bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Persistent imprint of historical metallurgy in an alpine watershed evidenced from lake sediments Pb isotopes
Authors: Guillevic Floriane , Rossi Magali , Arnaud Fabien , Poulenard Jérôme , Quantin Cécile , Monvoisin Gaël
Published: March 2022

The Pb-Ag mine of Peisey-Nancroix was operated between 1734 and 1824. The associated smelters emitted Pb-rich fumes that were reported as threatening for local people all along their period of activity. Lake La Plagne is located at 2 100 m a.s.l., 7 km uphill the former mine. Considering that smelters fumes were transported uphill by prevailing winds, studying the metal contamination within Lake La Plagne sediments offers the rare opportunity to reconstruct the local atmospheric contamination, as well as the remnant catchment area contamination in a context where historical conditions of exploitation are well-constrained.

Sediments deposited before mining and smelting only contains 30 mg/kg of Pb, whereas the sediments deposited during smelting contains up to 148 mg/kg of Pb. Recent sediments deposited after mining activity period also present an enrichment in Pb (up to 58 mg/kg). Mineralogical observations (SEM-FEG) suggest that within contamination peaks, Pb is essentially associated with infra µm-scale Mn-Fe (hyrdr-)oxides.

Pb isotopes were measured on selected samples collected along the lake sediment core prior mining, during mining and smelting, and after mining. The Pb isotopic ratios of all lake sediments (n=12) indicate mixing between the isotopic ratios of the ore (n=39; galena : 208Pb/206Pb =2.092 ± 0.004 and 206Pb/207Pb= 1.173 ± 0.002), and those of the deepest lake sediments (n=2; 208Pb/206Pb =2.041 ± 0.002 and 206Pb/207Pb= 1.209 ± 0.0004) that are representative of the geochemical background. The sediments deposited long after mining still present a significant influence of local ore-derived Pb, suggesting remobilisation from the watershed of Pb inherited from the smelting period.
Temperature and precipitation distribution changes in response to global warming – results from transient simulations of the Last Deglaciation from a hierarchy of climate models
Authors: Ziegler Elisa , Wirths Christian , Andres Heather , Gregoire Lauren , Ivanovic Ruza , Kapsch Marie-Luise , Kutterolf Steffen , Mikolajewicz Uwe , Schindlbeck-Belo Julie Christin , Toohey Matthew , Valdes Paul J. , Weitzel Nils , Rehfeld Kira
Published: March 2022

Projections of anthropogenic climate change suggest possible surface temperature increases similar to those during past major shifts of the mean climate like the Last Deglaciation. Such shifts do not only affect the mean but rather the full probability distributions of climatic variables such as temperature and precipitation. Changes to their distributions can thus be expected for the future as well and need to be constrained.  

To this end, we examine transient simulations of the Last Deglaciation from a hierarchy of climate models, ranging from an energy balance model to state-of-the-art Earth System Models. Besides the mean, we use the higher moments of variability – variance, skewness, and kurtosis – to characterize changes of the distribution. The analysis covers annual to millennial timescales and examines how patterns vary with timescale and region in response to warming. Furthermore, we evaluate how the changes of the distributions affect the occurrence of extremes.  

To analyze the influence of forcings on the distributions, we compare the patterns of the fully-forced simulations to those in sensitivity experiments that isolate the effects of individual forcings. In particular, the effect of volcanism is examined across the hierarchy, as well as changes in ice cover, freshwater input, CO2, and orbit. While large-scale global patterns can be found, there are significant regional differences as well as differences between simulations, relating for example to differences in the modelling of ice cover changes and freshwater input. Finally, we investigate whether climate model projections show the same trends with respect to the change in moments as those found in the deglacial simulations and thus whether the patterns found might hold for future climate. 
On-orbit Results from the NASA TROPICS Pathfinder Constellation Precursor Mission
Authors: Blackwell William
Published: March 2022

The NASA Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) mission will provide nearly all-weather observations of 3-D temperature and humidity, as well as cloud ice and precipitation horizontal structure, at high temporal resolution to conduct high-value science investigations of tropical cyclones. TROPICS will provide rapid-refresh microwave measurements (median refresh rate of approximately 50 minutes for the baseline mission) over the tropics that can be used to observe the thermodynamics of the troposphere and precipitation structure for storm systems at the mesoscale and synoptic scale over the entire storm lifecycle. The TROPICS constellation mission comprises six 3U CubeSats (5.4 kg each) in three low-Earth orbital planes. Each CubeSat will host a high performance radiometer to provide temperature profiles using seven channels near the 118.75 GHz oxygen absorption line, water vapor profiles using three channels near the 183 GHz water vapor absorption line, imagery in a single channel near 90 GHz for precipitation measurements (when combined with higher resolution water vapor channels), and a single channel at 205 GHz that is more sensitive to precipitation-sized ice particles. TROPICS spatial resolution and measurement sensitivity is comparable with current state-of-the-art observing platforms. Launches for the TROPICS constellation mission are planned in the first half of 2022. NASA’s Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) Program Office approved the separate TROPICS Pathfinder mission, which launched on June 30, 2021, in advance of the TROPICS constellation mission as a technology demonstration and risk reduction effort. The TROPICS Pathfinder mission has provided an opportunity to checkout and optimize all mission elements prior to the primary constellation mission. This presentation will describe the on-orbit results for the successful TROPICS Pathfinder precursor mission and will highlight numerous technical innovations that have made the TROPICS mission possible and enabled new capabilities for future earth observing missions.
Temporary nature-based carbon removal can lower peak warming in a well-below 2°C scenario
Authors: Matthews H. Damon , Zickfeld Kirsten , Dickau Mitchell , MacIsaac Alexander , Mathesius Sabine , Nzotungicimpaye Claude-Michel , Luers Amy
Published: March 2022

There is growing recognition that meeting the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement will require the world to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions around or before mid-century. Nature-based climate solutions (NbCS), which aim to preserve and enhance carbon storage in terrestrial or aquatic ecosystems, are increasingly being evoked as a potential contributor to net-zero emissions targets. However, there is a risk that any carbon that we succeed in storing in land-based systems could be subsequently lost back to the atmosphere as a result of either climate-related or human-caused disturbances such as wildfire or deforestation. Here we quantify the climate effect of NbCS in a scenario where land-based carbon storage is enhanced over the next several decades, and this stored carbon is then returned to the atmosphere during the second half of this century. We show that temporary carbon sequestration has the potential to decrease the peak temperature increase, but only if implemented alongside an ambitious mitigation scenario where fossil fuel CO2 emissions were decreased to net-zero during the time that NbCS-sequestered carbon remained stored. We also demonstrate the importance of non-CO2 climate effects of NbCS implementation; decreases in surface albedo that result from temporary reforestation, for example, have the potential to counter almost half of the climate effect of carbon sequestration. Our results suggest that there is some climate benefit associated with NbCS, even if the carbon storage is temporary, but only if implemented as a complement (and not an alternative) to ambitious fossil fuel CO2 emissions reductions.
A Next Generation Ocean Carbon Isotope Model for Climate Studies
Authors: Sonnerup Rolf , Claret Mariona
Published: March 2022

The 13C/12C of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13C DIC ) carries valuable information on ocean
biological C-cycling, air-sea CO2 exchange, and circulation. Paleo-reconstructions of oceanic 13C
from sediment cores provide key insights into past as changes in these three drivers. As a step
toward full inclusion of 13C in the next generation of Earth system models, we implemented 13C-
cycling in a 1° lateral resolution ocean-ice-biogeochemistry Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
Laboratory (GFDL) model driven by Common Ocean Reference Experiment perpetual year
forcing. The model improved the mean of modern δ13C DIC over coarser resolution GFDL-model
implementations, capturing the Southern Ocean decline in surface δ13C DIC that propagates to the
deep sea via deep water formation. The model is used here to quantify controls on modern and
anthropogenic δ13C DIC as well as to test their sensitivity to wind speed/gas exchange
parameterizations.
We found that reducing the coefficient for air-sea gas exchange following OMIP-CMIP6
protocols reduces deep sea modern δ13C DIC by 0.2 permil and improves the depth-integrated
anthropogenic δ13C DIC relative to previous gas exchange parameterizations. This is because the
δ13C DIC of the endmembers ventilating the deep sea and intermediate waters are highly sensitive to
the wind speed dependence of the air-sea CO2 gas exchange. Additionally, meridional gradients
of surface modern δ13C DIC are better resolved with OMIP-CMIP6. While this model was initially
constructed to study the anthropogenic 13C response, it has promising applications toward longer
time scales. For example, BLING 13 C includes controls on the biological C-pump thought to be
important in the glacial ocean: light and iron limitation, and controls on 13C of organic matter
formation, and thus on ocean δ13C DIC and its vertical gradient, that depend on pCO2 .
Small Islands – Precipitation in the Future
Authors: Meirelles Maria , Carvalho Fernanda , Henriques Diamantino , Navarro Patrícia
Published: March 2022

For most islands, there is very little published literature documenting the probability, frequency, severity,or consequences of climate change impacts, such as an decrease in precipitation. Some times, projections of future climate change impacts are limited by the lack of model skill in projecting the climatic variables that matter to small islands. The Azores are an archipelago formed by nine high volcanic islands, presenting a relatively small land area where precipitation is of orographic origin. Relatively projections up to the end of the 21st century, they were used for the same geographic region - the Azores region between 37 °N - 40°N and 32°W - 25°W - the results of the CMIP5 project for the RCPs (Representative Concentration Pathways) scenarios; trajectories describe four possible future climate scenarios, which depend on the amount of greenhouse gases emissions that may be emitted in the coming years. The four RCP scenarios (RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, RCP 6.0 and RCP 8.5), correspond to four radiative forcing intervals for the year 2100, to pre-industrial values ​​(+2.6, +4.5, +6.0 and +8.5 W/m2, respectively). Most of the CMIP5 climate data and projections used in this work they are freely available on the Climate Ex plorer portal (https://climexp.knmi.nl/) of the KNMI (Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut). Anomaly of the average annual precipitation for the Azores was calculated in the 1979-2019 period and its projections are estimated up to 2100, according to the RCP scenarios (Figure 1). In this case, the average variation calculated for the three scenarios for annual precipitation is -7.8 mm; in the case of the scenario more pessimistic (RCP 8.5), the models show for the Azores a decrease in average annual precipitation of about 9.8 mm/day until the end of the century, compared to the average of the last 30 years. According to the RCP4.5 scenario, a decrease is observed which is accentuated from the northwest to the southeast in the region under consideration, especially affecting the islands of the central and eastern groups. Of the calculations results for the average of the models an increase of the maximum number consecutive days with low rainfall (<1mm) from + 0.2 to 4.8 days / year until the year 2100. The demand for water affects basically four activities: the agriculture, energy production, industrial uses and consumption human. The projections found for the Azores of a decrease in precipitation are in line with other small island regions, such as the Caribbean and Mediterranean region. Thus, these regions become more vulnerable to social, economic and environmental impacts.
The vegetation-elevation relationship in salt marshes
Authors: Yang Zhicheng , Tognin Davide , Belluco Enrica , Puppin Alice , Finotello Alvise , Silvestri Sonia , Marani Marco , D’Alpaos Andrea
Published: March 2022

Salt marshes are coastal ecosystems of high importance from ecological and geomorphological perspectives which have been disappearing fastin thelast centuries. Halophytic vegetation can support marsh survival through complex ecomorphic feedbacks. A better understanding of vegetation distribution and related variations in response to environmental changes is of central importance to analyze marsh evolution. Towards this goal, we analyzed the vegetation-elevation relationship in a microtidal marsh  in the Venice Lagoon (the San Felice marsh) by coupling in-situ measurements in different years (between 2000 and 2019) and multi-spectral and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data. The vertical distribution of above-ground biomass (AGB) was also analyzed by using NDVI and an empirically estimated AGB (eAGB). Our results suggest that: 1) the known species sequence with increasing elevations maintained constant over the monitored period and at the whole marsh scale, although the overall increase in relative sea level rise altered the relative vertical position of each species; 2) the in-situ observed species sequence is found to be reliable and consistent at the whole marsh scale; 3) AGB increases with marsh elevation, values of NDVI and eAGB being generally higher in higher marsh portions. We also observed the dieback event of Spartina and the invasion of Salicornia in the San Felice marsh. All these results bear important implications for future marsh eco-morphodynamic analyses concerning landscapes populated by multiple vegetation species.
Non-gravitational accelerations and magnetic disturbances: What can be observed from the residual series of accelerometers on GRACE C?
Authors: Tzamali Myrto , Pagiatakis Spiros
Published: March 2022

The purpose of this study is to diagnose how the magnetic disturbances and the flow of the vertical currents can be identified from the non-gravitational acceleration measurements of GRACE C. Whereas the non-gravitational measurements are routinely used for the gravity field modelling, they can be used for the study of the upper atmosphere. Thus, separating the dominant forces of Solar Radiation Pressure (SRP) and the drag acting on the satellite is crucial in the calibration of the accelerometers and in understanding how the non-gravitational forces affect the satellite. In our analysis, we use an alternative weighted 1B dataset (ACW1B) of non-gravitational accelerations, which comprises the standard deviations of each measurement derived from the 1A data (10 Hz) using a weighted Gaussian filter with a cut-off frequency of 35mHz. Subsequently, we extract the atmospheric drag and the SRP, acting on the GRACE C satellite, directly from the accelerometer measurements. The weighted residual series along the three axes of the Science Reference Frame are analyzed based on their latitudinal, longitudinal, and local time variations and are compared with the field-aligned currents (FAC) dataset derived from the magnetic observations of GRACE C, provided by GFZ. We analyze the residual series in Magnetic Local Time (MLT) during the periods of combined Solstices, Equinoxes and on monthly basis in different frequency bands. In the higher frequency bands (f > 0.02 Hz) high correlation between the accelerometer residual series and the FACs is revealed, especially in the radial direction. The measurements in the along-track direction are the most disturbed during the geomagnetic storms, while in the radial direction we can distinctly identify the disturbances caused by the Earth Radiation pressure in the lower frequency bands. In the cross-track direction, the residual series reveal a strong signal in the equatorial region due to thruster activations. High dependency on Magnetic Local Time along the three axes of the accelerometer and consistent monthly differences between the ascending and descending tracks are investigated and presented.
The near-surface velocity structures of an incipient volcanic flank collapse revealed by geophysical studies (preliminary results)
Authors: Hussain Yawar , Cauchie Léna , Mreyen Anne-Sophie , Havenith Hans-Balder
Published: March 2022

The present study aims at the investigation of the large (> 10 km run-out and volume up to 20-50 km3), ancient (176 and 545 ka) coastal and submarine San Andres landslide on volcanic island, El Hierro. The landslide formed, as a result of an aborted giant volcanic flank collapse and represents a rare site where the landslide mass and related failure planes can be studied onshore. The possible triggers of a future massive failure include volcanic activity, large earthquakes, and the rising sea level under future climate change scenarios. Therefore, it is important to analyze possible associated geological hazards based on an extensive site study, as a massive failure could have catastrophic consequences, not only for the population of El Hierro Island, but also for the neighboring islands and even beyond. To that end, we adopted an integrated geophysical approach including horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (H/V), seismic array measurements, multi- channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) and seismic refraction tomography (SRT).

The data acquisition phase included campaigns in 2020 (H/V and seismological arrays) and 2021 (H/V, MASW, SRT). The seismic survey (refraction and MASW) was completed with profiles of variable lengths using 48 geophones while ambient noise array and single station measurements were carried out with CMG-6TD broadband velocimeters. Also a mixed scheme combining geophones and seismic stations along longer profiles were tested to increase the investigation depth. Data collected along these profiles were processed both in terms of SRT (providing a 2D P- wave velocity distribution over varying depths) and of MASW (providing S-wave velocity logs through surface wave inversion). Such S-wave velocity logs were also computed by inverting the array seismic noise data (first processed by f-k and cross-correlation techniques, providing a surface wave dispersion curve), which generally provided related information over larger depths.

Denoising of the seismic refraction data was often necessary before picking of the first arrivals as the records were affected by a high level of noise due to the proximity of coastal areas and of windmills. Our approach increased the precision in picking the first arrival and in determining the depth of the elastic properties of the landslide. Additionally, a geomodeling approach is used for the better presentation of the results in 3D. The latter reveals large variations in the measured physical properties because of the highly heterogeneous conditions marking the volcanic environment. The delineated subsurface information will provide an essential input parameter to be used for further numerical modeling studies of the flank stability and of the potential impact of a collapsing mass on the ocean.
Advances in online computing platforms and satellite sensor technologies enable unprecedented uptake of EO products
Authors: Schumann Guy J.-P. , Giustarini Laura , Campanella Paolo
Published: March 2022

Since the early seventies, it has been known that satellite images can add value to mapping and monitoring floods. With the early launches of the Landsat series, followed in the early eighties and nineties by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) missions on SIR-B, ERS-1 and RADARSAT-1 with their all-weather and day and night capabilities considerably expanded the potential of flood mapping from space. Since then, the world of open-access Earth Observation (EO) has grown considerably and available data to inform about floods and assist flood disasters from local to global scales have proliferated.

This EO data proliferation coupled, in recent years, with complementing data from drones, IOT sensors and significant progress in online cloud computing platforms and interoperability has led to a massive amount of progress in both geospatial technology development and better actionable products and services based on EO. In the context of floods, machine learning has started to enable onboard satellite mapping, and reconstructing flooded area under cloud cover in optical images. In addition, recent scientific progress in SAR signal coherence processing is enabling the mapping of flooded buildings in urban areas. Online cloud computing platforms can now be used to upscale such flood mapping applications over entire regions, countries or even continents with the click of a button.

Using several use case illustrations, this paper will present some major historical breakthroughs in EO-based flood mapping before presenting recent technological advances in rapidly mapping rural and urban flooding across various spatial scales. 
Rivers as Plastic Reservoirs
Authors: van Emmerik Tim , Mellink Yvette , Hauk Rahel , Waldschläger Kryss , Schreyers Louise
Published: March 2022

Land-based plastic waste, carried to the sea through rivers, is considered a main source of marine plastic pollution. However, most plastics that leak into the environment never make it into the ocean. Only a small fraction of plastics that are found in the terrestrial and aquatic compartments of river systems are emitted, and the vast majority can be retained for years, decades, and potentially centuries. In this presentation we introduce the concept of river systems as plastic reservoirs. Under normal conditions, hydrometeorological variables (such as wind, runoff and river discharge) mobilize, transport and deposit plastics within different river compartments (e.g. riverbanks, floodplains, lakes, estuaries). The emptying of these plastic reservoirs primarily occurs under extreme hydrological conditions (e.g. storms, floods). We specifically focus on the retention mechanisms within different river compartments, and their effect on the fate of the plastics that are accumulated over various timescales. With this presentation, we aim to introduce the concept of rivers as (long-term) sinks for plastic pollution, and provide suggestions for future research directions.
Towards a simple predictive erosive debris-flow model calibrated with contrasting environmental settings
Authors: Stammberger Verena , Dietrich Andreas , Krautblatter Michael
Published: March 2022

Debris flows are fast, hazardous and massively erosive mass movements that can cause severe danger to infrastructure and have been responsible for a significant number of casualties in the last decades. The European and German Alps face an increasing frequency and magnitude of hazardous debris-flows due to more frequent rainstorms in a warming climate. While the erodibility of the channel bed is a major contributor to the magnitude of debris-flows and the effective erosion often represents more than 80% of the final volume (Dietrich and Krautblatter, 2019) which, it is not or not sufficiently implemented in present debris-flow models.

Here, we present a concept of a simple predictive erosive debris-flow model calibrated with two erosive debris-flow events in the German Alps in June 2015. Both torrent channels were recorded with terrestrial laser scans and compared with an airborne laser scan performed in 2007. The detected geomorphic change was subdivided by same-length segments and correlated with modelled flow velocities at the cross-sections between the segments. The flow velocity at the cross sections was calculated by individual RAMMS Debris Flow simulations for every segment, each including the cumulated erosion volume of the sections upstream as well as the initial volume estimated from a rainfall-runoff calculation. As a result, we obtain a linear relationship between flow velocity and mean erosion depth, which can be used in a predictive debris-flow model to iteratively calculate the entrainment in every channel segment.

By analysing further geological and topographical debris-flow settings, we aim to create an inventory of different catchment characteristics and calibrate the model to various dimensions and properties. This would enable enhanced magnitude predictions of anticipated erosive debris-flows in comparable catchments by a fully forward-modelling approach.

Reference:

Dietrich, A. and Krautblatter M. (2019): Deciphering controls for debris-flow erosion derived from a LiDAR-recorded extreme event and a calibrated numerical model (Roßbichelbach, Germany). Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 44: 1346-1361, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4578.
Volume, effusion rate, and lava transport during the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption: Results from near real-time photogrammetric monitoring
Authors: Pedersen Gro , Belart Joaquin M. C. , Óskarsson Birgir Vilhelm , Guðmundsson Magnús Tumi , Gies Nils , Högnadóttir Thórdís , Hjartardóttir Ásta Rut , Pinel Virginie , Berthier Etienne , Dürig Tobias , Reynolds Hannah Iona , Hamilton Christpher W. , Valsson Guðmundur , Einarsson Páll , Ben-Yehoshua Daniel , Gunnarsson Andri , Oddsson Björn
Published: March 2022

The basaltic effusive eruption at Mt. Fagradalsfjall began on March 19, 2021, ending a 781-year hiatus on Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland. At the time of writing (January 7, 2022), no eruptive activity has been observed since September 18, 2021. To monitor key eruption parameters (i.e., effusion rate and volume), near-real time photogrammetric monitoring was performed using a combination of satellite and airborne stereo images.

By late September 2021, 32 near real-time photogrammetric surveys were completed, usually processed within 3–6 hours. The results are a significant achievement in full-scale monitoring of a lava flow-field providing temporal data sets of lava volume, thickness, and effusion rate. This enabled rapid assessment of eruption evolution and hazards to populated areas, important infrastructure, and tourist centers.

The lava pathways and lava advancement were very complex and changeable as the lava filled and spilled from one valley into another and short-term prediction of the timing of overflow from one valley to another proved challenging. Analysis of thickness maps and thickness change maps show that the lava transport into different valleys varied up to 10 m3/s between surveys as lava transport rapidly switched between one valley to another.

By late September 2021, the mean lava thickness exceeded 30 m, covered 4.8 km2 and has a bulk volume of 150 ± 3 × 106 m3. Around the vent the thickness is up to 122 m. The March–September mean effusion rate is 9.5 ± 0.2 m3/s, ranging between 1–8 m3/s in March–April and increasing to 9–13 m3/s in May–September. This is uncommon for recent Icelandic eruptions, where the highest discharge usually occurs in the opening phase. This behavior may have been due to widening of the conduit by thermo-mechanical erosion with time, and not controlled by magma chamber pressure as is most common in the volcanic zones of Iceland.
Rain data crowdsourcing for improving urban flood risk management: exploring the potential in Sweden
Authors: Karagiorgos Konstantinos , Mobini Shifteh , Grahn Tonje , Gustafsson Kristin , Larson Rolf , Olsson Jonas , Van de Beek Remco , Nyberg Lars
Published: March 2022

Urban flooding causes considerable societal damage and necessitates increased climate adaptation measures. Extreme rain events' rapid and local character make them difficult to observe, assess, predict, and warn about. One example is the flood event in Malmö in 2014, not only in terms of rain intensities and volumes but also the fact that the more intense parts of the rainfall fell across central Malmö with adverse consequences (approx. SEK 100 million for 1400 claims).  These extreme hydrological events are generally predicted to become more frequent and damaging in Sweden due to the warming climate.

The overarching aim of this study is to develop an approach to improve urban rain safety by establishing a participatory system for collecting data to support urban flood risk modelling for the adaptation of cities to intense rainfall. Nowadays, meteorological information to improve flood risk modelling can be obtained from non-traditional sources such as privately owned weather stations and social media. Crowdsourcing techniques linked to public engagement via citizen science are frequently used across different scientific areas to supplement traditional data collection.

Our analysis compiles data from available platforms (WeatherObervationWebsite (WOW) by SMHI, Netatmo platform and WunderMap website) for different case studies. The data will be organised in databases; and validated with SMHI-certified automatic rain gauges, municipal gauges, radar data and integrated gridded products.

The approach presented opens up insights into the measurement accuracy and issues in operational crowdsourcing of private rain measurements. The new type of rain data will be used for testing their applicability with flood models. The particular focus in the testing will be on the effect of model output from added spatial resolution in rain measurements.
The New Geodetic Prediction Center at ETH Zurich
Authors: Soja Benedikt , Kiani Shahvandi Mostafa , Schartner Matthias , Gou Junyang , Kłopotek Grzegorz , Crocetti Laura , Awadaljeed Mudathir
Published: March 2022

Geodetic measurements allow the determination of a wide variety of parameters describing the Earth system, including its shape, gravity field, and orientation in space. The importance of such parameters to science and society is manifested through geodetic contributions to the examination of geodynamic phenomena, climate change monitoring and navigation both on the Earth's surface and in space. In a recent effort led by the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS), a set of Essential Geodetic Variables (EGVs) has been defined, which are key quantities characterizing geodetic properties of the Earth. Certain requirements have been assigned to EGVs, including accuracy, spatio-temporal resolution, and latency.

For many real-time applications, the latency of geodetic products has become increasingly critical. Forecasts of certain EGVs at various time horizons are needed to accommodate the user's needs for many applications. In addition, spatial prediction of geodetic quantities on standardized grids on global and regional scales are of great benefit to certain scientific disciplines. The Space Geodesy group at ETH Zurich has thus established a new Geodetic Prediction Center (GPC), which aims to produce spatio-temporal predictions of various EGVs by employing state-of-the-art methods and providing them freely to the scientific community and other interested parties.

In the field of time series forecasting and spatial prediction, machine learning (ML) has become increasingly powerful in recent years due to its high accuracy, efficiency in coping with large amounts of heterogeneous data sets, and capability of capturing complex relationships between various data sources. For instance, ML allows to include auxiliary data in geodetic predictions, also in the cases when no mathematical or physical relation is known. The application of ML has demonstrated promising results in terms of geodetic time series prediction and is thus the tool of choice for many of the parameters provided by the GPC. ML methods applied in this framework include tree-based methods such as random forest as well as variants of convolutional and recurrent neural networks. Such a ML-based approach allows to assimilate geodetic measurements, environmental models, and auxiliary data sets with the aim to provide predictions of utmost accuracy.

Currently, ETH Zurich is invested in the prediction of Earth orientation parameters, Earth angular momentum functions, station coordinates, tropospheric zenith wet delays, ionospheric total electron content, and satellite orbits. In this contribution, an overview of these efforts in the framework of the Geodetic Prediction Center will be provided, highlighting the most recent scientific results.
 Macroplastic emissions from the Odaw river, Ghana, into the ocean.
Authors: Pinto Rose , Barendse Tom , van Emmerik Tim , Annor Frank , Duah Kwame , Udo Job , Lugt Dorien , Uijlenhoet Remko
Published: March 2022

Rivers have been highlighted to play a key role in the transport of plastics into the ocean and especially, urban water systems act as a major source of plastic leakage into the marine environment.  However, observed data on plastic pollution in these urban water systems are scarce.  Our study focuses on the Odaw river basin which is the main drainage systems in Accra, Ghana, and is heavily polluted with macroplastics.  This is due to the high anthropogenic activities which have increased the indiscriminate dumping of waste into the water system.  These macroplastics in the water system accumulates over long periods, and a part of it is emitted into the ocean during high discharges.  Due to limited data on the quantification of macroplastics in the Odaw river, the seasonality and hotspot accumulation zones of these macroplastics in the river are unknown.  Such information is crucial for policymakers to prioritize future plastic debris monitoring and mitigation strategies.  We aimed to quantify the macroplastic emissions from the Odaw river into the ocean.  Using visual plastic counting from four bridges together with a hydrodynamic model, estimations for total yearly plastic fluxes through the Odaw river were made.  This model used rainfall data from 2016-2021 at the input nodes to simulate the discharges in the water system.  We estimated a total plastic flux from the Odaw river into the ocean between 2.6 x 101 and 1.7 x 103 tons per year.  Low plastic fluxes were observed at the bridges during dry periods, but a 10 fold increase in plastic fluxes was observed during and after a rainfall event.  Except for two sampling days, negative plastic fluxes were observed at the two bridges closest to the ocean due to the effect of tides.  These observations made the estimation of the total plastic emissions into the ocean challenging because of the bidirectional flow dynamics of the macroplastics at these locations.  The findings of this study provide baseline data for macroplastic transport through the Odaw river into the ocean.  Future research could focus on investigating the accumulation zones of macroplastics at the bridges closest to the river mouths due to the role of tidal dynamics on the river plastic transport and export into the ocean.
Ground motion and unrest triggering on volcanoes
Authors: Dunn Eleanor , Bean Chris , Bell Andy
Published: March 2022

Dynamic stress perturbations have triggered earthquakes thousands of kilometres away from the source. This process, known as dynamic triggering, occurs due to dynamic excitation from both local and regional earthquakes which trigger volcanic seismicity and can yield additional information about both the pre-eruptive state of volcanic systems and about material behaviour. Earthquakes are more likely to be triggered on faults already close to failure so dynamic triggering also offers a means to investigate the stress state of the subsurface. However, the mechanisms underpinning dynamic triggering remain enigmatic. Current understanding is confined to statistical studies of the response to many triggered earthquakes in many different crustal volumes with seismicity rates being used as a proxy for the state of stress. Generally, the background stress state does not change significantly during the window of seismic observation. This makes it difficult to study the same seismically active region over an extended period at different stress states. Volcanoes are ideal natural laboratories for studying the factors that influence dynamic triggering as they experience rapid, high-amplitude changes in stress due to magma accumulation and withdrawal. 
 One such example is Sierra Negra, Galápagos Islands, and utilising the current understanding of dynamic triggering observed prior to the 2018 eruption, Sierra Negra, this project aims to resolve some unanswered questions. These include: 1) What new evidence of dynamic triggering is there at Sierra Negra, post-2018 eruption? 2) Is there a critical stress which is reached when Sierra Negra is being reinflated, post-eruption, which leads to subsequent triggering? 3) Are there non-linear wave effects at work? 4) Is there the possibility to compare Sierra Negra to a volcano which may also be demonstrating signs of dynamic triggering e.g., Hekla, Iceland? A collection of seismic data from locations such as Sierra Negra and Hekla will be supported by numerical simulations of dynamic excitation. This project aims to better understand the role that the interplay between ground motion and the properties of a volcanic edifice play in a volcano’s pathway to eruption. This project is part of the Seismological Parameters and INstrumentation Innovative Training Network (SPIN-ITN) funded by the European Commission. The overarching goal of SPIN is to advance seismic observation, theory, and hazard assessment. SPIN is divided into 4 work packages (WP) with each WP consisting of 3-4 PhD projects, hosted at different beneficiary institutes. The majority of the SPIN projects began in September-October 2021.  
Direct evidence for 5,000 years of Alpine pastoralism: how lake sediments inform about animal diversity, soil erosion and vegetation change
Authors: Morlock Marina A , Rodriguez-Martinez Saúl , Huang Doreen Yu-Tuan , Glaus Nicole , Anselmetti Flavio S , Vogel Hendrik , Rey Fabian , Heiri Oliver , Dwileski Allison , Klaminder Jonatan
Published: March 2022

The introduction of vertical mobility for agro-pastoral activities marks an important change in prehistoric society, which has altered the socioeconomic structuring of Alpine areas. It has also had severe consequences for the high Alpine ecosystems, including the destabilisation of soils, sustained vegetation disturbance, and lake eutrophication. With climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressure to Alpine environments, it is critical to better characterise the interaction between natural and anthropogenic factors that have shaped Alpine environments during the last millennia.

We present a Holocene record of domestic and wild animal presence through sediment-DNA analysis from a lake sediment core from the Eastern Swiss Alps and study the effects on soil erosion and vegetation composition. We provide direct evidence for the onset of pastoralism around 5,000 years BP, after which the site became repeatedly abandoned and re-occupied. According to our sediment-DNA reconstructions, several domestic species are present during early occupational periods, while cattle herding has become dominant during the last millennium. The latter period also coincides with a severe change in vegetation composition. Pastoral activities have had marked effects on soil erosion, while catchment deforestation already occurred ~2,000 years prior to the first findings of DNA from domestic animals, suggesting that the onset of Alpine pastoralism did not cause severe vegetation changes in our catchment. Further, sediment-DNA findings indicate that wild animals avoided near-shore territories during periods of human occupation, but returned to the lake shore upon site abandonment.

Our study opens a new perspective on long-term human-environment interactions in Alpine environments by providing direct evidence for animal presence and diversity and linking this information to physical and ecological factors such as soil erosion and vegetation change.
Research progresses and trends of hydrological connectivity based on bibliometrics
Authors: Yu Yang , Shu Min , Hui Yiying , Ma Daoming , Huang Danyi , Gong Ming
Published: March 2022

Water is the main factor restricting and maintaining biological activities, and hydrological connectivity is closely related to many ecological processes. As a process that characterizes the transfer of energy and organisms among landscapes during the water cycle, hydrological connectivity establishes the interconnection between the material and energy flow of the landscape during the water cycle. Using bibliometric methods, hydrological connectivity related researches were searched via Web of Science and CNKI database, combining with Bibexcel, Ucient and Citespace procedures to obtain high-frequency words and keyword co-occurrence network views, we reviewed the research progress of hydrological connectivity abroad. The results showed that: 1) Regarding hydrological connectivity, the volume of publications both at home and abroad has shown an upward trend. The number of the publications showed significantly increased. 2) In terms of the frequency of keywords, many studies tend to focus on the research on hydrological connectivity of different types of ecosystem structure and function changes. 3) The analysis of the frequency of outbreak words showed that hydrological connectivity and climate change, biodiversity and ecosystem services have become research hotspots in this field. 4) According to the co-occurrence network view, we found that hydrological connectivity and ecological processes, the impact of different types of ecosystem hydrological connectivity on material transport, and the impact of changes in ecosystem structure and function on hydrological connectivity are the current research hotspots. Carrying out multi-scale hydrological connectivity mapping and multi-scale hydrological connectivity quantitative assessment and model simulation based on geographic information technology and long-term field monitoring data are the trends of future hydrological connectivity research directions.
Challenges of the Infrasound Array in Austria
Authors: Mitterbauer Ulrike
Published: March 2022

The mobile Infrasound Array of the Austrian National Data Center which is a part of the Central and Eastern European Infrasound Network (CEEIN) was installed early 2021 at the Trafelberg in Lower Austria. The array aperture is approximately 1000 m. All sites are equipped with Hyperion IFS 3000 sensors and sara® dataloggers. Power is supplied by a fuelcell and solar panels. The data is locally saved and stored on USB sticks, as well it is transferred in real-time to the Headquarter of ZAMG in Vienna. The data is recorded in miniseed format and processed and analyzed manually by using the dtkGPMCC- and dtkDIVA-Software, developed by CEA/DASE (Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique/Département analyse, surveillance, environment, France). Several challenges occured due to failures of sensors as well of dataloggers. In frame of the SWOT analysis strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the new installed array were compiled. Results of the analysis will be shown in the presentation.
Breaking the barriers to interdisciplinarity: Contributions from the Environmental Research Infrastructures
Authors: Adamaki Angeliki K. , Gomes Ana Rita , Vermeulen Alex , Asmi Ari , Petzold Andreas
Published: March 2022

As science and technology evolve, interdisciplinary targets are anything but static, introducing additional levels of complexity and challenging further the initiatives to break the barriers to interdisciplinary research. For over a decade the community of the Environmental Research Infrastructures, forming the ENVRI cluster, has been building strong foundations to overcome these challenges and benefit the environmental sciences. One of the overarching goals of the ENVRI cluster is to provide more FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) data and services which will be open to everyone who wishes to get access to environmental observations, from scientists and research communities of scientifically diverse clusters to curious citizens, data scientists and policy makers.

Starting with domain-specific use cases we further explore potential cross-domain cases, e.g. in the form of environmental science stories crossing disciplinary boundaries. A set of Jupyter Notebooks developed by the contributing Research Infrastructures (and accessible from a hub of services called the ENVRI-Hub) are promising tools to demonstrate and validate the capabilities of service provision among ENVRIs and across Science Clusters, and act as examples of what a user can achieve through the ENVRI-Hub. In one of the examples we investigate, a user-friendly well-structured Jupyter Notebook that makes use of research infrastructures’ application programming interfaces (APIs) jointly plots in a map the geographical locations of several Marine and Atmospheric stations (where the stations in this example are defined as measurement points actively collecting data). The FAIR principles provide a firm foundation defining the layer that supports the ENVRI-Hub structure and the preliminary results are promising. Considering that the APIs can become discoverable via a common ENVRI catalogue, the ENVRI-Hub aims to make full use of the machine-actionability of such a catalogue in the future to facilitate this kind of use case execution in the Hub itself.

Acknowledgement: ENVRI-FAIR has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 824068. This work is only possible with the collaboration of the ENVRI-FAIR partners and thanks to the joint efforts of the whole ENVRI team.
Water use efficiency (WUE) Modeling at Leaf level of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in Telangana, India
Authors: Moharana Shreedevi , Kambhammettu Phanindra BVN
Published: March 2022

Water use efficiency (WUE) plays a vital role in planning and management of irrigation strategies. Considering the spatial scale, WUE can be quantified at scales ranging from leaf to whole-plant to ecosystem to region. However, the inter-relation and their associate is poorly understood. This study is aimed at stimulating WUE of irrigated cotton at leaf () and further investigate the role of environmental and biophysical conditions on WUE dynamics. This study was conducted in an agricultural croplands located in Sangareddy district, about 70 km west of Hyderabad, the capital city of southern state Telangana, India. Ground based observation were made such as soil moisture, photosynthetic parameters and meteorological parameters. Modelling leaf water use efficiency has been established. The stomatal conductance  and  of cotton leaves exposed to ambient CO2 were simulated using Ball-Berry (mBB) model. Moreover, the stomatal conductance  and  of Cotton leaves exposed to ambient CO2 is simulated using modified Ball-Berry model, with instantaneous gas exchanges measured around noon used to parameterize and validate the model. We observed a large diurnal (4.3±1.9 mmolCO2 mol-1H2O) and seasonal (5.16±1.51 mmolCO2 mol-1H2O) variations in  during the crop period. Model simulated  and  are in agreement with the measurements (R2>0.5, RMSE<0.3). Our results conclude that WUEL­ is ruled by climatic as well as vegetative factors respectively, and are largely controlled by changes in transpiration over photosynthesis. This needs further investigation with extensive analysis by building library of in-situ measurements.

 

Keywords: Cotton, WUE, Irrigation, Stomatal conductance, Ball Berry Model