bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spectral characterization of organic matter is affected by polyvalent cations interaction
Authors: Bhattarai Nisha , Ellerbrock Ruth H.
Published: March 2024

AbstractFunctional groups (e.g. alcohol, hydroxyl, carboxyl etc.) of soil organic matter are responsible for soil properties like cation exchange capacity or wettability. Functional groups can be characterized by spectroscopic procedures like Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy since the infrared light can introduce vibration modes within the groups. Only the light of an energy similar to the bonding energy of the C=O bond, for example, causes the absorption bands of the functional groups to show up at typical wavenumber (WN) regions in FTIR spectra. However, when the C=O group interacts with cations, the bonding energy may change thereby affecting the WN region of the absorption band. This change in WN (following organic matter (OM)-cation interaction) may limit procedures of automated spectral interpretation, which are mostly based on fixed ranges -determined from textbooks, or sets of single wave numbers determined by statistical approaches.Our study aims to quantify the effect of OM-cation interactions on the spectral features (intensity and WN region of C=O absorption bands) in FTIR spectra. To quantify the effect of OM-cation interactions on defined functional groups as far as possible, we study mixtures of polygalacturonic acid (PGA; as a model substance for soil organic matter) with different polyvalent cations (Ca2+, Fe³+, Al³+) at different concentrations.PGA-cation mixtures with different cation concentrations were prepared, freeze dried, and characterized using FTIR spectroscopy (KBr technique). A proton-cation exchange at the carboxylic acid groups during PGA-Cation interaction gives rise to a COO- band in FTIR. Since the cation effect is found in an earlier study to be stronger for the COO- band (1620-1550 cm-1) as compared to the C=O band, the interpretation of the FTIR spectra focuses on the COO- band. Compared to spectra of pure PGA, the spectra of all PGA-cation mixtures show a significant positive correlation between COO- band intensity and cation concentration. Additionally, a shift in the maximum of COO- band towards lower WN was observed for all cations, which depends on the kind of cations and increased with cation concentration.Increase in intensity of the COO- band and the shift in WN region of COO- band maxima confirms changes in FTIR spectral features with cation addition and that those changes depend on the type of cation. The results suggest that type and concentration of cation should be considered when interpreting FTIR spectra of organic matter since both, change in intensity and shift in the WN of the band maxima, could restrict procedures of automated spectral interpretation, which mostly rely on fixed ranges (from textbooks), or sets of single wave numbers determined by statistical approaches. For a deeper understanding on the relation between OM-cation interactions, organic matter with increasing heterogeneity and complexity need to be studied.
Impact of Spatial Density of Automatic Weather Station Data on Assimilation Effectiveness in WRF-3DVar Model
Authors: Qiao Zeyu , Li Bu , Gong Aofan , Ni Guangheng
Published: March 2024

Implementing the 3-Dimensional Variational (3DVar) data assimilation technique using high-density automatic weather station (AWS) observations substantially improves the precipitation simulation and forecast capabilities in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Given the impact of spatial distribution and quantity of observation data on assimilation effectiveness, there is a growing need to assimilate the most efficient amount of observation data to improve the precipitation forecast accuracy, especially in the context of the proliferation of data from diverse sources. This study investigates the impacts of spatial density of assimilated data on enhancing model predictions, focusing on a squall line event in Beijing on 2 August 2017 which has approximately 2400 AWSs in the simulation domain. Seven experiment groups assimilating varying proportions of AWS data (3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent of total AWSs) were conducted, comprising 10 experiments per group. The results were then compared with the experiment without data assimilation (CTRL) and the observations. Results show that while the WRF model roughly captured the evolution of this event, it overestimated the precipitation amount with significant deviations in precipitation locations. A general positive correlation was observed between the spatial density of assimilated data and the enhancement in model performance. However, there is a notable threshold beyond which additional data ceases to enhance forecast accuracy. The model performs best when the ratio of the number of assimilated AWSs to the model simulated area reaches 1/40 km-2. Moreover, significant variations in improvement effects across experiments within the same group indicate the substantial impact of spatial distribution of assimilated AWSs on forecast outcomes. This study provides a reference for devising more efficient and cost-effective data assimilation strategies in numerical weather prediction.
REHYDRATE - an international HELPING working group to REtrieve historical HYDRologic dATa and Estimates
Authors: Bertola Miriam , Mazzoglio Paola ,   HELPING REHYDRATE working group
Published: March 2024

Historical hydrological observations are often stored in printed documents and volumes of archives worldwide. This makes them practically inaccessible and unusable for modern hydrological studies as well as puts them at risk of permanent loss due to the deterioration of their medium. In addition to the intrinsic value of rescuing past observations, having access to historical data is essential for understanding better the complexity and changes in the hydrological cycle and its extremes.Several data rescue initiatives exist, but the efforts are highly fragmented in space and time. Current tools for data digitization include optical character recognition (OCR) software and manual transcription. The latter is often carried out through participatory citizen science projects. The use of OCR software is cheap and fast, but it still requires a considerable amount of manual work due to the diversity of the documents, and its accuracy is, to date, not always acceptable. Manual transcription is more accurate, but extremely resource-intensive. For these reasons, there is a general need for better and less costly methods for hydrological data rescue. New tools are becoming available, and new technologies are developing rapidly. In response to these challenges, the REHYDRATE Working Group has been proposed as part of the IAHS HELPING Science for Water Solutions decade in summer 2023 (https://iahs.info/uploads/HELPING/WG%20Proposal%20REHYDRATE.pdf). The Working Group aims to connect scientists engaged in data rescue, fostering a collaborative community to exchange knowledge, experiences, and best practices in hydrological data rescue and digitization. The ultimate objective is to promote and facilitate hydrologic data digitization initiatives and to ensure their accessibility through open-access repositories.Approximately 80 scientists from diverse geographical regions have joined the Working Group at the time of writing this abstract. Initial meetings were organized in late 2023, and the group is currently working towards its first short-term objective: conducting a comprehensive state-of-the-art assessment of methods, initiatives, and articles related to the digitization of historical hydrological data.
Tropical volcanic eruptions reduce vegetation net carbon uptake on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau under background climate conditions
Authors: Yong Zhiwei , Wang Zegen , Xiong Junnan , Tian Jie
Published: March 2024

The vegetation carbon uptake plays an important role in the terrestrial carbon cycle on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), while it is extremely sensitive to the impact of natural external forcings. Until now, there is limited knowledge on the spatial-temporal patterns of vegetation net carbon uptake (VNCU) after the force that caused by tropical volcanic eruptions. Here, we conducted an exhaustive reconstruction of VNCU on the QTP over the last millennium, and used a superposed epoch analysis to characterize the VNCU response of the QTP after the tropical volcanic eruptions. We then further investigated the divergent changes of VNCU response across different elevation gradients and vegetation types, and the impact of teleconnection forcing on VNCU after volcanic eruptions. Within a climatic background, we found that VNCU of the QTP tends to decrease after large volcanic eruptions, lasting until about 3 years, with a maximum decrease value occurring in the following 1 year. The spatial and temporal patterns of the VNCU were mainly driven by the post-eruption climate and moderated by the negative phase trends of El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation. In addition, elevation and vegetation types were undeniable driving forces associated with VNCU on QTP. Different water-heat conditions and vegetation types contributed to significant differences in the response and recovery processes of VNCU. Our results emphasized the response and recovery processes of VNCU to volcanic eruptions without the strong anthropogenic forcings, while the influence mechanisms of natural forcing on VNCU should receive more attention.
Geomorphologic features of river basins in the Zhongtiao Mountains and their tectonic significance
Authors: hu jinxin
Published: March 2024

Abstract: The Zhongtiao Mountain region is located in the collision zone of the two ancient plates of North China and South China, and belongs to the southern edge of the North China Plateau, which is of important tectonic and geomorphologic significance. The systematic analysis of geomorphic indices helps to understand the characteristics of neotectonic activities in the orogenic belt of this region. Based on the ASTER GDEM topographic data, the geomorphic parameters of the Zhongtiao Mountain area are extracted and calculated by each basin, the geomorphic morphologic features of each basin in the section are quantitatively obtained, and finally the relative degree of tectonic activity in the study area is analyzed. Combined with stratigraphic and tectonic data, the tectonic geomorphic features of the Zhongtiao Mountain region were discussed. The results show that, among the 33 rivers analyzed, the asymmetry degree of basin basin (AF) indicates that the Zhongtiao Mountains in the study area are tilted from the middle to the sides, and the morphology of basin basin changes from asymmetry to symmetry, while the high and low values of basin shape index (Bs) show an irregular mosaic. The distribution basin elongation (Re) shows that the basin on the north side of the Zhongtiao Mountains is significantly narrower than that on the south side of the Zhongtiao Mountains, but it is more inclined to be due to early tectonic activities or slow adjustment and deformation after the crustal cessation of movement. The standardized slope-loss index (SL) results show that the high values are mainly distributed on or near the Shuangquan-Linyi concealed rupture and the Huashan pre-mountain rupture, which also indicates that the geomorphic evolution of these rupture segments is more active than that of other segments. The area elevation integral (HI) values range from 0.1 to 0.55, and the sub-basins with HI<0.3 account for 55% of the total basin area, indicating that their geomorphic evolution is in the old age stage. On the whole, the average value of HI in the Zhongtiao Mountains is 0.31, and the area elevation curve is an S-shape close to a concave shape, which indicates that the geomorphic evolution of the Zhongtiao Mountains region is in the "prime of life" to the "old age" stage. This indicates that the geomorphologic evolution of the Zhongtiao Mountains region is in the transition from the "prime" to the "old age" stage; the spatial variability of neotectonic activity (rupture activity) in the Zhongtiao Mountains region exists, with the northern part of the region having stronger activity and the southern part having relatively weaker activity.
Revisiting the exhumed mantle at the Iberia margin to get new insight about break-up processes
Authors: Suire Harmony , Ulrich Marc , Manatschal Gianreto
Published: March 2024

Previous studies from the Western Iberia magma-poor rifted margin enabled to describe the evolution of the mantle lithosphere during rifting and breakup based on the study of dredged and drilled magmatic and mantle samples. These data together with those from the present-day Australia-Antarctica and the fossil Alpine Tethys rifted margins and Pyrenean hyperextended basins provide insights about the role of the mantle processes and inheritance on the tectono-magmatic evolution of rift systems during rifting and breakup. However, key questions remain in understanding lithospheric breakup such as when, where, and how much magma is produced during breakup; how first magma interacts with the percolated subcontinental mantle and how these mantle-melt processes interrelate with the extensional processes operating during breakup.This study focuses on samples drilled during ODP Legs 103, 149, 173 and 210 from the conjugate Iberia-Newfoundland margins and included also previously little studied dive-recovered samples from the Galicia Bank (Galinaute I and II). Bulk-rock, in-situ chemical and isotopic analysis of ultramafic rocks are used to constrain mantle dynamics during final rifting and breakup along the southern North Atlantic margins. Major and trace-element concentrations of primary minerals like olivine, pyroxenes and spinel are used to distinguish between different mantle domains, i.e., depleted oceanic or refertilized and/or inhertited subcontinental mantle. Thermo-barometry calculations are applied to define rates and thermal conditions during mantle exhumation.Preliminary results from textural observations and geochemical data from Galinaute ultramafic rocks show two mantle types: subcontinental and refertilized mantle (T1/T2 mantle types). Indeed, plagioclase texture in corona around spinel together with spinel compositions are consistent with lherzolite formation by sub-solidus re-equilibration, similar to those of subcontinental mantle exposed in the Alps (Tasna and Malenco). However, some clinopyroxene compositions show evidence of low pressure mantle-melt interaction, which may indicate a refertilization process by ascending MORB-type melts. Diffusion modeling of sub-solidus major element and REE re-equilibration between OPX and CPX from Galinaute peridotites show that the exhumed mantle along the Galicia Bank cooled at rates between 10-6 and 10-4°C/yr across the sp-pl peridotite facies transition, slower than cooling rates determined for samples from the Alpine Tethys and the present-day Australia-Antarctica magma-poor rifted margins.
How will climate warming impact winter CO2 emissions from northern peatlands?
Authors: Rezanezhad Fereidoun , Rafat Arash , Byun Eunji , Slowinski Stephanie , Hettinga Katie , Saraswati Saraswati , Persaud Bhaleka , Quinton William L. , Humphreys Elyn. R. , Webster Kara , Liu Haojie , Lennartz Bernd , Strack Maria , Van Cappellen Philippe
Published: March 2024

Canada’s peatlands hold more than half of the organic carbon stocks stored in all Canadian soils. Over 90% of these peatlands are in the boreal and subarctic regions that are undergoing accelerated climate warming. Climate models project that the rate of warming will continue through the 21st century, with the greatest warming occurring during the non-growing season (NGS). Given that NGS carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are mainly driven by microbial respiration, warming, even at sub-zero temperatures, is expected to increase the CO2 emissions during the NGS. Therefore, understanding the factors that regulate CO2 emissions during the NGS is critical for predicting the fate of the climate-sensitive peat organic carbon stocks. In this presentation, we examine the role of environmental variables in NGS CO2 emissions at a Canadian peatland research site to infer how these emissions may evolve under climate warming scenarios. We developed a support-vector regression machine-learning model whose results imply that soil moisture, soil temperature, snow cover, and photosynthesis are key predictor variables explaining the variability of net ecosystem CO2 fluxes during the NGS. The model was applied to a 13-year (1998-2010) continuous record of eddy covariance flux measurements at the Mer Bleue Bog (located near Ottawa, Canada). The CO2 fluxes were most sensitive to the net radiation above the canopy, wind speed, soil temperature, and soil moisture. Next, we used regional climate projections for the site to forecast future changes in the net ecosystem exchange of CO2 during the NGS. Under the highest radiative forcing scenario, the NGS Mer Bleue peatland CO2 emission rates could experience a 103% increase by 2100. Time permitting, we will also discuss results from a laboratory incubation CO2 experiment with soils from Canadian boreal and temperate peatlands under variable moisture and temperature conditions. The incubation temperature ranged from −10 to +35°C and included freeze–thaw events. The results showed that CO2 production rates increased more sharply with temperature for the boreal peatland soils than the temperate ones. This indicates that boreal peatlands may increase future NGS CO2 losses to a larger degree than temperate peatlands. Our results thus further highlight the potential for a strong positive climate feedback loop from accelerated peatland CO2 emissions. They also point to the need for more realistic representations of northern soil processes in earth system models.
Fracture attribute and their scaling in the Cenozoic formations, Sylhet Trough, Bengal Basin: Obtaining insight from the Dauki Fault Zone
Authors: Hossain Md. Sakawat , Khan Md. Sharif Hossain , Mondal Tridib Kumar
Published: March 2024

Fracture fundamentally controls the fluid flow including subsurface hydrocarbon reservoirs, and potential underground repositories, and governs mechanical properties of the rocks, which affect underground mining, constructing tunnels, road, and other underground engineering constructions. To understand the performance of rock either as fluid pathways or its mechanical strength or in response to tectonic stress regime, it is necessary to establish the static properties of the fracture networks (e.g., size, spacing, clustering, connectivity, network anisotropy, aperture variations, and scaling of the fractures). This research focuses on developing robust conceptual geological models and quantitative information on fracture static properties (i.e., attributes) and scaling through statistical analysis of fracture patterns from appropriate outcrop analogues.
Fracture data was collected through a multiscale sampling approach to understand fracture attributes and their scaling in the exposed Cenozoic formations of the Jaintiapur Structure in the Sylhet Trough. The stratigraphic successions of the Sylhet Trough, one of the petroliferous basins of Bangladesh, range from Cenozoic to Recent age. The Cenozoic formations are well-exposed along the Dauki Fault Zone (DFZ) on the northeastern edge of the basin and are widely viewed as being an appropriate analogue of the subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir encountered in different gas fields of the basin. Hence, fracture datasets were collected across multiscale (10−3 to 103 m) for quantitative classification of fractures in different formations, kinematic relation with the DFZ, evolution of the tectonic stress regime, and reservoir secondary permeability. Consequently, these multiscale outcrop analogue fracture datasets will constitute the backbone for robust numerical flow models, and discrete fracture network modelling.
Assessing the flooding hazard through a probabilistic approach including earthen levees vulnerability estimate    
Authors: Bonaccorsi Bianca , Barbetta Silvia , Aronica Giuseppe Tito
Published: March 2024

Levees collapse cause huge financial and social losses, especially in highly developed areas of many countries. Since that 2563 floods occurred in Europe between 1980 and 2010 (EEA, 2018), the European Parliament issued the Floods Directive, approved in 2009, in which EU Member States are invited to minimise this risk of failure, improving methods and finding simple solutions for large-scale application. For this reason, the scientific community is gradually performing stochastic approaches allow a large number of simulations runs in a Monte Carlo framework, providing the basis for a probabilistic risk assessment considering also the influence of levee breaches on the flood risk (Apel et al., 2006, Castellarin et al., 2011). Indeed, in many studies, seepage analyses account only the hydraulic boundary conditions, i.e.  the water head upstream of the embankment (Tracy et al., 2016, 2020).  In this context, the present work is focused on the evaluation of the residual flood risk through the analysis of earthen levees’ seepage vulnerability. In particular, the levee fragility curves determined with the use of simplified and expeditious approaches and those assessed by using geotechnical finite element models (i.e. PLAXIS 2D) are compared. Furthermore, the goal of this study is to find the relation between the frequency of levee’s failure due to hydraulic and geotechnical conditions, to aim of define the conditional probability of the residual flood risk. ReferencesApel, H., Annegret, H. T., Bruno, M., & Günter, B. (2006). A probabilistic modelling system for assessing flood risks. Natural Hazard, 38, 79-100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-005-8603-7.Castellarin, A., Di Baldassare, G., & Brath, A. (2011). Floodplain management strategies for flood attenuation in the River Po. River Research and Applications, 27(8), 1037 –1047. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.1405.EEA, European Environment Agency. (2018). European past floods [Online]. Copenhagen, Denmark: Author. Retrieved from https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/european-past-floods/ .Tracy, F.T., Brandon, T. L., Corcoran, M.K. (2016). Transient seepage analyses in levee engineering practice, Technical Report TR-16-8, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS, http://acwc.sdp.sirsi.net/client/en_US/search/asset/1050667. Tracy, F.T., Ryder, J.L., Schultz, M.T., Ellithy, G.S., Breland, B.R., Massey, T.C., Corcoran, M.K. (2020). Monte Carlo Simulations of Coupled Transient Seepage Flow and Soil Deformation in Levees. Scalable Computing Practice and Experience 21(1):147-156. https://doi.org/10.12694/scpe.v21i1.1629.
Implementation of form drag into the ocean – sea ice model NEMO-SI3, calibration of input parameters with ICESat-2 surface heights and its impact on sea ice and ocean circulation 
Authors: Schroeder David , Feltham Danny , Duncan Kyle , Farrell Sinead
Published: March 2024

The efficiency of air-sea momentum exchange depends on top and bottom sea ice surface roughness which varies with ice types and conditions, but constants are applied in most climate models. Future sea ice reduction is expected to lead to an increase in efficiency of air-sea momentum transfer. Accurate representation of momentum transfer processes will be a requirement for realistic model predictions. Within the CANARI project (Climate change in the Arctic-North Atlantic Region and Impacts on the UK) we have implemented the CICE form drag scheme into the sea ice model SI3. Based on parameters of the ice cover such as ice concentration, size, and frequency of the sails and keels, freeboard and floe draft, and size of floes and melt pond fraction, the total form drag can be computed as a sum of form drag from sails and keels, form drag from floe edges, form drag from melt pond edges, and a reduced skin drag due to a sheltering effect. Ocean – sea ice simulations reveal that the inclusion of form drag has a significant impact by reducing sea ice drift and near surface ocean currents by more than 20% in the marginal sea ice regions. However, results depend on the poorly know input variables which are parameterised from the volume of ridged ice. We apply a new surface topography data set which has been derived from the ICESat-2 ATL03 global geolocated photon height data product. We use the continuous data sets of surface roughness, sail heights and frequency of pressure ridges across the Arctic to calibrate the form drag parameterization and present new simulation results.
Future changes in South Asian summer monsoon circulation under global warming: Role of the Tibetan Plateau heating
Authors: Luo Haolin , Wang Ziqian , He Chao , Chen Deliang , Yang Song
Published: March 2024

The South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) is a significant monsoon system that exerts a profound impact on climate and human livelihoods. According to 38 models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), the SASM circulation is projected to weaken significantly under global warming as seen in the weakened low-level westerly wind over the northern tropical Indian Ocean; however, the associated climate dynamics is still under debate. Here, we identify that the weakened low-level westerly wind is closely related to the enhanced diabatic heating over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), which corresponds with increased summer precipitation in the future. Further analyses and numerical experiments suggest that the intensified TP heating triggers an anomalous meridional circulation with ascending motions over the plateau and descending motions to the south, leading to an anomalous low-level anticyclone over the northern tropical Indian Ocean. This anticyclone greatly weakens the prevailing low-level westerly wind of the SASM through easterly anomalies at the anticyclone’s southern flank. Moisture budget analysis further reveals that increased atmospheric water vapor, rather than the vertical dynamic component, makes the largest contribution to the increased precipitation over the TP. This result confirms that the enhanced TP heating is a driver of atmospheric circulation change and contributes to weakening the SASM circulation.
Hydrothermal alteration of lava domes: coupled contribution of experimentation and thermodynamic modelling
Authors: Martel Caroline , Décossin François , Arbaret Laurent , Champallier Rémi , Heap Michael , Rosas-Carbajal Marina , Komorowski Jean-Christophe
Published: March 2024

Flank collapse represents a significant hazard at explosive volcanoes. Hydrothermal alteration is considered to promote volcano instability, but there are few data and models to robustly assess this hypothesis. In the framework of the Mygale ANR project, a multidisciplinary approach that combines geological data, geophysical and geochemical techniques, laboratory measurements, and modelling is proposed to assess the role of alteration on the stability of La Soufrière de Guadeloupe (France). We focus here on the benefit of combining time-series and flow-through experiments with thermodynamic and kinetic modelling for constraining the alteration process below the lava dome of La Soufrière. Flow-through experiments under pressure and temperature provide in-situ permeability data during ongoing alteration of pristine andesite. Thermodynamic modelling is essential for evaluating the fluid phase composition driving rock alteration at depth. Kinetic modelling is precious for predicting the alteration sequence on timescales longer than experimentally achievable. Eventually combining such geophysical and geochemical data on natural and experimental samples will allow to propose a large-scale 4D numerical model to assess the influence of alteration on volcano stability and improve monitoring of volcano instability.
The Joint FAO/IAEA Center and the Soil Fertility Project: Integrating Nuclear and Related Techniques for Modelling to Support Practical Decision Management Support
Authors: Vlasimsky Magdeline , Dercon Gerd , Said Ahmed Hami , Daraboe Sarata , Yigini Yusuf , Tong Yuxin , Peng Yi , Albinet Franck , Heiling Maria , Resch Christian
Published: March 2024

The Soil Fertility (SoilFer) project, led by the Land and Water Division at FAO, seeks to enhance agricultural practices and resilience globally, starting with five countries (Guatemala, Honduras, Zambia, Kenya, and Ghana). The project collaborates with governments and relevant national partners to establish comprehensive national monitoring and mapping systems for soil management, catering to the diverse needs of agriculture stakeholders. The Soil and Water Management Laboratory at the Joint FAO/IAEA Center serves as a crucial hub for advancing research and technical expertise in soil and water management using nuclear and related techniques. Through its multifaceted approach in collaboration with the Land and Water Division, the laboratory contributes significantly to the SoilFer project, through the development and implementation of technical training programs for and expert advising on the application of Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy (MIRS), Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensor (CRNS), and Gamma Ray Spectroscopy (GRS) to soil monitoring and mapping.The integration of MIRS, CRNS, and GRS technologies within the SoilFer project forms a robust framework for soil monitoring and mapping, as MIRS has been shown to provide detailed insights into soil composition and carbon content, CRNS offers real-time data on soil moisture dynamics, and GRS contributes to the analysis of radioactive isotopes and elemental composition. Given the integrated nature of landscape processes, the adoption of technological approaches must mirror this complexity. Interconnected ecological, hydrological, and geological processes within landscapes necessitate a holistic and integrated technological framework. This approach ensures that diverse data streams, derived from technologies such as remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and advanced sensor networks, can be harmoniously synthesized. Only through such integration can a comprehensive understanding of landscape dynamics be achieved, facilitating informed decision-making and sustainable management practices across multifaceted environmental systems. The project emphasizes the seamless integration of these advanced technologies with soil monitoring and mapping systems, ensuring a comprehensive and effective approach to soil management practices, while improving national capacity and stakeholder engagement in data-based decision making. The key objectives of the SoilFer project encompass the development of robust national soil information systems, the implementation of decision support systems targeting soil health, and the promotion of sustainable soil management practices. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, the project aspires to build technical, increase agricultural resilience and ensure food security in the participating countries.
On the impact of operational uncertainties on water distribution system design
Authors: Zanutto Dennis , Castelletti Andrea , Savic Dragan
Published: March 2024

The long-term design of Water Distribution Systems is a difficult task, with complex non-linear relationships, multiple objectives, and a decision space constrained by a discrete set of feasible actions. Numerous and heterogeneous sources of uncertainty also influence the complex landscape of solutions the decision-makers must explore. In response to this complexity, much of the current research is devoted to developing innovative methodologies to design systems that cope with these uncertainties, aiming at robust or flexible solutions.In this study, we investigate a source of uncertainty whose role in the long-term design and planning of the infrastructure is often overlooked: operational uncertainty, i.e., the uncertainty stemming from the missing knowledge on the future values of the operational variables (e.g., pumping speeds and valve positions). From the design perspective, this represents an additional source of uncertainty for two reasons: first, the implemented control strategy is unknown (e.g., pump scheduling vs Model Predictive Control), and finally, in the case of any feedback control strategy, the optimal control actions depend on the uncertainties’ realisation, unknown during the design phase. Unlike other types of uncertainty, which stem from external factors beyond our control, operational uncertainty comes from the control decision variables, which can be subjected to cost-effective adjustments in the future. The "Anytown" (Walski et al. 1987) case study is used as a benchmark to optimise reliability and cost, accounting for design and operational aspects. This classical optimisation problem combines irreversible design decision variables (e.g., pipe duplication) and adjustable controls (e.g., pump speed). Conventional and widely accepted optimisation techniques (e.g., Evolutionary Algorithms and Linear Programming) are used to solve the coupled operation and design problem, with the focus being the interplay between the control and design decision variables. Gaining insight into the relationship between these variables will help us develop a metric to assess operational flexibility, a measure of a system's ability to adapt to changing conditions over time, adjusting its operations without requiring expensive changes in design. Developing such a metric would be particularly beneficial to create adaptive WDS, where the systems are built in phases, and the adaptation of the control decision variables allows for a delay of costly capital expenditure associated with design actions. We show preliminary results on the influence of different problem formulations on the Pareto set of ideal designs and their operational uncertainty. Walski, Thomas M., E. Downey Brill, Johannes Gessler, Ian C. Goulter, Roland M. Jeppson, Kevin Lansey, Han-Lin Lee, et al. 1987. “Battle of the Network Models: Epilogue.” Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management 113 (2): 191–203. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9496(1987)113:2(191).
Calibration and performance of the MEDA pressure sensor on the Perseverance rover
Authors: Jaakonaho Iina , Hieta Maria , Genzer Maria , Polkko Jouni , Mäkinen Terhi , Sánchez-Lavega Agustín , Hueso Ricardo , del Río Gaztelurrutia Teresa , Harri Ari-Matti , Haukka Harri , de la Torre Juárez Manuel , Rodríguez-Manfredi Jose Antonio
Published: March 2024

The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) Pressure Sensor (PS) aboard the Perseverance rover has been actively collecting data in Jezero crater since February 2021. Provided by the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), MEDA PS is part of the broader MEDA sensor suite, designed to regularly capture atmospheric measurements on the surface of Mars.
The flight model of MEDA PS underwent thorough testing and calibration at FMI, covering a pressure range of 0 to 14 hPa and a temperature range of -45 to +55 °C. Calibration adjustments were performed post-integration to the MEDA instrument control unit and at the end of the interplanetary cruise. Routine checks and calibration adjustments of the backup sensor heads have also been conducted during the surface operations.
Using the data obtained during the testing and calibration processes and the first Martian year of operations, we have evaluated the performance of MEDA PS. Our analysis, including also the pressure uncertainty, reveals that the sensor meets and even exceeds its design requirements. We present the results of the assessment which verify the sensor’s capability to deliver high-quality pressure measurements from the Martian surface.
Estimation of spatio-temporal source of microplastics using Bayesian Neural networks
Authors: Brožová Antonie , Šmídl Václav , Tichý Ondřej , Evangeliou Nikolaos
Published: March 2024

Estimation of the source of airborne microplastics is a challenging inverse problem since the number of measurements is very small compared to the number of potential sources. The source is spatio-temporal and thus its estimation from a few measurements is severely ill-posed. Recent studies [1] solve this issue using Bayesian methods that introduce prior on the source term using additional assumptions of sparsity and smoothness. Here, deposition measurements of airborne microplastics and microfibers from the Western USA are combined with the FLEXPART atmospheric dispersion model to construct and solve the linear inverse problem. However, the posterior is obtained only approximately, with an underestimated variance of the estimate.In this contribution, we solve the same inverse problem as in [1] using a source term estimator in the form of a spatial Bayesian neural network [2]. We compare the obtained results with those obtained by the conventional methods. Since the ground truth for the microplastics is not available, the accuracy of the estimation cannot be assessed quantitatively. Therefore, we focus on qualitative comparison and sensitivity study with respect to initial conditions and hyper-parameters of the methods.Acknowledgment:This research has been supported by the Czech Science Foundation (grant no. GA24-10400S).References:[1] Evangeliou, N., Tichý, O., Eckhardt, S., Zwaaftink, C.G. and Brahney, J., 2022. Sources and fate of atmospheric microplastics revealed from inverse and dispersion modelling: From global emissions to deposition. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 432, p.128585.[2] Zammit-Mangion, A., Kaminski, M.D., Tran, B.H., Filippone, M. and Cressie, N., 2023. Spatial Bayesian Neural Networks. arXiv preprint arXiv:2311.09491.
The July 2023 Northern Italy hailstorms from a climatological and (re)insurance market perspective
Authors: Panosetti Davide , Tomassetti Umberto
Published: March 2024

Hail is by far the greatest contributor worldwide to insured losses from severe convective storms on an annual basis. Individual outbreaks can cause losses well above EUR 1 bn. In Italy, severe convective storm losses have been dominating the market in the last 5-7 years, with a record of EUR 1.4 bn in 2019 prior to year 2023. On 18-25 July 2023 an unprecedented outbreak brought large hail and strong winds to Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna, with affected cities including Parma, Turin, Milan and Venice. There were many reports of large hailstones, causing significant damage to property and motor vehicle. The European hail record was breached too. Twice. On 19 July, a hailstone measuring 16 cm in diameter was recorded in Carmignano di Brenta, and broke the previous largest hail record in Europe, which was held by a 15 cm stone found in Romania in 2016. Just five days later, a new record was set, when a 19 cm hailstone was found in the town of Azzano Decimo. This is very close to the all-time largest hail recorded of 20.3 cm, found in 2010 in South Dakota, US. Total loss estimates, of which hail was by far the largest contributor, exceeds EUR 3 bn, of which 70-80% in the property sector (residential and commercial buildings), and the remaining 20-30% in the motor vehicle sector. These were the largest hail events in Italy in recorded history, and the costliest cat event in the third quarter of 2023 for the global insurance market.Following in the footsteps of the severe convective storm outbreak that impacted France in June 2022, these storms came after a record-hot air mass that languished over Southern Europe much of the week prior. Persistent meteorological conditions conducive to rotating supercell thunderstorms were observed for several consecutive days. These compounded with local conditions favorable for the development of severe hail over the Po Valley. In this study we present a reconstruction of these events based on event reports from European Severe Weather Database. We analyze the synoptic configurations and pre-convective environments that characterized them, with focus on those properties and features that are peculiar to severe hail-forming thunderstorms. We look at different formulations of CAPE and vertical wind shear, as well as composite parameters such as the Significant Hail Parameter and the Supercell Composite Parameter. We make use of Gallagher Re’s Severe Convective Storm Index to contextualize these events historically, and to discuss climate change trends over Northern Italy. Finally, we discuss the implications that such events and their expected frequency under climate change have on the (re)insurance market.
The impact of water table level and grazing on greenhouse-gas exchange in salt marshes
Authors: Yang Dan , Jensen Asger , Sorrell Brian , Brix Hans , Eller Franziska
Published: March 2024

Saline wetlands play a crucial role in climate regulation through their robust cooling effect, attributed to rapid carbon sequestration and minimal methane production. Despite this, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms supporting such carbon exchange, and their specific contributions to greenhouse gas mitigation potential, is lacking, particularly in salt marshes facing the impacts of global climate changes. Here, we test the effects of water table levels, grazing, and plant community composition on CO2 and CH4 fluxes during the growing season of salt marshes by a controlled manipulative experiment and an in situ experiment. Rising water table levels resulted in higher CH4 emissions but reduced photosynthesis and ecosystem respiration. Conversely, grazing enhanced ecosystem respiration but suppressed plant photosynthesis. Furthermore, CH4 emissions from Phragmites-dominated communities were nearly a thousand times higher compared to Spartina-dominated communities. Our findings indicate that, throughout the growing season, lower salt marshes function as carbon sinks, whereas grazed Phragmites-dominated salt marshes are carbon sources. Our study accounted for CH4 fluxes, CO2 uptake and emission together, and identified the mechanisms controlling carbon exchange, an approach that is crucial for evaluating the potential of saline tidal wetlands as net atmospheric carbon sinks and developing scientifically sound climate mitigation policies.
The EPOS open source platform for multidisciplinary data integration and data analysis in solid Earth science
Authors: Bailo Daniele , Paciello Rossana , Glaves Helen , Roquencourt Jean-Baptiste , Molander Jakob , Spinuso Alessandro , Langeland Tor , Michalek Jan , Lange Otto , Sangianantoni Agata , Bruyninx Carine , Freda Carmela ,   EPOS Group
Published: March 2024

Established as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC)  in 2018, the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) Research Infrastructure represents a significant advancement in solid Earth sciences. Its aim is to harmonize and integrate data, services, and computational resources across diverse solid Earth science domains. These include Seismology, Near-Fault Observatories, GNSS Data and Products, Volcano Observations, Satellite Data, Geomagnetic Observations, Anthropogenic Hazards, Geological Information and Modeling, Multi-Scale Laboratories, Tsunami Research, each leveraging EPOS for the integration of domain specific data and services into a wider European multi-disciplinary context.The EPOS platform ( https://www.epos-eu.org/dataportal) provides access to harmonized and quality-controlled data from thematic solid Earth science services through over 250 interoperable multidisciplinary services. The platform adopts a microservice-based architecture serving RESTful APIs, ensuring seamless interoperability between thematic core services (TCS) and the integrated core services central hub (ICS-C). The ICS-C, as the central system underpinning the EPOS platform, enables interoperability by adopting a multidimensional approach using metadata, semantics, and web services. Released under a GPL license as open-source software (https://epos-eu.github.io/epos-open-source/), EPOS adheres to the FAIR Principles, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and technological advancement in Earth sciences and beyond.In addition to data access, the EPOS platform also integrates complementary visualization tools and computational services. These Integrated Core Services - Distributed (ICS-D) enhance the user experience by simplifying complex interactions, offering functionalities like visualization, coding, and processing for data analysis, including machine learning applications.This presentation will explore how the EPOS platform facilitates the entire research data lifecycle, connecting integrated multidisciplinary data provision to remote data analysis environments. By leveraging third-party cloud and supercomputing facilities equipped with specialized APIs (eg. SWIRRL https://gitlab.com/KNMI-OSS/swirrl/swirrl-api), we will demonstrate how EPOS seamlessly integrates with external services for reproducible data analysis and visualization, relying on common workflows to gather and pre-preprocess the data. External service examples include Jupyter Notebooks developed by domain-specific communities, using which the users can immediately analyze and process the data online. This adaptability streamlines scientific research and also promotes data reusability and collaboration within the portal, showcasing the EPOS platform's role in advancing Earth sciences research.
A benchmark for gravitational potential up to its third-order derivatives of a vertical cylindrical shell discretized into cylindrical prisms
Authors: Deng Xiaole
Published: March 2024

Studying the gravitational effects of the Earth's topography and crustal layers is a fundamental topic in gravity field modeling in geodesy and geophysics. The introduction of gravitational curvatures (GC), which are the third-order derivatives of the gravitational potential (GP), has recently broadened theoretical research on gravitational effects. Using tensor analysis, this paper comes up with a general formula for the physical parts of the third-order tensor of the potential in cylindrical coordinates. Then, the expressions for the GC of a vertical cylindrical prism are accordingly derived in cylindrical coordinates. Based on the relation among the vertical cylindrical prism, cylindrical shell, and cylinder, the analytical expressions for gravitational effects up to the GC of a vertical cylindrical shell and a cylinder are derived when the computation point is located on the Z-axis no matter whether it is situated below, inside, or above the cylindrical shell and cylinder. Laplace's equation has been adopted to confirm the correctness of the newly derived formulas of the GC. In addition, a benchmark of a cylindrical shell discretized into cylindrical prisms is proposed to reveal the numerical properties of derived GC formulas with the computation point located on the Z-axis. Numerical results reveal that when the computation point's height increases, the relative and absolute errors of the GP, gravitational vector (GV), gravitational gradient tensor (GGT), and GC decrease, in which the relative errors in log10 scale of the nonzero GP, GV, GGT, and GC components are approximately less than -2 when the computation is located below, inside, and above the cylindrical shell. These newly derived formulas lay the theoretical foundation for the GC in cylindrical coordinates and help to investigate the potential applications of the GC in geodesy and geophysics. This new benchmark can become the standard for testing the correctness of the gravitational effects of the cylindrical prism using different numerical algorithms in cylindrical coordinates in practical applications.