bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Subduction and roll-back of narrow oceanic slabs: Back-arc basin modelling of the Carpathians subduction zone
Authors: Bozsó István , van Dinther Ylona , Matenco Liviu , Balázs Attila , Kovács István
Published: March 2021

The Carpathians subduction system evolved similarly to many Mediterranean systems where extensional back-arc basins and separate large sag basins develop in the overriding plate. The evolution of such basins can be explained in the context of roll-back of narrow oceanic slabs. Their evolution is linked to extensional and sag back-arc basins, retreating orogenic systems and slab detachment. A recent example of slab detachment can be studied by the Vrancea slab beneath the SE Carpathians.
Significant effort has been dedicated to modelling such Mediterranean-style subduction systems, and in most cases the model was set up with a narrow oceanic domain, which has an increased difficulty to create rollback due to reduced buoyancy of the slab.
Our approach is to use a two-dimensional thermo-mechanical numerical model that introduces an inherited oceanic domain, which adds to the younger, narrow ocean developed in the later stages.
Our model can produce sustained subduction of the oceanic slab associated with roll-back and slab detachment. In most of our models a retro-arc sag basin develops, which can be interpreted as the Transylvanian Basin. This sag basin is one of the most consistent features of our model. At larger distances from the subduction zone, the extensional back-arc of the Pannonian basin can be modelled by introducing an lithospheric weakness zone, which represents a suture zone inherited from a previous orogenic evolution. Such a suture zone is compatible with the overall orogenic evolution of the Alps-Carpathians-Dinarides system. We furthermore discuss the limitations of our 2D modeling in the overall 3D settings of the Carpathians system and possibilities of future integration.
Should black carbon concentration from aethalometer measurements onboard of UAVs be additionally corrected? - What is the impact of rapid relative humidity changes on our measurements?
Authors: Florczyk Grzegorz , Markowicz Krzysztof
Published: March 2021

Relative humidity and rates of its change are relevant parameters in atmospheric sciences. Observations of output data of AE-51 aethalometer operating in ACS1000 humidity chamber reveal strong dependence of attenuation on rapid relative humidity changes. Data collected in winter 2020/21 suggests a probability of similar effect occurring during UAV measurements as thermodynamic parameters could change fast during such runs. Two AE-51 devices were connected in the WET and DRY ACS1000 humidity chamber's channels. During periodic relative humidity oscillations, incident negative peaks of equivalent black carbon mass concentration coincide with high negative derivatives of relative humidity. In most extreme cases values of -1000 ng/m3 equivalent black carbon mass concentration were recorded in parallel with relative humidity derivative of -1.5 %/min. These correlations seem to play an important role in atmospheric measurements as vertical profiles of aerosol parameters such as attenuation are collected using UAV runs during which relative humidity varies significantly. Our goal is to propose a correction method to minimise these anomalies.
Extreme temperatures analysis: A study for Campinas, Brazil
Authors: Correia Guilherme , Ávila Ana Maria
Published: March 2021

Extreme events such as heat waves have adverse effects on human health, especially on vulnerable groups, which can lead to deaths, thus they must be faced as a huge threat. Many studies show general mean temperature increase, notably, minimum temperatures. The scope of this work was to assess daily data of a historical series (1890-2018) available on the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC), in Campinas, using a suite of indices derived from daily temperature and formulated by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI) and evaluate trends. To compute the extreme indices RClimDex 1.1 was used. The significance test is based on a t  test, with a significance level of 95% (p-value<0,05). Temperature increase is undoubtedly through many indices, especially from 1980, as there is a continuous rise of the temperature. Annual mean maximum temperature rose from 26°C to 29°C, whereas many years consistently have more than 50 days with maximum temperatures as high as 31°C and more than 20% of the days within a year are beyond the 90th percentile of the daily maximum temperatures. Annual mean minimum temperature rose from 14°C to 18°C, whereas many years consistently have more than 150 days with minimum temperatures as high as 18°C and more than 30% of the days within a year are beyond the 90th percentile of the daily minimum temperatures. Therefore, results indicate the increase of minimum temperature is greater than the increase of maximum temperatures.
Methane oxidation processes in sediment of the Laptev and East Siberian Seas indicated from microbial lipids and carbon isotope composition
Authors: Wu Weichao , Holmstrand Henry , Wild Birgit , Shakhova Natalia , Kosmach Denis , Semiletov Igor , Gustafsson Örjan
Published: March 2021

The East Siberian Arctic Shelf is an integrated coastal sea system with complex biogeochemical processes influenced by underlying subsea permafrost, hydrates and thermogenic compartments. Methane is released from the marine sediments to the water column, which serves as an interphase between the lithosphere and the atmosphere. Before escaping into water column and atmosphere, methane has potentially experienced extensive aerobic and anaerobic oxidation by microbes in the marine sediment. In particular, the aerobic process is assumed to be dominant in the surface oxic/suboxic marine sediment (upper 1cm) after anaerobic processes in deeper zones. However, these processes are insufficiently understood in sediments of the Arctic Ocean. To probe these, we investigated the microbial lipids and their stable carbon composition in surface marine sediment (upper 1 cm) from two active methane seep areas in the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea.

The microbial fatty acids (C12 to C18 fatty acids) were relatively enriched in 13C (δ13C -18.8 to -31.2‰) compared to that of dissolved CH4 in nearby bottom water (-54.6 to -29.7‰). This contrasts to previous reports of strongly depleted δ13C signals in microbial lipids (e.g., -100‰) at active marine mid-ocean ridges and mud volcanoes, from quite different ocean areas. The absence of a depleted δ13C signal in these general microbial biomarkers suggest that these reflect substrates other than methane such as other parts of the sediment organic matter, indicated by the stronger correlation of δ13C between fatty acids and bulk organic carbon than that between fatty acid and CH4. However, the putatively more specific biomarkers for aerobic methanotrophic bacteria (mono-unsaturated C16 and C18 fatty acids) show a distinct pattern in the Laptev Sea and East Siberian Sea: C16:1 and C18:1 were enriched in 13C (up to 4.5 ‰) relative to their saturated analogs in the Laptev Sea; whereas, C18:1 was depleted in 13C (up to 4.5 ‰) compared to C18 in the East Siberian Sea. This could be because the relative populations of Type I and II methanotrophs were different in the two areas with different carbon assimilation pathways. Our results cannot exclude a slowly active aerobic methanotrophs at methane seeps in the East Siberian Arctic Ocean and thus call for more information from molecular microbiology.
Vortex shedding by a circular cylinder in lock-exchange density current 
Authors: Ricardo Ana M , Di Lollo Giovanni , Brito Moisés , Adduce Claudia , Ferreira Rui M.L.
Published: March 2021

Flow around bluff bodies have been attracting the interest of the research community for more than a century. The physical mechanisms associated with the vortex shedding in the wake of bluff bodies is still of fundamental research interest. However, flow-structure interaction in density currents has not received enough attention. The transient nature of the interaction between the density driven flow and a stationary object constitutes the motivation for the present laboratory study aiming at investigating the vortex generation and fate on the wake of a circular cylinder in a density current.

The experiments were conducted in a horizontal and rectangular cross-section channel with 3.0 m long, 0.175 m wide and 0.4 m deep. The gravity current was generated using the classic lock-exchange configuration. A sliding stainless-steel gate with 1 mm thickness, sealed by PVC board glued in the sidewall, was positioned at 0.3 m from the left hand side of the channel. The experiment starts when the gate is suddenly removed, leaving the dense fluid to flow along the bottom of the channel, while the ambient fluid moves above in the opposite direction. The dense fluid consists in a mixture of fresh water and salt while the ambient fluid is a solution fresh water and ethanol (96%). The amount of salt and alcohol added in each mixture was determined in order to obtain a given density difference and to ensure the same refractive index in both fluids. Two different currents were tested with reduced gravity equal to 0.06 ms-2 and 0.24 ms-2. For each test ten repetitions were carried out. Instantaneous velocity maps were acquired with a Particle Image Velocimetry system at 15 Hz. Polyamide seeding particles of density equal to 1.03 were added in both dense and ambient fluids.

 The Reynolds number varied between 1500 and 4000. The results show that vortex shedding varies as the current reaches and overtakes the cylinder. Boundary layer detachment and shear instability is initiated shortly before the snout reaches the cylinder. A pattern of well-defined symmetrical vortexes is formed as a result of the initial shear instability. As the head of the current engulfs the cylinder, stronger turbulence diffusion contributes to reduce vortex coherence. Vortexes are smaller and detach sooner, while is not clear if shedding is alternate or simply random. The formation length is smaller than that of a steady flow with the same Re. When the back of the current passes, the formation length is increased and vortex shedding becomes periodical again. A striking feature is that the Von Kármán street is frequently symmetrical rather than exhibiting a pattern of alternate vortices.

This research was funded by national funds through Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) project PTDC/CTA-OHR/30561/2017 (WinTherface).
Application of the Vineyard Geologic Identity Concept to Two Marquette-producing Vineyards in the Champlain Valley, Vermont, USA
Authors: Munroe Jeffrey
Published: March 2021

The concept of “Vineyard Geological Identity” (VGI) was introduced (Ferretti, 2019: Catena) in recognition of the role of geologic setting in contributing to fertility, hydrology, and other important aspects of vineyard soils.  This study applied the VGI concept to two vineyards in the Champlain Valley of Vermont, USA where a burgeoning wine-making industry has been catalyzed by the development of French-American hybrid grape variety capable of surviving cold winters and bringing fruit to ripeness in relatively cool summers.  The vineyards studied here, “LP” and “SV”, both produce the hybrid grape known as “Marquette”, are at a similar elevation (~100 m), have a similar macroclimate (MAT ~7 °C, MAP ~ 850 mm, ~1400 GDD), and were inundated by proglacial Lake Vermont during deglaciation (~15,000 years ago).  Notable differences between the sites are the lithology of the underlying bedrock (Ordovician carbonate at LP, and Cambrian quartzite at SV), and the fact that the SV site was located at the edge of a marine embayment at the Pleistocene/Holocene transition after Lake Vermont drained.  The hypothesis tested was the prediction that despite their broadly similar physical settings and geologic histories, the VGI of the two vineyards would vary as a result of differences in their underlying bedrock and the soil parent materials at these settings.  Samples were collected at depths of 25, 50, 75, and 100 cm from 10 locations within the Marquette block at in each vineyard.  All samples were evaluated for grain size distribution (with the hydrometer method and a laser scattering analyzer), thermogravimetric analysis (from 25 to 1000 °C), pH, nutrient status, base saturation, and cation exchange capacity.  The deepest samples were also analyzed for mineralogy (with XRD) and major element chemistry (with XRF).  Results confirm the tested hypothesis.  Most base cations are significantly more abundant in the samples from the LP site (reflecting the underlying carbonate bedrock), and the LP site is significantly finer grained (reflecting its former deepwater location in Lake Vermont).  Conversely, at the SV vineyard Na is significantly more abundant and samples are significantly coarser, consistent with the former location of this site in the nearshore zone of a marine embayment.  In future work these results could be used as a physical foundation for evaluating the possible role of terroir in controlling aspects of the flavors expressed in Marquette wines from these two vineyards.
Characterization of hotels and bathing establishments water uses for understanding urban demand in touristic cities
Authors: Toth Elena , Bragalli Cristiana , Neri Mattia
Published: March 2021

The touristic factor has not been adequately addressed in urban water demand studies, so far, and it is often neglected also by the water utilities. In a beach resort, where the water demand drastically increases during the summer months, a better understanding of the touristic uses would substantially contribute to improving the management of the available water supplies, already scarce during the dry season.

The present study contributes to the quantification of the water demand in touristic activities, analysing the single-consumer volumes of more than a thousand accommodation facilities (hotels and apartment hotels) and two hundred bathing establishments in Rimini, the most important coastal destination in Italy. For each user, the estimated monthly water volumes have been collected and validated, and the seasonal patterns analysed for an observation period of twelve years.

Each hotel and bathing establishment was characterised identifying the main attributes that may drive the water demand. The consumer volumes are put into relation with the hotel size, identified by the number of rooms, and the influence of the hotel category and of the presence of water-demanding services (such as swimming pool or spa, garden to be irrigated, restaurant) is analysed. For the bathing establishments, the number of beach umbrellas identify the number of expected costumers and some specific services are used as additional features to interpret the variability of the water consumptions.

The analysis identifies the features that have more influence on the water consumption patterns for hotels and bathing establishments. This kind of study allows to infer the behaviour of similar users, in order to estimate the expected patterns, as a function of the specific attributes of the touristic activity. Such benchmarks would also allow to check if the actual consumer volumes are in line with the typical ones, highlighting possible malfunctioning of the metering system or anomalous consumptions that would prompt an in-depth analysis of the water-uses in the hotel or bathing establishment premises.
Regional-scale susceptibility modelling of shallow landslides involving the weathered and fractured sub-surface bedrock
Authors: D'Addario Enrico , Disperati Leonardo , Zezerè Josè Luis , Melo Raquel , Oliveira Sergio Cruz
Published: March 2021

Landsliding is a complex phenomenon and its modelling aimed at predicting where the processes are most likely to occur is a tricky issue to be performed. Apart the chosen modelling approach, for both data-driven and physically-based models, paying adequate attention to the predisposing and triggering factors, as well as the input parameters is no less important. Generally, shallow landslides mobilize relatively small volumes of material sliding along a nearly planar rupture surface which is assumed to be roughly parallel to the ground surface. In the literature it is also widely accepted that shallow landslides involve only unconsolidated slope deposits (i.e., the colluvium), then the rupture surface corresponds to the discontinuity between the bedrock and the overlying loose soil. In this work, based on systematic field observations, we highlight that shallow landslides often involve also portions of the sub-surface bedrock showing different levels of weathering and fracturing. Then, we show that the engineering geological properties of slope deposits, as well as those related to the underlying bedrock, must be considered to obtain more reliable shallow landslides susceptibility assessment. As a first task, a multi-temporal shallow landslide inventory was built by photointerpretation of aerial orthoimages. Then, a new fieldwork-based method is proposed and implemented to acquire, process and spatialize the engineering geological properties of both slope deposits and bedrock. To support the regional scale approach, field observations were collected within, in the neighbour and far from the shallow landslide areas. Finally, both physically-based and data-driven methods were implemented to assess and compare shallow landslide susceptibility at regional scale, as well as to analyse the role of spatial distribution of rock mass quality for shallow slope failure development. The results highlight that, according to geology, structural setting and morphometric conditions, bedrock properties spatially change, defining clusters influencing both the distribution and characters of shallow landslides. As a consequence, the physically-based modelling provides better prediction accuracy when two possible rupture surfaces are analysed, the shallower one located at the slope deposit / bedrock discontinuity, and the deeper one located at the bottom of the fractured and weathered bedrock horizon. Even though the physically-based and data-driven models provide similar results in terms of ROC curves, the resulting susceptibility maps highlight quite substantial differences.
Seasonal and interannual variability of global internal tides
Authors: Kaur Harpreet , Buijsman Maarten
Published: March 2021

In this study, we investigate the seasonal and interannual variability of internal tides in the global ocean using a Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and altimetry data. The variability of internal tides is caused by the time varying stratification, mesoscale activity, large-scale shifts in amphidromic points, and changes in ice cover. The variation in the background fields generates the non-phase locked internal tides which are non-stationary. Non-stationary internal tides are less predictable than stationary tides, complicating regional model forcing with remote internal tide signals and the separation of internal tides from mesoscales. We will use 6 years of steric SSH extracted from a global HYCOM simulation with a horizontal resolution of 8 km and 32 layers to study the variability of internal tides. Our objective is to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of the amplitude and phase of the diurnal and semidiurnal internal tides. The SSH time series will be divided into time segments with different durations. The least-squares harmonic analysis will be used to extract SSH amplitude and phase for M2, K1, O1, and S2 constituents for these time segments. It has been found that the stationary amplitude decreases with an increase in the duration of the time series. We will also use empirical orthogonal functions (EOF) analysis to determine the seasonal and interannual variability in the monthly-mean internal tide amplitude and phase. The global maps of the non-stationarity fraction for the internal tidal constituents will be shown for each season. These results will be compared with 25 years of satellite altimetry data to find out whether similar variance decay trends are observed in the altimetry data.
Separating Climate Variability and Non-Climate Noise in Proxy Records - A case study on replicate marine sediment records
Authors: Dyck Hanna , Laepple Thomas , Dolman Andrew , Groeneveld Jeroen , Mohtadi Mahyar
Published: March 2021

To describe earth’s former and predict the expected future climate in a general way we need to understand at least two basic characteristics of the distribution of earth’s temperature, its mean state and its temporal and spatial variance of temperature. There is some conﬁdence in the projection of the mean state but the characteristics and changes of climate variability, especially on multi-decadal and longer time-scales are less known.

To characterize climate variability on these time scales, the instrumental record is too short. Climate proxies such as oxygen isotopes from foraminifera retrieved from marine sediments provide long records but do not exclusively carry information about the climate signal of interest. The decomposition of proxy time series into climate and non-climate components is challenging and depends on the adequate representation of the major involved biological and physical processes influencing the record. But even with a reasonable representation of the combined processes as ﬂuctuations in proxy seasonality, bioturbation and errors in the age model, a proxy record still appears as the combination of these eﬀects.

As a proxy record is only a single representation of this sum of eﬀects we work on replicate measurements as a tool to characterize and separate the variability components. We therefore analysed oxygen isotopes and Mg/Ca in replicated measurements from the same sample, in replicated samples from the same sediment layer and in nearby sediment cores spanning the Holocene.  
If we compare two records the relation of them will determine the commonness of the underlaying processes. As records for example come from the same core or from cores of nearby located sites, they share the same climate signal. In the case they are from the same core they also share the errors in the age model and the time uncertainty introduced by bioturbation. Combining diﬀerent types of replicates allows us the analyse the eﬀect of diﬀerent combinations of shared and independent errors.

The ﬁrst two cores that we work on come from about 10 km apart located sites in the Indonesian Sea. GeoB 10054-4 was drilled in a water depths of 1076 meters, at longitude of 112°40.10’E and latitude 8°40.90’S and its average sedimentation rate was estimated as 20 cm/kyears. GeoB 100537 was drilled in a water depths of 1372 meters, at longitude 112°52.30’E and at latitude 8°40.56’S and its average sedimentation rate is estimated as 45cm/kyears.

In the presentations we will show ﬁrst results of the analysis of intra core and inter core variability.
Landscape-level remote sensing for upscaling of land cover, above ground biomass and above ground carbon fluxes in the Lena River Delta (Northern Yakutia, Russia)
Authors: Heim Birgit , Shevtsova Iuliia , Kruse Stefan , Herzschuh Ulrike , Buchwal Agata , Rachlewicz Grzegorz , Bartsch Annett
Published: March 2021

Vegetation biomass is a globally important climate-relevant terrestrial carbon pool. Landsat, Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-1 satellite missions provide a landscape-level opportunity to upscale tundra vegetation communities and biomass in high latitude terrestrial environments. We assessed the applicability of landscape-level remote sensing for the low Arctic Lena Delta region in Northern Yakutia, Siberia, Russia. The Lena Delta is the largest delta in the Arctic and is located North of the treeline and the 10 °C July isotherm at 72° Northern Latitude in the Laptev Sea region. We evaluated circum-Arctic harmonized ESA GlobPermafrost land cover and vegetation height remote sensing products covering subarctic to Arctic land cover types for the central Lena Delta. The products are freely available and published in the PANGAEA data repository under https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.897916, and https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.897045.

Vegetation and biomass field data (30 m x 30 m plot size) and shrub samples for dendrology were collected during a Russian-German expedition in summer 2018 in the central Lena Delta. We also produced a regionally optimized land cover classification for the central Lena Delta based on the in-situ vegetation data and a summer 2018 Sentinel-2 acquisition that we optimized on the biomass and wetness regimes. We also produced biomass maps derived from Sentinel-2 at a pixel size of 20 m investigating several techniques. The final biomass product for the central Lena Delta shows realistic spatial patterns of biomass distribution, and also showing smaller scale patterns. However, patches of high shrubs in the tundra landscape could not spatially be resolved by all of the landscape-level land cover and biomass remote sensing products.

Biomass is providing the magnitude of the carbon flux, whereas stand age is irreplaceable to provide the cycle rate. We found that high disturbance regimes such as floodplains, valleys, and other areas of thermo-erosion are linked to high and rapid above ground carbon fluxes compared to low disturbance on Yedoma upland tundra and Holocene terraces with decades slower and in magnitude smaller above ground carbon fluxes.
Shotgun barcode baiting: capturing barcoding genes from environmental samples for species identification
Authors: Nota Kevin , Orlando Ludovic , Marchesini Alexis , Girardi Matteo , Vernesi Cristiano , Parducci Laura
Published: March 2021

The current main methodologies for identifying DNA fragments in ancient environmental samples are metabarcoding and shotgun sequencing which present strong advantages and limitations. Target capture is a promising method for enriching shotgun libraries for target organisms and might be able to combine the advantages from metabarcoding and shotgun sequencing into a single method. Target capture operates by hybridising DNA fragments in a sample to synthetic RNA-baits which share enough homology (≥85 %). These RNA-baits contain a magnetic molecule which is used to pull the hybridised fragments of interest to a magnet, allowing for the non-hybridised molecules to be washed away. The RNA-baits are designed according to prior knowledge of target sequences. Target capture does not require a PCR amplification step to amplify fragments using taxon-specific primers, and it might, therefore, be less prone to PCR amplification biases.

We designed a bait-set for capturing two barcoding plastidial genes matK and rbcL for all the species in four major plant orders: Asterales, Fagales, Pinales, and Poales. These orders are species-rich and/or difficult to identify to low taxonomic levels (family, genus or species) using metabarcoding. Our objectives were: 1) to design a universal method for trimming and selecting sequences for bait design using online sequence repositories, 2) to investigate a potential capture bias of species with a low GC-content (proportion of guanine and cytosine nucleotides) and 3) to investigate taxonomic resolution of target capture compared to metabarcoding. Because species with an overall low GC content (<32%) might be less efficiently captured than species with a higher GC content, we used mock communities with a known proportion of amplicons fragment size distribution and GC content. Further, we used sequence data simulations to investigate taxonomic resolution using varies species pools.
Computing slope length (USLE): return to original definitions.
Authors: Saa-Requejo Antonio , Sevilla Pablo , Tarquis Ana María , Gobin Anne
Published: March 2021

Soil erosion is an important process of consideration in different erosion risk models and in planning soil conservation. Common erosion models, such as the USLE and its derivatives are widely used. In this context, the slope length is the variable with the most difficulties due to the different scales and procedures available that lead to very different results. Furthermore, many of the calculation procedures are based on a hydrological network definition that poses many problems in areas with a complex topography.

We propose an algorithm implemented in GIS, returning to the original field perspective form defined by the USLE and RUSLE, which is detached from the hydrological network definition. The calculation procedure is based on 5 m DEM and defines overland water flow at the field scale.

This method has been applied in three areas with different climate and geomorphology. The results are similar to those derived from aerial photograph observation.

References

Honghu Liu, Jens Kiesel, Georg Hörmann, Nicola Fohrer. (2011). Effects of DEM horizontal resolution and methods on calculating the slope length factor in gently rolling landscapes. Catena, 87, 368–375

Renard, K.G., Foster, G.R., Weesies, G.A., Mc. Cool, D.K y Yoder, D.C. (1997). Predicting Soil Erosion by Water: A Guide To Conservation Planning With The Revised Universal Soil Los Equation. Agricultural Handbook 703. USA: US Department of Agriculture.

Acknowledgements

Authors are grateful to Authors are grateful to Agroseguro funding this research.
Paleolake salinity evolution in the Qaidam Basin (NE Tibetan Plateau) between ~42 and 29 Ma: Links to global cooling and Paratethys sea incursions
Authors: Ye Chengcheng , Yang Yibo , Fang Xiaomin , Zhang Weilin , Song Chunhui , Yang Rongsheng
Published: March 2021

Global cooling, the early uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, and the retreat of the Paratethys are three main factors that regulate long-term climate change in the Asian interior during the Cenozoic. However, the debated elevation history of the Tibetan Plateau and the overlapping climate effects of the Tibetan Plateau uplift and Paratethys retreat makes it difficult to assess the driving mechanism on regional climate change in a particular period. Some recent progress suggests that precisely dated Paratethys transgression/regression cycles appear to have fluctuated over broad regions with low relief in the northern Tibetan Plateau in the middle Eocene–early Oligocene, when the global climate was characterized by generally continuous cooling followed by the rapid Eocene–Oligocene climate transition (EOT). Therefore, a middle Eocene–early Oligocene record from the Asian interior with unambiguous paleoclimatic implications offers an opportunity to distinguish between the climatic effects of the Paratethys retreat and those of global cooling.

Here, we present a complete paleolake salinity record from middle Eocene to early Miocene (~42-29 Ma) in the Qaidam Basin using detailed clay boron content and clay mineralogical investigations. Two independent paleosalimeters, equivalent boron and Couch’s salinity, collectively present a three-staged salinity evolution, from an oligohaline–mesohaline environment in the middle Eocene (42-~34 Ma) to a mesosaline environment in late Eocene-early Oligocene (~34-~29 Ma). This clay boron-derived salinity evolution is further supported by the published chloride-based and ostracod-based paleosalinity estimates in the Qaidam Basin. Our quantitative paleolake reconstruction between ~42 and 29 Ma in the Qaidam Basin resembles the hydroclimate change in the neighboring Xining Basin, of which both present good agreement with changes of marine benthic oxygen isotope compositions. We thus speculated that the secular trend of clay boron-derived paleolake salinity in ~42-29 Ma is primarily controlled by global cooling, which regulates regional climate change by influencing the evaporation capacity in the moisture source of Qaidam Basin. Superimposed on this trend, the Paratethys transgression/regression cycles served as an important factor regulating wet/dry fluctuations in the Asian interior between ~42 and ~34 Ma.
Drivers of sea ice decline in the Fram Strait and north of Svalbard 
Authors: Grynczel Agata , Beszczynska-Moeller Agnieszka , Walczowski Waldemar
Published: March 2021

The Arctic Ocean is undergoing rapid change. Satellite observations indicate significant negative Arctic sea ice extent trends in all months and substantial reduction of winter sea ice in the Atlantic sector. One of the possible reasons can be sought in the observed warming of Atlantic water, carried through Fram Strait into the Arctic Ocean. Fram Strait, as well as the region north of Svalbard, play a key role in controlling the amount of oceanic heat supplied to the Arctic Ocean and are the place of dynamic interaction between the ocean and sea ice. Shrinking sea ice cover in the southern part of Nansen Basin (north of Svalbard) and shifting the ice edge in Fram Strait are driven by the interplay between increased advection of oceanic heat in the Atlantic origin water and changes in the local atmospheric conditions.

Processes related to the loss of sea ice and the upward transport of heat from the layers of the Arctic Ocean occupied by the Atlantic water are still not fully explored, but higher than average temperature of Atlantic inflow in the Nordic Seas influence the upper ocean stratification and ice cover in the Arctic Ocean, in particular in the north of Svalbard area. The regional sea ice cover decline is statistically signifcant in all months, but the largest changes in the Nansen Basin are observed in winter season. The winter sea ice loss north of Svalbard is most pronounced above the core of the inflow warm Atlantic water. The basis for this hypothesis of the research is that continuously shrinking sea ice cover in the region north of Svalbard and withdrawal of the sea ice cover towards the northeast are driven by the interplay between increased oceanic heat in the Atlantic origin water and changes in the local atmospheric conditions, that can result in the increased ocean-air-sea ice exchange in winter seasons. In the current study we describe seasonal, interannual and decadal variability of concentration, drift, and thickness of sea ice in two regions, the north of Svalbard and central part of the Fram Strait, based on the satellite observations. To analyze the observed changes in the sea ice cover in relation to Atlantic water variability and atmospheric forcing we employ hydrographic data from the repeated CTD sections and new atmospheric reanalysis from ERA5. Atlantic water variability is described based on the set of summer synoptic sections across the Fram Strait branch of the Atlantic inflow that have been occupied annually since 1996 under the long-term observational program AREX of the Institute of Oceanology PAS. To elucidate driving mechanisms of the sea ice cover changes observed in different seasons in Fram Strait and north of Svalbard we analyze changes in the temperature, heat content and transport of the Atlantic water and describe their potential links to variable atmospheric forcing, including air temperature, air-ocean fluxes, and changes in wind pattern and wind stress.
Biosphere Reserves: Sustainable territories, Resilient communities – A conceptual model for the assessment of ecosystem services
Authors: Alves Joana , Duran Jorge , Sousa José Paulo , Castro Paula , Martinho Filipe , Pardal Miguel , Måren Inger , Freitas Helena
Published: March 2021

Biosphere Reserves (BR) are territories recognized by UNESCO for their natural and cultural heritage and their role in promoting solutions to harmonize biodiversity conservation with the sustainable use of natural resources. Further, BRs are identified as “learning places for sustainable development”, emphasizing their importance to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. However, Portuguese BRs lack recognition from society as well as from the local, regional or national entities as privileged instruments and areas for valuing and developing the territory.

To enhance the relevance and visibility of the BRs in society and among stakeholders, we designed a project based on the assessment of ecosystem services (ES), as they play fundamental roles in the mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and on the sustainability of the communities and their territories. Our project seeks to structure and foster collective dynamics in these social-ecological systems, respecting the autonomy and diversity of context and heritage that characterizes the Portuguese BRs. Our work is based on a conceptual model with three fundamental pillars. First, we will identify available geographical and biological information and combine it with remote sensing data (Landsat and Sentinel) to map the current and potential ES provided by Portuguese BRs. Second, in each BR, we will implement participatory multi-actor methodologies and focal groups to select the key ES to promote sustainable development and valorisation of natural endogenous resources. To do so, we will use a holistic assessment of the ecological, economic and social values of the different ES, as well as of their role in mitigating and adapting to climate change and environmental change. Finally, we will train local stakeholders on the valuing, promotion and sustainable production and consumption of ES, as to help these communities implementing the Sustainable Development Plans that will be prepared for each BR and in accordance with the UN’s Agenda 2030.

Through complementary initiatives and a comprehensive and networked programmatic action, “Biosphere Reserves: Sustainable territories, Resilient communities” seeks to add value to Portuguese BRs, increasing their resilience and sustainability, and to promote their unique territories and heritage, while showcasing them as model areas for the sustainable development.
Crystal plasticity in shock-compressed hcp-iron
Authors: Merkel Sébastien , Hok Sovanndara , Bolme Cynthia , Mao Wendy , Gleason Arianna
Published: March 2021

Iron is a key constituent of planetary core and an important technological material. Here, we combine in situ ultrafast X-ray diffraction at free electron lasers with optical-laser-induced shock compression experiments on polycrystalline Fe to study the plasticity of hexagonal close-packed (hcp)-Fe under extreme loading states. We identifiy the deformation mechanisms that controls the Fe microstructures and  observe a significant time-evolution of stress over the few nanoseconds of the experiments. These observations illustrate how ultrafast plasticity studies can reveal distinctive materials behavior under extreme loading states and will help constraining the pressure, temperature, and strain rate dependence of materials behavior in planetary cores.
Ion-scale break of the plasma fluctuation spectra in different large-scale solar wind streams
Authors: Riazantseva Maria , Rakhmanova Liudmila , Yermolaev Yuri , Lodkina Irina , Zastenker Georgy , Safrankova Jana , Nemecek Zdenek , Prech Lubomir
Published: March 2021

Appearance of measurements of the interplanetary medium parameters with high temporal resolution gave rise to a variety of investigations of turbulent cascade at ion kinetic scales at which processes of plasma heating was believed to operate. Our recent studies based on high frequency plasma measurements at Spektr-R spacecraft have shown that the turbulent cascade was not stable and dynamically changed depending on the plasma conditions in different large-scale solar wind structures. These changes was most significant at the kinetic scales of the turbulent cascade. Slow undisturbed solar wind was characterized by the consistency of the spectra to the predictions of the kinetic Alfven wave turbulence model. On the other hand, the discrepancy between the model predictions and registered spectra were found in stream interaction regions characterized by crucial steepening of spectra at the kinetic scales with slopes having values up to -(4-5). This discrepancy was clearly shown for plasma compression region Sheath in front of the magnetic clouds and CIR in front of high speed streams associated with coronal holes. Present study is focused on the break preceding the kinetic scales. Currently the characteristic plasma parameters associated with the formation of the break is still debated. Number of studies demonstrated that the break was consistent with distinct characteristic frequencies for different values ​​of the plasma proton parameter beta βp. Present study consider the ratio between the break frequency determined for ion flux fluctuation spectra according to Spektr-R data and several characteristic plasma frequencies used traditionally in such cases. The value of this ratio is statistically compared for different large-scale solar wind streams. We analyze both the classical spectrum view with two slopes and one break and the spectrum with flattening between magnetohydrodynamic and kinetic scales.  Our results show that for the Sheath and CIR regions characterized typically by βp ≤1 the break corresponds statistically to the frequency determined by the proton gyroradius. At the same time such correspondence are not observed either for the undisturbed slow solar wind with similar βp value or for disturbed flows associated with interplanetary manifestations of coronal mass ejections, where βp << 1. The results also shows that in slow undisturbed solar wind the break is closer to the frequency determined by the inertial proton length. Thus, apparently the transition between streams of different speeds may result in the change of dissipation regimes and plays role in plasma heating at these areas. This work was supported by the RFBR grant No. 19-02-00177a
Soil exchangeable cations estimation using Vis-NIR spectroscopy in different depths: Effects of multiple calibration models and spiking 
Authors: Zhao Dongxue , Arshad Maryem , Wang Jie , Triantafilis John
Published: March 2021

Due to high rate of nutrient removal by cotton plants, the productive cotton-growing soils of Australia is becoming depleted of exchangeable (exch.) cations. For long-term development, data on exch. calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K) and sodium (Na) throughout the soil profile is required. However, traditional laboratory analysis is tedious. The visible-near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy is an alternative; whereby, spectral libraries are built which couple soil data and Vis-NIR spectra using models. While various models have been used to predict exch. cations, their performance was seldom systematically compared. Moreover, most previous studies have focused on prediction of topsoil (0–0.3 m) exch. cations while the effects of depth on applicability of topsoil spectral libraries are rarely investigated. Our first aim was to determine which model (i.e. partial least squares regression (PLSR), Cubist, random forest (RF), or support vector machine regression (SVMR)) produces the best prediction of topsoil exch. Ca, Mg, K and Na. The second aim was to evaluate if the best topsoil model can be used to predict subsurface (0.3–0.6 m) and subsoil (0.9–1.2 m) cations. The third aim was to explore the effect of spiking on the prediction in subsurface and subsoil. The fourth aim was to see if combining all depths to build a profile spectral library improved prediction. Based on independent validation, PLSR was superior for topsoil exch. cations prediction, while Cubist outperformed PLSR in some cases when spiking was applied, and the profile spectral library was considered. Topsoil PLSR could be applied to predict exch. Ca and Mg in the subsurface and subsoil, while spiking improved prediction. Moreover, a profile spectral library achieved equivalent results with when topsoil samples coupled with spiking were considered. We, therefore, recommended to predict exch. Ca and Mg throughout the profile using topsoil spectral library coupled with spiking approach.
10Be dating reveal a one-million-years records of landslide activities in the Central Western Andes
Authors: Delgado Fabrizio , Zerathe Swann , Schwartz Stephane , Benavente Carlos , Robert Xavier , Gaidzik Krzysztof , Carcaillet Julien , Team Aster
Published: March 2021

The western flank of the Central Andes shows a high concentration of giant landslides (Strasser and Schlunegger, 2005; Audin & Bechir 2006; Pinto et al., 2008; Matther et al., 2014; Crosta et al., 2014, Margirier et al., 2015; Zerathe et al., 2017; Delgado et al., 2020) related to specific characteristics such as a strong local relief (canyons, structural-flexures, etc.), strong and recurrent seismo-tectonic activities, and atypical climate combining long-term hyper-aridity and punctual extreme precipitation events. In this context, ongoing studies inventorying more than one-thousand giant paleo-landslides in this region underline their spatial clustering that is controlled by coupled conditioning factors including high topographical gradients and specific lithology (Delgado et al., 2020).

The purpose of this study is to constrain now the kinematics of landsliding and ultimately to get time-frequency law of the gravitational slope destabilizations of this Andean region. For this, we focus on the Locumba valley (south Peru) where more than 30 giant landslides are clustered and distributed in two main typologies (rockslide and rock-avalanche). We applied cosmogenic nuclide dating to 8 paleo-landslides, sampling 52 boulders. We used alternatively 10Be/quartz or 10Be/feldspar depending on the available lithology.

Our dataset opens an unprecedented opportunity for paleolandslides studies and reconstructions. Indeed, the exposure-ages obtained range from the Holocene to the Pleistocene, the oldest ages reaching one-million years. This new temporal-scale allows to address and discuss triggering processes in the context of seismo-tectonic activities and Quaternary climate changes. Exposure-ages distribution shows several time-frequency peaks suggesting that gravitational destabilizations are episodic phenomena with time recurrence on the range of ~100 ka. Additionally, our time-constraints indicate that most of the current landscapes along this Western Andean flank are older than one-million years. Especially, fluvial incision and valley deepening processes are currently very low as testified by relicts of landslide dams and associated lacustrine sediments of hundred’s thousand years old that are preserved along the main canyons and still not fully re-incised.
Towards a green water planetary boundary
Authors: Wang-Erlandsson Lan , van der Ent Ruud , Staal Arie , Porkka Miina , Tobian Arne , te Wierik Sofie , Fetzer Ingo , Singh Chandrakant , Jaramillo Fernando , Greve Peter , Gerten Dieter , Keys Patrick , Dahlmann Heindriken , Gleeson Tom , Steffen Will , Cornell Sarah , Rockström Johan
Published: March 2021

Green water - soil moisture, evaporation, and precipitation over land - is fundamental to safeguard Earth system functioning. Nonlinear green-water driven changes in climate, ecosystems, biogeochemistry, and hydrology are becoming increasingly evident and widespread. Yet, considerations of continental to planetary scale green-water dynamics are yet to be assessed and incorporated in management and governance. Here, we propose a green water planetary boundary (PB) - as part of the planetary boundary framework that demarcates a global “safe-operating space” for humanity - for assessing green-water related changes that can affect the capacity of the Earth system to remain in Holocene-like conditions. We consider green-water related processes associated with all scales: spatially distributed units, regions or biomes, and the Earth system as a whole. The proposed green water PB variable is selected through expert elicitation based on a set of transparent evaluation criteria that consider both scientific and governability aspects. Finally, we clarify the appropriate use of a green water PB, outline remaining challenges, and propose a research agenda for future navigation and quantitative assessments of the biophysical Earth system scale boundaries of green water changes.