bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weather scenarios associated with rainfall-induced landslides in the Liguria Region, Italy
Authors: Brunetti Maria Teresa , Gariano Stefano Luigi , Solimano Monica , Melillo Massimo , Peruccacci Silvia , De Stefanis Pietro Gabriele , Cicoria Michele
Published: March 2024

Liguria is an Italian region bordered on the North by the Alps and on the South by the Thyrrenian Sea. This geographical location and its topography lead to the occurrence of numerous weather scenarios. The rainfall pattern and the steep topography give rise to frequent landslide events in the region.This work aims to investigate the relationship between the occurrence of landslides and different weather scenarios.A catalogue with detailed spatial and temporal information on 475 rainfall-induced landslides that occurred in Liguria region in 2019 and 2020 is available and is used to perform the analysis.Forecasts of local atmospheric conditions for the Liguria region are calculated daily by the Regional Agency for the Environmental Protection of Liguria region (ARPAL), and are used to issue regional weather vigilance bulletins to be used by the civil protection authority to give geo-hydrological alerts. The atmospheric conditions are classified in 7 weather scenarios and 8 sub-scenarios by ARPA. The classification is based on both the synoptic circulation and the types of precipitation and antecedent conditions. We observe that the most frequent scenario associated with landslide occurrences in the region is the “West-Southern weather pattern”, whereas the most frequent sub-scenario is the “Intense rainfall and rainstorms”.Temporal analyses are carried out to assess variations in the monthly distribution of the weather scenarios. In addition, the characteristics of the rainfall conditions responsible for the failures are evaluated to search for peculiarities related to different weather scenarios. This work was supported by the 2021-2023 Cooperation Agreement between CNR-IRPI and the Regional Agency for the Environmental Protection of Liguria region (ARPAL), Italy, and the PRIN-ITALERT project (PRIN2022 call - grant number: 202248MN7N, CUP: B53D23006720006) funded by NextGenerationEU.
Comparison of cesium-bearing microparticles from marine and terrestrial sources
Authors: Miura Hikaru , Ishimaru Takashi , Kanda Jota , Ito Yukari , Kubo Atsushi
Published: March 2024

Radionuclides including radioactive Cs were released into the environment due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011. Two years after the accident, glassy water-resistant particles incorporating radioactive Cs were first reported. Such glassy particles are called cesium-bearing microparticles (CsMPs). CsMPs have been studied because (i) they have information on the condition in the reactor at the time of the accident, and (ii) there is concern about the exposure to the humans and the other organisms.Several types of CsMPs have been reported, which is assumed to reflect the difference in the accidental progress of each unit. It is also known that CsMPs were transported in the atmospheric plume at the time of emission and therefore have different deposition regions. Type-A CsMPs, are presumed to originate from Unit 2, deposited over a wide area including the Kanto region due to their small size (~0.1–10 µm). Type-B CsMPs, are presumed to originate from Unit 1, deposited in a limited area in the north direction because of their large size (50–400 µm). Matrix of Types-A and -B CsMPs is SiO2 but Type-A CsMPs have higher concentration of volatile elements including Cs than Type-B CsMPs due to the difference in forming process. Type-A CsMPs were formed through gas condensation, whereas Type-B CsMPs were formed through melt solidification.The presence of CsMPs emitted from Unit 3 in the ocean was confirmed by our research. The plume at the time of the emission of radionuclides from Unit 3 was in the ocean direction, which suggests that many CsMPs from Unit 3 deposited directly into the ocean. We will report the comparison of CsMPs from marine and terrestrial sources. In addition, we reported Type-A CsMPs from suspended particles in rivers and marine samples, such as plankton net and suspended particle samples. This fact suggests that Type-A CsMPs deposited on land and transported to the ocean through rivers. The presence of CsMPs may be the cause of the overestimation of solid–water distribution coefficient for marine sediments and particulate matters and apparent high concentration factor of marine biota of radioactive Cs.
Soil moisture dynamics of forest soils – magnitude, persistence and implications of soil water repellency 
Authors: Benard Pascal , Schoch Julian , Mazza Andrea , Lehmann Peter , Carminati Andrea
Published: March 2024

Soil water repellency has been observed across a range of ecosystems, including forests. Among other parameters such as organic matter content and quality, climate, and soil texture, the magnitude and persistence of water repellency is controlled by the initial soil moisture content. With the increasing risk of prolonged and recurrent drought events across Europe causing significant increases in tree mortality, the feedback between soil moisture and soil rewetting is of increasing importance, as delayed soil rewetting may prolong water stress beyond drought events and reduce the plant available water. In this study, we quantified the local contact angle (sessile drop method) and in-situ rewetting dynamics (electrical resistivity tomography), including their relationship with initial soil moisture (sorptivity), of forest soils with contrasting vegetation.The results showed a fundamental difference in the persistence of water repellency and rewetting dynamics between an oak and a spruce stand. Despite prolonged precipitation (> 100 mm) following a dry summer, the sandy loam topsoil under spruce did not rewet after rain events, indicating persistent water repellency and fast water percolation to greater depth via preferential flow paths. In contrast, the sandy loam topsoil under oak rewetted after rainfall and was unaffected by water repellency, despite the similarly high initial contact angle of about 85° of dry soil at both sites.Our results highlight the importance of moisture dependence and persistence of soil water repellency for plant-available soil water in forests. The striking persistence of low soil moisture in topsoil, in combination with shallow-rooted spruce may explain in parts the severe dieback of spruce across Europe. Furthermore, the hydrological response of repellency-affected forest sites is likely to be influenced by the feedback between initial soil moisture, soil wettability and its persistence, and soil rewetting dynamics.
Extreme water temperatures in mountain rivers – changes and driving processes
Authors: van Hamel Amber , Brunner Manuela
Published: March 2024

Water temperature is one of the most important indicators of water quality as it regulates physical, chemical and biological processes in rivers. When water temperatures reach extreme values, this can have potentially severe consequences for the survival of aquatic ecosystems. Extreme water temperatures can be caused by extreme weather phenomena such as heat waves and prolonged droughts. In mountain regions, the complexity of water temperature dynamics is greater than in lowland regions due to changes in the hydrological regime caused by glacier retreat and changes in the contribution of snowmelt to streams. Despite the potential impacts of water temperature extremes, knowledge of the occurrence and driving processes of water temperature extremes in mountain rivers remains limited.Here, we aim to improve our understanding of the spatial and temporal variability and long-term changes in the occurrence of extremes. In addition we aim to identify the main processes influencing the occurrence of water temperature extremes in mountain rivers in Europe.  First, we compare 30 years of water temperature data in 18 catchments in the Alps to gain insight into the temporal variability of water temperature extremes. We examine the seasonality of these extremes and use trend tests to assess long-term trends. Second, we compare 177 catchments across four different mountain regions in Europe to understand the frequency, severity and variability of water temperature extremes at a regional scale. Finally, we use random forest models to investigate the importance of different processes contributing to water temperature extremes and how the main driving processes vary in both time and space.The results of the trend analysis in the Alps show that extreme water temperatures, i.e. water temperatures exceeding a locally varying threshold, have increased faster than mean water temperatures during the summer period of 1991-2021. The most severe extreme events are mainly found in low elevation catchments. The number of extreme events has increased over time at all elevations, with the strongest increase for high elevation catchments. Furthermore, the analysis of the driving processes shows that air temperature is the main driver of non-extreme water temperature. However, to predict water temperature extremes, other hydroclimatic variables such as soil moisture, snowmelt, and baseflow should also be considered. This suggests that current water temperature models, which use only air temperature and discharge as input variables, may not be suitable for predicting water temperature extremes at high elevations. These insights into the behaviour of water temperature extremes are valuable for predicting future changes in extremes in mountain rivers. 
Exploring the uncertainties of the fault source parameters in the Alboran Sea for seismic hazard using earthquake rate modelling tools
Authors: Perea Hector , Gómez-Novell Octavi , Jiménez María José , García Mariano , Lozano Lucía , García-Mayordomo Julián , Sánchez-Roldán José Luis , Canari Bordoy Ariadna , Martínez-Loriente Sara
Published: March 2024

The Alboran Sea is one of the most seismically regions of Western Europe, accommodating an important part of the current NW-SE convergence between the African and Eurasian plates (4-5 mm/yr). Despite the Alboran Sea is considered as a region of relatively low tectonic deformation and diffuse seismicity, the major faults within have been responsible of large earthquakes (IEMS>IX) since historical times (e.g., 1522 Almería, 1790 Oran, 1804 Alboran, 1910 Adra or 2016 Al-Idrissi earthquakes). One of the main issues for the characterization of the seismic hazard in the Alboran Sea, common to many low-deformation regions, lies in accurately constraining the seismic parameters that define fault activity and their behavior (i.e., slip rates, earthquake recurrence and multi-fault rupture capability, among others). This issue is further aggravated by the fact that these faults are mostly located offshore, making their investigation more challenging. As a result, most faults in the Alboran Sea have poor slip and activity rate estimates, while their capability to interact and rupture in complex rupture patterns has not been explored yet. In this study, we compute several models of earthquake rupture rates for the Alboran Sea with the SHERIFS code and using a systematic parameter exploration tree to determine the parameters of each model. We base the exploration tree on the slip rate and multi-fault rupture scenarios, allowing us to investigate the epistemic uncertainty linked to these parameters. To check the feasibility of the computed earthquake rates of each model, we compare them with the observed seismicity rates in the region. As a result, this enables us to identify which parameter combinations best match the recorded seismicity, prioritizing those that perform better for the hazard assessment. In addition, these optimal values might be used as indicators for further studies focused on better constraining the fault parameters in some faults, as well as for preliminary fault-based seismic hazard assessments. By extension, the limitations of the modelling in terms of slip rate budget distribution and fault rupture scenarios can also be used to determine which areas should be prioritized for further research. We expect that the results of our work enhance discussion among researchers working in the area and motivate further investigations into fault dynamics.
Altimetry Waveform Classification and Retracking Strategy for Improved Coastal Altimetry Products
Authors: Kant Shubhi , Devaraju Balaji
Published: March 2024

Coastal zones exhibit unique altimetry signal characteristics, primarily influenced by the presence of land artifacts. The shape of the altimetry echo serves as a distinctive marker, representing the physical parameters of the surface it originates from. Open ocean reflections for SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) mode yield signals with a steep leading edge and a trailing edge modeled by a negative exponential function. In contrast, land areas in coastal zones typically produce specular and quasi-specular waveforms. The presence of specific waveform classes is further influenced by seasonality and changes in land use and patterns such as coastal erosion.This study aims to classify altimetry waveforms in coastal zones at various global sites and subsequently retrack the identified waveform classes using an optimal retracking strategy. Site selection is based on the availability of in-situ tide gauge data. Waveform classification is achieved using a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) auto-encoder, capturing the temporal nature of waveforms and providing an 8-dimensional feature representation. In addition, the LSTM-autoencoder  provides de-noised waveforms, which are used for subsequent retracking processes.Different waveform shapes necessitate specific retracking strategies. While an Ocean retracker suffices for SAR waveforms over open oceans, it is inadequate for retracking specular, quasi-specular, and multi-peak waveforms. Advanced retracking algorithms such as OCOG, Threshold, ALES, Beta-5, and Beta-9 are employed based on the waveform class.To validate the proposed strategy, the performance of the altimetry product, sea level anomalies, and retracking outcomes are compared with established coastal altimetry products like XTRACK, in-situ tide gauge data, and popular retracking algorithms like OCOG, Ocean retracker, Threshold, Beta-5 and Beta-9. Sea level anomalies are derived from sensor geophysical data records (SGDR) of altimetry missions and compared with existing coastal altimetry products and in-situ tide gauge records. Evaluation metrics such as Pearson's correlation coefficient and root mean square error assess the agreement in seasonal and yearly trends, as well as the accuracy of measurements.This comprehensive analysis aims to validate the effectiveness of the proposed coastal waveform post-processing strategy, showcasing its ability to quantify long-term sea level trends and explore regional variations.
On statistical calibration of dual-resolution precipitation forecasts
Authors: Lakatos-Szabó Marianna , Gascón Estíbaliz , Baran Sándor
Published: March 2024

Recently, all leading meteorological centers release ensemble forecasts that vary in terms of ensemble size and spatial resolution, even when covering the same area. These factors significantly impact the forecast accuracy and computational resources required. In the last few years, the plans of upgrading the configuration of the Integrated Forecast System of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) from a single forecast with 9 km resolution and a 51-member ensemble with 18 km resolution induced an extensive study of the forecast skill of both raw and post-processed dual-resolution predictions comprising ensemble members of different horizontal resolutions.We investigate the predictive performance of the censored shifted gamma (CSG) [1] ensemble model output statistic (EMOS) approach for statistical post-processing with the help of dual-resolution 24h precipitation accumulation ensemble forecasts over Europe with various forecast horizons. The high-resolution operational 50-member ECMWF ensemble is supplemented by a 200-member low-resolution (29-km grid) experimental forecast. The various dual-resolution combinations, which are equivalent in computational cost to the operational ensemble, show improved forecast skill after EMOS post-processing compared with raw ensemble combinations [3]. Additionally, the differences between these combinations are significantly reduced as a result of this post-processing technique. Moreover, the semi-locally trained CSG EMOS is fully able to catch up with the state-of-the-art quantile mapping [2] and provides an efficient alternative without requiring additional historical data essential in determining the quantile maps.References:[1] Baran, S. and Nemoda, D. (2016). Censored and shifted gamma distribution based EMOS model for probabilistic quantitative precipitation forecasting. Environmetrics 27, 280–292.[2] Gascón, E., Lavers, D., Hamill, T. M. , Richardson, D. S., Ben Bouallègue, Z., Leutbecher, M. and Pappenberger, F. (2019). Statistical postprocessing of dual-resolution ensemble precipitation forecasts across Europe. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc. 145, 3218–3235.[3] Szabó, M., Gascón, E. and Baran, S. (2023) Parametric post-processing of dual-resolution precipitation forecasts. Weather Forecast., 38(8), 1313–1322.
The Deep Network - Curating and co-producing quality ocean-education information for adults
Authors: Johansen Caroline
Published: March 2024

The Deep Network is an initiative which brings together multidisciplinary practitioners who in some way support adults outside of formal learning environments. Deep Network members are supporting adults to become ocean literate and effectively motivating learners to actively participate in pro-climate action and marine sustainability. To achieve the ambitious targets set out in the SDGs, our adult population must learn not only to recognise economic, social, and environmental challenges but also act upon this knowledge. In this session, we will present specific barriers that adult learners experience and acknowledge the challenge of participation in non-formal education, and also address scientists’ limitations of time, funding, and partnerships for these types of initiatives. We will present how the Deep Network responds to these needs, providing space for informal and interactive collaboration between marine researchers, educators, and activists. Over 40 active participants from more than 10 countries participated in Deep Network online Hub Meetings to present their educational initiatives. They developed new partnerships and support the curation of an online library of inspiring practice. The overarching consensus in post-meeting evaluations was that learning about and recognizing the value in different methodologies and audiences of initiatives was inspiring and gave participants tangible ideas as well as hope and motivation to continue developing much needed educative materials for adult learners. This is also a strong motivator for participants to use the Deep Network as a springboard for future interdisciplinary collaborations. In this presentation we will detail the conclusions of the Deep Network meetings and show how practitioners learnt from and with each other to build capacity in marine sustainability and adult education. We conclude by making recommendations for future practice.
Soil enthalpy: an unheeded source of subseasonal predictability?
Authors: Ardilouze Constantin , Boone Aaron
Published: March 2024

Accurate soil moisture initial conditions in dynamical subseasonal forecast systems are known to improve the temperature forecast skill regionally, through more realistic water and energy fluxes at the land-atmosphere interface. Recently, results from the GEWEX-GASS LS4P (Impact of initialized land temperature and snowpack on sub-seasonal to seasonal prediction) multi-model coordinated experiment have provided evidence of the primal contribution of the initial surface and subsurface soil temperature over the Tibetan Plateau for capturing a hemispheric scale atmopsheric teleconnection leading to improved subseasonal forecasts. Yet, both the soil temperature and water content are key components of the soil enthalpy and we hypothesize that properly initializing one of them without modifying the other in a consistent manner can alter the soil thermal equilibrium, thereby potentially reducing the benefit of land initial conditions on subsequent atmospheric forecasts. This study builds on the protocol of the above-mentioned multi-model experiment, by testing different land initialization strategies in an Earth system model. Results of this pilot study suggest that a better mass and energy balance in land initial conditions of the Tibetan Plateau triggers a wave train which propagates through the northern hemisphere mid-latitudes, resulting in an improved large scale circulation and temperature anomalies over multiple regions of the globe. While this study is based on a single case, it strongly advocates for enhanced attention towards preserving the soil energy equilibrium at initialization to make the most of land as a driver of atmospheric extended-range predictability.
The current and future state of mountain permafrost in the Eastern Italian Alps: the RETURN project
Authors: Morino Costanza , Carturan Luca , Pavoni Mirko , Boaga Jacopo , Seppi Roberto , Zumiani Matteo
Published: March 2024

The present climate change is affecting geomorphic processes and landforms related to mountain permafrost in alpine areas. Impressive expressions of permafrost degradation include significant ground surface warming of rock glaciers, a general acceleration of rock-glacier surface-flow velocity, and rapid gravitational mass movements in steep terrains. In this context, the interest in mountain permafrost conditions in the Eastern Italian Alps is growing, in view of the possible consequences in terms of natural hazard assessment and mitigation, and of management of water resources. Therefore, there is a great need to assess the current and future changes of geomorphological processes and landform evolution related to degrading permafrost in this region.Here, we present the study approach and preliminary results of the ongoing project RETURN, which is an Extended Partnership funded by the European Union Next-GenerationEU (National Recovery and Resilience Plan – NRRP, Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.3 – D.D. 1243 2/8/2022, PE0000005). Our research group is working on the current and projected impacts of climate change on the alpine cryosphere of the Eastern Italian Alps. The activities of this project, which is focussing on the area of the Province of Trento, are aimed at: i) understanding the current local and regional permafrost state and distribution, ii) modelling the distribution and state of permafrost in future warming scenarios, and iii) determining whether the ongoing permafrost degradation is causing an increase of slope instability in terms of frequency and magnitude. These aims are accomplished by using a multidisciplinary approach that comprises a) photogrammetric analyses aimed at reconstructing interannual variations and possible acceleration of rock glacier kinematics, b) geophysics aimed at estimating the volume of permafrost in active and pseudo-relict rock glaciers, c) ground-surface temperature monitoring aimed at modelling the  conditions of permafrost at local and regional scale, and d) geomorphological analyses of areas affected by landslides induced by permafrost degradation.The results of the RETURN project are expected to contribute to a better understanding of ongoing processes and similar issues in other mountain areas affected by warming and degrading permafrost.
A Versatile Water Vapor Generation Module for Vapor Isotope Calibration and Liquid Isotope Measurements
Authors: Steen-Larsen Hans Christian , Zannoni Daniele
Published: March 2024

A versatile vapor generation module has been developed for the purpose of both field water vapor isotope calibrations and laboratory liquid water isotope measurements. The vapor generation module is fully scalable allowing in principle an unlimited number of standards or samples to be connected, opening up the possibility for calibrating with multiple standards during field deployment. Compared to a standard autosampler system, the vapor generation module has a more than 2 times lower memory effect. The vapor generation module can in principle generate a constant stream of vapor with constant isotopic composition indefinitely. We document an Allan Deviation for 17O-excess (Δ17O) of less than 2 per meg for an approximate 3 hour averaging time. For similar averaging time the Allan Deviation for 𝛿17O, 𝛿18O, 𝛿D, d-excess is 0.004, 0.006, 0.01, 0.03 ‰. Measuring unknown samples for Δ17O show that it is possible to obtain an average standard deviation of 3 per meg leading to an average standard error (95 % confidence limit) using 4-5 replicates of 5 per meg.Using the vapor generation module we document that an enhancement in the Allan Deviation above the white noise level for integration times between 10 minutes and 1 hour is caused by cyclic variations in the cavity temperature. We further argue that increases in Allan Deviation for longer averaging times could be a result of memory effects and not only driven by instrumental drifts as it is often interpreted as.The vapor generation module as a calibration system have been document to generate a constant water vapor stream for a period of more than 90 hours showing the feasibility of being used as an autonomous field vapor isotope calibration unit for more than 3 months.
Zero-Carbon Wetlands’ from qualitative and possibilistic perspectives
Authors: Xaus Lucila , Gaucherel Cédric , Dupuy Christine
Published: March 2024

Understanding how social-nature and ecological-nature functions and their dynamics affect carbon emissions is critical due to the growing anthropogenic impact and its constant denial. According to the Paris Agreement in 2015, several countries and cities aim at becoming zero-carbon areas by 2050. In this context, wetlands and other coastal vegetated systems have been recognized for their major roles in “blue carbon” sequestration and storage. In addition, wetlands such as marshes can be either natural or managed by man for agriculture, aquaculture or other anthropogenic needs. Therefore, it is essential to accurately comprehend wetlands ecological functions for a better understanding of CO2 regulating factors and how they affect carbon budgets in these dynamic and heterogeneous systems. A few quantitative models are already in use for the study of social-ecological system (SES), however qualitative models have demonstrated to be an alternative and novel way for representing the essential long-term dynamics of SES. These models make it possible to qualify the responses of the system as a whole to its many exposed disturbances (human pressures, global change, biological activity, etc.), as well as to predict them. Here, a qualitative rule-based model for La Rochelle city (France) SES in wetlands has been developed to assess carbon neutrality, using the Ecological Discrete-Event Network (EDEN) modeling framework. The most important ecological components (variables) related to carbon emission for wetlands (e.g., phytoplankton, sediments, plants) and social (e.g., transportation, agriculture) domains have been carefully chosen from the literature, field studies, interviews and data analyses. Using these variables and related processes, every possible pathway will be computed to assess whether carbon neutrality is reachable from a chosen initial state by this modeled SES. Moreover, by the hand of EDEN, the recommended and dangerous pathways will be identified. The Eco-Marsh model is the first qualitative and possibilistic model ever, to our knowledge, for assessing carbon neutrality in a social-ecological system as a whole including wetlands. The first results will be presented, and will become part of a larger model which will include additional physicochemical, economical and political domains of La Rochelle region. In a second step, such an integrated model will enable the mechanisms governing these areas to be presented to stakeholders, so that integrated management strategies will be devised to optimise regional carbon functioning.
The peak water myth
Authors: Immerzeel Walter , Pellicciotti Francesca
Published: March 2024

The peak water concept has emerged to represent the trajectory of future water resources from glacierised basins, and has been widely adopted by the glaciology community. This is based on the notion that runoff from glaciers will increase up to a point in the near future and then decrease, because the melt rates of glaciers per unit area increase due to higher temperatures, while glaciers shrink. There is a point in the future that the glacier area becomes so small that the increase in melt rate per unit area cannot compensate for the area loss, and the absolute amount of glacier melt water starts to decrease. This peak water concept has been featured by several prominent papers and by the IPCC. However, we hypothesize that this peak water concept is an oversimplification of reality and can mask the real trajectory of changes in water resources from mountain catchments. It is only a valid concept for a single glacier, and the effect largely disappears when a mountainous catchment consists of multiple glaciers with different size, thickness, and mass balance sensitivity as result of extensive debris cover, for example. Moreover, and more importantly, it ignores climate change impacts on the non-glacierised part of the mountainous catchment, such as the buffering by snow and groundwater storages and the role of vegetation, and shifts in the partitioning between “green” (evapotranspiration) and “blue” (river runoff) water in particular. In this talk, we show a few examples of such oversimplifications, and argue for a broader and holistic perspective on the impacts of climate change on mountain water resources.
Assessment of water-carbon effects on the evolution of spatial patterns of grain production in China
Authors: Sun Shikun , Yin Yali , Luan Xiaobo , Sun Jingxin
Published: March 2024

With the growth of global population and sustained socio-economic development, the demand for food continues to rise. However, increasing water scarcity poses significant challenges to agricultural production, coupled with environmental issues such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As the world's most populous country, China faces even more severe water and environmental challenges in food production. Changes in the spatial patterns of food cultivation have implications for regional water consumption and GHG emissions. This study, based on the virtual water theory, explored the water-carbon effects resulting from the evolving spatial patterns of grain production and assessed their impact on sustainability goals in China. The findings reveal that the spatial pattern of grain production is influenced not only by regional meteorological conditions and arable land resources but also by shifts in industrial structure. Due to changes in industrial patterns and population movement, the center of grain production moved opposite to that of the economy and population, gradually shifting northward. While inter-regional grain transportation yields water-saving benefits, it simultaneously increases water resource pressure in the northern output areas by over 20%, creating a conflict between global water conservation and regional water use escalation. Changes in the spatial pattern of grain cultivation also affect the regional water environment and GHG emissions. The gray water footprint of the grain export region is higher, doubling with the increase in the scale of grain exports. The larger the scale of grain cultivation and transportation, the higher the GHG emissions of the region. Notably, the increase in GHG emissions for the grain export region surpasses that of the import region. In terms of sustainability goals, the current evolution of the spatial pattern of grain cultivation contributes to eradicating hunger, ensuring water resource security, promoting economic development, and enhancing infrastructure, but with obvious spatial heterogeneity. Considering national development planning, regional industrial structure, and population flow trends, the long-term operation of the "north-south water transfer" project – a virtual water trade pattern – poses a crucial challenge. Balancing overall development with local sustainability is paramount. In addition to adopting water-saving and emission-reduction measures in the production chain, optimizing the virtual water trade pattern, constructing a water-saving dietary structure, and optimizing the planting structure through demand-side guidance and macro policies are essential. This holistic approach will yield a counter effect on the production side, ultimately achieving water-saving and emission-reduction goals in both production and consumption.
Participatory multi-criteria decision making for optimal siting of dams
Authors: Castelli Fabio , Masi Matteo , Arrighi Chiara
Published: March 2024

The impacts of increasing water scarcity as a consequence of climate change determine an urgent demandfor enhanced management of water resources. The construction of new artificial reservoirs to expandwater storage capacity represents a pivotal strategy to address these pressing concerns and fulfil thecommunity's needs for drinking water, irrigation, energy generation, and flood risk mitigation. Theselection of sites for new reservoirs can be merely based on topographic and hydrologic assessments.However, the identification of optimal locations requires a comprehensive evaluation that considers amultitude of often-competing factors that encompass bio-physical, socio-economic, regulatory, andenvironmental aspects. The involvement of communities and citizens in the initial stages of the decision-making process is crucial. This study introduces a methodology based on multi-criteria decision making(MCDM), to identify optimal reservoir locations, simultaneously addressing all the aforementioned aspectsthrough community engagement. This methodology employs an automated algorithm to analyse a largepool of potential sites, through a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) integrated with hydrologic simulations. Foreach site the algorithm optimizes the location and orientation of the dam and calculate the geometricalcharacteristics, such as the dam length, dam volume and the water storage volume. In a subsequent step, aMCDM analysis is conducted to rank the sites based on quantitative selection criteria established through acomprehensive territorial analysis and hydrological modelling. These criteria include geometric andmorphological aspects (e.g., reservoir volume), hydrological indicators (e.g., water balance, floodmitigation), anthropization (e.g., population density, infrastructures), landscape, archaeological heritage,ecology, environmental components, and potential natural hazards. To foster community engagement, wedeveloped a web-based survey platform that enables the collection of diverse perspectives from variousstakeholders, communities and citizens, allowing them to express their opinions on the relative importanceof each individual criterion. The application of this methodology is demonstrated through a case study inthe Arno river basin, Italy, showcasing its effectiveness in identifying the most suitable reservoir locationswhile targeting the highest environmental preservation and community well-being.
Energetic particle measurements near Ganymede: Galileo EPD data revisited and perspectives for Juice PEP
Authors: Krupp Norbert , Roussos Elias , Fränz Markus , Kollmann Peter , Clark George , Paranicas Chris , Khurana Krishan , Barabash Stas , Galli Andre
Published: March 2024

 The Galileo spacecraft performed close flybys of the moon Ganymede between 1996 and 2001. We reanalysed data of the energetic particles detector EPD onboard Galileo and derived the particle fluxes, energy spectra, and pitch angle distributions in the energy range of several keV to MeV during Ganymede flybys G2, G7, G8, G28, and G29. We find sharp dropouts in ion and electron fluxes as signatures of the loss cones inside the Ganymede magnetosphere as well as trapped electron distribution. Additionally, bi-directional field-aligned and butterfly distributions were found as well. We discuss these findings compared with simulation results in charactering Ganymede’s magnetosphere and in the context of future measurements with the Particle Environment Package PEP onboard the Juice mission which will be in orbit around Ganymede in 2032.
Searching for optimal practices for water saving, salinity control and yield increase in an arid and salinity irrigated area of China using the SWAP-based method.
Authors: Duan Shaoyi , Lei Huimin
Published: March 2024

Abstract: The Hetao Irrigation District (HID) is located in the arid region along the upper reach of the Yellow River and is an important grain production area in northwest China. Water diverted from the Yellow River is an indispensable water supply of the crop production in this region. Unfortunately, traditional irrigation, drainage and fertilization practices have resulted in severe soil salinization and inefficient of water use, which poses a great challenge to food security and water resources. Therefore, it is important to search a new practice that can achieve water saving, salinity control, and yield increase simultaneously. To this end, this study applied a framework that combined the SWAP model and a multi-criteria decision-making method.First, we used a total of 21 station-years of experimental data from 12 spring wheat and spring maize sites for parameter calibration by the PEST package. The sensitive parameters of spring wheat and spring maize were obtained, and the evaluation showed that the SWAP model is capable of simulating seasonal variations of leaf area index, evapotranspiration, soil moisture and soil salt content. Specially, we showed that the parameters SALTMAX (threshold salt concentration in soil water) and TSUMEA (temperature sum from emergence to anthesis) were obviously different from the default values of wheat and maize in the SWAP.Second, we designed simulation scenarios based on the combinations of irrigation, drainage and fertilization practices, constrained by the local customs and water supply from the Yellow River. The simulated crop yield, water use efficiency (i.e., the crop production per irrigation water amount), and soil salt content change were obtained by the SWAP model.Finally, based on the SWAP-simulated results, optimal practices were obtained with the help of the VIKOR method, a multi-criteria decision-making method which has the advantage of objectively determining the weights of water use efficiency, crop yield, and soil salt content change. Compared with the traditional practices by farmers, the optimal practice can not only increase crop yield by 20 per cent and improve water use efficiency by more than 10 per cent, but also ensure the soil salt content does not increase. Keywords: Irrigation; Drainage; Fertilization; SWAP model; VIKOR method
Climate Disasters and Postcolonial Narratives: Mapping India’s Water Crisis in the Contemporary Indian Graphic Novels
Authors: Rakshit Nobonita , Gaur Rashmi
Published: March 2024

India finds itself in the throes of an unprecedented water crisis, posing a severe threat to millions of lives and livelihoods. Currently, a staggering 600 million Indians grapple with high to extreme water stress, leading to approximately two lakh deaths annually attributed to insufficient access to safe water. The gravity of the situation is exacerbated by projections indicating that, by 2030, the country’s water demand will surpass twice the available supply. This foretells a dire scenario of acute water scarcity affecting hundreds of millions of people and culminating in an estimated ~6% decline in the nation’s GDP. In light of these alarming statistics, the need for a localised, culturally infused, and literary approach to communicate scientific data on water scarcity to the general populace has become more crucial than ever. Contemporary Indian graphic novelist Sarnath Banerjee’s graphic narrative All Quiet in Vikaspuri (2015) has been read for this study to analyse the embodied experiences of water scarcity faced by the thirsty population in India’s one of the most polluted megacities who are in the quest, both mythical and physical, of finding and retaining water supply in Delhi. Through an experimental amalgamation of scientific data and graphic media, Banerjee explores how stories play crucial roles both in unveiling the historical consciousness of the postcolonial hydro-modernity marked by the resource extraction and hydrological exhaustion and in framing scarcity, not as natural but as socio-political production in twentieth and twenty-first-century India. This study does not merely engage with the data, research, and discussions around climate change and water crisis, which often remain abstract, full of jargon, and far removed from everyday lived realities. Rather, it underscores the urgency of visual communication in conferring long-lasting co-benefits upon the people and socio-ecological systems of which they are part.
Prediction of soil bulk density in agricultural soils using mid-infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Shi Longnan , O'Rourke Sharon , de Santana Felipe Bachion , Daly Karen
Published: March 2024

Soil bulk density (BD) is a key physical parameter in soil quality control and in the calculation from soil organic carbon (SOC) mass (g/kg) content to area stock (kg/ha). However, BD laboratory analysis is time-consuming, labour intensive and expensive, especially for a national-scale soil assessment. Hence, how to fill the omissions of BD values for all or some records in soil databases is widely discussed. This study employed different chemometric and machine learning algorithms to estimate BD in Irish soil from 671 horizon-based samples from MIR spectral libraries by partial least square regression (PLSR), random forest, Cubist and support vector machine (SVM). The best performance was observed for the SVM model with a higher ratio of performance to interquartile distance (RPIQ = 3.61) and R2 (0.81) values and lower root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP = 0.132). Moreover, BD highly correlated wavenumber bands were determined by principal components analysis (PCA) and variable importance analysis. Soil organic matter (SOM) was identified as the primary factor in the spectral soil BD model. The generalisation error of predicting unknown samples using a spectral soil bulk density (BD) model was calculated by employing leave-one-out cross-validation (LOO-CV) on SVM. Estimation of BD by the spectral BD model was compared with published traditional pedo-transfer functions (PTFs), results were then compared for the overall models, different horizon types and specific depth categories. The spectral soil BD model is significantly better than traditional PTFs overall, with RMSEP equalling 0.132 g/cm3 and 0.196 g/cm3 respectively. The spectral soil BD model showed a similar accuracy on the A horizon, but considerable performance improvements were found on the other types of horizon. As for different depth categories, there is no significant accuracy difference between shallow (A-Samples: 5-20 cm) and deep (S-Samples: 35-50 cm) topsoil for the spectral soil BD model, which differs from traditional PTFs. The findings suggest that spectral modelling techniques, such as SVM, can provide high accuracy and homogenous performance across different depth layers, making them suitable for national soil surveys and large-scale carbon stock assessments. The best SVM model was then used to estimate BD values for a large archive of samples from the northern half of Ireland (Terra Soil project) and soil BD maps were generated at two different fixed-depth layers respectively. Besides that, all predicted soil BD values will be used for calculating soil carbon stock and assessing carbon deficit and sequestration potential in subsequent stages of the research.
Keywords: Soil; Bulk density; Mid-infrared; Spectroscopy; Chemometrics; Machine learning
 
The atmospheric fate of cashmeran from musk-smelling volatile chemical products (VCPs) in chamber, indoor, and outdoor environments
Authors: Borduas-Dedekind Nadine , Akande Ayomide , Depp Clémence
Published: March 2024

Synthetic musk compounds, like cashmeran, are a group of semi-volatile organic compounds commonly used as fragrances in perfumes. In addition to being potential indoor pollutants, they are also regarded as emerging outdoor pollutants, known at volatile chemical products (VCPs). Cashmeran is a bicyclic synthetic musk compound, and a major component of a commercial perfume for men. Here, we aim to better predict the atmospheric fate of cashmeran indoors and outdoors using a Vocus proton transfer time-of-flight mass spectrometer.Using the Vocus, we show that cashmeran was the dominant musk in a commercial perfume among other musk compounds like galaxolide, astratone, and rosamusk. Next, we measured the rate constant of cashmeran (C14H22O) with ozone for the first time under different experimental conditions to probe its ozonolysis mechanism. In the absence of O2, we calculated a rate constant of (2.78 ± 0.31) x 10-19 cm3mol-1s-1 at (293 ± 1) K and observed the formation of C14H22O2 as the key oxidation production. The ozonolysis reaction in the absence of O2 did not generate SOA. In the presence of O2, preliminary results show the rate constant to be 5.00 x 10-18 cm3mol-1s-1 at 293 K and the ozonolysis reaction formed SOA with a mass yield of 121 µg m-3. The rate constant observed in the presence of O2 indicate the importance of key carbon-radical chemistry and impact of partitioning sinks in understanding the fate of this molecule in the atmosphere. We hypothesize that the slow oxidation of cashmeran with ozone makes loss to partitioning to aerosols a competitive sink in determining its fate.Furthermore, we investigated how partitioning sinks might be competitive to gas-phase oxidation for the fate of cashmeran from a commercial perfume in an office environment. We show that partitioning to cotton is the major sink, suggesting this molecule can be easily transported outdoors by humans and their clothing.We further tested this hypothesis during THE CIX urban field campaign in Toronto, Canada in July-August 2023. We detected cashmeran outdoors throughout the campaign up to 10 ppt. As expected from a fragrant VCP, cashmeran peaked during the week only and in the morning. Based on our findings, we conclude that musk compounds, like cashmeran, are long-lived SVOCs capable of impacting urban air quality.