bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution of the Central Northwest Pacific paleoceanography over the past 10 million years focusing on the Late Miocene Global Cooling (ODP Site 1208)
Authors: Matsuzaki Kenji
Published: March 2024

Since the middle Miocene climatic transition, Earth’s climate has steadily cooled. The Late Miocene Global Cooling (LMGC) and the Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG) were key cooling events. I analyzed changes of radiolarian microfossil assemblages to try to reconstruct the paleoceanographic changes during the last 10 million years at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1208 to better understand the climate-cooling mechanism. I reconstructed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) based on extant radiolarian species from 0 to 10 million years ago to verify the suitability of radiolarian-based SSTs. A comparison with previously published alkenone-based SSTs at Site 1208 indicated that radiolarian-based SSTs for the Miocene based on only extant species are satisfactory. However, large discrepancies were observed between radiolarian-based and alkenone-based SSTs during the LMGC and NHG. I attributed these discrepancies to a sustained influence of subsurface water (~50 to 100 m) on assemblages of radiolarians during extreme cooling events. Relative abundances of other radiolarian groups indicated that during the LMGC there was a reorganization of regional paleoceanography that probably weakened the Pacific Meridional Overturning Circulation, increased meridional temperature gradient, and caused a southward migration of the subtropical front.  It is probable that North Pacific Intermediate Water expanded southeastward during the NHG.
Quality Assurance for Soil Moisture (QA4SM): A Platform for Validating Satellite Soil Moisture Data Against Fiducial Reference Measurements
Authors: Bader Nicolas , Preimesberger Wolfgang , Tercjak Monika , Boresch Alexander , Aberer Daniel , Himmelbauer Irene , Gibon François , Mialon Arnaud , Crapolicchio Raffaele , Gruber Alexander
Published: March 2024

The purpose of the Quality Assurance for Soil Moisture (QA4SM) service is to provide a central, cloud-based platform for soil moisture data validation. QA4SM is an easy-to-use graphical web interface that caters to both producers of satellite soil moisture data as well as users of such products. It provides the means to assess quality requirements for satellite products, as defined by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) for example, all the way to the validation and (inter)comparison of satellite data against (fiducial) reference measurements and land surface model data. QA4SM delivers reproducible validation results based on a consistent methodology and community-agreed best practices. Numerous well-known data products are readily available and periodically kept up to date. This includes satellite products of different levels from SMOS, SMAP, ASCAT, and Sentinel-1 missions. Further, data products from both the Copernicus Climate Change Services (C3S) and the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI) are provided, too. Also included is data from the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) and reanalysis model data such as NASA’s GLDAS-Noah or ECMWF’s  ERA5(-Land). Beyond that, users can upload custom datasets to the platform in different formats.QA4SM offers a broad palette of processing tools such as: the filtering of datasets according to flags or versions; spatial and temporal scaling options; the selection of spatial and temporal subsets; temporal matching methods; and different metric and anomaly calculations for up to six datasets simultaneously. Means for a subsequent publication of the results, including the generation of a digital object identifier (DOI), are implemented as well. In this talk, we will present the functionalities and tools provided by QA4SM, and report on recent updates, the latest features, and planned future developments of the platform. Both scientific and technical aspects will be discussed.
High-precision Cloud Detection and Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm for FY-4A AGRI images
Authors: Zhang Xiao
Published: March 2024

Cloud detection and aerosol retrieval precision improvement in China and the surrounding regions is a great challenge for passive remote sensing detector due to the influence of haze pollution and complex land cover. A high-precision cloud detection and aerosol retrieval algorithm for the Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager (AGRI) onboard FY-4A satellite is developed in this research. The cloud detection algorithm is built with a combination of an adjusted fisher discrimination algorithm and spatial heterogeneity test. The rectified MODIS cloud detection result is used as a criterion to distinguish the cloudy and clear field of view. In the aerosol retrieval algorithm, a new snow cover detection and a bidirectional reflectance distribution function library is constructed to reduce the bias caused by a deviation in surface reflectance estimation. This algorithm achieved a result with high data coverage and accuracy in China and the surrounding regions.
Impact of hydraulic conductivity on water quality and microbial ecology of rain gardens
Authors: Phoenix Vernon , Corbett Erin , Ijaz Umer
Published: March 2024

Rain gardens are a form of sustainable urban drainage which lower flood risk and reduce environmental contamination from stormwater.  A combination of processes including filtration, sedimentation and microbial metabolic processes work to remove contaminants from the stormwater.  In this study we examined the impact of hydraulic conductivity of raingarden soil on raingarden performance, exploring its impact on the removal of contaminants from the stormwater, as well as microbial community composition and function.  This was undertaken as part of a large scale project to install raingardens across the city centre of Glasgow, thus improving the city’s climate resilience.   The study utilized four raingardens fed real stormwater from a busy road.  All raingardens tested reduced contaminant concentrations in the stormwater, and reductions in contaminant concentrations were greatest when pollutant levels in the input water were higher.  Importantly, road salting in the winter did not cause dissolved metals to be released from the raingardens.  DNA was extracted from waters and soils for microbial community and function analysis using Illumina 16S sequencing and a bioinformatics suite.  A diverse community of bacteria capable of hydrocarbon degradation and metal resilience were found in stormwaters and raingarden soil.  Notably, the taxonomic evenness and overall diversity of the stormwater microbial community was increased as it passed through the raingarden. Furthermore, the raingarden soil displayed a greater functional richness compared to the input waters.  This demonstrates that the microbes in the raingardens can undertake a greater range of functions than those in the untreated stormwater, and highlights the importance of the raingarden bacteria in treatment of contaminants.   Microbial community composition and function showed little difference between rain gardens and PERMANOVA analysis identified that hydraulic conductivity had no significant impact on functional Beta diversity in the soil.  Overall, in this study, hydraulic conductivity did not appear to have a significant impact on microbial community composition, nor on the removal of contaminants by the raingarden, with all raingardens performing similarly well. 
The cessation of North Pacific Deep Water formation over Northern Hemisphere Glaciation.
Authors: de Graaf Friso , Thornalley David , Burls Natalie , Foster Gavin , Brown Rachel , Ford Heather
Published: March 2024

Global ocean circulation is controlled by deep water formation in the high latitude Atlantic and Southern Oceans. There is no deep water formation in the modern North Pacific due to a strong salinity gradient (or halocline) which makes the deep Pacific relatively homogenous. There is evidence to suggest that this halocline was weaker in the Late Pliocene (3.3 – 2.6 Ma) which allowed for active deep water formation. Coupled stable isotope and trace element records from benthic foraminifera at the Northwest Pacific ODP Sites 1208 (3346 m depth) and 1209 (2387 m depth) indicate deep water formation in the North Pacific during the Late Pliocene. Heavier oxygen isotopes at the shallower site 1209 require that the two sites were bathed in deep waters formed in different locations. Trace metal analysis (Mg/Ca) shows that there was a marginally colder, and thus fresher, water mass at the shallower site 1209 which is partially consistent with modelling results showing a fresher North Pacific Deep Water reaching intermediate depths in the Late Pliocene, while the deeper site was bathed in southern sourced waters. The benthic isotope values at the two sites converged during the glacials of the Early Pleistocene after the intensification of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (iNHG, c. 2.7 Ma). This convergence was coincident with a global drop in sea levels suggesting that sea level changes, potentially by constricting water mass transport through the Indonesian Gateway, may have modulated the strength of North Pacific Deep Water formation in the Pliocene. This would mean that the complete cessation of North Pacific Deep Water does not occur until considerably after the iNHG.
Assessment of Hydropower Generation and Green Hydrogen Production Potential in Jebba Dam, Nigeria, West Africa
Authors: Aremu Emmanuel Olorunyomi , Lawin Agnidé Emmanuel , Olukanni David , Hendricks Franssen Harrie-Jan , Voisin Nathalie
Published: March 2024

Hydropower can play a significant role in advancing the production of green hydrogen. However, hydro-climatic variability impacts hydropower production and thus the hydrogen potential. In this study, we developed novel analytics to understand how hydropower inter-annual variability translates to hydrogen production. We address this by; (i) analyzing Jebba dam hydro-climatic variables and associated hydropower generation (ii) translating the annual and quarterly hydropower production into hydrogen using five assumed scenarios; (iii) estimating the re-electrification potential and (iv) determining the quantity of petrol (or gasoline) that would be replaced and the amount of CO2 and CO that would be avoided. We find that hydropower energy generation has increased significantly at the station. The estimated annual and quarterly green hydrogen potentials indicated that the highest potentials were 59,111 tons and 18,744 tons and have a re-electrification potential of 1,182 GWh and 374 GWh, which can replace 0.224 million liters and 0.071 million liters of petrol (or gasoline) in the year 2021 and the fourth quarter of 2021–04, respectively. This would prevent 0.52 million kg of CO2, 0.92 thousand kg of CO in the year 2021, and 0.163 million kg of CO2, 0.293 thousand kg of CO emissions in the fourth quarter of 2021–04. The study concludes that the impact of hydro-climatic variation on hydropower generation affects green hydrogen production potential. Nevertheless, using a percentage of hydropower energy can present a unique opportunity to move the nation toward the production of green hydrogen energy as a long-storage solution for rural areas' re-electrification and to meet electricity demand when the hydropower dam’s water storage is low. Furthermore, the adoption of a green hydrogen energy solution can contribute to the nation's and global climate change mitigation efforts.
The Tail End of Migration: Assessing the Climate Resilience of Migrant Households in Ethiopia
Authors: Link Ann-Christine , Hoffmann Roman
Published: March 2024

Climate change is associated with increasing frequencies and intensities of extreme weather events. These can, directly and indirectly, shape human (im)mobility. While most research on migration in the context of climate change focuses on climate as a migration driver in origin areas, there is a gap in knowledge on the role of migration for climate resilience in the destination areas. This paper studies differences in resilience (resistance and recovery) to climatic shocks between migrant and non-migrant households in Ethiopia, a country that is highly exposed and vulnerable to climate change. We use longitudinal data from the Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) conducted by the World Bank to construct a comprehensive Well-Being Index, which is used to analyze the impacts of climatic shocks and identify households that are more or less able to resist and recover from shocks. We use fixed effect panel regression approaches to model the impacts of climatic shocks on well-being over time for migrant and non-migrant households. Further explorative mediation analyses yield insights into mechanisms explaining differences between households. We find that migrant households have an overall lower climate resistance as they experience double as high well-being impacts when exposed to climatic shocks compared to non-migrant households. Climatic shocks significantly reduce the food security of all affected households and, in addition, negatively impact access to basic infrastructures and health for migrant households. Mediation analyses suggest that these differential climatic impacts are mainly driven by characteristics of migrant-origin regions, including poverty. Migrant households originating from less prosperous regions still face disadvantages even if they now reside in more prosperous regions. This contrasts the experience of non-migrant households whose resilience benefits from increased prosperity in their region of residence. While migrant households show a lower resistance to climate shocks, they recover faster from climatic shocks, which can be associated with diversified livelihoods and remittances that take time to unfold. This research is highly relevant to policy as it improves the understanding of underlying factors shaping differential vulnerability to climate change impacts and supports targeted interventions to increase the resilience of affected households.
Analysis  of Classical Tropospheric Models Based on Measured Meteorological Elements
Authors: Zhang Qinglan , Wu Junli , Wang Xiaoqing , ZHang Peng , Sun Zhanyi , Wang Yongshang , Liang Shenghao
Published: March 2024

In response to the issue of varying correction accuracy for different tropospheric delay models, this article uses measured meteorological element data from 20 reference stations in China over the four quarters of 2022. The Hopfield model and Saastamoinen model are used to calculate the total zenith delay (ZTD) results of a single station in the troposphere, and compared with the ZTD results obtained from GNSS observation data，Comparative analysis was conducted in different regions, altitudes and seasons. The analysis results indicate that, overall, the Hopfield model is better than the Saastamoinen model, and this feature is more pronounced in high-altitude areas; The correction effect of each model is the best in winter and the worst in summer; The correction accuracy of each model in high latitude areas is significantly better than that in low latitude areas. In addition, it is recommended to use the Hopfield model to calculate the single station ZTD in low altitude and high latitude areas of China.
Effects of Cloud Seeding on Air Quality and Particulate Matter Dynamics: United States, China, and United Arab Emirates case studies
Authors: Al Homoud Marya , Macko Stephan , Farahat Ashraf
Published: March 2024

Space-Borne and ground-based data are used to investigate the environmental effects of cloud seeding on air quality and Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10) dynamics. Seven sites in United States (Texas, Wyoming, California, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Montana), two sites in China(Henan and Fujian Gutian), and one site in the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi) are considered for this work. Long-terms statistical analysis of aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångström exponent(AE), precipitation, and particulate matter is performed. Meanwhile, meteorological data including temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind speed/direction are analyzed. Air quality conditions before, during, and after cloud seeding missions are tested using ground monitoring stations. Data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the Terra were also used to perform a statistical correlation between aerosol optical depth (AOD) and ground PM observation. An increase in PM concentration was observed during cloud seeding missions’ period, which indicates a possible effect of silver iodide crystals fired during the missions in increasing the concentration of PM in air. The study found that cloud seeding missions have a possible effect on increasing PM10 compared to PM2.5 concentration, which point to the possible effect of meteorological conditions on washing out silver iodide particles fired during the missions.  
Oxycline Variabilities in Intertidal Beach Aquifers Under Seasonally Variable Oxygen Consumption and Physical Forcing Regimes 
Authors: Auer Felix , Greskowiak Janek , Reckhardt Anja , Holtappels Moritz
Published: March 2024

High-energy beaches mark a highly variable land-ocean transition where matter fluxes are modulated by dynamic subsurface biogeochemical reactions. At the beach face, seawater infiltration into the saline recirculation cell of the intertidal beach aquifer creates a high input of electron acceptors and organic matter. Microorganisms rapidly degrade fresh organic matter in the upper sandy beach layer under advective flow conditions. Filtration of particulate organic matter and constant supply of oxygen (O2) in the shallow sand body result in much of this turnover taking place under predominantly oxic conditions. In temperate regions, this filter effect combined with seasonal seawater inputs results in a strong seasonality of reaction rates as well a seasonally heterogeneous distribution of rates. Additionally, subsurface transport dynamics of seawater containing biogeochemical reactants highly depends on the physical forcings such as tides, waves and the beach morphology, adding complexity to the system. We assume that the variable O2-consuming degradation processes in the upper layer in combination with dynamic physical forcing regimes lead to a fluctuating oxycline in the beach aquifer. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the impact of seasonally variable oxygen demand under different physical forcing regimes on redox zonation in the beach subsurface. We used O2 consumption rates from the beach face at Spiekeroog Beach (Germany), measured down to 1m depth and over a year-long sampling campaign within the project DynaDeep, to develop a numerical reactive transport model at field scale. The results from the field data showed a strong seasonal depth dependency of O2 consumption rates. Lowest rates were found in winter and increased substantially in summer, with the strongest increase in rates in the upper decimeters.Modelling case studies for a summer and a winter situation were carried out to simulate both, quasi-stationary and dynamic conditions. Model results show that the oxic zone is significantly larger in winter than in summer, aligning with the general O2 distribution measured in the field. We found that in summer, dynamic tidal conditions lead to greater variations in O2 concentrations than in winter. In addition, the model shows that during tidal inundation, O2 can overcome the high consumption rates in the upper decimeters in summer, thereby increasing the oxic zone. Finally, the model will be used to explore the impact of additional physical forcings in order to better constrain the oxycline as a variable redox boundary for subsequent anoxic processes.
Modulations of local rainfall in Northeast Australia associated with the Madden Julian Oscillation
Authors: Dao Thi Lan , L. Vincent Claire , Huang Yi , S. Soderholm Joshua , S. Roberts Dale
Published: March 2024

This study investigates the interaction of the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) with local scale forcings in regulating precipitation and its diurnal variation over coastal areas in Northeast (NE) Australia. Radar results show that the variation of rainfall with MJO phases exhibits both large-scale and local-scale influences. During the enhanced convection phases of the MJO, widespread increased rainfall signals are generated by large-scale forcings associated with the MJO convection, but the environmental factors controlling the type and amount of precipitation during each phase is different. By contrast, the locally enhanced rainfall probability during suppressed convection phases of the MJO possibly results from mesoscale convective systems such as sea breezes and the interaction of easterly trade-winds and topography. The amplitude of the rainfall diurnal cycle in suppressed convection phases is generally larger than in enhanced convection phases of the MJO. However, the impact of the MJO on diurnal rainfall characteristics (e.g., diurnal timing and amplitude) varies from phase to phase suggesting that each MJO phase needs to be considered separately. Simulations from the UK Met-Office Unified Model with grid-spacing of 2.2 km have been used to understand the processes driving this observed interaction of large-scale and mesoscale variability. The simulations show that coastal rainfall during suppressed convection phases of the MJO is sensitive to the trade-wind inversion height as well as moisture distribution. The findings are important for assessing numerical model skills at small scales and highlight the importance of process-based understanding at these scales.
Environmental Evaluation of Soil in Drosh-Shishi Valley Chitral, Pakistan: An Analysis of Potentially Toxic Metals and Associated Ecological and Health Risks
Authors: Jan Tayyab
Published: March 2024

The issue of soil pollution has become a prominent concern especially in developing countries. The Drosh-Shishi Valley, a rug terrain near Afghanistan spanning approximately 15,000 square kilometers, is situated in the southern part of the Chitral District in North Pakistan and is inhabited by around 450,000 people. Presently, there is a growing exploration of ore minerals in this region, specifically contributing heavy metals that pose potential risks to human health. The primary objective of this study was to investigate potential sources of heavy metal dispersion from the exploration sites and the flash flood channels to assess the levels of these contaminants in soil, with a particular emphasis on the associated global health risks. We collected 34 representative samples from transported sediments and 31 from agricultural crops, analyzing them for the presence of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn using ICP-OES (Agilent, 5110,USA) analyzers. These values were then utilized to determine the contamination factor (CF) and estimate the potential health risks posed by heavy metals, employing the USEPA dose–response model. In terms of concentrations, most metals, with the exception of Pb, exceeded permissible levels, displaying CF values ranging from moderate to high. In a broader health context, Cu and Ni emerged as significant contributors to a total cancer risk (TCR > 1 × 10−4) in children. This study concludes that heavy metal contamination poses a serious threat to human well-being in the Drosh-Shishi Valley and District Chitral emphasizing the need of implementing strict policy by authorities in monitoring soil heavy metal content to mitigate potential health risks.
An assessment of the infrastructural and temporal barriers constraining a near-term implementation of a global stratospheric aerosol injection program
Authors: Smith Wake
Published: March 2024

Model of stratospheric aerosol injection deployment scenarios have often assumed that a global sunscreen could be applied to the earth on relatively short notice, perhaps in response to a climate emergency.  This emergency response framing confuse the time scales associated with the commencement of such a program.  Once deployed, stratospheric aerosols could cool the earth quite quickly, but such a deployment would require aircraft and other infrastructure that does not currently exist.  Given the span required to develop and certify a novel aircraft program and thereafter to build a fleet numbering in the hundreds, scenario builders should assume a roughly two-decade interval between a funded launch decision and the attainment of a target level of cooling.
BioGeoSCAPES: Ocean metabolism and nutrient cycles on a changing planet
Authors: Bittner Meriel , Levine Naomi , Twining Benjamin , A. Saito Mak , Maldonado Maria Teresa , Tagliabue Alessandro
Published: March 2024

Global biogeochemical cycles in which essential elements are transformed and recycled are governed by microbial processes. Despite international efforts of studying these important cycles, fundamental questions remain especially regarding fluxes and regulation. The international BioGeoSCAPES initiative aims to unravel the intricacies of these interconnected biogeochemical cycles and improve our understanding of the microbial biogeochemistry of the oceans from regional to ocean basin-scale on a changing planet. The community envisions a more quantitative and predictive understanding of ocean biogeochemical cycles and metabolism by combining detailed information of nutrient/metabolite fluxes, plankton and biochemical processes. The program has an integrative and multidisciplinary approach, by combining state-of-the-art methods in biochemistry, omics, physiology and modeling. Within the scope of BioGeoSCAPES standardized best practices will be established and intercalibration efforts carried out to create an international interoperable data system that nations around the world can contribute to and participate in.Currently, a globally-supported science plan is being developed, in which key scientific interests are identified such as mapping key metabolisms over space and time, measuring rates to connect microbial metabolisms to biogeochemical cycles, and predicting interactions with environmental change. In the near future, the BioGeoSCAPES community will work towards integrating modeling efforts across a range of scales and to develop the infrastructure to support this global initiative. Initial objectives of the science plan will be presented to discuss with the Ocean Sciences community and to receive feedback.
Effects of nitrogen deposition on volatile organic compounds composition, isoprene emissions and photosynthetic characteristics of Pleioblast amarus
Authors: Li Li , Liu Xiao
Published: March 2024

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are carbon compounds released by plants through secondary metabolism. In the global background of nitrogen (N) deposition, plants respond to environmental changes by altering BVOCs and photosynthetic strategies. However, there is very little research on the release and photosynthetic characteristics of BVOCs in bamboo in response to N deposition. Therefore, we took Pleioblast amarus as a research object and conducted pot experiments to set up four different nitrogen deposition levels (referred to as "N deposition") (0 kg N hm-2-a-1(N0), 30 kg N hm-2 a-1(N1), 60 kg N hm-2 a-1(N2), and 90 kg N hm-2 a-1(N3)) to explore the effects of different N deposition levels on the release and photosynthetic characteristics of BVOCs in leaves, and analyzed the correlation between the indicators. The results showed that: (1) the percentage of isoprene emission from Pleioblast amarus bamboo leaves increased with the increase of N deposition level (significantly positively correlated), but the N deposition level did not significantly affect the total number of BVOCs; (2) the increase of N deposition level significantly increased the net photosynthetic rate and isoprene (ISO) emission rate of leaves, with the highest ISO emission rate under N3 treatment, which was 80. 39%, 75.07%, and 50.84% higher than N0, N1, and N2, respectively; (3) ISO emission rate and total BVOCs emission of Sanming bitter bamboo were significantly positively correlated with net photosynthetic rate and photosynthetic effective radiation of leaves, but ISO emission rate and total BVOCs emission were significantly negatively correlated with chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll content (P≤0.05). In conclusion, the increase in nitrogen deposition led to a remarkable increase in isoprene emissions from Sanming bitter bamboo leaves. 
Assessment of sediments dynamics through the identification of main deposition shapes in large reservoirs 
Authors: Molina Jose Luis , Espejo Fernando , Mongil-Manso Jorge , Diez-Castro Teresa , Zazo Santiago , Patino-Alonso Carmen
Published: March 2024

Sediment deposition at the bottom of artificial reservoirs have become a worldwide problem that represent a dual problem. First, it is related to the reduction of storage capacity and lifetime. In this sense, associated impacts may comprise a capability reduction to provide water for irrigation, hydropower production and other uses, as well as to intercept floods and regulate the flow. Second, problems come from the threat that the sediment represents for the dam structure. In case the sediment deposits get too close from the structure, they may block the outlets affecting the dam safety. Also, if high-charged water pass through the turbines, it causes abrasion of mechanical equipment. This may generate inefficiencies such as decrease power generating efficiency and ultimately production loss. This primarily stems from the absence of a holistic and integrated strategy for creating a durable and sustainable strategy for managing sedimentation in dams and reservoirs.  In this sense, a whole plan should incorporate a sequential nature that incorporate three chronological phases: preventive, mitigative and corrective measurements. It is clear the lack of preventive actions that have taken during the initial decades of dam/reservoirs functioning. The main objective of this work is to identify the main sediment deposition shapes in large reservoirs that allows inferring the driven processes. Based on the pervious analysis, 6 categories of shapes have been identified based on 4 parameters listed as follows: slope continuity, slope break, absolute and relative slope, and arc configuration. In this sense, categories are:  Flat Areas (FA), SubFlat Areas (SFA), Breaking Lines (BL), Vertical Jumps (VJ), Non-Vertical Jumps (NVJ) and Arc-Shapes. This will allow inferring the main deposition and transport processes that may help to prevent, palliate and/or correct this phenomenon. This research was applied in Rules reservoir (Granada) which is key hydraulic infrastructure with huge sediments issues. Future policies will have to implement a plan route incorporating scientific analysis taking to consideration sediments dynamics.Keywords: dynamics, bathymetric measurement, dam sedimentation, hydraulic infrastructure, storage capacity
Geologic formation database for Africa with projections onto plate reconstructions
Authors: Du Wen , Ogg James , Ogg Gabriele , Bobick Rebecca , LeBlanc Jacques , Juvane Monica , Levy Dércio José , Sivathanu Aditya , Mishra Suyash , Qian Yuzheng , Chang Sabrina
Published: March 2024

It is a challenge to obtain information about the geologic formations and their succession in Africa due to lack of on-line lexicons for most regions.  Therefore, we established AfricaLex as a free public online database that includes details on the geologic formations in all major basins, onshore and offshore, of Africa.AfricaLex (https://africalex.geolex.org/) offers search for geologic formations in the database by standard search criteria (name, partial name, age, region, lithology keywords, or any combination), and a map-based graphic user interface with stratigraphic-column navigation. The returned entries can be displayed by-age or in alphabetical order. Each formation is color-coded based on the Geologic Time Scale 2020, and with digitized regional extent in GeoJSON format. These enable plotting of the individual formations or time-slices of all formations across Africa of a user-selected age, with each regional-extent filled with their appropriate lithologic facies pattern, onto any of three proposed plate reconstruction models with a single click.The aim is to make information on Africa geology and its component geologic formations more to accessible to geologists and the general public from the world and for improving paleogeographic maps.  Users can obtain a view of the sediments and volcanics that were accumulating at any time across the ancient land of Africa.These lexicon systems will be interlinked to other stratigraphic and paleogeographic databases through the lUGS Deep-Time Digital Earth platform.
Assessing Carbon Emissions from Reservoirs in China: Insights from the G-res Model and Implications for Hydropower Planning
Authors: Wang Zilin , Feng Meili , Chan Faith , Johnson Matthew
Published: March 2024

Reservoirs are an important source of emissions of carbon-based greenhouse gases (GHGs). China has about tens of thousands of reservoirs, about half of the world's total reservoirs, and therefore needs a more accurate estimate of current carbon emissions from reservoirs. This study utilizes the Greenhouse Gas from Reservoirs (G-res) model to assess CO2 and CH4 fluxes for 1479 reservoirs in China. The findings reveal that Chinese reservoirs contribute 0.156 Tg CO2 eq yr−1 in CO2 emissions and 6.657 Tg CO2 eq yr−1 in CH4 emissions. Across the nine main river basins in China, negative CO2 diffusive emissions from reservoirs are observed where large size reservoirs were attributed specifically the Northern inland and Xinjiang basin, southwest international basin, Yangtze basin, and Pearl basin. Similarly, CH4 fluxes through degassing and ebullition diffusion pathways exhibit a decreasing trend from small to large in the categorisation according to storage capacity. The findings in this study investigated significant GHG emissions from reservoirs in China, but also highlighted the different circumstances under which certain large reservoirs have the potential to act as CO2 carbon sinks. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is crucial to strategically review hydropower planning, in which the cumulative effects of small reservoirs and the large impacts of large reservoirs should be considered.
Litho-bound basin scale thin sill emplacement, Raton Basin, USA. 
Authors: Cornelius Chris
Published: March 2024

The Raton Basin of Colorado and New Mexico host one of the world’s most astonishing high-level “basin-scale” sill network. Within the late Cretaceous / early Paleogene basin fill, coal seams are intruded by thin, discrete (0.2 to 4.0 m thick) and laterally continuous Oligocene/Miocene sills. Individual coal-sill packages are readily traceable in the subsurface over areas >250 sq.km. Outcrop, core, and petrographic data demonstrate that sill bodies actively fluidized bituminous coals during emplacement, forming chaotic complex brittle and ductile melt – host-rock coal slurry intercalations, with many features recording liquid-liquid immiscibility. This process resulted in the development of “Thuidite”, a genetic term introduced to describe rock types resulting from the thermal fluidization of previously consolidated “lithified” rock. Coal rank, reactive macerals, preferential geomechanical contrast, and coal volatilization likely all combined to effectively fluidize the host rock during magma emplacement, while a coked carapace effectively ensured heat retention, maintaining coal/magma plasticity over a broad time-space temperature spectrum resulting in a wide range of solidification effects. The author will document the complex coal/sill relationships from outcrop through the subsurface, outlining key magma emplacement mechanisms and regional 3D “plumbing” style. It being readily evident in the Raton Basin that by far the most important control on sill distribution is host litho-type. It being likely that in most all mature coal bearing basins, sills when present, will preferentially locate and propagate within individual seams often over many tens of kilometers.
Simulation of mass balance of glaciers in the Parlung Zangbo Basin in southeast Tibet from 1980 to 2019
Authors: Wu Kunpeng , Xiao Letian , Liu Shiyin , Yang Wei
Published: March 2024

The Parlung Zangbo Basin, located in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, where the marine glaciers are most concentrated. However, due to global climate warming over recent years, these glaciers have experienced substantial losses. By applying the Open Global Glacier Model (OGGM), we simulated the mass balance of 1,554 glaciers within the basin from 1980 to 2019. The results show that the mass balance of the entire Parlung Zangbo Basin was in a continuous state of loss from 1980 to 2019, with a rate of -0.41m w.e. a-1. The loss was even more severe in 2000-2019, reaching -0.56m w.e. a-1. Spatially, the southeast and northwest parts of the basin suffer from the most severe glacier losses, while the central and western parts have relatively less. The main causes of glacier mass loss are the increase in temperature and a slight decrease in precipitation. Through sensitivity analysis of temperature and precipitation, it was found that when the temperature rises by 1°C, the mass balance of 71.75% of the glaciers in the basin changes at a rate of -1000 to -500 mm w.e. a-1. When precipitation decreases by 20%, the mass balance of 62.81% of the glaciers changes at a rate of -450 to -300 mm w.e. a-1. Compared to precipitation, glaciers are more sensitive to changes in temperature. Meteorological data analysis from the National Meteorological Station and reanalysis data showed that the temperature increased by more than 1.5°C from 1980 to 2019. Total precipitation at the Bomi Station from 2000 to 2019 was 10% lower than in the previous 20 years, and the overall precipitation in the basin showed a decreasing trend. The ongoing rise in temperature, coupled with a marginal decline in precipitation, has resulted in sustained glacier mass reduction in the Parlung Zangbo Basin.
Unravelling the chemical speciation and sources of PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Nairobi, Kenya
Authors: Mutua Elizabeth , Gitari Michael J. , Andersson August , Gaita Samuel M. , Kirago Leonard
Published: March 2024

Air pollution is a major environmental human health risk in African cities, largely due to the rapidly growing urban population, unregulated traffic and industrial emissions, and inadequate regulations and pollution control policies. Currently, about a million premature deaths are linked to air pollution in Africa, and the related health burden is projected to increase. However, data on PM2.5 chemical characterization and source contribution, needed to address the air pollution challenges and inform policies, is currently limited and/ or inadequate for most African cities. In this view, year-round PM2.5 quartz filter samples were collected in Nairobi city and analyzed for mass concentration and PAHs (known for their carcinogenic and mutagenic properties). The average PM2.5 concentration was determined at 27 ± 6 µgm-3, exceeding the World Health Organization 24-h health guideline. The PAHs concentration ranged between 5 - 20 ng m-3 and were dominated by the heavy molecular weight PAHs (>4 rings). Molecular diagnostic ratios further revealed that the PAHs predominantly originate from combustion sources, such as traffic emissions. Overall, this study signal to a severe health concern, and provide information that can be exploited for policy formulation and air pollution mitigation strategies in Nairobi, as well as other African cities.
Glo3DHydroClimEventSet(v1.0) : A global‐scale event set of hydroclimatic extremes detected with the 3D DBSCAN ‐based workflow (1951–2022)
Authors: Liu Zhenchen , Zhou Wen
Published: March 2024

The emergency of global‐scale hydroclimatic extremes (i.e., meteorological droughts, extreme precipitations, heat waves and cold surges) and associated compound events has recently drawn much attention. A global‐scale unified and comprehensive event set with accurate information on spatiotemporal evolutions is necessary for better mechanism understanding and reliable predictions in sequential studies. Accordingly, this manuscript describes the first‐generation global event‐based database of hydroclimatic extremes produced with the newly proposed 3D (longitude–latitude–time) DBSCAN‐based workflow of event detection. The short name of this database is Glo3DHydroClimEventSet(v1.0) , which is obtained from the FigsharePlus webpage ( https://doi.org/10.25452/figshare.plus.23564517 ). The 1951–2022 ERA5‐based multiscale and multi‐threshold daily running datasets of precipitation and near‐surface air temperature are calculated and employed as the input data. A comprehensive event set of hydroclimate extremes is the output of the 3D DBSCAN‐based workflow. From perspectives of spatiotemporal evolutions, this event‐based database is also measured and attached with metric information. For case‐based validation, some recently reported hydroclimatic extremes (e.g., the 2020 summertime flood‐inducing Yangtze River extreme precipitation event) are employed and accurately detected in the Glo3DHydroClimEventSet(v1.0) database. Meanwhile, global‐scale spatiotemporal distributions are preliminarily analysed. For example, global‐scale event counts of extreme heatwaves displayed an increasing tendency since 2005, with a rapid increase after 2010. To sum up, this Glo3DHydroClimEventSet(v1.0) database may facilitate new scientific achievements concerning event‐based hydroclimatic extremes, especially in communities of atmosphere, hydrology, natural hazards and associated socioeconomics. The DOI-based linkage is  https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8289 .
Nanoadsorbents for Pollutants Cleanup: Balancing Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability
Authors: Khandelwal Nitin
Published: March 2024

Efficient and scalable nano-adsorbents have emerged as promising solutions for vast anthropogenic environmental contamination, demonstrating high capacities in removing heavy metal cations and oxy-anions. However, their widespread adoption raises critical questions about the safe disposal and long-term environmental impact. We delved into the fate of contaminant-sorbed nano-adsorbents in soil and landfill conditions, addressing concerns such as desorption, dissolution, and the release of toxic constituents. Our research explores various nanocomposites for their toxic ions sorption capacities, and redox-transformation/degradation capabilities along with distinct contaminant removal mechanisms. Furthermore, we have tried to investigate their soil fractionation and leaching behaviors through a sequential leaching approach in simulated landfill conditions to comment on long-term fate and process sustainability.Results suggest that to assess the environmental applicability of nanocomposites, it's crucial to consider the long-term fate of adsorbent wastes post-contaminant removal. Understanding soil fractionation and leaching in landfills informs disposal strategies, minimizing environmental risks. Redox-active nanoparticles limit recyclability due to strong binding, favoring safe disposal. Conversely, weak binders like layered double hydroxides allow for contaminant recovery and potential reuse.
Experimental study of the effect of tillage gradient along the slope transect on soil respiration rates under agricultural fields of Indian Himalaya
Authors: Mariappan Sankar , Kumar Suresh , Chand Lekh , Madegowda Madhu , Singh Deepak , Islam Sadikul
Published: March 2024

Soil erosion-induced redistribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a crucial role in shaping the net carbon exchange between the soil and atmosphere, with ongoing debates surrounding the overall direction of this exchange. Within the field landscape, tillage-induced soil redistribution and SOC stocks along the slope transect alter the spatial variation in respiration rates and influence SOC storage. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the impact of tillage gradients along the slope transect on soil respiration rates and carbon storage. Utilizing the data from a long-term simulated agriculture experiment field spanning nearly a decade, we quantified the effects of different tillage and erosion gradients on soil respiration rates and carbon storage within the globally significant region of the Indian Himalayas. The soil respiration rates were measured in weekly intervals from different tillage practices- No-till (NT), Minimum tillage (MT), and Conventional tillage (CT); the measurements were taken continuously from the field surfaces of each practice along the slope transect (from upslope to downslope) for five years, from 2018 to 2022. Daily measurements were undertaken before and immediately after tillage during Maize and Wheat crop cycles, using a portable infrared gas analyzer EGM-5 (Environmental gas monitor; PP System). Additionally, we analyzed the concentration of SOC using a CHN analyzer at alternate yearly intervals from 2016 to 2022. Our findings reveal that, following five years of continuous field measurements of soil respiration rates, the downslope position of CT and MT exhibited higher rates than the eroding midslope position. Remarkably, despite higher soil respiration at the downslope, SOC stock at this position surpassed that of the midslope within CT. This observation underscores the tillage-induced redistribution of SOC, deposition at downslope positions, and the simultaneous enhancement of mineralization on carbon storage. This study interprets valuable insights into the continuous burial of SOC at downslope, resulting in enhanced Carbon storage despite enhanced mineralization rates at Conventional Tillage. In conclusion, the increased SOC stock at the depositing downslope of CT, coupled with heightened mineralization, significantly contributes to soil erosion-induced net carbon sequestration.
 
 
 
Sub-seasonal UK winter precipitation intensifies in-line with expected temperature scaling
Authors: Carruthers James , Guerreiro Selma , Fowler Hayley , Bannister Daniel
Published: March 2024

Interannual to multi-decadal variability in large-scale dynamics such as atmospheric and oceanic circulation results in significant noise and temporary trends in regional climate. Attempting to understand longer term trends as a result of anthropogenic climate change requires disentangling internal variability and climate change signals. One of these climate signals is the Clausius-Clapeyron (CC) scaling in precipitation resulting from temperature increases. In this work, we characterise and constrain variability in sub-seasonal winter rainfall in the UK resulting from synoptic scale-conditions. The UK experiences periods of sustained precipitation in some winters which result in widespread flooding due to extreme accumulation, such as the winter of 2013/2014. Using categorised sea-level pressure fields and gridded precipitation between 1900-2020, we simulate ‘expected’ precipitation resulting from North Atlantic synoptic conditions. We find a rising trend since the 1980s in observed monthly accumulation which is not reflected in the simulated precipitation timeseries, indicating that recent wet winters in the UK have been wetter than expected given the synoptic conditions. The rising trend in the residual (observed - simulated) mean monthly precipitation is in line with expected CC scaling rate of ~6-7% per degree warming according to changes in UK annual mean temperature. However, the residual in extreme monthly precipitation has scaled at approximately twice that rate. To better understand differences in changes for average and extreme precipitation accumulation, we explore the influence of dynamical feedbacks which may increase precipitation at higher intensities. We find that residual precipitation is influenced by the persistence of synoptic conditions and exhibits remote teleconnections to sea surface temperature and atmospheric conditions in the tropics and sub-tropics. This work highlights the importance of considering variability in large-scale dynamics when identifying climate change signals and sheds light on influences on sub-seasonal to seasonal winter precipitation in the UK.ences on sub-seasonal to seasonal winter precipitation in the UK.