bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geomorphometry of the deep Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Lecours Vincent
Published: March 2022

The Gulf of Mexico is characterized by a high geodiversity that influences hydrodynamics patterns and drives biological and human uses of the seafloor. In 2017, the United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released a 1.4-billion-pixel bathymetric dataset of the deep northern Gulf of Mexico, with a pixel size of about 12m. The computational power required to analyze this dataset has limited its use so far. Here, geomorphometry was used to characterize the seafloor of the deep northern Gulf of Mexico at multiple spatial resolutions. Flat areas and slopes cover more than 70% of the studied area, yet thousands of smaller morphological features like peaks and pits were identified. Spatial comparisons confirmed that analyses at different spatial scales capture different features. A composite product combining seafloor classification at multiple scales helped highlight the dominant seafloor features and the scale at which they are best captured.
Mantle dynamics and intraplate orogeny: The Atlas of Morocco
Authors: Lanari Riccardo , Faccenna Claudio , Natali Claudio , Sengul Ebru , Fellin Giuditta , Becker Thorsten , Gogus Oguz , Youbi Nasser , Conticelli Sandro
Published: March 2022

Most orogenic belts are close to convergent plate margins. However, some orogens are formed far away from plate boundaries, as a result of compressional stress propagating within plates, basal loading, or a combination of thereof. We focus on the Atlas of Morocco, which is such an intraplate orogeny and shows evidence of mantle driven uplift, and plume-related volcanism. How these processes interact each other is still poorly constrained and it provides clues about intraplate stress propagation, strain localization, and lithospheric weakening due to mantle dynamics. 

We present three sets of observations constructed by integrating previous data with new analyses. Crustal and thermal evolution constraints are combined with new analyses of topographic evolution and petrological and geochemical data from the Anti-Atlas volcanic fields. Our findings reveal that: i) crustal deformation and exhumation started during middle/late Miocene, contemporaneous with the onset of volcanism; ii) volcanism has an anorogenic signature with a deep source; iii) a dynamic deep mantle source supports the high topography. Lastly, we conducted simple numerical tests to investigate the connections between mantle dynamics and crustal deformation. This leads us to propose a model where mantle upwelling and related volcanism weaken the lithosphere and favor the localization of crustal shortening along pre-existing structures due to plate convergence.
Lessons learned from e-shape H2020 Project on the use of the Cloud for Earth Observation
Authors: Voidrot-Martinez Marie-Francoise , Hempelmann Nils , Lieberman Josh
Published: March 2022

The recent OGC Cloud Concept Development Study [1]  has shown that the major (big) Geospatial Data providers are going towards Cloud solutions not only to make more data more accessible, but also to locate data processing next to the data. Meanwhile, recent experiences from the H2020 e-shape project show that the EO developers community still needs support to fully adopt the Cloud all the more that based on the feedback received during e- shape’s first sprint, the Earth Observation Cloud platforms still need to mature to be more attractive. In order to support the good connection between Data providers, Technology providers and EO developers, it is critical that sponsors keep on supporting the efforts from the Earth Observation community at a number of levels: Enhancing Copernicus and other open data accessibility, developing Clouds and platforms interoperability and operational maturity, increasing cloud skills among developers and scientists, sustaining funding mechanisms long enough to allow the rendez-vous in the Cloud of all the critical stakeholders with good timing to reach the critical point of self-sustainability.

During this process it is important to not only develop the technical skills and new platforms capacities, but also to develop a good understanding of the pricing mechanisms and how to optimize the costs. This is very needed to develop the trust that outsourcing infrastructures will lead to the expected budget savings and  to trigger the budgets organization evolutions that  moving to Cloud technologies requires. 

 

[1]  Echterhoff, J., Wagermann, J., Lieberman, J.: OGC 21-023, OGC Earth Observation Cloud Platform COncept Development Study Report. Open Geospatial Consortium (2021). https://docs.ogc.org/per/21-023.html
Aeolian processes on planetary icy solid substrates submitted to phase transition: relation between bedforms scales and environmental conditions.
Authors: Carpy Sabrina , Bordiec Maï , Collet Aurore , Massé Marion , Bourgeois Olivier
Published: March 2022

Aeolian processes are at the origin of a large number of bedforms, which are topographic patterns that are spatially organised in a periodic manner and that can be observed both on Earth and on other planetary bodies. Two main categories of bedforms can be distinguished: (i) "loose" bedforms, generated on a bed of mobilisable grains by erosion, transport and deposition and (ii)  "solid" bedforms, not induced by grain transport but by mass transfers such as ice sublimation or condensation under turbulent winds. Although the mechanisms involved in the growth of some solid bedforms have been studied (penitents, sublimation ripples, …), the subject remains largely less treated to date than loose bedforms, partly because of the lack of terrestrial environments favourable to sublimation. Comparison with other planetary environments has opened up new horizons for understanding these objects and the aeolian environments in which they develop.

Among these bedforms, sublimation waves are transverse linear waveforms: regular and parallel ridges oriented perpendicular to the main direction of the turbulent flow interacting with the ice surface. The height of the flow is greater than their wavelength. The emergence of the bedforms is due to a hydrodynamic instability mechanism of the band-pass type which allows their growth. Our theoretical linear stability study shows that this instability appears in the laminar-turbulent transition regime, based on the near-wall Reynolds number, only if the modulation of the viscous sublayer by an effective longitudinal pressure gradient is taken into account in the turbulence model enabling to reproduce the feedback of the topography on the flow.

These sublimation waves have been observed in different environments [Bordiec et al, 2020], by sublimation and diffusion of (a) water ice in air, in Antarctica or Ice caves, (b) water ice in CO2 atmosphere, on some areas of the northern polar cap of Mars, (c) and experimentally with CO2 ice in air. They are also observed on a Martian H2O glacier near the northern polar cap of Mars [Collet et al, in prep.], however, in the latter case, these sublimation waves are observed on larger icy waves. How can this difference in scale between two wavelengths be explained? What is their size selection process? To answer these questions, we investigate in our theoretical study the dependence on environmental conditions through (i) the fluid properties (wind speed, fluid viscosity) (ii) the direction of the transfer (sublimation or condensation) and (iii) the height of the flow in front of the wavelength (infinite or finite).
AMOC Early-Warning Signals in CMIP6
Authors: Blaschke Lana , Ben-Yami Maya , Boers Niklas , Nian Da
Published: March 2022

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a vital part of the global climate that has been suggested to exhibit bi-stability. A collapse from its current strong state to the weak one would have significant consequences for the climate system. Early-warning signals (EWS) for such a transition have recently been found in observational fingerprints for the AMOC.

Some uncertainty in our understanding of the AMOC and its recent evolution is due to the varying quality of its representation in state-of-the-art models. In this work we examine the historical AMOC simulations in the 6th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) by analyzing the AMOC strength in the models both directly and through the sea-surface temperature fingerprint. As well as examining the evolution of these AMOC time-series in the models, we calculate their associated EWS and use these to evaluate the models in terms of their representation of the AMOC.
Drivers and consequences of a stronger mid-Pliocene Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
Authors: Weiffenbach Julia , Baatsen Michiel , von der Heydt Anna
Published: March 2022

The mid-Pliocene warm period (mPWP, ~3.3 – 3 Ma) is the most recent geological period with a CO2 concentration similar to the present day (~400 ppm). The Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project Phase 2 (PlioMIP2) focuses on the KM5c time slice (3.205 Ma), giving insight into the climate dynamics of this period. Sea surface temperature (SST) proxies indicate amplified warming over the North Atlantic in the mPWP with respect to the pre-industrial period, which may be linked to an intensified Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Zhang et al. (2021) reported a stronger mPWP AMOC in all the PlioMIP2 simulations but found no consistent relation to either the Atlantic northward ocean heat transport (OHT) or average North Atlantic SSTs. We therefore look further into the drivers and consequences of a stronger AMOC in the mPWP compared to pre-industrial simulations.

Within the PlioMIP2 ensemble, we find that all model simulations with a closed Bering Strait and Canadian Archipelago show strongly reduced freshwater transport from the Arctic Ocean into the North Atlantic. The resulting increase in sea surface salinity in the subpolar North Atlantic and Labrador Sea stimulates deepwater formation in these areas. The stronger AMOC is therefore primarily a response to the closure of the Arctic gateways. We also look at the different components of the Atlantic OHT, associated with either the overturning circulation or the wind-driven gyre circulation. While the ensemble mean of the overturning component is increased significantly in magnitude in the mPWP, it is partly compensated by a reduced gyre component. Our results point towards a complex interplay between atmospheric and oceanic processes and indicate that considering these components separately allows for a better understanding of the climatic response to the AMOC strength.
An Improved Genesis and Evolution Parameter for Subseasonal Prediction of the North Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Sudheesh Saranya Ganesh , Sahai Atul Kumar , Sukumarapillai Abhilash , Joseph Susmitha , Beucler Tom
Published: March 2022

Tropical storms that develop over the North Indian Ocean basin pose a major threat to the extensive peninsular coastlines teeming with overpopulated cities and vast areas of low-lying farmlands. With each year, the economic and property losses due to storm-induced gales, landslides and flash floods over the coastlines are becoming more frequent. Reliable subseasonal prediction of tropical cyclogenesis over the landlocked North Indian Ocean basin has extreme demand and requires accurate rendition of the crucial parameters that influence the storm development. While several genesis potential indices are used for climatological monitoring and prediction of cyclogenesis globally, their skill in subseasonal prediction of individual storm development is limited, especially near coastlines. This study reviews an improved genesis potential parameter, namely IGPP, that can detect cyclogenesis, evolution and storm tracks from post-processed Multi-model ensemble outputs. The IGPP is a revised version of Kotal Genesis Potential Parameter (KGPP) introduced by the India Meteorological Department for short and medium‐range operational cyclogenesis prediction over the North Indian Ocean. We analyzed and compared the cyclogenesis prediction systems when multiple storm systems of different intensities develop simultaneously. Results show that false alarms and overestimation of values present in KGPP are remarkably reduced by using IGPP for all the cases. Moreover, IGPP outperforms KGPP in distinguishing between developing and non-developing storms by accurately representing the cyclogenesis and intensity variations. The mean IGPP shows better correlation with maximum wind speeds of selected storms, with an improvement of almost 34 % compared to KGPP, which we attribute to the changes in thermodynamic and shear terms. The thermodynamic term is modified as the mean equivalent potential temperature of the surface and middle troposphere to include the effect of warm sea surface and tropospheric latent heat release whereas the vertical wind shear between 850 and 200 hPa levels is averaged over an annular region between 100 and 200 km radii from the storm centres and rescaled. IGPP has replaced KGPP operationally and is successfully implemented as one of the indices for the extended range probabilistic prediction of cyclogenesis by the India Meteorological Department. Probabilistic predictions using IGPP has been instrumental in providing early guidance on storm formation and weekly forecasts are available at https://www.tropmet.res.in/erpas/.
Risk workflow for CAScading and COmpounding hazards in COastal urban areas: The CASCO Project
Authors: Nievas Cecilia I. , Bouwer Laurens M. , Urlaub Morelia , Androsov Alexey , Babeyko Andrey , Berndt Christian , Cotton Fabrice , Gómez Zapata Juan Camilo , Karstens Jens , Kopp Heidrun , Schorlemmer Danijel , Tang Hui
Published: March 2022

Extreme climatic and geophysical events pose a threat to societies and have the capacity to cause significant damage and losses whenever they occur, both in their immediate aftermath and in the medium- to long-term. Their consequences can be amplified even further when more than one event affects the same geographical areas within a short time. Be it cascading hazards, in which one event triggers the next, or simply hazards that happen to occur simultaneously (“compounding” hazards), estimation of their cumulative consequences is challenging because the action of one event affects the exposure and vulnerability to the next one. While the efforts from the research community to develop multi-hazard perspectives have increased considerably in recent years, multiple remaining challenges require strongly-coordinated efforts across different disciplines and areas of expertise to tackle them with the most appropriate tools.

With a multidisciplinary team of scientists from four different Helmholtz research centres in Germany, we have started working on the CASCO project (2022-2024), in which we will develop an integrated risk workflow for CAScading and COmpounding hazards in COastal urban areas by focusing on a series of events occurring around Mount Etna (Italy). The case-scenario starts with a strong earthquake that triggers a submarine collapse at the eastern flank of Mount Etna, an area already known to be unstable, and both the earthquake and the landslide trigger a tsunami that hits the coasts of Sicily and Calabria. Almost concomitantly, a heatwave or heavy rainfall happens to affect the same regions, further stressing the population that had been affected by the combined effects of the earthquake and tsunami.

The project will be directed towards the modelling of the cascading earthquake, landslide and tsunami events, the compounding heatwave and rainfall, as well as their immediate impacts in terms of cumulative damage and casualties. Moreover, the medium- to long-term response in urban dynamics and the effect of these extreme events on the economic development of the affected populations will be explored.

By focusing on a tangible scenario, CASCO will not only tackle the challenges associated with bringing together the whole risk chain (which will be valid beyond our case-study) but also produce outcomes that help increase awareness of such extreme events and the need for societies to develop suitable strategies to strengthen their resilience and improve their disaster response.
Irrigation storage is a blind spot for analyzing and mitigating externalities of future water infrastructure
Authors: Schmitt Rafael J. P. , Rosa Lorenzo , Daily Gretchen
Published: March 2022

Dams and reservoirs are crucial components for the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus but have major impacts on rivers and people. Future dams would compound impacts of existing dams and threaten so far undammed river systems. Recent research has highlighted threats from future hydropower dams and opportunities to reduce impacts through better infrastructure planning and proliferation of other renewable energy. Yet, while irrigation storage was a major driver for dam development in the past, the role of water storage in future food systems and the associated benefits and impacts has not been part of debates around future dams.

Here, we provide a global analysis that fuses global hydrologic modeling and infrastructure assessments to (1) quantify future demands for irrigation storage, (2) its role for food security, and (3) the contribution of existing and identified potential reservoirs to future irrigation. For that, we firstly analyze potentials for future sustainable (i.e., on existing croplands and without depleting environmental flows) irrigation and determine how much storage is needed to match water availability and crop water demand on a river basin level. Secondly, we quantify how much food could be grown with that water. Lastly, we perform a Monte-Carlo Analysis for all current and potential dams to robustly estimate possible water allocations from current and future dams to irrigation, and thus the role of this water infrastructure for global food security.

We find that future irrigated agriculture will require 460 km3/yr of water storage, 265 km3/yr on land that is already irrigated and 195 km3/yr on land that is currently rainfed. Much of that additional storage will be required in South Asia and West Africa. This storage-fed irrigation could grow enough food for 1.15 billion people. Yet even all current and future dams could only meet around 60 % of that potential.

Our results provide spatially explicit global information on (1) irrigation storage as important externality and cost factor for future food systems, (2) challenges for the WEF nexus in meeting concurrent demands for irrigation and hydropower, (3) the need to include irrigation in strategic impact/benefit assessments for future dams, and (4) urge to evaluate alternatives to large dams for future agricultural water storage.
Fine-scale electric felds and Joule heating from observations of the Aurora
Authors: Krcelic Patrik , Fear Robert , Whiter Daniel , Lanchester Betty , Aruliah Anasuya
Published: March 2022

Our goal is to research highly dynamic electric fields near auroral arcs and their effects on the thermosphere via Joule heating. Optical measurements from three selected wavelengths have been combined with modelling of emissions from an auroral event to estimate the magnitude and direction of small-scale electric fields on either side of an auroral arc. The direction of these fields was found to be towards the arc on both sides. The temporal resolution of the estimates is 0.1 seconds, which is much higher resolution than measurements from SuperDARN from the same region, with which we compare our estimates. Additionally, we have used the SCANDI instrument to measure the neutral wind during the event in order to calculate the height integrated Joule heating. Joule heating obtained from the small scale electric fields gives higher values than the Joule heating obtained from more conventionally used SuperDARN data. This result indicates that high resolution electric felds may play an important role in the dynamics of the thermosphere, and thus the ionosphere-magnetosphere system in general. Furthermore, we are aiming to combine our method with EISCAT-measured electron density profiles and high- resolution spectrographic observations of N2 auroral emissionto obtain local Joule heating profile. We will then compare it to the estimates of a local neutral temperature profiles.
A first appraisal of the European Ground Motion Service
Authors: Solari Lorenzo , Crosetto Michele , Balasis-Levinsen Joanna , Bateson Luke , Casagli Nicola , Comerci Valerio , Guerrieri Luca , Frei Michaela , Mróz Marek , Moldestad Dag Anders , Oyen Anneleen , Andersen Henrik Steen
Published: March 2022

Satellite interferometry (InSAR) is a reliable and proven technique to monitor and map geohazards over wide areas. In the last years, InSAR is increasingly becoming an everyday tool for geoscientific and applicative analyses; many different users, ranging from academia to the industry, work and rely on InSAR products.

The European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) was conceived and is being implemented as a direct response to growing user needs. The EGMS is implemented under the responsibility of the European Environment Agency in the frame of the Copernicus Programme. The EGMS products are part of the portfolio of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. The EGMS provides consistent, regular, standardized, harmonized, and reliable information regarding natural and anthropogenic ground motion phenomena over the Copernicus Participating States and across national borders, with millimeter accuracy. The EGMS distributes three levels of products: (i) basic, i.e. line of sight (LOS) velocity maps in ascending and descending orbits referred to a local reference point; (ii) calibrated, i.e. LOS velocity maps calibrated with a geodetic reference network (a velocity model derived from thousands of global navigation satellite systems time series is used for calibration so that measurements are no longer relative to a local reference point) and (iii) ortho, i.e. components of motion (horizontal and vertical) anchored to the reference geodetic network. The products are generated from the multi-temporal interferometric analysis of Sentinel-1 images in ascending and descending orbit at full resolution.  The data is available and accessible to all and free of charge through a dedicated viewer and download interface.

The accessibility to EGMS accurate and validated interferometric data offers the geoscientific and professional communities the opportunity to study geohazards at the European level, including difficult-to-reach areas or where the availability of ground motion data has so far been scarce or null. The EGMS provides, for example, information useful for the identification and monitoring of slow-moving landslides, natural subsidence, or subsidence due to groundwater exploitation or underground mining activities and volcanic unrest. In addition, the Service establishes a baseline for studies dedicated to localized deformation affecting buildings and infrastructure in general. This presentation will offer a first evaluation of the EGMS products under geoscientific aspects. Case studies from different European environmental contexts will be shown to demonstrate how the EGMS products can be successfully used for geohazards-related studies.
Wildfire and forest management necessities to avoid soil degradation. A case study in a Mediterranean forest
Authors: Francos Marcos , Úbeda Xavier , Pereira Paulo
Published: March 2022

Forest management is a common practice to reduce wildfire risk, furthermore in ecosystems prone to fire and where wildfires are recurrent as is the Mediterranean ecosystem. However, few studies were carried out about the effects of pre-fire management in wildfire affected areas and the effectivity of these managements decreasing soil nutrients depletion. The aim of this study is to examine the effectivity of this treatment (clear-cutting operation whereby part of the vegetation was cut and left covering soil surface) carried out before a wildfire that broke out in 2015 and evaluate if the management had influence on wildfire severity of three sites: two exposed to management practices in 2005 (site M05B) and in 2015 (site M15B)–and one that did not undergo any management (NMB) and to compare their properties with those recorded in a Control area unaffected by 2015 wildfire. The fourth areas were sampled and compared 2, 10 and 18 months after wildfire. The study area is located in Ódena (NE Spain). The wildfire occurred at July 27th of 2015 and burned 1237 ha. In each area and in each sampling moment we collected 9 topsoil samples (0-5 cm depth) and analyzed: aggregate stability (AS), soil organic matter (SOM) content, total nitrogen (TN), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), extractable calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), and potassium (K). Two-way ANOVA statistical analysis was carried out to check the differences between managements and time. Results show significant differences (p value < 0.05) between managements 2 months after wildfire in AS, TN, SOM, pH, EC, Ca and Mg; 10 months after wildfire in AS, SOM, pH, EC, Ca, Mg and Na; and 18 months after wildfire in AS, SOM, pH, EC, Ca and Mg. Differences between sampling time were registered in M05B, M15B and NMB for each soil analyzed property. Control did not vary significantly (p value > 0.05) over time due to the absence of fire or manage perturbation. The vegetation removal in M05B decreased the wildfire impact on soil, perhaps due to the fuel load reduction and consequent low fire severity. In this case if forest management is carried out few months before the fire, the impact is strongly reduced as occurs in M15B. High fuel density that we found in NMB site should be managed to avoid high wildfire severity. Overall, the time of forest management previous to fire is a crucial aspect that influence on fire severity and the consequent impact on soil properties. Therefore, this type of studies and knowledge should be taken into account and incorporated when carrying out forest management plans to periodically manage certain areas.
Integrated numerical modeling of a large debris flow in the Meilong catchment, China
Authors: An Hui-Cong , Ouyang Chao-Jun , Wang Fu-Lei
Published: March 2022

On June 17, 2020, a large debris flow occurred in the Meilong catchment following a short-duration, high-intensity rainstorm. The debris flow was initiated by two shallow landsides upstream of the catchment and had a volume of approximately 7.7×105 m3. It blocked the river and then induced flooding, which caused a great loss to the local residents. Through a combination of field observation, image interpretation and laboratory experiments, the initiation mechanism, erosion depth along the main channel and deposition area of this debris flow were comprehensively analyzed. A sequentially integrated numerical model considering the vegetation interception, infiltration and runoff process was developed. Considering the spatial variations in the climatic, hydrological and geotechnical parameters, the whole process of debris ﬂow initiation, motion, entrainment and deposition were simulated. The computational outcomes matched well with the field observation results. A combination of the proposed integrated model and spatially varying parameters can be used to effectively describe the debris flow characteristics in the initiation and propagation stages and provide significant insights into physical processes involved in such hazards.
Antarctic Atmospheric River Life Cycles
Authors: Wille Jonathan , Favier Vincent , Kittel Christoph , Pohl Benjamin , Cavallo Steven , Leroy dos Santos Christophe , V. Gorodetskaya Irina
Published: March 2022

The mass balance of Antarctica is sensitive to intrusions of extremely warm, moist airmasses from the mid-latitudes in the form of atmospheric rivers (ARs). These storms provide a sub-tropical link to the Antarctic continent and engender extreme atmospheric conditions that are largely consequential to surface melt, snowfall, and ice-shelf stability. Using an AR detection algorithm designed for polar regions, we characterize the AR life cycle and describe the atmospheric conditions conducive for ARs to reach the Antarctic continent.

Despite their rarity of occurrence over Antarctica (maximum frequency of ~3 days per year over a given point), ARs have a relatively large impact on the surface melt processes in West Antarctica and snowfall patterns across the whole continent. During the summer season along the Antarctic Peninsula ice shelves, AR landfalls lead to conditions (i.e. extreme temperatures, rainfall, surface melt, sea-ice clearing, ocean swell enhancement), that act to destabilize the leeward ice shelves. Current research is exploring the origins of AR genesis and moisture pathways with a focus on the relationship between atmospheric blocking in the Southern Ocean and AR behavior over East Antarctica.

When examining the life cycles of ARs and non-AR synoptic analogues occurring at Dumont d’Urville (DDU) Station, Antarctica, the AR events often have moisture sources further north in the Southern Ocean than the non-AR analogues. These more northern moisture sources correspond with enhanced latent heat release over anomalously warm sea surface temperatures in northern regions of the Southern Ocean which trigger Rossby wave propagation that enhances upper-level potential vorticity. A highly amplified wave pattern allows for intense poleward moisture transport towards DDU and downstream ridging from the AR position. Thus, any future changes in atmospheric blocking or tropical-polar teleconnections, which control AR behavior around Antarctica, along with further global warming, may have significant impacts on future mass balance projections and subsequent sea level changes.
Europa Clipper Mission Update
Authors: Korth Haje , Pappalardo Robert , Craft Kate , Daubar Ingrid , Hay Hamish , Howell Sam , Klima Rachel , Leonard Erin , Matiella Novak Alexandra , Persaud Divya , Phillips Cynthia
Published: March 2022

With a launch readiness date of late 2024, NASA’s Europa Clipper will set out on a journey to explore the habitability of Jupiter’s moon Europa. At the beginning of the next decade, the spacecraft will orbit Jupiter, flying by Europa more than 40 times over a four-year period to observe this moon’s ice shell and ocean, study its composition, investigate its geology, and search for and characterize any current activity. The mission’s science objectives will be accomplished using a highly capable suite of remote-sensing and in-situ instruments. The remote sensing payload consists of the Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS), the Europa Imaging System (EIS), the Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE), the Europa Thermal Imaging System (E-THEMIS), and the Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON). The in-situ instruments comprise the Europa Clipper Magnetometer (ECM), the Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS), the SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA), and the MAss Spectrometer for Planetary Exploration (MASPEX). Gravity and radio science will be achieved using the spacecraft's telecommunication system, and valuable scientific data will be acquired by the spacecraft’s radiation monitoring system. Major milestones from the past year include selection of a launch vehicle and launch readiness date by NASA, evaluation of candidate tours by the science team, and preparations for the cruise and operational phases of the mission. The project, flight system, and payload have completed their Critical Design Reviews, and the mission has recently completed its System Integration Review. Spacecraft subsystems and payload are actively being developed, and assembly, test, and launch operations are expected to begin in March 2022. In the meantime, the science team is preparing a set of manuscripts describing the mission science and the instruments that enable these investigations for publication in the journal Space Science Reviews.
Tipping of the Filchner-Ronne and other Antarctic ice shelf cavities
Authors: Haid Verena , Timmermann Ralph , Hellmer Hartmut
Published: March 2022

Tipping of an ice shelf cavity from a cold to a warm state happens when a sustained inflow of warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) or a modified variant of it replaces High Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW) and Ice Shelf Water (ISW) in a cold-water cavity. HSSW and ISW with temperatures close to or even below the surface freezing point provide little heat for melting glacial ice. CDW derivatives, however, can cause a substantial multiplication of the ice shelf basal melt rates. The increased melt water release may trigger a positive feedback loop that stabilizes the warm state. Therefore, if the outside circumstances  turned back to previous conditions, a reversal from warm to cold would not occur under the same conditions as the switch from cold to warm.

A warm tipping has been found possible for the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf (FRIS) cavity in previous studies. In the framework of the EU project TiPACCs, we now reinforce our focus on the conditions which can cause a tipping for the Filchner Ronne and other Antarctic ice shelf cavities. We conducted a series of FESOM-1.4 simulations with different manipulations of the atmospheric forcing variables in order to analyse the common factors of tipping events, opposed to more stable results.

We found that for the Filchner Trough region in a warming world, the crucial balance is between the different rates of warming and freshening of (a) the continental shelf waters in front of the ice shelf and (b) the waters transported with the slope current. While other studies identified an uplift of the pycnocline at the continental shelf break as a necessary condition for warm onshore flow, we deem a tipping more likely to hinge on the density loss of the shelf waters. When density on the continental shelf decreases more rapidly than in the slope current at sill depth, the ice shelf cavity is prone to tip. Reversibility of the tipping is possible within three decades under ERA Interim atmospheric forcing (1979-2017), but our study also confirms that hysteresis effects can cause a bistability of warm and cold state in the FRIS cavity under the 20th century HadCM3 forcing.
Evaluating sediment source contributions in a river catchment impacted by glacial melt and land use change, the Rio Santa, Peru
Authors: Kitch Jessica , Clason Caroline , Rangecroft Sally , Morera Sergio , Contreras Shirley , Blake Will
Published: March 2022

The water-food-energy security nexus faces significant challenges from both climate change and growing populations, particularly in glacier-fed mountainous catchments. Sediment generation is driven by both natural and anthropogenic factors, exacerbating the pressures on the nexus; with increased erosion contributing to sedimentation of river systems that in turn endangers crucial river functions, such as drinking water availability, crop irrigation and hydroelectricity. Identifying sediment sources is of great importance to enable better understanding of sediment dynamics and thus, inform our management of water resources. Here we focus on the glaciated Rio Santa catchment in the Peruvian Andes, an important river for agriculture, energy, and domestic water supply.  

Using sediment fingerprinting tools, this study assesses the glacial contribution to in-channel sediment along the Rio Santa, whilst investigating the contribution of anthropogenic factors such as land cover change in the Cordillera Blanca. A distributed approach along the two major sub catchments of the study catchment was taken to investigate natural and anthropogenic contributions to sediment generation for this Andean system. The Rio Santa catchment study focused on the contributions to sediment from the cordilleras, whilst the smaller Ranrahirca sub catchment study focused on land cover contributions to sediment. The distributed approach permitted quantification of source dynamics throughout the catchment and sub-catchment. To develop geochemical fingerprints, all source and mixture samples were analysed using Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WD XRF). The MixSIAR mixing model was used to apportion sediment sources for both catchment scales. Our results indicate that the non-glacial zone (Cordillera Negra Mountains) was the greater contributor to sediment in the upper Rio Santa, possibly due to mining activities and lithological factors, whilst further downstream the glaciated zone (Cordillera Blanca) became the larger contributor. Sediment monitoring in remote mountainous catchments such as the Rio Santa is not without challenges. Sediment fingerprinting evidence has the potential to fill knowledge gaps and inform local resource management policy.
Analysis on the influence of cold air intrusion to the formation of a Southest Vortex and rainstorm in China
Authors: Chen Gong , Xu Jinbo , Zeng Bo
Published: March 2022

Synoptic analysis of a rainstorm occurred in Mianning, Sichuan, China started on June 26, 2020 is carried out in this study. During this event, the maximum observed precipitation occurred in Lingshansi station, reaching 181.9mm from 18:00 on June 26 to 02:00 on June 27, 2020(BJT) and resulting in a severe flood disaster. Through the analysis of various data (including FNL, ERA5, wind profile data), we found that a cold air flow gradually intrudes into the west of Sichuan Basin from north to south along the eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, during the process, a Southwest Vortex (A meso-ß vortex system often generated in Southwest China and prone to led heavy precipitation) gradually formed, and the precipitation in Mianning area occurred in the process of the formation of the Southwest Vortex. In order to determine whether the invasion of cold air into Sichuan Basin is the main factor triggering the generation of Southwest Vortex and rainstorm in this area with rough terrain, a series of numerical sensitivity experiments were carried out. The results show that the invasion of cold air plays an important role in the formation of the Southwest Vortex. The cold and warm air meet at the Anning river valley of Mianning and are forced to rise by terrain which leads to the strengthening of vertical circulation in the valley and the heavy rainstorm.
Machine learning-based water quality modeling at national level in data-scarce region 
Authors: Virro Holger , Kmoch Alexander , Vainu Marko , Uuemaa Evelyn
Published: March 2022

Water quality modeling plays an important role in better understanding the magnitude and impact of water quality issues and in providing evidence for policy-making and implementing measures to mitigate water pollution. Process-based nutrient models are very complex, requiring a lot of input parameters and computationally expensive calibration. Often there is also a lack of high spatial and temporal resolution water quality data because water sampling is expensive and river water quality can’t be measured using remote sensing. Machine learning approaches have been shown to achieve similar accuracy to the physically-based models and even outperform them when describing nonlinear relationships. We used 242 observation sites located at 139 streams in Estonia, amounting to 469 yearly total nitrogen (TN) and 470 total phosphorus (TP) measurements covering the period 2016–2020 to train random forest models for predicting N and P concentrations. We used a total of 82 predictor variables, including land cover, soil, climate, and topography parameters, and applied a feature selection strategy to reduce the number of dependent features in the model. The models resulted in an accuracy of 82% in the case of TN and 54% for TP. The SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) values used to explain the models showed that the most important features for predicting TN were arable land proportion, soil rock content, and hydraulic conductivity, while the main features affecting TP concentration were the urban and grassland proportion in the catchment. The results indicate that the TN model is a viable alternative to process-based models in Estonia. In the case of TP, the derived feature importances and feature interactions can potentially help improve the corresponding model in the future. 
Leakage of water from public supply distribution networks is responsible for significant phosphorus fluxes within many urban catchments across the United States
Authors: Flint Elizabeth , Ascott Matthew J. , Gooddy Daren C. , Surridge Ben W.J. , Stahl Mason  O.
Published: March 2022

The release of phosphorus into aquatic environments as a result of anthropogenic activity has led to eutrophication of many fresh and coastal waters around the globe and across the United States (US). Dosing of public water supplies (PWS) with phosphate (PO4) compounds is undertaken around the globe, including many parts of the US, in order to inhibit corrosion and release of lead and copper within water distribution network pipes. However, 17% of this treated water is released into the environment due to leakage, resulting in previously unquantified fluxes of phosphorus into the environment. We have calculated this PWS leakage PO4 flux (as phosphorus; PO4-P) for the US to be between 2.2-6.7 kt PO4-P yr-1. County PWS leakage fluxes range from 0-2,865 kg PO4-P km-2 yr-1, and the relative magnitude of the fluxes in many urban counties across the northeastern US highlights the need for these previously unquantified fluxes to be incorporated into catchment nutrient balances. Not only do PWS leakage fluxes of PO4-P make a potentially significant contribution to eutrophication in urban catchments, but they also represent a loss of phosphorus that subsequently cannot be easily recovered at wastewater treatment plants, driving increased extraction of non-renewable and dwindling global phosphorus rock reserves.

 
Evaluating the crustal architectures of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States: Insights from seismic reflection and potential field data
Authors: Shotton Mike , Mortimer Estelle , Gouiza Mohamed , Green Chris
Published: March 2022

Passive margins are commonly categorised into two end-member models based on the amount of magma produced during continental rifting and breakup, resulting in ‘magma-rich margins’, or ‘magma-poor margins’ as a generic classification. However, in recent years, substantial variability within these models, due to parameters such as rheology, structural inheritance, variations in magmatic budget, has been identified. Similarly, attempting to confidently interpret crustal architectures, particularly within the ocean-continent transition zone, is challenging and much uncertainty in geometries and crustal type exists across many rifted margins across the globe which require careful and robust interpretation to attempt to reduce this uncertainty.

This contribution focuses on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States; in which we show a suite of seismic interpretations (from seismic reflection data), together with validations from potential field data to produce a comprehensive map of the crustal types along the margin. Much recent work on the margin has investigated the segmentation along strike, indicating that the architecture of the Eastern Seaboard does not conform to any of the end-member models. Here we provide evidence of the segmentation and non-conforming nature of the margin, consistent with recent work on the US Eastern Seaboard which is at odds with typical models of rifted margin architectures. Furthermore, to accompany the new crustal architectures map, we propose a conceptual structural model of the development of the margin, constrained by our observations and accounting for the three-dimensional nature of the margin evolution.
Patterns of glucose release and enzyme activity affected by crop rotation and plant senescence
Authors: Rashtbari Mehdi
Published: March 2022

The rhizosphere is a dynamic region governed by the composition and pattern of root exudates, which in turn impact the beneficial or harmful relationships between the rhizosphere microbiome, which affect their function and plant performance. Successive wheat following wheat shows yield decline, hence, this rhizobox-study aims to illuminate and quantify the effects of subsequent wheat rotations for 3 years (W3) at different growth stages on glucose releasing rate and soil enzyme activity.

We hypothesized that the long-term wheat rotation leads to lower glucose release, which will result in lower microbial activity accompanied by the decline of enzyme production than the first year wheat rotation (W1) using soil samples collected from the experimental farm Hohenschulen, (CAU, Kiel) from 1st and 3rd wheat after break crop. Glucose Imaging was utilized for visualizing and localizing glucose exudation rate from wheat roots and β-glucosidase zymography, involved in the degradation of C substances, was applied for rhizoboxes at two growth stages (BBCH 31 (T1), BBCH 59(T2)).

Results showed that crop rotation affected glucose release from roots and β-glucosidase activity and this effect was more pronounced at the second sampling time at BBCH-59. The total hotspot area of enzyme activity declined at W3. Third wheat after break crop had the lowest hotspot percent for glucose release and β-glucosidase activity at BBCH-59 by 1.83 and 4.26 percent of total soil surface area, indicating 68.3 and 47 percent decline compared to W1, respectively. While rhizosphere extends for glucose release increased in W3 compared to W1 at the first sampling date, there was a strong decrease at the second sampling time by 60.2 percent. However, β-glucosidase activity extend around the wheat root at T1 had a decreasing trend from W1 toward W3 and there was a slight decrease at T2. Plants benefit from root exudates by stimulating beneficial microorganisms and improving nutrient acquisition. Decreasing glucose release, as a readily available energy source for microorganisms and declining C availability because of root senescence, leads to competition for C in rhizosphere among beneficial microbes and soil-borne pathogens. Continuous wheat cultivation accelerates root senescence, accompanied by more severe environment for soil microbes and higher abundancy of wheat pathogens which ultimately will affect wheat yield.