Christophe ,   IODP Expedition 385 Scientists
Published: February 2023

Guaymas Basin is a young marginal rift basin in the Gulf of California characterized by active seafloor spreading and rapid sediment deposition, including organic-rich sediments derived from highly productive overlying waters and terrigenous sediments from nearby continental margins. The combination of active seafloor spreading and rapid sedimentation within a narrow basin results in a dynamic environment where linked physical, chemical, and biological processes regulate the cycling of sedimentary carbon and other elements.During IODP Expedition 385, eight sites were drilled on the flanking regions and in the northern axial graben of Guaymas Basin, recovering organic-rich sediments with sill intrusions. Those cored samples were examined for their microbial cell abundance in a highly sensitive manner by density-gradient cell separation at the super clean room of Kochi Core Center, Japan, followed by direct counting on fluorescence microscopy. Cell abundance in surficial seafloor sediment (~109 cells/cm3) was roughly 1000 times higher than the bottom seawater (~106 cells/cm3) and gradually decreased with increasing depth and temperature. In contrast to the cell abundance profile observed at Nankai Trough (IODP Exp. 370), the gradual decrease of cell abundance was observed up to around 75ºC, and we detected microbial cells even at hot horizons above 100ºC. The existence of smaller size of microbial cells was uniquely found in this region of subseafloor.We will present the overview of the microbial cell distribution in the Guaymas Basin and discuss its relation to the current and past environmental conditions, e.g., temperature and sill-intrusion, etc.
Eddies characteristics and their relationship with cyclones in the Mediterranean Sea in the recent decades 
Authors: Jangir Babita , Mishra Alok Kumar , Strobach Ehud
Published: February 2023

This study presents a comprehensive investigation using satellite altimetry of the statistics, variability, and characteristics of the mesoscale eddies in the Mediterranean Sea (MS) for the period 1993–2021. A tracking algorithm is applied to detect the centers of the eddies and associated statistics. For this analysis, Sea Level Anomaly (SLA) archived from the Copernicus marine services (CNMS) and high-resolution daily SST data from NOAA OI SST V2 were used from 1993 to 2021. Atmospheric parameters are obtained from the ERA5 reanalysis.

 

About 660 thousand Warm core eddies (WCEs) and 666 thousand Cold core eddies (CCEs) have been recorded in the MS between 1993 and 2021. The intensity and frequency of WCEs and CCEs have been found to increase in recent decades. However, the magnitude of the trend is higher for WCEs than CCEs. On the other hand, the Area of WCEs and CCEs eddies is showing a negative trend.

 

Interestingly, these characteristics show substantial seasonal variability. For example, the number of CCEs is higher in the autumn, and WCEs are higher in the winter. Additionally, it has been noted that although atmospheric cyclones are more frequent in the autumn (Sep-Jan, more intense cyclones tend to form in the winter. The relation between the winter intensification of storms and the larger number of WCE is being investigated. Further, we make an effort to examine the relationship between changing eddies and atmospheric cyclone characteristics.
Impact of spatial resolution on large-scale ice cover modeling of mountainous regions
Authors: Werner Helen , Scherler Dirk , Winkelmann Ricarda , Jouvet Guillaume
Published: February 2023

For reconstructing paleoclimate or studying glacial isostatic effects on the Earth’s lithosphere, increasingly more studies focus on modeling the large-scale ice cover in mountainous regions over long time scales. However, balancing model complexity and the spatial extent with computational costs is challenging. Previous studies of large-scale ice cover simulation in mountain areas such as the European Alps, New Zealand, and the Tibetan Plateau, typically used 1-2 km spatial resolution. However, mountains are characterized by high peaks and steep slopes - topographic features that are crucial for glacier mass balance and dynamics, but poorly resolved in coarse resolution topography.The Instructed Glacier Model (IGM) is a novel 3D ice model equipped with a Convolutional Neural Network which is trained from high order ice models to simulate ice flow. This results in a significant acceleration of run times, and thereby opening the possibility of running in higher spatial resolution. We use IGM to perform simulations of the entire European Alps (covering 480 240 km2), comparing models with 200 m and 2000 m resolution. We apply a linear cooling rate to today’s climate until 6 °C colder to mimic ice age conditions and model the expanding ice cover over a time period of 70,000 years.Preliminary results indicate systematic, resolution-related differences: At the beginning of cooling, when ice accumulates at high elevations, the lower resolution yields slightly more ice volume. However, this trend reverses after ~ 41,000 years, right before the large valleys are filled with thick ice. When the Alps are fully ice covered, we find up to 15% more ice volume in the higher resolution model. The differences in ice volume are not uniformly distributed in space. The higher resolution model yields thicker and more extensive ice in some regions - mostly large valley systems - of up to 12,000 km2 , and thinner and less extensive ice in other, slightly smaller regions of the Alps. Currently, we analyze to what extent the glacier flow from steep slopes into larger, shallow valleys is represented at the different resolutions.
BUILDSPACE: Enabling Innovative Space-driven Services for Energy Efficient Buildings and Climate Resilient Cities
Authors: Rizou Stamatia , Marinakis Vaggelis , Hernández Moral Gema , Sánchez-Guevara Carmen , Sánchez-Aparicio Luis Javier , Brilakis Ioannis , Baousis Vasileios , Maes Tijs , Tsetsos Vassileios , Boaria Marco , Dymarski Piotr , Bourmpos Michail , Pergar Petra , Brieze Inga
Published: February 2023

BUILDSPACE aims to couple terrestrial data from buildings (collected by IoT platforms, BIM solutions and other) with aerial imaging from drones equipped with thermal cameras and location annotated data from satellite services (i.e., EGNSS and Copernicus) to deliver innovative services for the building and urban stakeholders and support informed decision making towards energy-efficient buildings and climate resilient cities. The platform will allow integration of these heterogeneous data and will offer services at building scale, enabling the generation of high fidelity multi-modal digital twins and at city scale providing decision support services for energy demand prediction, urban heat and urban flood analysis. The services will enable the identification of environmental hotspots that increase pressure to local city ecosystems and raise probability for natural disasters (such as flooding) and will issue alerts and recommendations for action to local governments and regions (such as the support of policies for building renovation in specific vulnerable areas). BUILDSPACE services will be validated and assessed in four European cities with different climate profiles. The digital twin services at building level will be tested during the construction of a new building in Poland, and the city services validating the link to digital twin of buildings will be tested in 3 cities (Piraeus, Riga, Ljubljana) across EU. BUILDSPACE will create a set of replication guidelines and blueprints for the adoption of the proposed applications in building resilient cities at large. 
SLUCM-BEM: a parameterisation for dynamic anthropogenic heat and electricity consumption for WRF-Urban
Authors: Takane Yuya , Kikegawa Yukihiro , Nakajima Ko , Kusaka Hiroyuki
Published: February 2023

Here we propose a new parameterisation SLUCM-BEM: a simple dynamic anthropogenic heat (QF) parameterisation for WRF-Urban (e.g. single-layer urban canopy model [SLUCM, Kusaka et al. 2001]). The SLUCM is a remarkable physical-based urban canopy model widely used worldwide. However, the SLUCM has two limitations: (1) it only considers a static constant diurnal pattern of QF, and (2) it does not conserve heat balance within the urban canopy space because the building behaves as a heat sink. To solve these limitations, based on the concept of a building energy model (BEM [e.g. Kikegawa et al. 2003), which has been officially introduced in WRF (Salamanca et al. 2010), we propose a parameterisation to simulate the QF dynamically and simply from buildings, by the physical calculation of indoor heat load and using input parameters for BEM and SLUCM. This allows the model users to simulate the dynamic QF and electricity consumption (EC) according to outdoor temperature changes, building insulation, air conditioning (AC) performance, etc. by simply setting the "ahoption" in URBPRAM.TBL to "2". The results show that the SLUCM-BEM could reasonably reproduce the QF estimated by a more sophisticated BEM (Kikegawa et al. 2003) and observed EC (Nakajima et al. 2022) in the world's largest metropolis Tokyo. The SLUCM-BEM can be applied to urban climates worldwide.

Kikegawa, Y. et al., 2003, Appl. Energy, 76, 449-466.

Kusaka, H. et al., 2001, Bound.-Layer Meteorol., 101, 329-358.

Nakajima, K. et al., 2022, Energy Build., 256, 111729.

Salamanca, F. et al., 2010, Theor. Appl. Climatol., 99, 331-344.
Distribution of organic halogen and hydrocarbon trace gases in the UTLS in the northwestern Pacific from samples collected by the Whole Air Samplers during the ACCLIP campaign
Authors: Schauffler Sue , Atlas Elliot , Treadaway Victoria , Smith Kate , Hendershot Roger , Lueb Rich , Donnelly Stephen , Kinnison Doug , Campos Teresa , Franchin Alessandro , Pan Laura , Apel Eric , Hornbrook Rebecca , Hills Alan , Thornberry Troy , Bui Paul , Diskin Glenn , Viciani Silvia , Podolske James
Published: February 2023

One of the scientific objectives of the Asian Summer Monsoon Chemical & CLimate Impact Project (ACCLIP) project was to sample the chemical content of air processed in the Asian Summer Monsoon (ASM) to ascertain its role in UTLS ozone chemistry and re-distributing active species and short-lived climate forcers. Whole Air Samplers were used on the NSF/NCAR GV and NASA WB-57 aircraft to collect samples for analysis of a range of organic compounds, including organic halogens and hydrocarbons. From these samples we determined vertical distributions of individual species as well as correlations between species. We also determined total organic chlorine and bromine values and subdivided those into long-lived and short-lived contributions. In addition, we characterized the composition of samples that were collected within the ASM, within the ASM outflow, and within the background air. These results will be compared with model output from ACCLIP.
Soil vulnerability to logging-associated compaction in forest ecosystems across global climatic zones
Authors: Nazari Meisam , Bickel Samuel , Arthur Emmanuel , Keller Thomas , Lamandé Mathieu
Published: February 2023

Soil compaction caused by mechanized wood harvesting can have long-lasting negative impacts on forest soils and impair forest ecosystem functioning and productivity for decades. However, soil compaction in forest ecosystems cannot be resolved by tillage. Thus, it is of paramount importance to prevent or minimize soil compaction in forest ecosystems. A primary step to achieve this goal is to determine the vulnerability of forest soils to compaction in different climatic zones. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis with 996 observations or 498 pairs of observations (effect sizes; compacted versus not compacted) of soil bulk density (BD) extracted from 57 peer-reviewed publications to assess the effects of climate and initial soil conditions on soil vulnerability to compaction. Forest soils of tropical and temperate zones were most vulnerable to compaction (14.9% and 12.7% increase in BD, respectively), while forest soils of cold and arid zones were less vulnerable (5.2% and 6.4% increase in BD, respectively). Climatic zones with high (> 1000 mm) and moderate (400 ─ 1000 mm) effective precipitation had the most vulnerable soil conditions to compaction (approximately 12% increase in BD) and the soils of climatic zones with low (< 400 mm) effective precipitation were less vulnerable (3.5% increase in BD). Our analyses indicated that the soils of climatic zones with high effective precipitation (tropical and temperate) are characterized by high soil organic carbon and are often wet, leading to low soil bulk densities and high vulnerability to compaction. Finally, we developed maps to illustrate the global pattern of soil vulnerability to compaction in forest ecosystems.
An overview of Europe's sedimentary basin natural resources: clean energy, energy storage and critical minerals for an environmentally sustainable energy transition.
Authors: Jackson Martin Edward
Published: February 2023

The desire for Europe to be less dependent on China and Russia for critical minerals and energy respectively has intensified recently. The natural resources of Europe's thirty-eight (38) sedimentary basins have the potential to provide the required materials for clean energy, energy storage and metals critical for the environmentally sustainable energy transition now underway. This shift to a low-carbon world will provide new opportunities for exploration and production as well as research and development. 

In addition to the base metals copper, lead and zinc, potential exists for magnesium, uranium, vanadium and rare earth metals discovery to contribute to the clean energy and energy storage sectors in Europe.

Europe's carbonaceous deposits coupled with sustainable developments research in gasification, and the increased momentum in carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies offer potential opportunities in clean energy generation and critical metal recovery.