bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulating the impact of estuarine fronts on microplastic concentrations in well-mixed estuaries
Authors: Jones Nia , Robins Peter , Neill Simon
Published: February 2023

Oceanic and coastal fronts are well-documented as accumulators of microplastic debris; however the impact of estuarine fronts and their associated secondary flows on microplastic concentrations are less well-known. An investigation into the dynamics of microplastic behaviour within estuarine systems will allow for a greater understanding of plastic retention and exportation to coastal and offshore environments. This study combines high resolution modelling of estuarine processes with realistically parameterized microplastic particles to determine local exposure levels, residence times and temporal variability. We present a validated, three-dimensional, D-Flow Flexible mesh (D-Flow FM) model of a well-mixed estuary (Conwy Estuary, Wales, UK), demonstrating the regular development of an axial convergent front following high tide. A Lagrangian particle tracking model has been applied to simulate the behaviour of microplastic in these frontal systems and analyse how this behaviour may change as a response to various river discharge levels and tidal phases. The results of the ocean model and Lagrangian particle tracking model will be presented. Understanding how estuarine fronts impact microplastic concentration and dispersal within estuaries will increase the accuracy of modelling and in-situ estuarine microplastic studies alike, helping to quantify the contribution of well-mixed estuaries to regional and global microplastic budgets, and bridging the gap between terrestrial and marine environments.
The impact of extreme heat during pregnancy and childbirth in Johannesburg, South Africa
Authors: Brimicombe Chloe , Sachs dos Santos Annika , Solarin Ijeoma , Maimela Gloria , Cherish Matthew , Wieser Katharina , Otto Ilona M.
Published: February 2023

Heatwaves and Heat Stress are an increasing risk on a global scale with our changing climate. For Southern Africa, it has been demonstrated that the number of heatwaves and heat stress days have increased since the 1980s. Consequently, a greater proportion of people in the region are exposed to extreme heat for longer periods of time. Extreme heat has been shown to have negative effects on maternal health and birth outcomes and is compounded by existing vulnerabilities such as age and lower socio-economic status. Limited previous research in Africa has demonstrated that exposure to extreme heat in the first weeks of pregnancy can cause complications during and after pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. In addition, it has been found that exposure to extreme heat in the region increases the risk of low birth weight, pre-term birth and in some cases stillbirth. In this study, maternal health data from tertiary hospitals in Johannesburg is analysed against local weather station observations for temperature and heat stress. We assess the threshold at which extreme heat has adverse health outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth (intra-partum) and suggest potential interventions to mitigate against this. This work contributes to calls to improve the understanding of the impacts of extreme heat on maternal and child health in Africa. It also supports work to create global maternal and child climate change health indicators, to better inform adaptation and mitigation efforts.
This research is part of HIGH horizons which is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement no 101057843
Diurnal and seasonal patterns of fluorescent bioaerosol and meteorological parameters in Bucharest, Romania
Authors: Ana-Maria Rosianu , Sabina Stefan , Luminita Marmureanu , Gabriela Iorga
Published: February 2023

Pollen concentrations present in the atmosphere can raise serious human health problems, which is why they require studies with a higher precision and temporal resolution. The weather condition can produce direct changes in the growth and development of plants leading to changes in pollen concentrations or even changes in the pollen seasonal characteristics. This research was carried out on fluorescent bioaerosol concentrations obtained with the particle counter Rapid-E instrument that allows automatic collection. Fluorescent bioaerosol data were collected as hourly counts in the period 2018-2021 for the Bucharest-Magurele and were divided into three categories depending on the size of the particle diameter, namely small fluorescent particles (SF, particles less than 10 micrometers), large fluorescent particles (BF, greater than 10 micrometers) and, respectively, the total of fluorescent particles TF=SF+BF. In this research, diurnal variations of fluorescent bioaerosol concentrations as well as of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and the height of the planetary boundary layer were studied. Hourly meteorological parameters were extracted from ECMWF global reanalysis ERA5 dataset from the Climate Change Service Copernicus platform. The multi-monthly averages and seasonal variations were also emphasized and local specificities were underlined. Statistical analyzes and graphical representations were performed using R software with the Openair package. Key words: bioaerosol, pollen, allergens, meteorology, aerobiology, East Europe
Eddy covariance measurements of black carbon emissions in central London
Authors: Cheng Zixuan , Allan James , Hu Dawei , Nemitz Eiko , Langford Ben , Helfter Carole , Drysdale Will , Lee James , Cash James , Cliff Sam , Liu Dantong , Rutambhara Joshi
Published: February 2023

Black carbon (BC) is a significant environmental health and climate forcing concern. Direct measurement of black carbon fluxes using eddy covariance can quantify emissions and identify sources. Previous studies have quantified urban black carbon emissions in highly polluted countries such as China and India, but to date no research has been done in the UK and Europe. This study uses an eddy covariance system using a Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) deployed on the BT Tower in London to directly measure BC fluxes in central London. This is as part of the UK Integrated Research Observation System for Clean Air (OSCA). We have produced some primary results including time series of black carbon concentrations and fluxes in central London in winter and summer and diurnal profiles. Comparisons with NOx and organic matter fluxes are also underway to identify the main sources of black carbon in central London and suggest that due to recent emissions controls, cooking may now be the most significant local source rather than transport or space heating.
The Venus-Ostrea assemblage in the Lower Pleistocene Arda River section: species-specific responses to climate change
Authors: Crippa Gaia
Published: February 2023

The Early Pleistocene was a time interval characterized by several climatic oscillations linked to glacial/interglacial cycles and by a progressive climatic cooling which culminated with the onset of Middle-Late Pleistocene large continental glaciations in the Northern Hemisphere. After the Last Glacial Maximum the Earth underwent a progressive warming, up to nowadays conditions. The Mediterranean area was strongly affected by these climatic changes both in marine and continental settings. The Lower Pleistocene Emilian marine successions (northern Italy) represent excellent case studies where to study how mollusk fossil assemblages changed over time in response to climate modifications.In particular, the Venus-Ostrea assemblage, reported in several Lower Pleistocene marine successions of northern Italy (Arda, Stirone and Chero sections), has never been studied in detail. Here, the Venus-Ostrea assemblage of the Arda River section has been analyzed from a systematic and a paleoecological point of view, resulting in the identification of 23 taxa belonging to bivalves and gastropods. As the majority of the retrieved taxa is represented by living species, a comparison between their fossil and present-day environment has been carried out to observe if there were changes in their habitat from the Early Pleistocene to nowadays.Three different species-specific responses to climate changes were observed: 1) some species, namely Turritellinella tricarinata, Aporrhais uttingeriana and Nassarius semistriatus, were unable to adapt to the climatic cooling and became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene; 2) other species have changed their bathymetric distributions from cooler Pleistocene to warmer present-day conditions; for instance, Venus nux, which during the Early Pleistocene was abundant in the Adriatic Sea at shallow water depths (20-40 m), currently lives in restricted areas of the Mediterranean Sea at water depths of 75-100 m, where seawater temperatures are cooler and thus more favorable for the proliferation of the species; 3) finally, other species do not show variations in their geographic or bathymetric distribution.This study reveals the occurrence in the Lower Pleistocene marine successions of northern Italy of an association of taxa which is no longer present in the modern Adriatic Sea, stressing the importance that environmental and climatic conditions have on the distribution of organisms.
Root water uptake in grasslands with different management
Authors: Westermann Sven , Bumberger Jan , Schädler Martin , Hildebrandt Anke
Published: February 2023

Grasslands are highly dynamic ecosystems which adapt to environmental factors such as climate, soil characteristics and anthropogenic management. Yet, the belowground reaction and adaptation of grassland communities to aboveground drivers are poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated differences in the temporal dynamics of root water uptake, its depth pattern and the evolution of plant available soil water storage between grassland of three distinct management types. Root water uptake in 6 depths up to 90 cm was estimated from diurnal fluctuations of soil water content during rain free periods. Soil moisture measurements were conducted on three replicates of (i) extensively and (ii) intensively managed grassland plots as well as (iii) extensive pasture plots at the Global Change Experimental Facility (GCEF) in Bad Lauchstädt (Central Germany). We found that the grassland vegetation takes up water in depths up to 70 cm during the vegetation period. But while reaching deeper, the total amount of extracted water decreased. The main water source at the beginning of the growing season and after each mowing was in the top 20 cm. However, after mowing, still some uptake in greater depths can be observed. Interestingly, the pastures showed the shallowest uptake profiles although they are not mown and despite their high biodiversity. Our results confirm that water uptake by growing grassland vegetation shifts to deeper soil layers when compensating for the accumulated atmospheric water deficit.
Topographic signature of tectonics in glacial landscapes
Authors: Scherler Dirk , Banerjee Argha
Published: February 2023

An interplay of rock uplift and glacial erosion shapes glacierized mountains across the globe. Under the simplifying assumption that subglacial bedrock erosion is proportional to the local ice flux, a steady balance between uplift and erosion is used to theoretically predict the elevation distribution (hypsometry) of glacier cover above the long-term snowline. When snow accumulation rates increase linearly with elevation, the theory predicts a half-normal distribution with a range that is proportional to the million-year scale local uplift rate. The theoretical form fits well the present-day hypsometry of glacier cover in glacierized mountain ranges across the globe, which may indicate a prevailing approximate long-term balance between glacial erosion and uplift. The fits obtain realistic estimates of the spatial patterns of uplift, which align well with geologic boundaries, and explain global variations in the maximum height of mountain peaks measured from the long-term local snowline. However, a comparison of hypsometry-derived uplift rates with thermochronology-derived exhumation rates yields large residuals, likely due to the simplifying assumptions and a poorly calibrated erosion law. Despite the limitations, the steady-state theory presented successfully describes both the glacier-cover hypsometry and the peak heights on a global scale, connecting them to the million-year scale local uplift rates.
Radiative Effects of Recent Changes in PM2.5 Pollution over China and Local and Remote Climate Impacts
Authors: Chen Yue , R. Arnold Steve , T. Turnock Steven
Published: February 2023

The large reduction in anthropogenic aerosol emissions across China in recent years has improved China’s air quality but also caused changes in radiative forcing. Some studies confirmed the reduction of aerosols over China cause a positive radiative forcing locally and play an important role in Arctic warming. However, few studies have differentiated and quantified the radiative forcing of different aerosol components including BC and sulphate. Here, we aim to understand the reduction of black carbon (BC) and SO2 emissions over China from 2008 to 2016 under a series of policies enacted by the Chinese government and to determine the change in radiative forcing both locally and remotely. We use the Evaluating the Climate and Air Quality Impacts of Short-Lived Pollutants (ECLIPSE) emission inventory to represent China's emissions of the two pollutants during this period and use the United Kingdom Earth System Model (UKESM) v-1 to calculate the individual radiative forcing due to changes in all anthropogenic aerosols, China BC only, and China SO2 only between 2008 and 2016. Finally, we use the temperature coefficients of individual pollutants at different latitude bands to calculate the temperature responses. Our results show the largest reduction of BC over China was from the residential and energy sectors, while the reduction in SO2 emissions from energy and industrial sources were significant. Compared with other inventories, ECLIPSE overestimates the reduction of emissions but shows the same trend. The aerosol radiative forcing over China locally due to the large Chinese emission reductions of BC and SO2 are -0.30±0.01Wm-2 and 1.03±0.07 Wm-2, respectively, which jointly accounts for more than 80% of the total aerosol radiative forcing calculated by the model from all anthropogenic aerosol emission sources. In addition, changes in BC and SO2 over China together contributed to a positive radiative forcing of 0.18 Wm-2 across the North Pacific. However, BC and sulphate are not major contributors to changes in Arctic radiative forcing. The temperature response due to BC (-0.008 ℃) and sulphate (0.060 ℃) is most pronounced locally in the mid-latitudes, while the temperature response in the low and high latitudes is small. This study bridges the gap on changes in radiative forcing due to anthropogenic emissions reductions in China and quantifies the contributions of BC and sulphate aerosols to better understand the impact of air pollution emission control policies on climate.
Hydrodynamic analysis of the impact of changes from precipitation extremes to surface water flooding in future climates
Authors: Ming Xiaodong , Liang Qiuhua , Fowler Hayley , Raven Emma
Published: February 2023

Climate change has resulted in significantly more frequent precipitation extremes in many parts of the world. Latest research based on UK Climate Projections has suggested that short-term precipitation is projected to increase by 20% to 45% across the UK, providing more specific information compared to previous official guidance that used a single value for the whole UK. The impact of precipitation increase to surface water flooding has been evaluated based on statistical methods to some extent. However, most existing studies are not able to capture the physical process of flood dynamics although it is critical to understand the flooding process interacting complex built-environment during those highly transient extreme events to quantify the actual risk. This work investigates and quantifies impact of the change of rainfall on the spatial pattern of surface water flooding using a 2D hydrodynamic model to simulate designed rainfall events with climate change uplifts.  Flood depth and extent maps are produced in six cities/catchments across the UK against rainfall of different return periods to demonstrate potential change of surface water flood risk in future climate. The results translate the latest UK Climate Projections into intuitional flood risk changes and can be valuable to policy-makers and stakeholders to update policy and practice on surface water flood risk management, as well as providing new methodologies and tools.
Satellite-based burn severity mapping and evaluating the transferability of Copernicus EMS data using machine learning approaches
Authors: Park Seonyoung , Lee Kyungil
Published: February 2023

Abiotic and biotic factors in forest ecosystems can all be significantly and immediately impacted by forest fires. Additionally, fires pose a long-term concern because they release greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere, damage habitat, cause soil erosion, and affect local and global temperatures. In the absence of sufficient information on the damaged forests, such as location, area, and burn severity, issues in policy decisions for restoration inevitably arise. In this study, burned areas and severity were mapped using eight spectral indices derived from Sentinel 2 MSI images using machine learning approaches (Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM)). The dataset from Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) was employed as the reference truth for burned area and severity. Our approaches were tested for two study sites that had a similar meteorological environment (dry season) and species (coniferous vegetation).  This study presents a novel methodology for mapping burned areas and severity using Sentinel-2 MSI data and CEMS data, aiming at achieving mapping accuracy and transferability. RF performed better than SVM when classifying pixels within heterogeneous regions. The Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI) were quite significant in determining the severity of a fire, indicating that they might be useful in identifying senescent plants. The findings also demonstrated that the CEMS dataset can be used as a reference for classifying fire damage in other regions. The use of this approach makes it possible to quickly and accurately map the extent of the damage caused by forest fires and has applicability for other disasters.
Submarine cable drifting and landslide investigation based on ship noise recorded by seismometer
Authors: Lin Yi-Chin , Lin Jing-Yi
Published: February 2023

After the Ml 5.8 Hualien earthquake occurred the 4 February 2018, the power of the submarine cable seismic and tsunami observation system of Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau (CWB) has been shut down for several days, and the attitude of one of the OBS, EOS4, shown 37° rotation and an increase of pressure by an equivalent of 4 meters in depth after the power restoration. To find the actual position of this station, we applied the method of Trabattoni et al. (2020), which calculated the cepstrum based on the time difference between the direct and first reverberation wave of ship noise. However, the flat seabed assumption in this approach may not be suitable for EOS4 which is characterized by a dramatic topography variation. In our study, we developed a Fortran program to calculate the travel time curve by incorporating bathymetry variation and compared it with the result obtained by using active sources to assess the applicability of the program. The result shows the bathymetry variation does affect the OBS relocation. Apart from the position difference, the time difference between the observed and theoretical cepstrum curves could be induced by bathymetry variation. In addition, signal strength indicates the roughness and material of the area around the reflection point. To investigate the drift of EOS4, we select the AIS data of cargo ships within a radius of 30km from the EOS4 for two different time periods, which are 2/1-2/4 15:00 and 2/6-2/15, before and after the 2018 ML 5.8 earthquake. We select 27 and 76 ship traces has significant signals for two time periods, respectively. The minor change in the lateral direction of the cepstrum shows that the site location after the earthquake could not drift for a long distance, but the 0.2s time difference in the vertical direction of the cepstrum could indicate that the site has been buried, which is in the agreement of the pressure change of the station. The energy ratio of the hydrophone and the vertical channel of seismometer decreases at relatively lower frequencies and increases at higher frequencies. This phenomenon also supports our estimation. In addition, based on the cepstrum obtained from the ship tracks for a different direction, we obtained the time difference distribution in two dimensions, which may provide a new approach for bathymetry variation monitoring.
Features and extent of meltwater impact on glacial bay’s flow pattern, water level and salinity revealed through multi-scenario 3D modelling and in situ measurements in Admiralty Bay, Antarctica
Authors: Osińska Maria
Published: February 2023

A 3D modelling of glacial bay hydrodynamics has been performed in Admiralty Bay (AB), King George Island, Antarctica, using Delft3D Flow model with tides and density gradients as its drivers. It was conducted in multiple scenarios of varied glacial input - a baseline case without meltwater added, and scenarios with meltwater input divided into two modes: drained through entire glacial front and with glacial input solely added to the surface layers of the ocean. Each mode was further divided into three cases dependent on the volume of  freshwater added, with estimated small, medium and large volume input case per each mode. Through these seven studied scenarios a character of glacial impact on overall glacial bay flow patterns, water level changes and salinity was shown. Results revealed general circulation pattern in AB, consisting of two cyclonic circulation cells that control water exchange between the bay and the ocean. Cells are separated by a boundary area, located approximately 7 km from the bay’s opening, dividing Admiralty Bay into waters primarily driven by the ocean, and inner waters significantly influenced by glacial input. This pattern is consistent in all studied cases, however its intensity and specific location is controlled by the volume of glacial input and tidal phases. Although water level changes have been found to be overall predominantly driven by tides, areas within the boundary and top 50-60 m of the water column are substantially influenced by glacial forcing, regardless of the scenario mode. Salinity distribution showed strong water column stratification, classifying AB as a salt-wedge estuary. Gathered results have been confronted with abundant in situ measurements consisting of ADCP probing validating water flow velocities and CTD+ profile measurements consistently carried out in 31 locations in AB, throughout three-year long period. Modelled calculations compared with measurement dataset allowed an estimation of summerly glacial inflow volume into AB from adjacent twenty tidewater glaciers. These values contrasted with CTD+ data from different seasons permitted assessment of glacial input volume variability during the course of the year. Altogether results of the study give first in this scale and detail image of seasonally changing impact of glaciers on Antarctic bay waters.
Accounting for seasonality in trends of extreme precipitation
Authors: Schellander Harald , Falkensteiner Marc-André , Ehrensperger Gregor , Hell Tobias
Published: February 2023

For the estimation of daily precipitation extremes, the metastatistical extreme value distribution (MEVD) is known to perform superior to classical approaches like the generalized extreme value distribution, especially for small sample lengths. This is due to the fact that the MEVD incorporates all ordinary rainfall events within a block rather than only the extremes, which then emerge from repeated sampling of ordinary events. For daily rainfall extremes, the MEVD combines the Weibull distribution of ordinary daily rainfall events and the number of wet days per year as additional random variable. The MEVD provides yearly distributional parameters, which makes it already capable of analyzing temporal trends in daily precipitation extremes.But still, the MEVD in its current formulation does not take into account the seasonal, i.e. sub-yearly character of ordinary precipitation events. This problem becomes apparent when events originating from fundamentally different precipitation regimes show very similar MEVD parameters.In this contribution we therefore propose to explicitly model both the temporal trend and interannual seasonality of daily rainfall extremes and present an explicitly non-stationary MEVD formulation which is called temporal MEVD or TMEV. The TMEV is then used to derive historical trends of rainfall extremes in Austria. It is shown that the 50-year return level of daily rainfall in Austria has significantly increased over the last 30 years at the majority of Austrian observation sites. Furthermore the temporal change of the extreme value distribution is analyzed with respect to seasonality. 
Modelling three-phase magma dynamics during assimilation: Insights into the formation of low-δ18O rhyolites at Krafla, Iceland
Authors: Aellig Pascal , Keller Tobias , Bachmann Olivier , Troch Juliana
Published: February 2023

The discovery of 18O-depleted igneous rocks at Krafla, Iceland, suggests that the system interacted with crustal rocks that experienced high-temperature hydrothermal alteration by a meteoric fluid to deviate from the expected mantle signature (δ18O = 5.5 ‰). Such assimilation is documented in low-δ18O settings worldwide, however, the mechanisms of this dynamic process remain poorly understood.  Due to intense drilling activity and exploration at Krafla, both hydrothermally altered crustal rocks and parental magma are comparably well characterized, making Krafla a great case study for the application of a numerical model that can further advance the understanding of the formation process of low-δ18O magmas. In this study, we use a new three-phase two-component thermo-chemical-mechanical model to simulate the effect of variable crustal compositions on the assimilation process and the magma chamber dynamics.  We define the simplified square-shaped magma chamber (10 x 10 m) of magma with initially basaltic composition (1250 °C) that assimilates the crustal rock (500 °C) at the top and bottom. Our results indicate that convective behaviour and the formation of cumulate layers can significantly hinder the assimilation process. While the crystal settling Stokes speed scale is the dominant driver for the formation of this boundary layer, depending on the assimilation timescales, the mushy chamber margins are able to grow to sufficient thickness to prohibit additional assimilation of low-δ18O crustal material. Density and buoyancy contrasts produce three types of convection: chamber convection, layered convection and plume driven convection. Final magma compositions in our preliminary model outputs range from mafic to intermediate but are not able to reach the felsic compositions encountered at Krafla. This suggests that evolution towards the erupted low-δ18O rhyolitic products involved multiple stages or included additional factors not yet accounted for in our model. Further refining of this and similar thermo-chemical-mechanical model setups may provide important new insights into the assimilation dynamics in the Krafla volcanic field and other low-δ18O settings worldwide. 
Untangling the Interhemispheric Response to Solar Wind Drivers through Numerical Experiments
Authors: Ozturk Dogacan , Kim Hyomin , Xu Zhonghua , Kuzichev Ilya
Published: February 2023

With the increased availability of ground magnetic field measurements from the Northern and Southern hemispheres at higher latitudes, further insight could be gained into how the physical processes coupling magnetosphere and ionosphere vary with solar wind forcing. In this study, we report a solar wind dynamic pressure enhancement followed by an interplanetary magnetic field clock angle change on February 13, 2014. We use measurements from East Antarctica and West Greenland regions to investigate when and where the magnetic field signatures differ. Finally, we use the University of Michigan Space Weather Framework (SWMF) to conduct numerical simulations to explain the differences in the interhemispheric responses to the changes in solar wind dynamic pressure enhancement and IMF clock angle together and separately.  This work is supported by NASA LWS Program and makes use of the NASA High-End Computing Capability.
Mediterranean landforms evaluation for biogeomorphodiversity assessments: where biotic meets abiotic diversity for sustainable olive orchards
Authors: Ceccherini Maria Teresa , Moretti Sandro , Roccotelli Angela , Tommasini Simone , Pelacani Samuel
Published: February 2023

Geomorphodiversity is a new emerging topic in earth sciences. Landform  diversity influences and interacts with both biodiversity and geodiversity. Hence, there is an increased awareness of the need to understand patterns of geomorphodiversity in different landscapes facing the actual global change. An increasing body of evidence indicates that global climate change is taking place and that it will have important effects on biological processes over the next decades, such as yields and  the quality of products, the distribution and outbreak potential of pests in a vast range of crops species, and across all land uses and landscapes.A new approach of landform geodiversity and biodiversity evaluation is proposed, based on the geomorphometric-biogeochemical signature of several geodynamic settings of the Tuscany region. Starting from a geomorphometry approach, the geostatistical and geostochastic modelling enables to quantify, describe, and compare different landforms, providing an objective and useful tool to delineate the signature and the bio-geocomplexity of landforms. The geochemical approach is  based on the detection of REEs pattern distribution and fractionation signatures as tools for tracing natural geochemical processes and soil-plant interactions to compare landforms of different origins. Using both REEs and the 87Sr/86Sr ratio it was possible to compare landscapes of different origins and ages. In addition, bioinformatics were used to evaluate species–environment relationships, and to determine factors explaining changes in  bacterial composition developed on eleven contrasting lithologies.Whereas most authors have focused on mountainous, coastal and/or continental areas, for the first time a study of this type is applied to different landforms that support a centuries-old Mediterranean olive groves.The general aims of this work is to define a conceptual framework and test a new methodology to improve the knowledge related to the interaction between chemico-physical and biological soil processes able to shape landforms at various spatio-temporal scales. In particular, we will discuss the role of bio-geomorphic interactions influencing the nutrient/mineral content in olive fruit for geographic authentication, healthy food production and a healthy, biodiverse environment.
Mechanisms of migration of bacteria the pore space
Authors: Dupuy Lionel , Engelhardt Ilonka , Mimault Matthias , Liu Yangminghao , Patko Daniel , Ptashnyk Mariya , MacDonald Michael
Published: February 2023

The establishment of microbes in the rhizosphere requires a complex sequence of mobility, proliferation, and attachment/detachment from the root as well as soil surfaces. Most research has focused on proliferation and biofilm formation while the mobility and attachment of microbes in soil has remained mysterious and hidden. We combined novel microscopy technologies and mathematical models to capture and characterise the dynamic movement of bacteria through soil during the early stages of root colonisation. The study revealed how bacteria behave as a flock to exploit the pore space and move towards plant roots where they collectively interact with the root tip before forming biofilms on more mature root zones. Results in this study add significantly to our understanding of the biophysical mechanisms enabling microbial colonisation dynamics in soil.ReferencesLiu Y., Patko D, Engelhardt I.C, George T.S., Stanley-Wall N.P., Ladmiral V., Ameduri B., Daniell T.J., Holden N., MacDonald M.P., Dupuy L.X. (2021). Whole plant-environment microscopy reveals how Bacillus subtilis utilises the soil pore space to colonise plant roots. 118 (48) e2109176118Engelhardt I. C., Patko D., Liu Y., Mimault M., de las Heras Martinez G., George T. S., MacDonald M., Ptashnyk M., Sukhodub T., Stanley-Wall N. R., Holden N., Daniell T. J. & Dupuy  L. X. The ISME Journal volume 16, pages2337–2347 (2022) 
New observations showing temperature-wind interconnection during mesospheric inversion layer events
Authors: Keckhut Philippe , Mariaccia Alexis , Hauchecorne Alain , Ratynski Mathieu , Khaykin Sergey
Published: February 2023

It is known that propagation of atmospheric waves and their dissipation are responsible for the small and large disturbances governing the variability observed in the mesosphere (50-90 km). One of the main phenomena caused by these waves is the so-called mesospheric inversion layer (MIL) referring to a vertical layer of ~10 km where there is an enhanced temperature (15-50 K) lasting many days over thousands of kilometers in the mesosphere. Additionally, as perturbations in the mesosphere are crucial issues in aeronautics for the safe reentry of space shuttles or missiles, the study of MILs have aroused a large interest. However, the understanding of MIL’s formation mechanisms is still not fully complete as MILs’ impact on wind behavior has never been observed accurately in the middle atmosphere preventing to determine the shear profile or study how gravity waves propagate from the stratosphere to the thermosphere. Though numerous studies have suggested the important role of gravity waves in the MIL’s apparition. For instance, Hauchecorne and Maillard (1990) have simulated MIL’s formation by the breaking of gravity waves inside and above the MIL making decrease wind above the mesospheric jet, generating turbulence.
In this context, we report here, for the first time, an investigation of co-located temperature-wind observations in the altitude range 30-90 km during MIL events. According to these observations, the temperature inversion within the MIL is associated with a wind deceleration occurring in the same altitude range, confirming an inter-connection and arguing in favor of the role of gravity wave in the occurrence of MIL phenomenon.
The transition from convergence to extension in the NW Mediterranean: insights from the thermochronologic and tectono-sedimentary record in the Eastern Pyrenees and Empordà basin (NE Spain)
Authors: Peris Sabí , Griera Albert , Gómez-Gras David , Teixell Antonio
Published: February 2023

The Empordà basin is located in NE Catalonia (Spain), overprinting the Eastern Pyrenees where this mountain belt reaches the Mediterranean Sea. The area offers an opportunity to study cycles of orogenic evolution, from mountain building to destruction, although with some peculiar features. Following Pyrenean contractional structures that ceased in the Oligocene, earlier than in the Central and Western Pyrenees finished during the lower Miocene, the extension that depressed the Empordà basin seems to be a younger event (late Miocene-Pliocene) than the opening of the Western Mediterranean (Gulf of Lyon and Valencia trough; late Oligocene-Miocene). The regional NE-SW extensional fault systems that dominate from the Gulf of Lion to the Catalan Coastal Ranges and Valencia grabens contrast with the NW-SE normal faults in the Empordà basin, which are also associated with alkali volcanism during the Neogene. This feature is still poorly understood, together with the absence of crustal root in the adjacent relict relief of the Pyrenees despite the relatively high elevation.To gain insights into these questions and into the detailed geochronology and mechanisms of the transition from convergence to extension, we have revisited the tectono-sedimentary record of the South-Pyrenean and Empordà basins. First, the provenance of the clastic deposits from the Paleogene to the Neogene gives information about the evolution of the sedimentary systems, as well as the tectonic changes in the source regions. This data combined with low-temperature thermochronology of source reliefs and basin sedimentary units allows characterizing part of the geodynamic evolution from the NW Mediterranean realm. Complementary, new structural data from field observations and seismic profile interpretation provide us with inferences on a new structural model of the region.
Challenges and perspectives for the characterisation of the atmospheres and exospheres of 'terrestrial’ exoplanets
Authors: Ehrenreich David
Published: February 2023

Decyphering the chemical composition and atmospheric conditions of terrestrial planets around other stars is one of the main driver of exoplanetary science. In fact, atmospheric characterisation of Earth-like planets is expected to bring the first insights into the possibility of biological activity on another planet than Earth. Although the road to the detection of such potential biomarkers is long and challenging, recent spectacular progress have been achieved about the composition, climates and evolution of giant exoplanets with new instruments in space (with the James Webb Space Telescope or the Characterising Exoplanets Satellite) and on the ground (with high-resolution spectrographs at giant telescopes). Today, future projects are being designed to bridge the gap between hot gas giants and temperate terrestrial planets and take us closer and closer to this scientific goal. In this talk, I will review the current challenges and exciting perspectives about the atmospheric characterisation of terrestrial exoplanets.
The Width of the Martian Bow Shock and Implications on Thermalization
Authors: Nesbit-Östman Sara , Gunell Herbert , Hamrin Maria , Opgenoorth Hermann , Andersson Laila , Götz Charlotte
Published: February 2023

In this study we have identified wide quasi-perpendicular bow shock events at Mars. We have compared these to thin quasi perpendicular bow shock events in an effort to identify a cause. To ensure they are quasi-perpendicular we have used two methods to determine the normal of the shock, the local mixed-mode coplanarity method, and a global normal from a bow shock model. We found that the wide bow shocks were on average 370 km (5 rgi), and the thin ones on average 30 km (0.7 rgi). Both the wide and thin events were found at the nose and at the flank, with no difference in location. We looked into whether factors that affect standoff distance also affect width. Magnetosonic Mach number proved not to affect the width. At comets it is known that standoff distance of the shock is affected by mass loading, and we investigated whether that could be the cause also at Mars. We found however that the wide shocks on average have lower upstream ion density of H+, H2+, O+ and O2+, leading to the conclusion that mass loading is unlikely to be the cause. We investigated the difference in downstream and upstream temperature for all events and found that the wide events had a higher difference in the flow direction, which could mean that more energy is transferred at the wider bow shock. 

Furthermore we have looked into bow shock asymmetry with respect to the electric convective field. The asymmetry has been observed at the infant bow shock at comets, and due to the similarity of Mars and comets, such as the lack of a dipole field and scale of system relative to ion gyroradius, there is grounds to believe it can affect also the Martian bow shock. 
Earthquake relocations and three-dimensional VP, VS and VP/VS along the fast-slipping Gofar oceanic transform fault, East Pacific Rise.
Authors: Estève Clément , Liu Yajing , Jianhua Gong , Fan Wenyuan
Published: February 2023

Fast-slipping mid-ocean ridge transform faults are characterized by quasi-periodic seismic cycles with typical inter-event times of 5 to 8 years. In particular, the Gofar transform fault (GTF) of the East Pacific Rise, generates a MW ~ 6 earthquake every 5 to 6 years on short (~20 km) along-strike segments separated by a barrier zone. Therefore, the GTF presents the opportunity to investigate the relation between fault structure and material properties of this fault to earthquake processes. Here, we perform a joint inversion of P- and S-wave arrival times from local earthquakes to develop three-dimensional seismic velocity models (VP, VS and VP/VS) of the easternmost and westernmost segments (G1 and G3, respectively). The velocity models reveal that G3 is characterized by a more heterogeneous fault zone velocity structure compared to G1. Sharp velocity contrasts are observed along G3 interpreted to reflect along-strike variations in material properties. G1 is characterized by large low-velocity anomaly extending through the entire oceanic crust with subtle along-strike variations. The 2020 Mw 6.1 earthquake occurred within a low VP, low VS and high VP/VS patch along G1 whereas the 2008 Mw 6 earthquake occurred on sharp VP, VS and VP/VS contrast. We also note similarities between the two fault segments. In particular, rupture barrier zones are characterized by a high rate of seismicity and a rapid decrease following the mainshock. We also note the occurrence of deep seismicity in low VP/VS patches beneath the rupture barrier zones, which may indicate sea-water infiltration at 10 to 14 km depth below sea level. 
The impact of climate change on fish habitat availability in mountain rivers
Authors: Filippa Gianluca , Vassoney Erica , Viglione Alberto , Vezza Paolo , Negro Giovanni , Mammoliti Mochet Andrea , Comoglio Claudio
Published: February 2023

Mountain rivers are threatened by various natural and human-induced impacts, all of them potentially altering the availability of habitats for fish communities. These impacts include, among others, climate- change-associated reduction of discharge and water abstraction by humans, e.g., for hydropower production and irrigation. A quantitative assessment of future water, and subsequent fish habitat, availability is therefore pivotal to the effective and sustainable management of water resources in mountain basins.In this work, we investigated the effect of climate change on discharge and fish habitat availability in two alpine catchments in the Western Italian Alps.Historical discharge was modeled by means of a relatively simple rainfall-runoff model (TUWmodel), whereas discharge projections were computed under different state-of-the-art greenhouse gas scenarios both for the near future (2041-2060) and the far future (2080-2099). Discharge was then translated into habitat availability with the MesoHABSIM (Mesohabitat Simulation Model) methodology, an approach that allows to simulate the variations in habitat availability for the local fish population (brown and marble trout).We found significant changes in future runoff, in turn leading to marked changes in fish habitat availability, with contrasting response in glaciated vs non glaciated basins.We demonstrated that the combination of a hydrological model, climate scenarios and habitat modeling allows the depiction of future ecological scenarios for alpine rivers, thereby representing a potential support for water resources management and decision-making. 
Evaluation of High-temperature Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (HT-BTES)
Authors: Assadi Mohsen , Ahmed Abdelazim Abbas
Published: February 2023

Global warming is threatening life on earth. Utilizing renewable energy is considered the most effective measure to minimize anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Intermittency of the dominating renewables, i.e. wind and solar, cause already challenges for the existing energy systems. There is a huge natural capacity to store thermal energy under the earth's surface, and this can be used to temporarily store heat or converted energy from many sources (solar, wind or waste energy) when the demand is low, and then recover it when the demand is high in the future. The recovered thermal energy can be used for a variety of purposes, including heating buildings or even generating electricity. HT-BTES is vertical boreholes that are piped in series or parallel to create concentric thermal zones (Figure 1). It has the advantages of creating cold and warm zones as well as the possibility to switch to a reverse flow. This study investigates the effect of underground storage properties such as thermal conductivity, number of wells, and depth on charging time, charging, and discharge efficiencies to determine the overall system efficiency. In addition, HT-UBTES's temperature dynamics will be explored under varying operating conditions, such as inlet temperature and mass-flow rate.This paper provides a modeling approach for HT-UBTES fields using CMG STARS Software to evaluate the potential of storing high-temperature heat in shallow boreholes. Based on a select case study, this model will be used to optimize the performance of an HT-UBTES system. The novel contribution of this paper is the development of a framework to evaluate the technical potential of HT-UBTES, and an optimization methodology to determine the optimal operating conditions.