bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of pH on the adsorption and desorption mechanisms of Pharmaceutically Active Compounds (PhACs) in a tilled Arenosol
Authors: Bauer László , Szabó Lili , Vancsik Anna , Kondor Attila , Jakab Gergely , Szalai Zoltán
Published: March 2022

Wastewater treatment technologies worldwide use only marginally reduce the number of organic micropollutants (e.g. pharmaceuticals) in treated wastewater. Treated wastewater is used for irrigation in semi-arid and Mediterranean areas. Most of the treated wastewater is discharged into surface water bodies In European Countries. The use of these water bodies for irrigation results in the presence of PhACs into the agro-environment. The ever-changing environment in the soils influences the adsorption of these compounds. One of the ever-changing environmental factors is pH. The pH can highly fluctuate in the rhizosphere during the whole growing season. Consequently, the study of the effect of this environmental factor should also be considered when assessing the environmental risk of PhACs.

The main questions of our research were: (a) How do root acids affect adsorption-desorption interactions?; (b) Are there synergistic effects during competitive adsorption of 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2), carbamazepine (CBZ), and diclofenac sodium (DFC)?

Studied compounds were tested in both single-compound adsorption and competitive adsorption and batch experiments. The adsorbents were from a calcareous, humic sandy soil used to grow lucerne. The sorption experiments were carried out at three different depths of the soil profile, where at the ploughed layer (0-20 cm), soil pH was adjusted to model the effect of ambient acids on sorption processes. Competitive adsorption tests were performed at both the original and the modified pH values. Adsorption isotherms were applied to estimate the model parameters using Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich model. According to our results, the pH changes influenced the sorption processes, especially the desorption. The outcome of our study could be able to estimate the behaviour of PhACs at different soil horizons of sandy agricultural soil.

This study was funded by the Hungarian    National Research, Development, and Innovation Fund (2020-1.1.2-PIACI-KFI-2021-00309).
High-Resolution Polar-Low Winds Obtained from Unsupervised SAR-Wind Retrieval
Authors: Tollinger Mathias , Graversen Rune G. , Johnsen Harald
Published: March 2022

High-resolution sea surface observations by spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instruments are sorely neglected resources for meteorological applications in polar regions. Such radar observations provide information about wind speed and direction based on wind-induced roughness of the sea surface. The increasing coverage of SAR observations in polar regions calls for the development of SAR-specific applications that make use of the full information content of this valuable resource. Here we provide examples of the potential of SAR observations to provide details of the complex, mesoscale wind structure during polar low events, and examine the performance of two current wind retrieval methods. Furthermore, we suggest a new approach towards accurate wind vector retrieval of complex wind fields from SAR observations that does not require a priori wind direction input that the most common retrieval methods are dependent on. This approach has the potential to be particularly beneficial for numerical forecasting of weather systems with strong wind gradients, such as polar lows.
Seasonal and Interannual Variability of Australian Carbon Fluxes Seen by GOSAT
Authors: Schömann Eva-Marie , Vardag Sanam N. , Basu Sourish , Jung Martin , Sitch Stephen , Butz André
Published: March 2022

The semi-arid Australian continent significantly influences the interannual variability of the global terrestrial carbon sink. Atmospheric inverse models can be used to estimate land carbon fluxes from CO2 measurements, and study the underlying processes leading to their variability. The spatial coverage of in-situ CO2 measurements over Australia is sparse, leading to large uncertainties in estimated carbon fluxes for the Australian continent. Satellite measurements of CO2 offer an independent and spatially extensive source of information about the Australian carbon cycle.

Here, we examine the decadal data set (2009-2018) of atmospheric CO2 mole fractions delivered by the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) above Australia. We estimate land CO2 fluxes from those measurements via the TM5-4DVAR inverse model and discuss their seasonal and interannual variability. Compared to flux estimates constrained by in-situ mole fraction measurements alone, GOSAT-based inversions suggest greater variability attributable to the seasonal dynamics of biogenic and fire fluxes. To investigate the mechanisms behind the variability, we compare to bottom-up carbon fluxes from the FLUXCOM and the TRENDY ensemble of global dynamic vegetation models.
Study on the coupled eco-hydrological processes impacted by fine-scale landscape heterogeneity in a typical humid hilly area
Authors: Li Yunping , Zhang Ke , Bardossy Andras
Published: March 2022

It is well known that vegetation shows the apparent spatial distribution characteristics in mountainous terrain at fine scales (tens of meters to kilometers). The micrometeorological data, like radiation and temperature, are intensely governed by local topography. The relationship between terrain and the distribution of vegetation, water, energy, and carbon fluxes at fine scales in terrestrial ecosystems is still unclear. This study aims at analyzing the eco-hydrological process at tens of meters scales in a typical humid hilly area, with varying altitudes, slopes, aspects, and soil textures causing the corresponding uneven micrometeorological conditions. We use the radiation and temperature data corrected by the micro-topography data to drive the eco-hydrological model (Ecosystem demography model version 2). Results showed that different regions have different micrometeorological conditions, the distribution of vegetation, water, energy, and carbon fluxes. Furthermore, the topographic heterogeneity, giving rise to the uneven soil texture and micrometeorological conditions, directly or indirectly affects the distribution of vegetation, water, energy, and carbon fluxes. The findings will improve our understanding of the eco-hydrological processes.
Unmanned Areal Vehicles for permafrost monitoring in high alpine regions within the new EU framework 
Authors: Beck Inga , Delleske Robert , Scandroglio Riccardo , Rehm Till , Keuschnig Markus , Krautblatter Michael
Published: March 2022

The deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for scientific purposes gained a lot of importance during the last years. The new EU regulations for the use of civil drones, in effect since January 2021, set out a new framework for their safe operation in the European skies. With a risk-based approach the purpose of the drone (leisure or civil) is no longer relevant, but only it’s weight, specifications and operations is considered. Also for scientific use these new rules mean a more elaborate project preparation and require the compilation of a so-called Specific Operational Risk Assessment (SORA) for each individual case.

Here we report on a three years project, in which drones will be flown at altitudes around and above 3000m asl from the Environmental Research Station Schneefernerhaus (UFS), located on the Zugspitze (Northern Limestone Alps, Germany). It is a collaborative initiative of the UFS as lead and coordinator, the TUM Chair of Landslide Research as scientific partner as well as the Georesearch mbH as technical partner. The project is financed by the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection and started in June 2021. It stands out as an innovative pilot project, pursuing two different goals:

Expertise should be collected in writing a SORA for the use of drones in high alpine areas, crossing national borders (D/A) and operating beyond the visible line of site. Thereby a broad know-how will be gained that will facilitate future scientific drone missions with the Schneefernerhaus as starting point.

Scientific data will be collected by means of an IR camera and will record the temperature of the ground, delivering information about the current status of the permafrost-affected steep rockwalls. This will extend the present permafrost monitoring conducted on the Zugspitze (Scandroglio et al., 2021) to wider and unexplored areas. Furthermore the influence of infrastructures and their influence on the bedrock thermal behavior will be identified and monitored.

An inventory of potential rockfall areas will be recorded by means of optical sensors.

In fall 2021 areas of interest, flight routes and starting positions have been defined. After the installation of targets and rock surface temperature loggers, the first flight has been conducted with a drone of the open category, allowing the collection of the first thermal and RGB datasets. Currently a user-defined UAS gets manufactured and the SORA process – supervised by bavAIRia e. V. – is in process. The next steps will be the use of the new drone at least twice this year (2022) in order to collect more data.
Formation of corona structures from the troctolitic gabbros of Chainigund, Kargil, Ladakh, NW Himalayas, India: Petrological implications
Authors: Harshe Shivani , Jonnalagadda Mallika , Duraiswami Raymond , Benoit Mathieu , Grégoire Michel , Karmalkar Nitin
Published: March 2022

Well-developed corona structures are observed and described in detail in the cumulate troctolites from Chainigund village, Kargil. The gabbro-troctolite unit is situated 5 km NW of Kargil city and consists of gabbros, troctolites, and anorthosites with doleritic dykes cross-cutting the unit at places. The host gabbros are fresh and display both fine and coarse-grained varieties. Troctolites occur as pods and veins within the gabbro and are composed of plagioclase (77-80 vol%), olivine (10-16 vol%), pleonaste spinel (6-8 vol%), amphiboles (2 -3 vol%) and opaques (0.5-2vol %). Both olivines and plagioclases are unzoned with spectacular coronas around the olivines (Fo 74.9-76.7) at the contact with plagioclase feldspar (An90.6-95.2). From center outwards, the discontinuous reaction series consists of the following members: Olivine, enstatitic orthopyroxene, magnesio-hornblende (Amph1) enclosed by a symplectitic rim of pargasite (Amph2) and pleonaste spinel and concludes at the plagioclase interface i.e. Ol-Opx-Amph1-Amph2-Spl-Plg. The mineral textures of the corona structure indicate formation in the presence of an interstitial fluid trapped between cumulus olivine and plagioclase. The reaction of this fluid with the olivine resulted in a rim of peritectic orthopyroxene around olivine which was subsequently replaced to form Amph 1 between the orthopyroxene and plagioclase. This is evident by the horse-shoe shaped outline and intermingling boundary shared by orthopyroxene and Amph 1. The formation of outer Amph 2 and spinel symplectite layers could be attributed to the replacement of precursor clinopyroxene and plagioclase at high temperatures (1050-1150° C ± 40° C). The Amph-Spl symplectites, presence of oxidizing conditions (magnetite and ilmenite), discontinuous reactions and local or short-range diffusion phenomena thus indicate that the corona structures are a result of metasomatic interaction of cooling magma with the previously formed minerals.

Keywords: Corona structures; troctolite gabbro; olivine- plagioclase contact; Kargil; Ladakh; India.
Model of KAW contribution to cross-magnetopause ion transport
Authors: Lukin Alexander , Artemyev Anton , Petrukovich Anatoly
Published: March 2022

Magnetosheath ion transport across the night-side magnetopause can be contributed by ion cross-field diffusion due to wave-particle scattering. In this presentation we focus on such scattering mechanism for the most intense magnetosheath wave emission, kinetic Alfven waves (KAWs). These waves carry a finite field-aligned electric field and potentially can accelerate particles along magnetic field lines. In the fast plasma flows these waves are usually observed as a wide Doppler-shifted electromagnetic spectrum characterized by strong electric fields in high wave-number range. Dense frequency spectrum leads to overlapping of particles resonances with waves and causes particle diffusion in pitch-angle and energy space. We investigate particles diffusion caused by interactions with KAW turbulence in a realistic model of the Earth flank magnetopause with nonuniform ambient magnetic field fitting the tangential discontinuity. The KAW spectrum is determined by a sum of a several thousand plane waves with different frequencies and propagation angles. We estimate diffusion coefficients as function of ion pitch-angle and energy for different distances from the magnetopause and discuss the expected cross-field transport rate for this model.
A study on the relation between an elevation angle of GNSS measurements and an integrated plasma enhancement of polar patches.
Authors: Sieradzki Rafal
Published: March 2022

The polar ionosphere is characterized by massive structures, known as patches, resulting from intake of mid-latitude plasma or, to a lesser extent, from particle precipitation. The occurrence of patches is an object of multi-instrumental investigations performed with various space- and ground-based techniques, involving among others the measurements of Global Navigation Satellite Systems. With regard to the latter approach, the patch definition has to be reformulated to the electron density accumulated along a signal path. This step requires an additional validation of the relation between an elevation angle of GNSS measurements and an integrated enhancement of plasma.

The work compares polar patch signatures observed in GNSS time series during a maximum solar activity. The assessment of integrated patch enhancement was realized with relative STEC values that are computed for several GNSS stations located in the northern polar cap. Investigating the results at different elevation angles, one can observe a lack of typical geometrical dependency of relative STEC. We believe this effect is related to an approximately spherical shape of patches. Such a conclusion seems to be confirmed by a similar enhancement observed for measurements with different orientations. According to the obtained results, we find this is justified to use STEC as an indicator of patch enhancement for GNSS data.    
Projected changes in variability of fire weather in boreal regions under different levels of global warming
Authors: Lund Marianne T. , Nordling Kalle , Gjelsvik Astrid B. , Samset Bjørn H.
Published: March 2022

Recent years have seen unprecedented fire activity at Arctic latitudes, leading to severe consequences including unhealthy air quality in high latitude towns and cities. While wildfire occurrence and severity result from a complex interplay between natural and anthropogenic factors, weather is a key factor.

Weather conditions that promote high wildfire risk are characterized by the combination of high temperatures, little precipitation and low humidity, and often high winds. All of these can be affected by human-induced climate change and evidence is emerging that wildfire risk is already increasing in many regions. Such changes not only manifest as shifts in the means and extremes of the weather variables but can also be changes in the shape of their distributions. The importance of the full, regional Probability Density Functions (PDFs) of individual and aggregated variables, which contain information on expected weather not apparent from the distribution mean or tails, but through changes to their overall shape, for understanding climate risk has been broadly discussed in the literature. Furthermore, while simulations with regional climate models to derive such information are costly and time consuming, the advent of large ensembles of coupled climate model simulations has recently opened new opportunities.

Here we present a detailed characterization of the distribution and variability of weather variables conducive to wildfire risk across five high-latitude boreal regions in North America, Scandinavia and Russia. Building on methodology developed in Samset et al. (2019), we quantify the PDFs of daily data for a broad set of individual variables, as well as for the aggregate change expressed using the Canadian Fire Weather Index. Using ensembles of coupled simulations from two climate models (CanESM5 and MPI-ESM1-2) and two CMIP6 scenarios (the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5), we consistently quantify the changes of regionally and seasonally resolved PDFs under different levels of global warming.  

Our results provide a comprehensive picture of the potential future changes in drivers of fire weather and wildfire risk in the pan-Arctic region and demonstrate the difference between regions. We also show how statistical descriptions combined with emulation of Earth System Model (ESM) information can offer an alternative pathway to resource demanding model runs, for rapidly translating science to user-oriented information.
 Sexism in Science: Changing the conversation with comics 
Authors: Perez Diaz Lucia , Wright Kirstie , Arnould Maelis , Coltice Nicolas , Gerault Melanie , Mallard Claire
Published: March 2022

Our comics are based on real events experienced by real people, but should never have happened. Some events are blatant, others are subtle, but all leave you wondering “did this really happen?!”. Sadly the answer is yes, and they continue to happen, with testimonies on everyday sexism, sexist biases, aggressions and microaggressions regularly received by our team.

Started in 2016, the Did This Really Happen?! project was created from the shared experiences of a group of largely female scientists who found themselves in a male-dominated environment. By 2018 the project had progressed to collecting anonymous accounts of sexism in science from across the world, turning them into comics to share and spark a conversation. In 2020, in reflecting on the project so far, it was clear sexism in science was not confined to one career level in academia, with around half of testimonies coming from PhD and Early Career Researchers, with the other half coming from mid to senior level scientists. Several themes also emerged which were documented in Bocher et al., 2020 and identified the following;

treating women as objects (in 70% of testimonies)

questioning female competencies (in 61% of testimonies)

confining males to stereotypical roles (in 41% of testimonies)

In 2021, the DTRH?! project was relaunched with new team members and a new illustrator as the career and life paths of the original team changed and evolved. Here we present how we aim to document and illustrate the widespread sexist attitudes that affect both women (and men) in science today, challenging this behaviour with humour and to inspire discussion.
Analysing water quality variability at the Algerri-Balaguer irrigation district (Ebro River basin, Spain) 
Authors: Lacava Teodosio , Ciancia Emanuele
Published: March 2022

Agricultural production has been exposed to increased pressure in the latest years due to the combination of different factors. On one hand, indeed, there is an increasing demand for food due to the growth of the world population, on the other, some effects of climate changes, such as temperature increase and land degradation represent an evident threat for freshwater resources. In this context, implementing adequate and sustainably irrigation systems is fundamental, especially for semi-arid areas. The IDEWA (Irrigation and Drainage monitoring by remote sensing for Ecosystems and Water resources management) project, funded by the EU PRIMA program, aims at evaluating the whole performance of the irrigation process by developing innovative irrigation management tools based on readily available multi-sensor remote sensing data. Used input water and drained ones will be monitored together with other parameters (e.g. soil moisture, evapotranspiration, …) to evaluate their impact on downstream ecosystems in two study areas, namely the Ebro (Spain) and Tensift (Morocco) basins.

Among the different parameters considered, water quality variability between input and drained waters has been evaluated by using high-resolution satellite data,  acquired by the Multispectral Instrument (MSI) onboard SENTINEL-2 satellites and by the Operational Land Imager (OLI aboard Landsat-8). Two main in-water constituents, such as the chlorophyll-a (chl-a) and suspended particulate matter (spm) have been investigated. Different algorithms have been tested and assessed also for comparison with in-situ measurements collected during specific measurement campaigns. In this work, we analyzed water quality variability at the outlet of the Algerri-Balaguer irrigation district (within Ebro basin), an intensively irrigated area characterized by a dense network of drainage channels. The achieved results show that the chl-a and spm seasonal variability could be affected by agricultural and hydrological forcing, such as the use of fertilizers and water level variations/fluctuations.
Weak ENSO teleconnections contribute to the signal-to-noise paradox 
Authors: Williams Ned , Scaife Adam , Screen James
Published: March 2022

Operational seasonal forecasts demonstrate an increasingly useful level of skill in predicting extratropical winter climate. However, particularly in and around the Atlantic basin, atmospheric circulation features such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) exhibit a phenomenon known as the ‘signal-to-noise paradox’; where the ensemble mean correlates more strongly (on average) with observations than individual ensemble members. The paradox may be caused by overestimation of unpredictable internal noise, or by underestimation of the strength of predictable signals. The predictable component of extratropical winter climate is strongly influenced by tropical drivers such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Modelled teleconnections have errors in their phase and amplitude – either or both of which could contribute to the signal-to-noise paradox in the NAO index. We find that the amplitude of the tropospheric ENSO-North Atlantic teleconnection is weaker in the Met Office GloSea5 forecasting system than in observations. This leads to a smaller predictable signal and may therefore contribute to the signal-to-noise paradox. A method of amplitude correction is applied to GloSea5 hindcast data and reduces the signal-to-noise problem for geopotential height predictions in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. A similar method to correct phase errors has little effect. 
Adria-Eurasia collision front: insights from GNSS time series in NE Italy
Authors: Magrin Andrea , Tunini Lavinia , Zuliani David , Rossi Giuliana
Published: March 2022

North-Eastern Italy is a region of particular interest in tectonics because it is located on the northernmost edge of the convergent margin between Eurasia and the Adria microplate with consequences on the regional deformation and seismicity. The FReDNet (Friuli Venezia Giulia Deformation Network) GNSS network was established in 2002 to monitor the crustal deformation in NE-Italy and it is currently counting 19 permanent GNSS stations. In order to place the regional deformation in a broader tectonic context, we processed the data from FReDNet and other geodetic networks covering northern Italy and surrounding areas (including some sites in Slovenia and Austria) in the period 2002-2021. We used the GAMIT-GLOBK software ver10.71 to process multi-satellite data and to calculate the position and velocity for each station. We processed the whole dataset by using Galileo and G100 CINECA HPC clusters.  

In this study, we will show the processing strategies and analyze the GNSS time-series of NE-Italy stations, as well as the outcoming deformation field. The preliminary results  confirm the decrease in the velocity module from the Friuli plain toward the Alps, suggesting a possible deformation accrual in the latter.

This research was supported by OGS and CINECA under HPC-TRES program award number 2020-11. We acknowledge the CINECA award under the ISCRA initiative, for the availability of high performance computing resources and support (IscraC IsC83_GPSIT).
Feasibility of the mobile-lid regime controlled by grain size evolution
Authors: Manjón-Cabeza Córdoba Antonio , Rolf Tobias , Arnould Maëlis
Published: March 2022

One of the most discussed issues of whole-mantle geodynamic models is the need of an 'ad hoc' yield stress which is lower than any strength measurement of natural samples in the brittle or plastic regimes. It is commonly believed that grain size evolution, in particular grains size reduction due to dynamic recrystallization, may decrease the strength of the lithosphere and therefore aid the onset and persistence of the mobile-lid regime. In this work, we carry out an investigation of 2D whole-mantle annulus models with varying yield stress. We compare cases with different grain growth and grain reduction parameters to cases with constant grain size to make inferences on the feasibility of a plate-like convective regime as a function of the yield strength of the lithosphere.

Our results show that viscosity profiles of models with dynamic grain-size evolution are inherently different to those with constant grain size, and that those profiles vary little when changing grain-size evolution parameters. In this context, the lower mantle shows greater variations in viscosity than the upper mantle: with viscosity contrasts between upper and lower mantle and plume widths comparable to those of the Earth, in particular in models with enhanced grain growth. Furthermore, our models show that, while enhancing grain size reduction reduces episodicity and increases mobility up to some point, increasing grain growth favors mobile-lid convection even more. This is at odds with previous conceptions of the grain-size-evolution-induced mobile-lid regime, where grain groth should promote healing of the lithosphere and therefore inhibit subduction. We hypothesize that increased stiffness of the bottom of the lithosphere, together with a more viscous lower mantle, are the main reasons for the grain-grouth-favored mobile-lid regime.
Impact of grain size distribution and wind velocity on the armoring layer of aeolian megaripples
Authors: saban lior , Katra Itzhak , Yizhaq Hezi
Published: March 2022

Aeolian megaripples are a landscape formation widespread on Earth and Mars that develop in sand surfaces with a bimodal grain size distribution of coarse and fine grains. Megaripples are relatively high with a greater wavelength compared with normal sand ripples. Previous works provided quantitative information on the morphological characteristics, development, flattening mechanisms, longevity, and transverse instability of megaripples. It has been hypothesized that the sorting process of the initial bimodal size distribution is a key factor in megaripple formation. In this study, we experimentally explored the impact of the grain size distribution on the crest characteristics under different wind velocities in a boundary-layer wind tunnel. The controlled experiments allowed measurements of sand fluxes, particle size distributions, and ripple morphology by a laser module. The results reveal links between the rate of growth of the incipient megaripples, ripple height, and the armoring layer thickness and composition to wind velocity. The ripples grow higher as the wind velocity increases, and the armoring layer is thicker up to a certain wind velocity when erosion of the crest starts. In addition, the correlation between the armoring layer's nonlinear thickening rate and the ripples growth rate seems to indicate a fundamental connection between ripples height and the formation of the armoring layer, which is crucial for megaripples formation.
A first continuous and distributed satellite-based mapping of river discharge over the Amazon
Authors: Pellet Victor , Aires Filipe , Yamazaki Dai , Paris Adrien , Zhou Xudong
Published: March 2022

River discharge integrates many water-related processes over land, it is crucial for understanding inland water. Unfortunately, in situ measurements are very sparse at the global scale. This study presents a totally new approach for the mapping (i.e. spatially continuous estimate) of the river discharge based on satellite observation of hydrological variables and the water budget balance. First continuous satellite estimate of three water components (precipitation, evapotranspiration, and total water storage change) are corrected at basin scale using river discharge from a few gauge measurements. Secondly, the water budget is balanced at the grid level using flow direction for horizontal water exchange. This new approach is therefore based solely on satellite products and in situ measurements without the use of any dynamical model (except river map). The methodology is evaluated with the river dynamic model  CaMa-flood, altimetric water surface level (WSL) and surface water extent satellite estimate. While the spatial pattern of extreme events cannot be well represented only by in situ gauges information, our study shows the added value of the mapping to better describe these events. As hydrological application, our method can be used in synergy with all the altimetric stations to create discharge-WSL pair data, which will benefit to advanced applications.
Quantification of intra-plot variability of vine water status using Sentinel-2 : case study of two Belgian vineyards
Authors: Delval Louis , Javaux Mathieu , Jonard François , Delvaux Bruno
Published: March 2022

For decades, vines have been grown in dry regions, as the plant has to grow under water deficit to produce quality wines. Due in part to climate change, vine cultivation is developing in historically cooler and more humid regions. In addition to climate, soil and plant material are the terroir factors that most influence the water status of the vine, and conditions can be different within the same vineyard plot, implying heterogeneous vineyard management to achieve optimal wine quality.

The objective of this study is to explore the potential of Sentinel-2 to characterize the intra-plot variability of vine water status and its evolution through time.

Two Belgian vineyards, with high soil water availability intra-plot variation and different grape varieties, were selected. Both vineyards have grass in the inter-row and the spatial distributions of soil depth and soil water holding capacity (WHC) were measured. A cumulative drought index (DIcum) was also estimated for each plot.

Four years (2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021) of Sentinel-2 images of these two Belgian vineyards were analyzed. Several spectral indices, based on the blue, red, NIR and SWIR bands on a 10 x 10 m² grid, were calculated and compared to quantify the evolution of the water status of the vine, as a function of the weather conditions (DIcum), the grape variety and the WHC. Predawn leaf water potential (Ψpd) measurements were collected in situ at different dates during dry periods in order to compare them with the remote sensing indices.

We observed that spectral indices and the WHC were better correlated when the water conditions were the most constraining for the vine (e.g. R² = 0.72 on 16/08/18 for NDWI/EVI), i.e. when DIcum is lowest. Edaphic heterogeneity is therefore better captured by spectral indices when conditions are dry for the vine. The spectral indices have a low value when the WHC is low, and vice versa. The spectral index NDWI/EVI quantifies the water status of the vine better than the NDWI, when comparing linear regressions between the two spectral indices and the Ψpd measured in the field (R² = 0.67 for NDWI/EVI; R² = 0.64 for NDWI).

In conclusion, the NDWI/EVI spectral index, measured from the Sentinel-2 bands, is promising for quantifying the spatial distribution of vine water status on a regular basis at the plot scale.
The initiative for a diamond open access journal in the field of geomorphology: an effort grounded on and guided by EDI concepts
Authors: Lefebvre Alice , Stammler Melanie , Goodwin Guillaume , Bosch Rachel , Fernández Roberto , Grieve Stuart W D
Published: March 2022

In recent years, the traditional scientific publication system which operates with subscriptions for readers, and sometimes charges for authors, has been challenged. Open access journals have been funded, and subscription journals offer options for open access publications. Open access is an essential approach for lowering barriers in science, for supporting equal access to information, and for encouraging scientifically-based decisions by providing the newest findings and data to a large and diverse audience.

However, common open access options come with Article Processing Charges (APCs), which can vary from a few hundred to several thousand euros, to publish a paper. In contrast to the idea of inclusivity that is initiated by the open access process, these charges create exclusivity in terms of publishing possibilities - limiting equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Several funding bodies and universities in Northern and Western Europe encourage the open access process by dedicating funds to cover publication costs for research staff. In contrast, many researchers from institutions in developing countries, small universities or private research organisations must include these costs in sometimes limited research budgets. Moreover, researchers on temporary contracts with limited access to research funds due to the nature of their employment also face barriers to publishing in open access outlets. As a result, inclusivity toward readers often comes at the cost of exclusivity toward authors. 

In the last three years, an initiative has grown in the geoscientific community to create diamond open access journals, which are free to access, free to read, and free to publish, for all. This started with Volcanica, and now, Seismica, Tektonika and Sedimentologika have launched their own community-led, field-specific journals. One key component of these initiatives is their inherent relation to the concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion, which underlay and guide their every aspect.

Here, we discuss ideas on how to build a future geomorphology diamond open access journal - Geomorphic(k)a - around EDI values. Our effort is grounded in EDI principles from the start, not as an afterthought; EDI guides our actions. 

We welcome input from all sectors of the geoscientific community to help us continually improve the initiative. We will share our plans to integrate EDI in the journal development. We would welcome feedback, comments, ideas and a stimulating discussion.
Siberian fire ignition caused by the dry lightning activity
Authors: Kim Jin-Soo , Min Seung-Ki , Seong Min-Gyu , Kim Daehyun , Holzworth Robert , Koo Ja-Ho , Timmermann Axel , Schaepman-Strub Gabriela
Published: March 2022

Wildfire activity in Siberia (60E-180E, 55N-80N) has been observed to be more frequent and stronger in recent years. To understand the underlying mechanism of the positive trend in the frequency and strength of wildfire events, especially the role of lightning, we analyzed the relationship among fire ignition, Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE), precipitation, and lightning flash density over Siberia using observations and reanalysis products for the period 2012–2020. A similar analysis was performed on an ultra-high-resolution (25-km) climate model simulation made with Community Earth System Model version 1.2.2 (CESM) under a greenhouse gas-induced warming scenario. In the observations, we found that while the number of lightning flashes is proportional to CAPE and precipitation, the number of fire ignition is only proportional to CAPE. In particular, we identified a threshold of 3.5 mm/day of precipitation, below which fire ignition occurs more frequently. Our analyses reveal that precipitation plays a role in suppressing fire ignition, but dry lightning with high CAPE and low precipitation effectively cause fire ignitions. In the CESM simulation, we found a robust increase in the number of days with high CAPE (> 700 J/kg) and low precipitation (< 3.5 mm/day), which suggests an increase in the frequency of dry lightning events, and therefore more lightning-induced wildfire events in Siberia.
Reducing Sample Size Requirements by Extending Discrete Choice Experiments to Indifference Elicitation
Authors: Sriwastava Ambuj , Reichert Peter
Published: March 2022

Environmental decision support aims to aid decision makers in identifying management alternatives which reflect the societal preferences as close as possible. This requires a representation of societal preferences through describing the preference structure and elicitation of individual preferences. As scientific knowledge is always incomplete, societal preferences aggregate uncertain individual preferences, and both have to be quantified by simplified models, the consideration of uncertainty is of high importance in environmental decision support. Decision analysis, in particular multi-attribute value theory and multi-attribute utility theory, provide a good theoretical basis for such a decision support process. 

Discrete choice experiments are a convenient tool for preference elicitation and their statistical evaluation leads to unbiased estimates of preference model parameters. We demonstrate that by extending discrete choice questions to the elicitation of preference indifference, we can achieve a reduction in the uncertainty of estimated value function parameters by about a factor of three or a reduction in sample size required to achieve the same accuracy by about a factor of ten. This is obtained at the cost of a higher elicitation effort for each question as it involves the provision of preference information through indifference statements. Using synthetically generated data to allow us to analyse potential bias and to perform a sensitivity analysis regarding sample size and uncertainty ranges, we quantitatively compare discrete choice experiments with indifference elicitation regarding the achieved accuracy of parameter estimates. We test these aspects by employing Bayesian inference for parameter estimation for different shapes of the value function using an error model for values as it is often used for the evaluation of discrete choice experiments, and an additional error model for the specification of the indifference point. Through the quantification of the gain in accuracy, our study provides a basis for assessing the trade-off between higher elicitation effort per choice situation and the required sample size. The elicitation of preference indifference opens new perspectives whenever the set of stakeholders from whom preferences have to be elicited is limited, for example in the case of preference elicitation from experts in environmental management. In such cases, the higher elicitation effort may be manageable and results in a similar accuracy of results with about one-tenths of the sample size compared to discrete choice replies or higher accuracy for smaller sample size reductions. 
Possible approach to setting lower discharge limits for the characterization of hydrological drought
Authors: Blaskovicova Lotta , Poorova Jana , Danacova Zuzana , Jeneiova Katarina
Published: March 2022

The monitoring of hydrological drought is an important part of surface water monitoring and assessment provided by the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute. The methodology of the on-line evaluation of the mean monthly discharges in selected water-gauging stations (WS) is actually based on selected quantiles of the mean long-term monthly discharges (Qma,1961-2000). However it turns out that in the lowest category (≤ 20% Qma) the occurrence of mean monthly and daily discharges lower than this limit significantly varies among the stations in different regions of Slovakia and/or different regime types and sizes of the rivers. Therefore, in this article, we have focused on the evaluation of the extent of the occurrence of mean monthly and daily discharges bellow selected limits in the reference period 1961-2000 as well as in the period 2001-2020. The results confirmed that the lowest limit 20%Qma (as a limit for extreme hydrological drought) is too low for large part of evaluated WS or at least for part of the months of the year. The extent of months and days bellow selected limits significantly differ also in the period 2001-2020 comparing with the reference period.
Timing of rock-uplift and of the North Anatolian Fault development in the Central Pontides
Authors: Racano Simone , Schildgen Taylor , Ballato Paolo
Published: March 2022

The Central Pontide orogenic belt marks the northern margin of the Central Anatolian Plateau and is the result of several geodynamic processes, including the subduction of the Neo-Tethys crust, the opening of the Black Sea, the continental collision between the southern Eurasian margin and the Anatolide-Tauride block, and the development of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF). Transpressional deformation and crustal thickening along the North Anatolian fault zone are thought to have generated rock-uplift rates of 0.2 – 0.3 km/Myr since ca. 400 ka within the Central Pontides based on Quaternary marine and river terraces. Moreover, data from low-temperature thermochronology suggest that an enhanced exhumation phase in the Central Pontides occurred within the last 11 Mya. However, the precise onset of this faster uplift phase, which likely reflects the timing of the development of the NAF in the Central Pontides, is poorly constrained.

In this work we define the spatiotemporal pattern of rock-uplift rates within the Central Pontides over the last ca. 10 Myr by performing linear inversions of river profiles that drain the northern, external margin of the Central Pontides. We analyze 19 different catchments that drain from the Sinop Range to the Black Sea, first applying a non-dimensional inversion on the chi-plots of the selected stream channels. We then use 21 new basin-averaged denudation rates derived from 10Be concentrations in river sands to calibrate an erodibility parameter, which we use in turn to scale our chi-transformed river profiles. Our results document an increase in rock-uplift rates after 8 Ma, with peak uplift rates of around 0.15 – 0.25 km/Myr occurring between 4 and 2 Ma. Moreover, the spatiotemporal pattern of uplift suggests that faster rock uplift started first in the eastern part of the Sinop Range and migrated westward over a period of ca. 2 to 2.5 Myr. Overall, these results provide important new constraints on the timing of topographic development in the Central Pontides and the westward migration of the NAF from eastern Turkey.
The Analysis of the Aftershock Sequence of the Recent Mainshock in Arkalochori, Crete Island Greece
Authors: Moshou Alexandra , Konstantaras Antonios , Argyrakis Panagiotis
Published: March 2022

Forecasting the evolution of natural hazards is a critical problem in natural sciences. Earthquake forecasting is one such example and is a difficult task due to the complexity of the occurrence of earthquakes. Until today, earthquake prediction is based on the time before the occurrence of the main earthquake and is based mainly on empirical methods and specifically on the seismic history of a given area. Τhe analysis and processing of its seismicity play a critical role in modern statistical seismology. In this work, a first attempt is made to study and draw safe conclusions regarding the prediction for the seismic sequence, specifically using appropriate statistical methods like Bayesian predictive, taking into account the uncertainties of the model parameters. The above theory was applied in the recent seismic sequence in the area of ​​Arkalochori in Crete Island, Greece (2021, Mw 6.0). Τhe rich seismic sequence that took place immediately after the main 5.6R earthquake with a total of events for the next three months, approximately 4,000 events of magnitude ML > 1 allowed calculating the probability of having the most significant expected earthquake during a given time as well as calculating the probability that the most significant aftershock is expected to be above a certain magnitude after a major earthquake.

References:

Ganas, A., Fassoulas, C., Moshou, A., Bozionelos, G., Papathanassiou, G., Tsimi, C., & Valkaniotis, S. (2017). Geological and seismological evidence for NW-SE crustal extension at the southern margin of Heraklion basin, Crete. Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, 51, 52-75. doi: https://doi.org/10.12681/bgsg.15004

Konstantaras, A.J. (2016). Expert knowledge-based algorithm for the dynamic discrimination of interactive natural clusters. Earth Science Informatics. 9 (1), 95-100.

Konstantaras, A. (2020). Deep learning and parallel processing spatio-temporal clustering unveil new Ionian distinct seismic zone. Informatics. 7 (4), 39.

Moshou, A., Papadimitriou, E., Drakatos, G., Evangelidis, C., Karakostas, V., Vallianatos, F., & Makropoulos, K. (2014, May). Focal Mechanisms at the convergent plate boundary in Southern Aegean, Greece. In EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts (p. 12185)

Moshou, A., Argyrakis, P., Konstantaras, A., Daverona, A.C. & Sagias, N.C. (2021). Characteristics of Recent Aftershocks Sequences (2014, 2015, 2018) Derived from New Seismological and Geodetic Data on the Ionian Islands, Greece. 6 (2), 8.

C.B., Nolet. G., 1997. P and S velocity structure of the Hellenic area obtained by robust nonlinear inversion of travel times. J. Geophys. Res. 102 (8). 349–367
Sustainable runoff management using spatial modeling and multi-objective optimization
Authors: Tal-maon Merav , Broitman Dani , Portman Michelle , Housh Mashor
Published: March 2022

The rise in urbanization and the potential effects of climate change have increased the risk of flooding. Water Sensitive Planning (WSP) is a novel development approach combining regional and urban planning with water resources management. WSP aims to reduce stormwater's adverse effects, enhance potential hydrological ecosystem services, and treat stormwater as a resource rather than a hazard. This method considers various structural solutions (e.g., wetlands, permeable pavement, swales) to increase infiltration and water detention/retention.

These solutions need to be part of a regional-based strategy for maximum effectiveness. A spatial modeling tool can be used to simulate and quantify the effects of different solutions according to the characteristics of each place. The results of the simulation can then feed an optimization problem. This research aims to develop a holistic, simple-to-use methodology for surface runoff management by combining spatial modeling and multi-objective optimization. This methodology will be capable of considering various and sometimes conflicting hydrological, ecological, social, and economic goals.

We consider a realistic case study of the Tavor subbasin of the Jordan South watershed in Israel, using two different hydrological modeling tools: OpenNSPECT and SWAT. In the OpenNSPECT model, we divided the watershed into land parcels; then introduced a water detention-based solution to each parcel. We used the results to construct a Pareto optimum frontier to indicate the optimal placement for reducing runoff and sediment in key flood-sensitive areas. The SWAT model was used to compute annual average runoff and sediment. We then used this data as input for the systematic conservation software MARXAN to identify areas of an effective trade-off between hydrologic ecosystem services (runoff and sediment retention) and alternative land-use costs. We provide insight into the different solutions yielded by these two approaches and discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and possible future use.