bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Veer and shear in the tropical cyclone lower boundary-layer
Authors: Müller Sara , Guo Larsén Xiaoli , Verelst David
Published: February 2023

Tropical cyclones are associated with extreme wind speeds, enhanced turbulence, vertical wind shear, and veer. All these elements increase loads acting on structures such as wind turbines, bridges, and high-rise buildings. While most studies focus on maximal wind speeds in tropical cyclones, we analyze wind shear and veer in the lowest 300 m of the atmosphere, which is relevant for wind energy applications. We use the Weather Research and Forecasting model to model and analyze the distribution and spatial structure of wind shear and veer in Typhoon Megi (2016) at different radii. We found maximal mean shear and veer in the eyewall region. Shear and veer are on average smaller in the rainbands, but their respective distribution is positively skewed due to spatially organized outliers. These outliers are associated with convective cells and downdrafts, that propagate over structures with speeds of around 30 ms⁻¹. Consequently, structures experience rapid changes in shear and veer. We further analyze vertical cross-sections through convective cells and their propagation velocity. The study highlights differences in characteristics of the low-level wind field between the eyewall region and rainbands, which suggest distinct forces acting on structures.
Ultra High-Resolution terrestrial and marine DEMs drive Relative Sea Level Rise projections and flooding scenario for 2100 A.D. for the Island of Panarea (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy)
Authors: Anzidei Marco , Doumaz Fawzi , Esposito Alessandra , Trippanera Daniele , Vecchio Antonio , Fabris Massimo , Bosman Alessandro , Alberti Tommaso
Published: February 2023

In the Aeolian Archipelago (southern Tyrrhenian Sea), Panarea Island and the islets of Bottaro, Lisca Bianca, Lisca Nera and Dattilo, is undergoing sea level rise, land subsidence, coastal erosion and beach retreat that are posing continuous threats to coastal stability and infrastructures built along the coastal zone. With the aim to assess the coastal changes by the end of 2100 according to the IPCC climatic scenarios, that predict a global sea level rise even more than 1 m, a detailed evaluation of the potential coastal flooding has been estimated in the frame of the PANDCOAST project, funded by the INGV.This work focuses on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) imagery combined with multibeam bathymetry data collected in different years for the generation of the very  high-resolution Digital Terrain and Marine Model (DTMM) of the Panarea Island and its archipelago. Scenarios are based on the determination of the current coastline position, high resolution Digital Terrain and Marine Models, vertical land movements and climatic projections.  The data fusion of detailed topographic data, up to 2 cm/pixel for the subaerial sector with sea level rise projections released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the SSP2.6 and SSP5 climatic scenarios for this area, are used to map the expected multi-temporal sea level rise scenarios for 2050 and 2100.In the analysis have been incorporated the effects of the vertical land movements (VLM) as estimated by the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) network located in the archipelago. Assuming constant rates of VLM for the next 80 years, relative sea level rise projections provide values between 31±11 cm by 2050 and 104±27 cm by 2100 for the IPCC AR6 SSP8.5 scenarios and at 27±10 cm by 2050 and 73±24 cm by 2100, for the IPCC AR6 SSP2.6 scenario, with small variations in the individual islets of the archipelago. With these scenarios, the lowest elevated coasts of the islands are exposed to increasing marine flooding, especially during storm surges and high water levels particularly heavy from the north-western sectors.
Planetary and synoptic-scale atmospheric disturbances from images of Mars during Martian Year 3
Authors: Sánchez-Lavega Agustín , Larsen Ethan , Hernández-Bernal Jorge , del Río-Gaztelurrutia Teresa , Ordóñez-Etxeberria Iñaki , Cardesin Moinelo Alejandro
Published: February 2023

Four surface stations (rovers Curiosity, Perseverance, and Zhurong, and the Insight platform) were operating on Mars along Martian Year 36 (7 February 2021 – 26 December 2022), all them equipped with a suite of meteorological sensors and cameras. In addition, eight orbiters are currently studying the planet from different perspectives and instruments. To help to interpret and put in context the meteorological measurements at the surface by these stations, we present here a study of the atmospheric disturbances, at the planetary and synoptic scales, based on images of Mars obtained from cameras onboard Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter [1, 2]. We report on the properties of the disturbances that evolved at the edge of the North Polar Cap (latitudes ~ 40°N to 70°N) during the springtime season in the northern hemisphere. These are dust storms and synoptic-scale cloud systems with arc, frontal, irregular and spiral shapes, typically growing from the baroclinic instabilities in the intense eastward jet present in this epoch of the Martian year.  We also report on the evolution of the aphelion cloud belt (Ls ~ 0° – 180°), including among other phenomena the recurrent annular-double cyclone (Ls ~ 125°) and the cloud development at Hellas basin (Ls ~ 145° – 300°). Finally, we present an analysis of the dust storms that evolved at different latitudes, concentrating in particular in the regional storm that evolved over Perseverance in early January 2022. References[1] Sánchez-Lavega, A. et al., Icarus 299, 194-205 (2018)[2] Bell III, J. F. et al., J. Geophys. Res. Planets 114, E003315, 1-41 (2009)
The Mountain Front Fault in the Lorestan region of the Zagros belt (Iran): coupling tectonic uplift and structural inheritance in a Mass Rock Creep deforming slope
Authors: Delchiaro Michele , Della Seta Marta , Martino Salvatore , Moumeni Mohammad , Nozaem Reza , Marmoni Gian Marco , Esposito Carlo
Published: February 2023

A Deep-seated Gravitational Slope Deformation (DGSD) affects the SE slope of the Siah-Kuh anticline in the Lorestan arc (Zagros Mts., Iran), upstream to the intersection between the Mountain Front Fault (MFF) and the Balarud fault zone. The DGSD is driven by a Mass Rock Creep (MRC) process and involves an area of about 8 km2. The DSGD is strictly related to the evolution of the Dowairij River drainage system as well as to the tectonic and structural setting of the MFF.  Nevertheless, such instability has not been documented in any study, and the amplitude of the coupling among time-dependent rock mass deformations, tectonics and landscape evolution rates remain unresolved. In this regard, we present an integrated study, based on quantitative geomorphic analysis, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, and InSAR techniques to assess the long-term to present-day landscaping processes. In detail, we semi-automatically extracted the fluvial treads to which we associated an elevation above the thalweg based on the Relative Elevation Model (REM) allowing the order definition. Then, OSL technique was used to date two strath terraces located across the MFF, whose plano-altimetric distribution has been correlated along the river longitudinal profile, allowing the estimate of an uplift rate of 2.8±0.2 mm yr-1. InSAR techniques were performed by processing 279 satellite Sentinel-1 (A and B) radar images of the ascending and descending orbit spanning from 06 October 2014 to 31 March 2019. A maximum ground displacement rate of 6 mm yr-1 associated with tension cracks and scars involving the limestone caprock in the upper slope has been observed. Consequently, the role of the inherited Jurassic extensional fault pattern in the rock damaging has been documented. 
Wheat Cover Crop Management Impacts Corn Yield, Soil Nitrogen Dynamics, and Nitrous Oxide Emission
Authors: Adeyemi Oladapo , Sadeghpour Amir
Published: February 2023

Agricultural soil  management is the main source of nitrous oxide (N2O) emission, contributing 78% of total N2O emissions. Winter cereal cover crops (WCCCs) are recommended as the best in-field management practice to minimize nutrient loss to Illinois water and the Gulf of Mexico. WCCCs including wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are often terminated 3-4 weeks prior to planting corn. Delaying termination increases nitrogen (N) uptake and decreases N leaching potential. Literature is scant on the effect of wheat termination (early vs. late or cover crop removal) on corn yield and N2O emission during corn growing season. The objective of the study includes evaluating effect of wheat termination management vs. a no-cover crop control on (I) corn leaf area index (LAI) and grain yield; (II) soil nitrate-N, ammonium-N, and total N dynamics; (III) soil volumetric water content (VWC) and temperature trends; (IV) soil N2O emission; and (V) yield-scaled N2O emissions. We found that Corn yield was higher in Fallow and explained by peak LAI values. Majority of N2O emissions occurred after N fertilization prior to corn V10 growth stage. Soil nitrate-N had its peak period after sidedressing N coinciding with peak N2O emissions for most of cover crop treatments. Yield-scaled N2O emission were lowest in the fallow in both years and varies across other cover crop treatments in 2020 and 2021 reflecting on lower N balances in that treatment. Average soil VWC prior to corn V10 growth stage explained 74% of soil N2O-N emissions indicating when N is supplied in high amount, soil VWC drives N2O-N emissions. Gram + bacteria was negatively related to cumulative N2O-N emissions.
How do soil mechanical properties and mucilage affect the root penetration resistance to root growth?
Authors: Mysore Janakiram Ravi Kumar , Vanderborght Jan , Huisman Johan Alexander
Published: February 2023

Root elongation is affected by biological, physical, and chemical soil properties. Key soil physical properties determining soil strength are water content and bulk density. Highly compacted soils provide strong resistance to root growth. Therefore, it is vital to understand the effects of water content and density on the ability of roots to penetrate soil. Plant roots release a polymeric gel consisting of polysaccharides and lipids called mucilage. Mucilage also affects the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil, and thus is expected to have a significant effect on the penetration forces associated with root growth. In this study, penetration resistance is investigated for two soil types (sand and loam) treated with two types of mucilage obtained from flax and chia seeds. To determine penetration forces, a rheometer (MCR 102e, Anton Paar, Germany) equipped with a stainless steel needle with a shaft diameter 1 mm and an apex angle of 60° was used to mimic a root. In all measurements, the needle penetrated the soil with a velocity of 40 µm/s. Soil samples were prepared with various water content (6%, 9%, 12%, and 15%) while keeping the dry density of the soil constant following standard procedures of a mini-compaction test.  To investigate the effect of mucilage concentration, penetration tests were carried out for different concentrations (control, 0.1%, and 0.5%). Results suggest that an increase in water content significantly reduced the penetration forces. A clear effect of the type and the concentration of root exudate on the penetration resistance was also observed. It is concluded that root penetration forces are significantly affected by soil type, water content, and the type and concentration of mucilage in the rhizosphere. 
Competing roles of green roof in rain water harvesting systems: accounting for retention and detention in a behavioural model simulation
Authors: Cauteruccio Arianna , Lanza Luca G.
Published: February 2023

Green roofs are beneficial in urban drainage systems due to their role in mitigating the hydrological response of the largely impervious surfaces to intense rainfall events. Such benefit is often assumed to hold also in case RainWater Harvesting (RWH) is implemented to exploit the collected rainwater for non-potable usages and to save valuable potable water resources. However, the role of green roofs on the RWH efficiency is not obvious and requires detailed investigation by accounting for the local rainfall climatology.   On the one hand, retention of rainwater operated by the vegetation would reduce the total volume of collected water made available for exploitation. On the other hand, rainwater detention in the green roof substrates would add to the storage capability of the RWH system, therefore improving the delayed supply of water during inter-event dry periods. The resulting efficiency at the annual scale depends on the distribution of precipitation within the year (duration of dry periods, intensity of rain events, frequency of extremes, etc.).In this work, a behavioural model is developed to investigate the impact of the inflow modulation due to an interposed green roof on the efficiency of a generic RWH system located in the Mediterranean environment (Cauteruccio and Lanza, 2022). Various configurations of both the green roof characteristics (retention and detention performance) and the RWH system (rainwater collection area and storage volume) are compared with the collection from impervious surfaces in terms of non-dimensional reliability indices.Furthermore, the annual usage volume per unit tank capacity is used as an indicator of the economic benefit associated with the exploitation of the resource, and its variation in case of the various green roof/RWH system design configurations is assessed. In particular, the reduction of the significant overflow ratio that is typical of RWH systems in the Mediterranean climate is calculated, which is interpreted as a positive feature since overflow represents the unused portion of the collected water.Cauteruccio, A. and L.G. Lanza (2022). Rainwater harvesting for urban landscape irrigation using a soil water depletion algorithm conditional on daily precipitation. Water, 14(21), 3468. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14213468.
Ambient conditions and infrared sky brightness in the Chilean Atacama Desert
Authors: Kausch Wolfgang , Kimeswenger Stefan , Noll Stefan , Holzlöhner Roland
Published: February 2023

The Atacama Desert in the Chilean Andes region is one of the dryest areas in the world. Due to its unique location with stable subtropical meteorological conditions and high mountains, it is an ideal site for the astronomical telescope facilities of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The special meteorological conditions are continuously monitored at Cerro Paranal (the location of the Very Large Telescope) by measuring various parameters like temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitable water vapour (PWV), wind speed and direction, and sky radiance and bolometric sky temperature, respectively, the latter being crucial for astronomical observations in the thermal infrared regime. ESO operates several site monitoring systems for that purpose, e.g. the ESO MeteoMonitor, the Differential Image Motion Monitor (DIMM) and a Low Humidity And Temperature PROfiler (L-HATPRO) microwave radiometer providing detailed water vapour and temperate profiles up to a height of 12km in various directions. We have assembled all available data for a period of 4.5 years (2015-07-01 through 2019-12-31) and created a unique data set from it. This period also covers the strong El Niño event at the end of 2015. In this poster we present statistical results on the overall conditions and trends, and compare our measurements of the nocturnal sky brightness with an empirical model as function of the ambient temperature, PWV and zenith distance.
Reconnaissance of landslide-prone slope response to seismic shaking from ambient noise analysis (SE Apennines, Italy)
Authors: Del Gaudio Vincenzo , Wasowski Janusz , Fredella Flaviana , Paudice Rita
Published: February 2023

Earthquakes and slope instabilities represent two major geohazards for many small hilltop towns of Italy. Here we report on how the susceptibility of urban/peri-urban slopes to earthquake-induced failure is being addressed within the ongoing seismic microzonation project of the Apulia region (SE Italy). We focus on the towns built on marginally stable slopes formed in tectonically disrupted flysch units, which are common in the Daunia Mountains, located along the SE front of the Apennine chain. Historical records show that this area has been repeatedly hit by moderate-large magnitude earthquakes generated by active seismogenic sources frequently activated in the Apennine chain and, less frequently but with comparable energy, in the foredeep-foreland zone of northern Apulia. The reconnaissance studies conducted in the initial stage of the seismic microzonation project produced a large amount of in-situ acquired data. These included over 600 recordings in more than 300 sites of 18 municipalities. Overall, about 40% measurements were made on landslides or at their margins. Ambient noise recordings were analysed through techniques based on the calculation of the ratios between the amplitude of horizontal and vertical components of non-seismic ground vibrations. Evidence of resonance phenomena was observed at over 90% of the landslide sites, most of which had a main resonance frequency below 3 Hz. H/V peak amplitudes were generally low (< 3), likely because the flysch substratum is intensely fractured and may not cause a strong impedance contrast with the overlying surficial materials. However, about 10% of sites showed evidence of greater amplification effects (H/V peak > 5). This information interpreted in the context of local geological conditions helps defining the areas that will be subjected to more comprehensive investigations in the subsequent stages of the seismic microzonation project. AcknowledgementsStudy conducted with the financial support of the National Department of Civil Protection and of the Civil Protection Office of the Apulian Regional Administration.
VLBI-based assessment of the consistency of the conventional EOP series and the reference frames (terrestrial and celestial)
Authors: Moreira Mariana , Azcue Esther , Karbon Maria , Belda Santiago , Puente Víctor , Heinkelmann Robert , Gordon David , Ferrándiz José
Published: February 2023

The Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) envisages stringent goals for the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) realization in terms of accuracy (1 mm) and precision (0.1 mm/year). These requirements entail that the Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP) should be estimated with similar accuracy.
The conventional International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) is based on the combination of solutions from four space geodetic techniques, including observations until the end of 2020, incorporating updated data and models. On the other hand, the Celestial Reference Frame (CRF) is a VLBI-only solution based on data until 2015, provided by one sole VLBI-analysis centre. Additionally, the current conventional EOP series, IERS 14 C04, is also produced in a separate process following a different analysis and combination strategy. It is based on a combination of monthly EOP estimates obtained by the combination centres of each space geodetic technique. These disparate approaches might cause a slow degradation of the consistency among EOP and the reference frames or a misalignment of the current conventional EOP series. The recent release of the ITRF2020 brings an exciting opportunity to investigate this topic.
In this work, we empirically assess the consistency among the conventional terrestrial reference frame (TRF) and celestial reference frame (CRF), and EOP through the analysis of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) historical data, taking different TRFs as alternative settings in the analysis: ITRF2020, VTRF2020, ITRF2014, and the terrestrial frame consistent with the newest Celestial Reference Frame (i.e., ICRF3). Additionally, Helmert transformations are computed to evaluate to which extent the behaviour that may be found in the previous point can be attributed to orientation differences of the TRFs themselves. Finally, different CRF realizations (ICRF2 and ICRF3) are tested to study their impact on the EOP, especially in the long term, paying attention to the appearance of biases and trends among the EOP series.
This study allows evaluation if the selection of the TRFs and/or the CRFs has a significant impact on the consistency of the estimated EOP and assesses its agreement with the conventional EOP series.
Drought analysis under changing precipitation extremes in the Upper Indus Basin Pakistan
Authors: Ali Muhammad Azhar , Latif Yasir , sahar Amna , Yaseen Muhammd
Published: February 2023

Upper Indus Basin (UIB) represents three vast mountain ranges of the Himalayan-Karakoram-Hindukush (HKH) ranges in Pakistan. Recent regional warming trends even at high altitudes have confirmed the alteration of the hydrological cycle attributed to global warming. This warming tendency affects the monsoon precipitation in terms of wetting and drought in Pakistan with unprecedented intensity, causing either severe flooding or episodic drought. Therefore, it is worth observing the recent spring and summer monsoon changes in extreme precipitation and drought severity throughout Pakistan. The present study examined 8 precipitation indices in the past 50-year period (1971–2020) (stretched to two data periods) using Mann–Kendall and Sen’s method to investigate the direction and magnitude of the observed trends. For drought estimation, the Percentage Normal (PN), and Percentage Deviation (PD) indexes were analyzed. We observed that spring and summer wet days significantly increased in the central-eastern (Kakul, Kotli, Jhelum) and western (Cherat, Chitral, Peshawar) regions in the 1st data period but significantly decreased in areas including the southern region in the 2nd data period. We further observed the high-intensity precipitation days (R10, R20) in the same seasons. The intensity of summer R20 was much stronger throughout Pakistan in the 1st data period which reduced significantly during the 2nd data period in northern and southern regions. We extended the circle of investigation to very heavy and extreme precipitation (R30 and R50). The intensity of R30 and R50 in summer followed the same pattern as observed for R10 and R20. However, R30 and R50 in pre-monsoon significantly increased in the northern, east-western, and south-eastern regions during the 2nd data period. Similarly, drought analysis proposed an extreme wetting tendency in the western UIB and lower areas of southern Punjab in the last two decades. Summer monsoons and westerly humid regions also experienced severe drought in terms of heavy and very heavy precipitation extremes. Our results concluded that the most significant changes in precipitation extremes and drought severity occurred with higher intensity and recurring frequency for all indices in spring and summer monsoon during the 2nd data period.
Forecast error growth: A stochastic differential equation model
Authors: Ghil Michael , Bach Eviatar , Crisan Dan
Published: February 2023

There is a history of simple error growth models designed to capture the key properties of error growth in operational numerical weather prediction models. We propose here such a scalar model that relies on the previous ones, but captures the effect of small scales on the error growth via additive noise in a nonlinear stochastic differential equation (SDE). We nondimensionalize the equation and study its behavior with respect to the error saturation value, the growth rate of small errors, and the magnitude of noise. We show that the addition of noise can change the curvature of the error growth curve. The SDE model seems to improve substantially the fit to operational error growth curves, compared to the deterministic counterparts.
Is El Niño only due to the noise or it is a self-sustained phenomenon?
Authors: Guardamagna Francesco , Dijkstra Henk , Weiners Claudia
Published: February 2023

On average every 4 years, the sea-surface temperature in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific is a few degrees higher than normal. This phenomenon, which reaches its maximum usually around Christmas is known as El Niño. This event has a strong influence on the climate all around the globe through well-known tele-connections. The occurrence of El Niño is related to extreme weather events, that affect people and properties. For these reasons is important to better understand the behavior of this climatic phenomenon. The property of EL Niño we have focused on during our project is related to the following research question: Is El Niño only due to external noise, or it is a self-sustained phenomenon, which amplitude is amplified by the noise?To answer to this question, we have applied a Machine Learning tool called Reservoir Computer. After the training procedure, through feedback connections, the Reservoir model can be transformed into an autonomous evolving system. Our results show that the autonomous evolving Reservoir can delete the noise from the training data. The signal produced in output by the autonomous evolving Reservoir reflects the patterns of the training data, without noise. This method can therefore be used to understand if the EL Niño oscillations is only due to random noise, that excites a steady state, or it is a periodic phenomenon, which amplitude is randomly increased by external noise. To understand its limitations, our approach has been first applied to data produced by different models, that simulate EL Niño (Jin Timmerman, Zebiak Cane and CESM). After these first experiments, performed in a controlled scenario, our method has been applied to real data, to see what the self-evolving Reservoir model can tell us about the real EL Niño phenomenon.
Mixing and transport across the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation: a 3D geometrical perspective
Authors: Mancho Ana M. , Bruera Renzo , Curbelo Jezabel , Garcia-Sanchez Guillermo
Published: February 2023

Vertical motions across the ocean are central to processes, like CO2 fixation, heat removal or pollutant transport, which are essential to the Earth’s climate. This presentation describes 3D conveyor routes across the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), with the support of Lagrangian Coherent Structures. Our findings show the geometry of mixing structures in the upper and deep ocean layers. We identify among others, zones linked to vertical transport and characterize vertical transport time scales. Acknowledgments: RB acknowledges support of a CSIC JAE intro fellowship.  AMM and GGS acknowledge the support of a CSIC PIE project Ref. 202250E001 and MICINN grants PID2021-123348OB-I00 and EIN2020-112235. AMM is an active member of the CSIC Interdisciplinary Thematic Platforms POLARCSIC. JC acknowledges the support of the RyC project RYC2018-025169, the Spanish grant PID2020-114043GB-I00 and the Catalan Grant No. 2017SGR1049 and the ``Beca Leonardo a Investigadores y Creadores Culturales 2022 de la Fundación BBVA''.
Inventory of Interstellar (ISD) and Interplanetary Dust (IDP) at 1 AU
Authors: Horanyi Mihaly , Sternovsky Zoltan , Szalay Jamey , Ayari Ethan , Mikula Rebecca
Published: February 2023

The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) is scheduled to launch in 2025, to be stationed at the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange point with a combination of 10 in-situ and remote sensing instruments. A primary science goal of  IMAP is to improve our understanding of the composition and properties of the local interstellar medium. The local interstellar medium contains plasma, magnetic fields, neutral atoms, cosmic rays, and dust which all influence the heliosphere through interconnected time-dependent and multi-scale processes. The Interstellar Dust Experiment (IDEX) instrument onboard IMAP will measure the flux, size distribution, and composition of interstellar dust particles (ISD), characterizing the inflowing solid matter from the local interstellar medium reaching the inner heliosphere. IDEX will determine whether the composition of the contemporary local interstellar cloud's dust population is consistent with being the feedstock for the formation of the Solar System. In addition to heliospheric science goals, IDEX  will also detect the shared pool of interplanetary dust particles (IDP) of cometary and asteroidal origin and determine whether some IDPs preserve unprocessed pre-solar molecular cloud particles or show signatures of processing in the solar system. IDEX will identify primary organic material from asteroids and various cometary families to determine if they share a common source or are formed from distinct reservoirs. IDEX dust detection is based on impact ionization, where elemental and molecular ions are generated in a high-velocity dust impact and analyzed in a time-of-flight (TOF) setup. This talk will discuss the expected scientific results of IDEX that are of primary importance to heliospheric, astrophysical, and planetary sciences. This talk will summarize our current understanding of the ISD and IDP inventory and the expected improvements by the IMAP mission.
An assessment of salt marsh vulnerability & restoration potential in the Northeastern United States using physical and ecological indicators
Authors: Peck Erin , Walker Julie , Ackerman Kate , Besterman Alice , Carr Joel , Cook Tim , Correll Maureen , Deegan Linda , Defne Zafer , Ganju Neil , Hartley Mitch , Jakuba Rachel , Staudinger Michelle , Wilson Bartholomew , Woodruff Jonathan , Yellen Brian
Published: February 2023

With climate change and increased coastal land alteration, salt marshes globally are becoming increasingly degraded. Salt marshes of the Northeastern United States (Maine to Virginia) are particularly vulnerable given the history of intensive alteration such as ditching and tidal restrictions since European colonization. Such alterations reduce the accretionary potential of salt marshes in this region, in turn reducing their ability to keep up with accelerating relative sea level rise. This ultimately leads to reductions in marsh area and loss of ecosystem function, including flood protection, carbon burial, habitat provision, and nutrient filtration. Through collaboration between multiple government, academic, and non-profit organizations, we investigate the following questions: (1) What are the spatial patterns of salt marsh vulnerability to relative sea level rise across the Northeast United States? (2) Additionally, how is this vulnerability linked to specific salt marsh modifications (e.g., ditching, and tidal restrictions)? To address these questions, we combine the Unvegetated to Vegetated Ratio (UVVR) salt marsh vulnerability metric, computed from 2014-2018 using Landsat imagery, with mapped tidal restrictions (e.g., culverts, bridges, tide gates, dikes) and ditches for the Northeastern coast of the United States. We hypothesize that estimated salt marsh lifespans, a mass balance between relative sea level rise and sediment budget (estimated using UVVR), will be shortened where salt marsh modifications are most intense. Results will be used to drive science-based decision making through prioritization of salt marsh restoration.
The Virtual Water Gallery: Changing Attitudes through Art
Authors: Arnal Louise , Clark Martyn P. , Dumanski Stacey , Kosmas Efthimia , Pomeroy John W. , Schuster-Wallace Corinne
Published: February 2023

Water is life. Water-related challenges, such as droughts, floods, wildfires, water quality degradation, permafrost thaw and glacier melt, exacerbated by climate change, affect everyone. Yet, it is challenging to communicate science on difficult, highly volatile topics such as water and climate change. Conceptualizing water-related environmental and social issues in novel ways, with engagement between diverse audiences may lead to comprehensive solutions to these complex challenges. Art can be a catalyst in the co-creation of new knowledge for the benefit of society.The Virtual Water Gallery (VWG) is a transdisciplinary science and art project of the Global Water Futures (GWF) program. Launched in 2020, the VWG aims to provide a collaborative space for dialogues between water experts, artists, and the wider public, to explore water challenges. As part of this project, 13 artists representing women’s, men’s and Indigenous voices across Canada were paired with teams of GWF scientists to co-explore specific water challenges in various Canadian ecoregions and communities. These collaborations led to the co-creation of artworks exhibited online on the VWG (www.virtualwatergallery.ca) in 2021.The VWG recently came to life in 2022 with an in-person exhibition in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. Surveys were developed to capture changes in perspectives regarding climate change and water challenges through this art-science exhibit. Participants of the VWG (artists and scientists), visitors to the online gallery, and visitors to the in-person exhibition in Canmore were all invited to take part in those surveys. The preliminary results from the surveys suggest that participants experienced changes in behaviour regarding water-related climate change mitigation, and that the degree of change depends on factors such as age, income and lived experience (i.e., floods and droughts). The results help elucidate how art viewers engage with art based on science and how science messages can be more effectively communicated through art.
A Global Merged Diurnal Ice/Snow Cloud Product from Spaceborne Passive Microwave Observations and Its Applications to Model Evaluation
Authors: Gong Jie , Wang Chenxi , Wu Dong , Wang Yiding , Ding Leah , Barahona Donifan
Published: February 2023

Ice cloud and floating snow play critical roles in Earth’s energy budget and hydrological cycle. Their diurnal variation is tightly coupled with convection development life cycle, hence it also greatly impacts the diurnal cycle of surface precipitation and top of the atmosphere radiation. Due to the high degree of freedom of ice crystal microphysical properties, remote sensing of ice/snow cloud is challenging for passive spaceborne sensors.In this work, we present a global diurnal ice/snow cloud product by merging three spaceborne passive microwave sensor observations together (GPM-GMI, NPP-ATMS, and MT-SAPHIR). This dataset includes ice water path (cloud ice + falling snow), cloud top height (CTH) and cloud bottom height (CBH) at pixel level between 2015 – 2016, and monthly gridded values at 2deg X 2deg X 2 hours grid scale. The convolutional neural network (CNN) approach is adopted for the algorithm development by learning from collocated CloudSat observations, and the Monte Carlo dropout method is used for uncertainty estimation. A customized loss-function is developed to retrieve cloud mask and mass together.We evaluated the retrieval at collocated pixels as well as against other independent field campaign and ground-based measurements. Diurnal and semi-diurnal distributions of the IWP will be presented. We will also demonstrate how we use this product to evaluate model performance on capturing the general distribution and diurnal variation of the frozen hydrometeors in the atmosphere.
An urban climate neural network screening tool
Authors: von Tils Robert , Wiemers Sven
Published: February 2023

Microscale RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes) models are able to simulate the urban climate for entire large cities with a high spatial resolution of up to 5 m horizontally. They do this using data from geographic information systems (GIS) that must be specially processed to provide the models with information about the terrain, buildings, land use, and resolved vegetation. If high-performance computers, for example from research institutions, are not available for the simulations or are beyond the financial scope, the calculation on commercially available servers can take several weeks. The calculation of a reference initial state for a city is often followed by questions regarding adaptation measures due to climate change or the influence of smaller and larger future building developments on the urban climate. These changes lead locally to a change of the urban climate but are also influenced by the urban climate itself.In order to save computational time and to comfortably give a quantitative fast initial assessment, we trained a neural network that predicts the simulation results of a RANS model (for example: air temperature at night and during the day, wind speed, cold air flow) and implemented this network in a GIS. The tool allows to calculate the impact of development projects on the urban climate in a fraction of the time required by a RANS simulation and comes close to the RANS model in terms of accuracy. It can also be used by people without in-depth knowledge of urban climate modeling and is therefore particularly suitable for use, for example, in specialized offices of administrative departments or by project developers.
An Investigation into the Acquisition Parameters for GB-SAR Assessment of Bridge Structural Components
Authors: Sotoudeh Saeed , Lantini Livia , Munisami Kevin Jagadissen , Alani Amir M. , Tosti Fabio
Published: February 2023

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a necessary measure to maintain bridge infrastructure safe. To this purpose, remote sensing has proven effective in acquiring data with high accuracy in relatively short time. Amongst the available methods, the ground-based synthetic aperture radar (GB-SAR) can detect sub-zero deflections up to 0.01 mm generated by moving vehicles or the environmental excitation of the bridges [1]. Interferometric radars are also capable of data collection regardless of weather, day, and night conditions (Alba et al., 2008). However, from the available literature - there is lack of studies and methods focusing on the actual capabilities of the GB-SAR to target specific structural elements and components of the bridge - which makes it difficult to associate the measured deflection with the actual bridge section. According to the antenna type, the footprint of the radar signal gets wider in distance which encompasses more elements and the presence of multiple targets in the same resolution cell adds uncertainty to the acquired data (Michel & Keller, 2021). To this effect, the purpose of the present research is to introduce a methodology for pinpointing targets using GB-SAR and aid the data interpretation. An experimental procedure is devised to control acquisition parameters and targets, and being able to analyse the returned outputs in a more clinical condition. The outcome of this research will add to the existing literature in terms of collecting data with enhanced precision and certainty. KeywordsStructural Health Monitoring (SHM), GB-SAR, Remote Sensing, Interferometric Radar AcknowledgementsThis research was funded by the Vice-Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship at the University of West London. References[1] Benedettini, F., & Gentile, C. (2011). Operational modal testing and FE model tuning of a cable-stayed bridge. Engineering Structures, 33(6), 2063-2073.[2] Alba, M., Bernardini, G., Giussani, A., Ricci, P. P., Roncoroni, F., Scaioni, M., Valgoi, P., & Zhang, K. (2008). Measurement of dam deformations by terrestrial interferometric techniques. Int.Arch.Photogramm.Remote Sens.Spat.Inf.Sci, 37(B1), 133-139.[3] Michel, C., & Keller, S. (2021). Advancing ground-based radar processing for bridge infrastructure monitoring. Sensors, 21(6), 2172.
Exploring the Climate-change induced dissolved inorganic carbon trends in the Indonesian Seas and their link to a changing Indonesian Throughflow using a regional downscaling of future climates
Authors: Katavouta Anna , Polton Jeff , Jardine Jennifer , Partridge Dale , Jevrejeva Svetlana , Holt Jason
Published: February 2023

The Indonesian Seas act as a main pathway of water transport from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, known as the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). Climate-induced changes in the regional water properties within the Indonesian Seas could have extensive impacts on the large-scale ocean budgets, as the ITF will carry these signals from the Indonesian Seas across the Indian Ocean’s upper thermocline. Here, we investigate the impacts of climate change on the Indonesian Seas’ dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) budget using a regional ocean physics/biogeochemistry model for South East Asia that downscales climate projections from an Earth System Model under the RCP 8.5 scenario. The regional model has a horizontal resolution of about 9 km, uses a hybrid depth-terrain following vertical coordinate system and explicitly includes tides so as to better resolve the shelf-seas processes. A transport-based framework is used to explore the role of climate-induced changes of the ITF on the carbon storage within the Indonesian Seas. Specifically, the DIC trends are separated into: (i) an “added contribution” associated with the uptake of additional carbon from the atmosphere due to carbon emissions, and (ii) a “dynamic redistribution” of the pre-existing ocean DIC associated with changes in the circulation due to climate change. Our analysis reveals that in the next decades, although carbon emissions will lead to an ocean carbon uptake and an increase in the DIC within the Indonesian Seas, a plausible climate-induced weakening in the ITF can lead to either an increase or a decrease in the DIC at different depths associated with different water masses. Hence, the effects of global carbon emissions on the carbon budget within the Indonesian Seas, and particularly whether local waters will experience a lower or higher increase in DIC than the rest of the ocean, are controlled by the dynamical redistribution associated with the response of the ITF to climate change.   
Physically-based model derived thresholds of sediment disasters for impact-based rainfall forecasts
Authors: Siva Subramanian Srikrishnan , Srivastava Piyush , Sen Sumit , Yunus Ali. P.
Published: February 2023

Rainfall-induced sediment disasters are catastrophic events that occur compounded during extreme precipitation. Territorial early warning systems (Te-LEWS) are necessary to predict these disasters. The warning information is disseminated based on thresholds derived from the correlation between rainfall magnitude and disaster occurrences. Nations that established successful Te-LEWS have maintained historical rainfall records and corresponding landslide occurrences that result in the precise derivation of early warning thresholds. In contrast, countries newly establishing Te-LEWS face difficulties setting the thresholds due to a lack of precise information on rainfall magnitude and historical landslide occurrences. In India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) provides impact-based forecasts of rainfall that may induce landslides based on daily, 3-day cumulative and longer antecedent thresholds. However, thresholds correlating landslides with continuous monitoring through hourly/sub-hourly rainfall observations, which are the basis of the nowcast in real time, still need to be developed. Here, we present a framework for predicting landslide occurrences, i.e., shallow landslides, debris slides, and debris flows, using hourly rainfall. Using the framework, we analyse case studies of extreme precipitation-induced landslides in the Himalayas and Western Ghats, India. Through this, catchment-wise early warning thresholds are derived. This study opens avenues to improve the precision of impact-based rainfall forecasts for landslides. 
Software solution for detecting asteroids using machine learning techniques
Authors: Bacu Victor
Published: February 2023

To accurately predict potential future impacts with the Earth, it is crucial to continuously examine the area around it for Near Earth Objects (NEOs) and particularly Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs). Large data sets of astronomical images must be analyzed in order to accomplish this task. NEARBY [1] offers such a processing and analysis platform based on Cloud computing. Despite the fact that this method is automated, the results are validated by human observers after potential asteroids have been identified from the raw data. It is crucial that the amount of candidate objects does not outweigh the available human resources. We believe we can maximize the advantages of having access to enormous amounts of data in the field of astronomy by combining artificial intelligence with the use of high-performance distributed processing infrastructures like Cloud-based solutions. This research is carried out as part of the CERES project which aims to design and put into practice a software solution that can classify objects found in astronomical images. The objective is to identify and recognize asteroids. We use machine learning techniques to develop an asteroid classification model in order to achieve this goal. It is essential to reduce the number of false negative findings. The major objective of the current paper is to assess how well deep CNNs perform when it comes to categorizing astronomical objects, particularly asteroids. We will compare the outcomes of several of the most well-known deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs), including InceptionV3, Xception, InceptionResNetV2, and ResNet152V2. These cutting-edge classification CNNs are used to investigate the best approach to this specific classification challenge, either through full-training or through fine-tuning.Acknowledgment: This work was partially supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CCCDI - UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-0796, within PNCDI III. This research was partially supported by the project 38 PFE in the frame of the programme PDI-PFE-CDI 2021.References:1. Bacu, V., Sabou, A., Stefanut, T., Gorgan, D., Vaduvescu, O., NEARBY platform for detecting asteroids in astronomical images using cloud-based containerized applications, 2018 IEEE 14th International Conference on Intelligent Computer Communication and Processing (ICCP), pp. 371-37
Probability distribution of integrated power of equatorial ionosphere plasma density fluctuations measured by the Swarm Langmuir probes
Authors: Ghadjari Hossein , Knudsen David , Skone Susan
Published: February 2023

Ionospheric irregularities are structures or fluctuations of plasma density having different scale sizes. These irregularities can disrupt radio waves and produce errors in space-based or ground-based technologies, which depend on the GNSS/ GPS signals. Post-sunset ionospheric plasma irregularities are a common characteristic of the equatorial ionosphere. These irregularities, associated with plasma bubbles, are defined as strong density depletions relative to the background plasma as determined by in situ measurements. Finding a system parameter's probability distribution function (PDF) can lead us to understand the system's underlying physics. In this study, we investigate the probability distribution of the integrated power of post-sunset plasma density irregularities in the equatorial ionosphere measured with the Langmuir probes on Swarm C in four different frequency bands between 0-1 Hz for the entire Swarm mission. We find evidence of  "heavy tail" distribution in the PDFs, indicating the system's complexity and self-organized criticality. Moreover, we study the relation between Integrated power and different geomagnetic indices, e.g. F10.7 and sunspot number, to find the potential drivers of severe events. While we find no obvious driver of individual events, we find a strong solar cycle dependence in their occurrence.