bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of soil Hydraulic Properties using infiltration models and Hydrus 1D. Application to soils in Semi-Arid Regions
Authors: Matendo Sara E. , Sánchez Raúl , Juana Luis , Zubelzu Sergio
Published: March 2024

Arid and semi-arid regions present significant challenges in efficient irrigation management and mitigation of soil salinity. To understand the dynamics of water and solute movement, such as salt transport in soil, software tools like HYDRUS are widely utilized. Hydrus-1D uses linear finite elements to numerically solve the Richards equation for saturated-unsaturated water flow, and has been widely applied in irrigation management to focus on solute and water movement.This research focuses on estimating the hydraulic properties at field scale level using Kenyan soil data analyzed with soil spectroscopy and infiltration experiments. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) has been obtained by fitting data to infiltration obtained by the Green-Ampt (GA) model and Hydrus1D in three scenarios: with bounds on Ks and the product of front suction and effective porosity, assigning a uniform value to effective porosity and considering flow preferential paths. The results are compared with others pedotransfer functions (PTFs) and Hydrus-1D.The Hydrus-1D software was used to study the water retention curve due to different Ks estimations. The findings show significant variations in the Ks estimations, highlighting the impact of salinity and preferential flows in heterogeneous soils. The comparison of the results provides valuable insights into the dynamics of water and salinity, essential for irrigation management in these regions.This research emphasizes how crucial it is to choose and modify hydrological models for particular salinity situations and how important it is to take into account spatial variability and flow preferential paths when predicting and applying Ks through models. The results have significant implications for improving irrigation management and controlling soil salinity in semi-arid regions. Keywords: Saturated hydraulic conductivity, Green-Ampt, HYDRUS-1D, irrigation management, soil salinity control. "ACKNOWLEDGMENTThis article belongs to PCI2020-120694-2 Project funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/ 501100011033 and the European Union “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR.We would like to thanks to One Planet Fellowship from African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) and Agropolis Fondation for funding the analysis. “
3D-seismic evidence for thick-skinned tectonics in a ‘classic’ thin-skinned tectonics region (external Alpine foreland, Switzerland)
Authors: Schöpfer Kateřina , Decker Kurt , Nazari Fatemeh , Madritsch Herfried
Published: March 2024

The northwestern Alpine foreland in Switzerland and France comprises the Late Miocene Jura Mountains, considered a type example for thin-skinned thrusting where deformation of the sedimentary cover is decoupled from the basement along a regional basal detachment. To what extent basement faults were involved during its deformation is a matter of debate. We use 3D seismic data to investigate the deformation style along the easternmost tip of the Jura range in an unprecedented detail. Here, basement-rooted normal faults were repeatedly reactivated before thrust belt formation but also contemporaneously active as reverse/transpressional faults. They either propagated up into the Mesozoic succession without interruption (“hard linkage”) or apparently controlled the localisation of Mesozoic faults via smaller-scale shear zones (“soft linkage”). Our analysis of the resulting fault geometries questions the existence of a large-scale basal detachment in this area and points out the importance of thick-skinned fault reactivation.
Microbial phenology in high-alpine environments: the influence of plant dynamics and physiological stress in a changing climate. 
Authors: Ruka Adam T. , Schweichhart Johannes , Doležal Jiří , Čapková Kateřina , Meador Travis B , Angel Roey , Calvillo Medina Rosa Paulina , Chlumská Zuzana , Lanta Vojtěch , Praeg Nadine , Illmer Paul , Řeháková Klára
Published: March 2024

Alpine biomes experience harsh environmental conditions and short growing seasons, which necessitate interspecific and intraspecific interactions among plants and soil microbes to ensure the stability of diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality. With strong seasonal dynamics in alpine regions, including snow cover, snowmelt, and drought, “hot moments” of biogeochemical activity occur when pulses of nutrients dictate microbial processes across the biome. However, within the rhizosphere, microbial processes are promoted or deterred during phases of plant growth, senescence, and nutrient allocation, leading to a more nuanced seasonal pattern of soil microbes. Indeed, these factors lead to a general microbial phenology of soil processes and community composition. Yet, shifted climatic regimes due to warming likely cause these relationships to be strained, potentially resulting in physiological stress among plants and microbes. Therefore, our research focuses on the coupling or decoupling of plant and microbial parameters across seasonal changes in the Austrian Alps by assessing stoichiometric ratios of shared nutrients such as carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), along with microbial diversity. Using elevation gradients, the corresponding influence of plants, soil chemistry, and environmental conditions upon microbial phenology can be assessed in two different biomes: undeveloped subnival zones and nutrient-rich alpine meadows.  Furthermore, by combining methods for assessing biological soil parameters, such as chloroform fumigation extraction, enzymatic assays, and respiration measurements, with amplicon DNA sequencing, we can observe broad microbial community responses such as increased biomass (Cmic) in different seasons related to plant-specific interactions while identifying microbial taxa (fungal and bacterial) that indicate nutrient limitations in conjunction with ratios of enzymatic activity. Additionally, by measuring plant nutrient concentrations in distinct plant organs, we can infer which physiological processes among plant species most closely correspond with changes in broad microbial parameters and rhizosphere diversity.Therefore, we propose that certain aspects of microbial phenology are generalizable, such as increased N cycling during winter and spring months, while the temporal optima for C cycling is more plant-specific. Furthermore, we present results from the rarely studied snow-covered winter months, in which the mineralization of C, P, and chitin degradation are highest. In total, these studies demonstrate a thorough analysis of plant-microbial interactions in alpine ecosystems which are subject to significant change within the coming decades.
Modelling the impact from cascading geohazards using hypergraphs
Authors: Dunant Alexandre , Densmore Alexander , Robinson Thomas , Li Sihan , Kincey Mark , Rosser Nick , Guragain Ramesh , Man Rajbhandari Ragindra , Van Wyk de Vries Max , Sijapati Sweata , Arrell Katherine , Harvey Erin , Dadson Simon
Published: March 2024

Modelling risk systems, in which natural hazards and exposure elements are intricately intertwined, poses a significant challenge, especially over large spatial and temporal scales. To address this issue, this study introduces the use of hypergraphs as a modelling framework for dynamic multi-hazard systems. Hypergraphs have found applications across disciplines for effectively capturing complexities in various systems.The study demonstrates the suitability of hypergraphs to multihazard risk assessment through a case study of  the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal and its subsequent coseismic landslides. The initial test case is followed by the generation of cascading scenarios initiated by thirty high-magnitude simulated earthquakes across Nepal and analysis of the subsequent cascading impacts arising from landsliding on buildings and roads. The modelling is being developed to provide scientific evidence to inform preparedness planning at a range of scales.Our results show that this approach is effective, offering several key advantages. First, the easy compatibility with spatial data enables a more accurate representation of real-world scenarios. Second, the proposed method is hazard-agnostic, allowing it to accommodate various types of natural hazards. Third, the high computational efficiency of the hypergraph-based model enables the use of large scenario ensembles. Finally, the capability to handle complex interactions between hazard processes and exposure elements streamlines the risk assessment process.We emphasise that the adoption of hypergraphs as a modelling framework has the potential to substantially enhance multi-hazard risk assessment in natural systems. By providing a comprehensive and flexible approach, this method offers a promising avenue for improving risk management strategies and bolstering preparedness measures to mitigate the impacts of environmental disasters. 
Operational Sensitivity Analysis for Flooding in Urban Systems under Uncertainty
Authors: Dell'Oca Aronne , Riva Monica , Guadagnini Alberto , Sandoval Leonardo
Published: March 2024

The runoff process in environmental systems is influenced by various variables that are typically are affected by uncertainty. These include, for example, climate and hydrogeological quantities (hereafter denoted as environmental variables). Additionally, the runoff process is influenced by quantities that are amenable to intervention/design (hereafter denoted as operational variables) and can therefore be set to desired values on the basis of specific management choices. A key question in this context is: How do we discriminate the impact of operational variables, whose values can be decided in the system design or management phase, on system outputs considering also the action of uncertainty associated with environmental variables? We tackle this issue upon introducing a novel approach which we term Operational Sensitivity Analysis (OSA) and set within a Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) framework. OSA enables us to assess the sensitivity of a given model output specifically to operational factors, while recognizing uncertainty in the environmental variables. This approach is developed as a complement to a traditional GSA, which does not differentiate at the methodological level the nature of the type of variability associated with operational or environmental variables.We showcase our OSA approach through an exemplary scenario associated with a urban catchment where flooding results from sewer system failure. In this context, we distinguish between operational variables, such as sewer system pipe properties and urban area infiltration capacity, and environmental variables such as, urban catchment drainage properties and rain event characteristics. Our results suggest that the diameter of a set of pipes in the sewer network is the most influential operational variable. As such, it provides a rigorous basis upon which one could plan appropriate actions to effectively manage the system response.
Methane emission quantification and reduction within the waste sector
Authors: Scheutz Charlotte , Fredenslund Anders , Kjeldsen Peter
Published: March 2024

Scheutz1, A. M. Fredenslund, P. Kjeldsen1Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Building 115, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark.Methane – a potent greenhouse gas - is emitted from several different treatment plants in the waste sector such as landfills, anaerobic digestion, composting, and wastewater treatment. Emissions vary in time and space and are highly dynamic. The sources are often complex consisting of many different unit processes at the treatment plant e.g. wastewater treatment plants and cover a large area e.g. landfills. Emission can thus occur from local point sources, leakages or hotspots. As an example, investigations have shown that for landfills emission rates can vary up to seven orders of magnitude within a few meters distance and that 50-70% of the total emission comes from a minor area (
Knowledge Co-Creation for Enhanced Ecosystem Services Management on Islands
Authors: Sieber Ina Maren , Cybele Cathleen
Published: March 2024

Against the backdrop of aggravating environmental challenges, effective ecosystem services (ES) management is crucial for biodiversity conservation, livelihood support, and economic growth. Including citizens, stakeholders and societies in research is gaining popularity as a suitable tool for both informed decision-making and enhanced community resilience. Our study explores the application of knowledge co-creation methodologies to improve ES management. The French Outermost Region of La Réunion, situated in the Indian Ocean, provides an opportune setting for addressing these challenges. Community members, stakeholders, and experts were engaged in a structured, yet flexible knowledge co-creation process to jointly define the potential for cultural ecosystem services (CES) including landscape aesthetics, recreation and eco-tourism.The collaborative process empowered the community to identify and prioritize ES through initial interviews and focus groups. This informed a participatory GIS mapping exercise, facilitating community involvement in visually representing ecosystem services and their spatial relationships. Based on this work, additional methods were employed to provide the community with information. Expert elicitation validated the community-generated knowledge, incorporating insights from local and regional professionals. In addition, geotagged photos were analysed to assess actual use of cultural ES. This approach ensured a comprehensive understanding of ecosystem interactions, including ecosystem features, capacity of ecosystems to supply ecosystem services and informed options for sustainable development.Our results contain qualitative and quantitative assessments of CES within the study area: multiple ES maps that show the distribution of ES on spatial scale, coinciding strongly with landscape features. A high appreciation of the coastline with its scenic cliffs and rocky beaches is visible. The inland provides large potential for recreational activities and tourism, including hiking, mountain biking, horse-riding, bird watching and botany. Geotagged photo analysis added the magnitude of visitors, showing popular trails and locations. Yet, the application of co-creation for research proves challenging. The joint definition of research focus and the fuzziness of the approach diverge from current modes of environmental (social) sciences. Further, stakeholder engagement requires time and dedication. We find that co-creation provides aspects of community learning and empowerment. This research contributes to the discourse on knowledge co-creation as a valuable tool for addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development. The insights provide a foundation for applying similar methodologies in diverse socio-ecological contexts, opening up new possibilities for community engagement in ecosystem services research.
Bursty reconnection during BepiColombo's third Mercury flyby
Authors: Varsani Ali , Schmid Daniel , Lammer Helmut , Nakamura Rumi , Pump Kristin , Heyner Daniel , Laky Gunter , Jeszenszky Harald , Giono Gabriel , Volwerk Martin , Milillo Anna , Orsini Stefano , Fischer David , Magnes Werner , Baumjohann Wolfgang , Matsuoka Ayako
Published: March 2024

Mercury is known to possess a Magnetosphere that is highly responsive to the upstream Solar Wind conditions. Previous studies using MESSENGER data have contributed to understanding the dynamics of Mercury's respond to the upstream. However, the interactions between the Magnetospheric plasma and the Solar Wind is yet to be fully understood; and it is indeed one of the main focuses of the ESA/JAXA's current mission, BepiColombo. We report the observations of BepiColombo's flyby-3 at Mercury on 19th June 2023, using ion data from SERENA-PICAM and magnetic field data from MAG/MGF instruments. The preliminary analyses have given an insight into the rapidly changing plasma, at the inbound Magnetopause crossing. There is evidence that bursty reconnection could be the main contributor to such dynamic boundary.
Analysis of UKESM1-StratTrop CCMI2022 experiments with a focus on ozone trends
Authors: Griffiths Paul , Keeble James , Abraham Luke
Published: March 2024

The transport of ozone from the stratosphere to the troposphere is a key contributor to the tropospheric ozone budget. It is estimated that the stratosphere-to-troposphere flux of ozone (STT) leads to ~500 Tg of ozone transported into the troposphere each year, which is comparable to the net chemical production of ozone within the troposphere. We will present an analysis of the tropospheric ozone budget in the CCMI2022 experiments performed with UKESM-StratTrop, a whole atmosphere chemistry-climate model. We focus on the specified dynamics experiments covering 1982-2018, during which there was significant ozone depletion.  We intercompare the ozone budget from the derived using the complementary approaches of Ox and Oy species, and use idealised tracers to examine in detail the role of stratosphere-to-troposphere transport on tropospheric composition.  Where possible, these model simulations are compared with in-situ calculation of ozone production and loss rates derived from observations.
How much information do we need for a realistic representation of coastal wetland evolution?
Authors: Rodriguez Jose , Saco Patricia , Breda Angelo , Sandi Steven
Published: March 2024

A common challenge when modelling long term wetland evolution is the limited amount of information on key ecogeomorphological components of the model. In addition, data integration is often needed due to computational constraints as some variables have an important short-term dynamics and models need to be run for long time periods.  In this work we present a simplified domain model that includes all relevant hydrodynamic, sedimentation and vegetation dynamics mechanisms that affect wetland evolution, and it is efficient enough computationally to allow the simulation of long time periods. We consider the effect of short-term sediment and tidal dynamics, and present methods that extract enough information from the time series that allow for efficient computation with acceptable margins of error. We find that results considering short term sediment and tidal variability display higher values of wetland accretion and resilience to sea-level rise than results using long term averages.
Future water stress scenario in South Asia under the Paris Agreement
Authors: Rashid Mehnaz , Wu Ren-Jie , Wada Yoshihide , Schmied Hannes Müller , Lo Min-Hui
Published: March 2024

Anthropogenic forcing is projected to severely impact the water security of South Asia, particularly under current water policies, socio-economic paradigms, and population trends. In this study, we present the first assessment of Water Scarcity (WS) in SA under the Paris Agreement, using two global hydrological models (GHM) forced by three global climate models (GCM) under RCP 6.0. Our results reveal that a significant change in the hydrological fluxes is reducing water availability, along with an intense increase in water consumption. We also found that the seasonal shifting in water scarcity will increase the population affected by approximately 16% from June to September and up to 42% from December to February. We identified spatial hotspots of water scarcity in South Asia, including North-central, Northwestern, and Southern India, Eastern Pakistan, and Northern and Northwestern Bangladesh. Our observations show that a 1.5 ºC temperature increase is crucial for WS in SA and will have a profound impact on 875 million people. We suggest that the Paris Agreement’s temperature target of even 1.5 ºC will not alleviate future warming-driven WS. Therefore, immediate mitigations and legislation are needed to curtail the impact of the changing climate on water scarcity. This is especially important in the hotspots identified in this study.
Investigating the impact of urban 3D variables on satellite land surface temperature estimates
Authors: Cifuentes La Mura Renato , Roupioz Laure , Nerry Françoise , Briottet Xavier
Published: March 2024

Land surface temperature (LST) is of fundamental importance to many aspects of geosciences, such as, net radiation budget, evaluation and monitoring of forest and crops. The LST is also a key-parameter to derive the Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) or health related indices, for example, the Discomfort Index (DI). It is therefore an essential prerequisite to understand the urban climate and to support the definition of mitigation strategies, health risk management plans, public policies among other initiatives to effectively address the adverse effects of heat. While the LST is commonly retrieved from data acquired in the TIR (Thermal InfraRed) spectral domain by remote multispectral sensors with about 1K accuracy for natural surfaces, its retrieval over urban areas is not trivial. Urban landscapes possess tremendous challenges in LST estimates due to its high heterogeneity of surfaces and materials, and the three-dimensional (3D) configuration of the elements that are present on urban areas.The Thermal InfraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural resource Assessment (TRISHNA) is planned for launch in 2025 and features a TIR instrument that will image the Earth every three days, at 57 m resolution, providing the research community with critical information to understand the radiative interactions and impacts al local level. This new satellite mission will offer an unprecedented opportunity to support urban microclimate studies. Based on extensive radiative transfer simulations using the Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer Model (DART) and sensitivity analysis, this work investigates the impacts of 3D urban structures (e.g., road width, building height, building density) and materials with different optical properties on LST estimation at the TRISHNA spatial resolution. In fine, the idea is to develop a method to minimize these impacts on LST estimated from the TRISHNA data.First, a processing chain has been set up to simulate TRISHNA LST with DART, by using as inputs i) the configuration of the sensor and ii) 3D urban forms with different geometric and optical properties. Second, the radiative transfer modeling for simulation of the TIR remote sensing signal is performed. Finally, by correlating the simulated TRISHNA LST and the surface characteristics for each scene, the main parameters impacting the LST in urban environments have been identified. From these results, a correction method at satellite scale to minimize the impacts of urban 3D variables on LST will be formulated.
Understanding the role of soil moisture in landslide research: Application of Cosmic Rays Neutron Sensing (CRNS) on a slow-moving landslide in Lower Austria
Authors: Marr Philipp , Donato Alejandra Jiménez , Kanta Robert , Glade Thomas , Gazzola Enrico , Morselli Luca , Gianessi Stefano , Lorenzi Federica
Published: March 2024

Soil moisture plays a crucial role in landslide research as it directly influences slope stability and the occurrence of landslides. The amount of water present in the soil significantly impacts its strength and cohesion. Excessive soil moisture, especially during periods of heavy rainfall, can reduce the frictional resistance within the soil, leading to a decrease in shear strength and an increased likelihood of landslides. The province of Lower Austria is situated in a region highly prone to landslides due to its specific geological characteristics. The prevailing geological formations consist mainly of the Flysch and the Klippen Zone, characterized by mechanically weak units comprising intercalated limestones and deeply weathered materials. These geological conditions, coupled with hydrological factors, changes in land use, and various anthropogenic influences, collectively contribute to the inherent instability of the region.Monitoring and understanding soil moisture levels provide valuable insights into the predisposing and triggering factors, potentially enhancing the prediction and mitigation of these hazardous events. Advancements in technologies like Cosmic Rays Neutron Sensing (CRNS) enables to obtain spatially averaged soil moisture measurements, offering a more comprehensive understanding of moisture distribution across different scales. The defining characteristic of (CRNS) technology lies in its ability to directly measure water content, naturally averaged within a volume known as the footprint. This volume encompasses a horizontal extension with a radius spanning up to hundreds of meters and penetrates the soil to depths of tens of centimeters. This is widely acknowledged as the primary advantage of the CRNS probe compared to point-scale measurements, as it yields a valuable representative value for water availability in the designated area.  In this study, we apply CRNS at a slow-moving landslide in Lower Austria and explore its potential.
Developing a generic Adaptation Modelling Framework for Destination Earth grounded in Flood Risk Management
Authors: Wright Sarah , Backeberg Björn , Roscoe Kathryn
Published: March 2024

Rapid open-source physics-based flood and impact models are critical resources for adaptation planning. Due to their complexity, these models often remain inaccessible to users who rely on them for decision-making. An advanced level of technical knowledge is required to set up and run the models. This body of work aims to develop an adaptation modelling framework that automates model pre-processing, workflows, and post-processing and allows non-technical end-users to access these modelling advances, empowering government agencies, practitioners, and researchers to evaluate meaningful “what-if” scenarios, such as specific events, future conditions, or protective measures.Via engagement with potential and current users from municipalities, regional governments, European agencies such as EEA and EC, research institutes, and communities closely linked to the EU Mission on Climate Adaptation, the research team will build upon years of research and development on the adaptation modelling framework FloodAdapt. The project will deliver a design, user documentation and demonstrator of a flexible, modular, expandable, and transferable adaptation modelling framework that can automatically modify and execute state-of-the art and open-source flood and impact models to simulate, visualize, and assess compound flood scenarios, impacts, and risk for a wide variety of end users in different demographic and physical contexts. End users of the adaptation modelling framework will ultimately be able obtain quality flood and impact maps, equity-focused visuals, and informative metrics to support their planning needs and facilitate genuine stakeholder engagement, . The framework will also be generalized to enable other scientific disciplines to benefit from the adaptation modelling framework, extending the impact of the project.
Vineyard detection from multitemporal Sentinel-2 images with a Transformer model
Authors: Zhao Weiying , Unagaev Alexey , Efremova Natalia
Published: March 2024

This study introduces an innovative method for vineyard detection by integrating advanced machine learning techniques with high-resolution satellite imagery, particularly focusing on the use of preprocessed multitemporal Sentinel-2 images combined with a Transformer-based model.We collected a series of Sentinel-2 images over an entire seasonal cycle from eight distinct locations in Oregon, United States, all within similar climatic zones. The training and validation database sizes are 403612 and 100903, respectively. To reduce the cloud effect, we used the monthly median band values derived from initially cloud-filtered images.  The multispectral (12 bands) and multiscale (10m, 20m, and 60m) time series were effective in capturing both the phenological patterns of the land covers and the overall management activities.The Transformer model, primarily recognized for its successes in natural language processing tasks, was adapted for our time series identification scenario. Then, we transferred the object detection into a binary classification task. Our findings demonstrate that the Transformer model significantly surpasses traditional 1D convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in detecting vineyards across 16 new areas within similar climatic zones, boasting an impressive accuracy of 87.77% and an F1 score of 0.876. In the majority of these new test locations, the accuracy exceeded 92%, except for two areas that experienced significant cloud interference and presented numerous missing values in their time series data. This model proved its capability to differentiate between land covers with similar characteristics during various stages of growth throughout the season. Compared with attention LSTM and BiLSTM, it has less trainable parameters when getting a similar performance. The model was especially adept at handling temporal variations, elucidating the dynamic changes in vineyard phenology over time. This research underscores the potential of combining advanced machine learning techniques with high-resolution satellite imagery for crop type detection and suggests broader applications in land cover classification tasks. Future research will pay more attention to the missing value problem.
Insight on along-dip fault transition zone rheology through LFE clustering 
Authors: El Yousfi Zaccaria , Rousset Baptiste , Radiguet Mathilde , Frank William B.
Published: March 2024

Active faults present a wide spectrum of slip behaviors, from fast earthquakes, transient slow slip events to steady creep. Although each fault has its own specificities, the distribution of these behaviors is dictated by the evolution of depth-dependent pressure and temperature conditions to first order. In most of the subduction zones, transient slow slip events, accompanied by tectonic tremors and Low Frequency Earthquakes (LFEs), are located in the transition zone, between the updip seismogenic zone and the downdip steadily creeping zone. When present, tremors and LFEs are unique tools to monitor in detail the slip behavior in the transition zone. Previous studies analyzed the spatio-temporal clustering of tremors and LFEs (Wech et Creager, 2011, Rubin et Armbruster, 2013, Frank et al., 2013), and revealed that the properties of tremors/LFE bursts evolve with increasing depth: long recurrence intervals and long-lasting bursts occur close to the seismogenic zone while short recurrence intervals and short-lasting bursts happen deeper, close to the continuously creeping zone. These observations were made in various regions and tectonic contexts, including Cascadia (Wech and Creager, 2011), Nankai (Obara et al., 2011) and Mexico (Frank et al., 2013) for subduction zones, and the San Andreas strike-slip fault (Shelly et al., 2017).In this study, we aim to gain insight on the rheological properties of the transition zone by a systematic analysis of the LFEs clustering properties in different regions and tectonic contexts. To do so, we analyze with similar methods LFE catalogs obtained with template matching, for Mexico (Frank et al., 2013), Nankai (Kato et al., 2020), Cascadia (Sweet et al., 2019) and Parkfield (Shelly et al., 2017).We analyze the clustering properties of the LFE families (asperities), by computing the auto-correlation spectra of LFE catalogs for single families, and stacking them for bins along depth. This spectrum shows the density of recurrence of LFE bursts, and we observe a clear variation of maximum recurrence intervals between 100 and 10 days along depth for all regions. Additionally, we calculated and compared LFE burst recurrences using the cumulative LFE time series derivative, from which we retrieved prominent bursts, and using other clustering methods such as DBSCAN. Finally, we compile the results from different regions and compare them with the along depth pressure-temperature  conditions of these faults (Behr and Bürgmann, 2021) to have a rheological insight on these observations made using LFEs.
An exercise in the Civil Protection Operations Room to explain to high school students how an earthquake emergency is handled
Authors: Peresan Antonella , Peressi Gabriele , Zar Barbara , Barnaba Carla
Published: March 2024

Inspired by the constructive experiences acquired during the past years with high school students (e.g. Peresan et al, 2023 and references therein) the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), in collaboration with the Civil Protection of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (PCFVG) developed a new educational project on seismic risk awareness, prevention and mitigation. The students from a high school in Northeastern Italy, were mainly involved in communication activities, training and the development of a culture of civil protection and risk awareness, as well as self-protection measures to be taken in the event of a crisis.The project was coordinated by OGS staff and an official from Regional Civil Protection. The involvement of these two bodies was essential in the event of an earthquake occurring in the Region: the OGS provides real-time earthquake parameters (epicentre, magnitude and ground shaking), while the Civil Protection has the task of coordinating the emergency management (including services and bodies responsible for maintaining roads and buildings).The exercise in the operations room was especially  useful for students  to understand the most important aspects to consider in an emergency, how priorities are handled and how the decisions made by the decision makers are communicated. This type of exercise showed that actively involving students is the right way to teach them about complex issues (earthquakes) and turn them into active citizens. In fact, after this experience, two students signed up for their community's disaster response team.Peresan A. et al, 2023. Earth Sci. Syst. Soc., 22 August 2023, https://doi.org/10.3389/esss.2023.10088
Vertical concentration profile of mercury in a 476-cm sediment core from the Bohai Sea: Inferring anthropogenic influence
Authors: Lin Chunye , Ouyang Wei , He Mengchang , Liu Xitao , Wang Jing
Published: March 2024

Mercury is a worldwide contaminant, with a usual concentration range of 10 to 100 μg kg-1 in the marine/oceanic sediments. The Bohai Sea, the largest gulf in China, is nearly enclosed by densely populated and industrialized land and connects to the northwestern Pacific Ocean via the Bohai Strait. The sediment core (profile) may record anthropogenic mercury history. A 476-cm sediment core was collected and sectioned into 1-cm slices, which were analyzed for mercury and conservative tracer scandium. Mercury content ranged from 14.4 to 35.5 μg kg-1 while scandium content ranged from 9.57 to 13.1 μg kg-1. Overall, mercury content increased from the sediment profile base up to top while scandium content decreased, showing that anthropogenic activities around the bay led to mercury enrichment and accumulation in the sediment. In details, mercury content in the sediment ranged from 14.4 to 17.4 μg kg-1 and averaged 16.3 μg kg-1 from 476-cm depth up to 351-cm depth. This average mercury content is considered as its geochemical base level in the bay. From 351-cm depth up to 181-cm depth, mercury content in the sediment ranged from 16.6 to 20.1 μg kg-1 and averaged 18.4 μg kg-1. The fluctuations in mercury content in this period might be related to climate change. Mercury content in the sediment slowly increased from 16.9 μg kg-1 at 181-cm depth to 22.8 μg kg-1 at 38-cm depth, which is supposed to be related to anthropogenic activities. Afterwards, mercury content in the sediment rapidly increased from 22.8 μg kg-1 at 38-cm depth to 35.1 μg kg-1 at 21-cm depth and fluctuated between 33.4 and 35.5 μg kg-1 from 21-cm depth up to 9-cm depth. This rapid and high mercury enrichment and accumulation in the sediment is connected to the intensive anthropogenic activities around the bay. Subsequently, mercury content in the sediment decreased to 26.3 μg kg-1 at 5-cm depth and then increased to 29.0 μg kg-1 at the depth of 0-1 cm. Therefore, the mercury concentration profile in the 476-cm sediment core records the anthropogenic mercury pollution history in the Bohai Sea and can be used to estimate anthropogenic mercury mass and accumulation flux in the sediment.This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42277366).  
Winter irrigation targeting deep soil water storage for orchards under water shortage
Authors: Kamai Tamir , Sperling Or
Published: March 2024

The Mediterranean climate in Israel has a typical unsynchronized water supply, with rain during the winter and almost no precipitation during the hot summers. Orchards require extensive water resources that pressurized irrigation supplies, meeting the high demand even at peak transpiration times (namely summer). While Israeli farming relies on treated wastewater, these reserves deplete during summer, and Israeli orchards face critical droughts.Trees can mitigate seasonal water shortages by abiotic resiliency and the capacity to grow roots to deeper soil water horizons. However, on the one hand, the sporadic rain evens in recent years, with their higher intensity and shortening periods, cause for lower infiltration and more water loss via runoff. Therefore, there is less soil water in the spring. On the other hand, current irrigation practices do not utilize tree temporal and spatial hydraulic capabilities that could spare such valuable resources.We search for irrigation strategies that could mitigate climatic effects by harnessing tree resiliencies and the soil-water storage capacity. We hypothesize that additional water dose during the dormant tree period in winter could sustain trees through spring and summer without waterlogging risks. Therefore, we proposed to fill the root-zone soil profile during winter, by utilizing the drip irrigation system with treated effluent water that are highly available in winter but not in summer.We present a comparative analysis of soil water status and tree physiology acquired from multiple sensing platforms in the soil-tree-atmosphere system under three irrigation approaches: (i) hydrated, irrigated to match potential ET during summer; (ii) deficit, irrigated about half of the hydrated treatment; and (iii) winter irrigated, filling the top 2 m soil profile and deficit-irrigating trees in summer. We found that the winter irrigation mitigated the effect of water shortage from April through June. Moreover, winter-irrigated trees managed to tap into the deep profile for water uptake until August. Later, trees depleted the soil water and experienced drought stress. With improved hydration in spring and possible deep soil water use in summer, winter-irrigated trees increased yields by 30% after two years. Thus, winter watering orchards has the potential to sustain farming during climate shifts, and there is need to continue to investigate and improve this application.
The water isotope signature for the Last interglacial in three water isotope enabled climate models.
Authors: Sivankutty Rahul , Sime Louise , Cauquoin Alexandre , Werner Martin , N.LeGrande Allegra , Goursaud Sentia , Malmierca Vallet Irene
Published: March 2024

The stable water isotope ratios of water trapped in polar ice cores have been used to make inferences about temperatures and precipitation of the past.  Coupled climate models with the capability to simulate these stable water isotopes and their distribution throughout the hydrological cycle, are a valuable tool to help us understand the relationship between the isotopic signature and the climate state.  Here we compare the Last interglacial (LIG) climate and the isotopic signature simulated by three models with embedded water isotope diagnostics (ECHAM6, NASA-GISS and HadCM3). We look at these model's ability to simulate polar climate, both Arctic and Antarctic, and show how the isotope signature compares with available ice core estimates. All the models simulate a warming and heavier precipitation in Arctic for the LIG, compared to their corresponding preindustrial control simulations. There are however differences in the magnitude and pattern of these changes. In Antarctica, there are considerable differences in PI to LIG warming and precipitation patterns between models. We decompose the δ18O changes, showing that the impact of seasonality changes in precipitation on δ18O are similar in the models. However, changes in δ18O due to other changes, particularly those driven by source impacts including sea ice changes, are more variable between the models. Finally, we analyse LIG North Atlantic water hosing experiments run using HadCM3. A 0.25Sv hosing in the North Atlantic leads to a shutdown of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. This prevents North Atlantic heat loss and leads to a warmer Antarctica. The δ18O signature in these hosed runs has a closer match to the ice core observations, compared to the standard (non-hosed) LIG simulation.
Co-seismic fault offsets of the 2023 Türkiye earthquake ruptures using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and field observations
Authors: Provost Floriane , Karabacak Volkan , Malet Jean-Philippe , Van Der Woerd Jérôme , Meghraoui Mustapha , Masson Frédéric , Ferry Matthieu , Michéa David , Pointal Elisabeth
Published: March 2024

On February 6, 2023, southern Türkiye was hit by two major earthquakes at 01:17 UTC (Mw 7.8, Pazarcık, Kahramanmaraş) and at 10:30 UTC (Mw 7.6, Elbistan, Kahramanmaraş) leading to severe damages at the complex junction of the Dead Sea Fault (DSF), the Cyprus arc and the East Anatolian fault zone (EAFZ). The ruptures propagated along several known strands of the southwestern termination of the EAFZ, the main Pazarcık and Karasu valley faults and the Çardac-Sürgü fault. The spatial extent of the impacted zone (300 x 300 km) supports the use of satellite images to map ruptures and damages and measure the co-seismic displacement over the whole region. Among the different satellite constellation available nowadays, Sentinel-2 presents the advantages of offering high-resolution images (10 m), global coverage with frequent revisit time and open access policy to the images. We here present the high-resolution mapping of the entire coseismic surface ruptures derived from image correlation of optical Sentinel-2 satellite acquisitions. We further estimated the rupture width, the total and on-fault offset, and of the diffuse deformation obtained a few days after the two mainshocks along the two main ruptures at 50 m resolution along the rupture. The mapping and the estimation of the offset are validated with the location of the rupture and the offset measurements collected on the ground. We found that the ruptures extend over lengths of 310 km and 140 km, with maximum offsets reaching 7.5±0.8 m and 8.7±0.8 m near the epicenters, for the Mw 7.8 and Mw 7.6 mainshocks, respectively. We propose a segmentation of the two ruptures based on these observations, and further discuss the location of potential supershear rupture. The use of optical image correlation complemented by field investigations along earthquake faults provides new insights into seismic hazard assessment.
Enhancing the rain/no-rain identification in remote sensing-based rainfall products: what impact on streamflow simulation
Authors: Ouatiki Hamza , Shit Taoufik , Chehbouni Abdelghani
Published: March 2024

The daily remote sensing-based rainfall estimates have often been problematic in several regions around the globe. This is particularly prevalent in semi-arid regions where, in addition to misestimating the magnitude of the rain events, the spatial rainfall products (SRP) often fail to detect many events correctly. Whether missed or falsely detected, misestimating many events is a real constraint in running (calibrating/validating) hydrological models. Thus, here we are attempting to enhance the capability of some of the well-known SRPs (GPM IMERG, PERSIANN-CDR, and CHIRPS) in rain/no-rain identification (using ancillary data) and how that can impact predicting the hydrological response. To this end, the SRPs were used to drive the HBV and GR4j conceptual hydrological models in watersheds from different climatic contexts.Using the raw SRPs, the performance of the HBV and GR4j models was relatively poor and temporally unsteady. This was primarily due to uncertainties associated with the SRP estimates. Even the best-performing product (GPM IMERG), was found to largely misestimate rainfall up to 50%. In particular, a prevalence was also observed in terms of detection capacity with non-negligible missed events (according to POD; Probability Of Detection) and many rainfall events detected as false alarms (according to FAR; False alarm Ratio). However, the SRPs blended with remote sensing-based ancillary data allowed us to relatively enhance the streamflow simulation, particularly using the HBV model. This enhancement was possible as using ancillary data allowed us to reduce the number of false alarms and recover some of the missed events. Still, some bias persists in the SRPs, which can be addressed by incorporating in-situ observations employing conventional (e.g., Scaling Factor, CDF matching…) and AI-based bias correction techniques.
Particle immobilisation techniques: Applications for microplastics and beyond
Authors: Lenz Robin , Enders Kristina , Schumacher Mareike , Lötsch Julia , Labrenz Matthias , Fischer Dieter
Published: March 2024

Emerging particulate pollutants, ranging from nanoparticles to microplastics, present multifaceted challenges in their detection and characterisation within the atmosphere. Particle immobilisation techniques, which we originally developed for the analysis of microplastics (MP), have demonstrated great versatility for experimental and methodological development, allowing per-particle manipulative investigations and sample persistence over extended periods under various treatments. These techniques may prove useful for wider applicability to other particulate pollutants.We have been immobilising particles below 100 µm to for the evaluation of purification methods and for conducting interlaboratory analytical comparisons (ILCs). In purification method evaluation, our immobilisation approaches withstand chemical treatments, enabling pre-post comparisons while preserving particle integrity and aiding in method validation. By immobilising MP on suitable substrates, we have established a framework for serial ILCs where the same sample is measured by all ILC participants, reducing inter-participant analytical variation by up to 77% compared to a conventional parallel ILC design using suspended samples.Beyond MP, these techniques have potential applications for atmospheric particulate pollutants such as soot or fly ash. The immobilisation concept, using filtration with inorganic adhesives, allows reproducibility in analytical assessments across different types of particulate matter. In addition, we discuss the opportunities and obstacles of particle immobilisations as routine procedures, which can help to build up persistent sample archives or to establish robust re-measureable QA/QC reference samples. Multi-method analyses such as correlative microscopy and microspectroscopy can benefit from the application of particle immobilisation techniques.