bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Employing Emerging Technologies in Educational Settings
Authors: Alshehri Ajlan M.
Published: August 2017

This chapter aims to enrich knowledge and open discussion towards employing the emerging technologies in educational settings particularly in developing countries such as Saudi Arabia. To shed light on this topic, the chapter introduces emerging technologies and their importance to the educational field. It also elaborates and discusses various issues surrounding the employment of emerging technologies, at the organizational and individual levels. In addition, it clarifies the roles of those involved in the educational settings such as decision makers, educators, and users of technologies in order to enable them to employ and use technology in educational settings optimally. Moreover, the chapter illustrates the different challenges that might hinder the integration of technology in the field of education. Finally, exploring the future of employing emerging technologies will be addressed in this chapter by developing strategies and recommendations that should be considered as crucial factors for employing and integrating technologies in the educational settings.
Emerging Technologies as a Tool for Development of Human Values and Global Peace
Authors: Ahmed Zaki , Bilal Kanwal , Khan Asad Ullah
Published: August 2017

Nanotechnology is one of the unique technologies, which have the potential to narrow down the rich, and poor divide in nations. Nanotechnology has the potential to bridge the gap between developed and developing countries by developing a closer relationship to reduce involuntary sufferings. This can be testified by the proven role of nanotechnology in remediation of environment, providing health, clean water, harvesting water from air, eco-friendly housing from green nanomaterials, eradicating malaria, water borne diseases, human tissue regeneration, increasing agricultural yields, as generate innovations with embedded human values. The morally neutral threatening technologies like nanotechnology would lead to circumvent socio-political opposition, the rich and poor divide and address the involuntary sufferings by providing human value based solutions. Nanotechnology is the tool given by nature to transform the silos mentality to a collaborative mentality for real world problem solving and respond to the challenges of human sufferings.
Learning With Mobiles in Developing Countries
Authors: Traxler John M.
Published: August 2017

In the countries of the global South, the challenges of fixed infrastructure and environment, the apparent universality of mobile hardware, software and network technologies and the rhetoric of the global knowledge economy have slowed or impoverished the development of appropriate theoretical discourses to underpin learning with mobiles. This paper addresses one specific and fundamental component of such discourses, namely the role of language and literacy as they interact with mobile technology. The paper makes three points, that mobile technology is culturally and linguistically specific, not universal or culturally-neutral; that mobile technology does not merely store and transmit language(s) and literacy within communities, it disturbs and transforms them, and that the digital literacy agenda that might underpin learning with mobiles has not yet been developed in relation to mobile technology or in relation to the global South. These are the foundations of understanding learning with mobiles in the global South.
Strategic Crowdsourcing as an Emerging Form of Global Entrepreneurship
Authors: Szopa Anna , Kopeć Katarzyna Dorota
Published: August 2017

Entrepreneurs are looking for effective ways to internationalize their business ideas. Online crowdsourcing platforms enable them to access vast resources held by geographically scattered individuals with different backgrounds who are outside an organization's boundaries. Entrepreneurs leverage knowledge and services from a crowd (an undefined group of web users) through an open online call for solution. Presented analysis will help to understand better the relationship between crowdsourcing business model and global entrepreneurship. Crowdsourcing process goes beyond achieving an efficiency-driven economy stage. The new venture reflects better competitiveness and economic-development performance.
Pedagogy and the New Literacies in Higher Education
Authors: Brown Carol A.
Published: August 2017

Having the ability to understand and use digital technology is an important skill needed for the 21st century workforce (Goodfellow, 2011). In higher education, Web 2.0 and other collaborative resources impact pedagogy, research methodology, and relationships with colleagues and students. Creative use of digital resources enhances traditional instructional methods such as inquiry-based learning, situated learning, and collaborative project-based learning. Generative learning theory is applied through organizational, integrative, and elaborative strategies, which are supported through a variety of digital tools all within a constructivist environment. Digital resources are best applied using 1) collaborative spaces in cloud computing, 2) digital tools for engaged learning, 3) presentation software for course content, and 4) access to electronic textbooks. Pedagogical decisions associated with use of these tools are an important part of the new literacies for 21st century learning. The relationship between digital resources and pedagogical practices in higher education are explored in this chapter.
Emerging Information and Communication Technology Policy Framework for Africa
Authors: Zulu Saul F.C.
Published: August 2017

While emerging information and communications technologies (ICTs) offer possible solutions to some of the problems of applying ICTs in Africa, there are many challenges that have to be addressed in order to create an environment that is conducive for harnessing these technologies. This chapter, therefore, reviews emerging ICTs and their potential for application in leveraging Africa's efforts towards meeting its development efforts. The Chapter highlights the digital divide barriers that may inhibit emergent ICTs in Africa. A review of current ICT policies of selected African countries indicates that the policies are geared towards application of ICTs other than their production. The review also reveals a lack of appreciation for emerging ICTs in Africa, both at the national as well as the sub-regional economic bloc levels. The chapter proposes policy frameworks for emerging ICTs for Africa that are necessary for creating an enabling environment for harnessing the emerging ICTs that will propel the continent into the 21st Century and beyond. The barriers to ICTs cut across many different issues. As such, they require multi-pronged policy approaches to address them. And that an emerging ICT environment must be anchored on a number of strategic policy frameworks including the legal, regulatory/administrative institutional framework, infrastructure, technology advocacy, financial, human resources, education and research frameworks. It concludes that Africa can prepare for its future by creating an appropriate environment for fostering the adoption and application of emerging technologies.
Digital Literacy Education for the Development of Digital Literacy
Authors: Lee Seung-Hyun
Published: August 2017

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the effect of digital literacy education (DLE) on the development of digital literacy through a local digital technology community center, particularly for those with a lack of digital literacy. This study focuses on measuring significant differences between before and after digital literacy education through pre- and post-performance tests and surveys. This study also measures the relationships between the DLE and computer and Internet use. The mean comparison of the paired-samples t test results of this study shows an increase in the mean from pretest to posttest, implying the enhancement of digital literacy as a result of the education. The ultimate goal of the digital literacy education in this study is to provide people, who are the digitally illiterate, with learning and digital opportunities to improve their digital literacy through education in an informal setting and to facilitate digital connection and inclusion.
Bridging the Age-Based Digital Divide
Authors: Antonio Amy , Tuffley David
Published: August 2017

An increasing reliance on digital technology in one's everyday life necessitates the development of digital literacy skills to enable one's continued participation in the Internet information-age. As existing services, such as banking and shopping, move increasingly online, the likelihood of excluding certain demographic groups, such as the elderly and those living in rural areas, increases exponentially. The following article outlines the results of a pilot study that explored the perceived digital literacy skills of a group of adults in a rural community. It will be shown that despite relatively low confidence levels reported by the participants, they were nevertheless keen to learn how to use digital technologies. Based on participant feedback, the study concludes that there is a need to develop pedagogical strategies to teach digital literacy skills to older adults, particularly those living in rural and remote areas.
Media Literacy Organizations
Authors: Mahajan Iram Mukhtar , Rather Mudasir , Shafiq Huma , Qadri Uzma
Published: August 2017

Media Literacy is reckoned as an integral part of learning innovations in modern day technology enabled learning domains. In order to facilitate the information handling and interaction procedures, essence of media literacy cannot be underestimated. Many Organizations and institutions in different setups play a significant role in inculcating media literacy among the citizens of a nation. These organizations are carrying out initiatives for facilitating critical thinking, awareness about different media setups to different stakeholders in both real and virtual environments. They provide user-friendly tools for facilitating educators, researchers, policy makers, young media makers, and students to find the information they are looking for in a timely and organized manner. This chapter attempts to explore, identify and analyze various such organizations that facilitate media literacy in different settings.
ICT Literacy Integration
Authors: Farmer Lesley S. J.
Published: August 2017

In order to be prepared for today's knowledge society, students need to be ICT literate. To ensure that all students become ICT literate requires systematic integration of ICT literacy into the curriculum at the general education level and within each academic discipline. Such integration requires faculty ICT literacy as it applies to their academic content area and instructional practice. Collaboration within academic domains, with expert partnerships of librarians and instructional designers, can boost ICT literacy and facilitate its effective integration for student learning. Therefore, such faculty competency also requires systematic coordination, training, support, and accountability. Efforts need to occur at the course, program, college, campus, and system level in order to ensure that all students learn, practice and apply ICT effectively and responsibly. The California State University Long Beach ICT Literacy Project exemplifies the process of developing a systematic and coordinated approach to ICT literacy into the curriculum.
Transforming K-12 Classrooms With Digital Technology
Authors: Leneway Robert J.
Published: August 2017

Powerful emerging technologies, data systems, and communications have converged to change how we play, work, communicate, learn, and even what we think. It is fundamentally changing our institutions and support systems, especially our schools and their classrooms. Thus, the teachers that use these classrooms need to also change. If schools and classroom designed for a 20th century industrial age are to survive, then how do they need to be transformed to respond to the rapidly changing needs of today's 21st century students? There is currently much “hype” on what technology can do for students and their classrooms. This chapter explores what the research says works regarding the integration of digital technologies for schools, teachers, and most importantly the 21st century students that today's classrooms are intended to serve. However, with most emerging technologies, the research has not kept pace with the ever increasing advance, so this chapter also highlights some of the promising new technology devices, programs, and educational practices in need of quality evaluative research. By exploring how today's students and their learning needs are being changed by current and emerging promising digital technologies, a personal vision for the reader should begin to emerge on how schools might transform their 20th century teachers and classrooms into spaces, including virtual spaces, that better serve today's 21st century students.
European Dialogue Project
Authors: Brautlacht Regina , Poppi Franca , Martins Maria Lurdes , Ducrocq Csilla
Published: August 2017

Telecollaborating and communicating in online contexts using English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) requires students to develop multiple literacies in addition to foreign language skills and intercultural communicative competence. This chapter looks at the intersection of technology and teaching ELF, examining mutual contributions of technologies, more specifically Web 2.0, and ELF to each other, and the challenges in designing and implementing collaboration projects across cultures. Moreover, it looks at how the development of digital competencies in ELF (DELF) can be enhanced through the implementation of Web 2.0 mediated intercultural dialogues. The detail of the research design including internet tools used, participants and tasks are also discussed. Data analysis points to a positive attitude towards telecollaboration, also providing confirmation of some of the problems identified in theoretical framework, such as different levels of personal engagement.
Mobile Technologies and Web 2.0
Authors: Semingson Peggy
Published: August 2017

This chapter explores changing definitions of literacy that build on the key concepts of New Literacies and existing Web 2.0 practices such as blogging, social networking, and other shared and collaborative media spaces (Davies & Merchant, 2009). The chapter also describes concrete examples of mobile-based literacy ideas that build on such a framework. The focus on teacher education, and literacy education in particular, examines and considers new definitions of literacy practices with connections to mobile technologies. Although mobile technologies offer possibilities for multi-modal and collaborative literacy practices, it is suggested that we should also stay grounded in some of the principles of print literacies (the prerequisite skills of the reading and writing processes), while also fostering Web 2.0 and New Literacies (as defined and discussed by Lankshear & Knobel, 2003, 2006). Specific examples of Web 2.0 technologies that can be implemented with mobile tools are shared and discussed.
Distributed Agile Development
Authors: Gill Asif Qumer
Published: August 2017

Organizations have shown a significant interest in the adoption of emerging social technologies to support communication and collaboration needs of their Distributed Agile or Adaptive Development Environment (DADE). However, the challenge is how best to assess contemporary social technologies for supporting communication and collaboration in the DADE. Here, a communication technology assessment tool, called CTAT, is developed as a part of the Adaptive Enterprise Service System (AESS) toolkit by using the design research approach. This paper presents the evaluation of the CTAT construct through its use in the assessment of three social technologies within the context of a DADE. The results of this evaluation indicate that CTAT is shown to be useful, for example, when assessing a particular social technology for a specific DADE communication and collaboration context. The CTAT is intended to be used by senior developers for assessing social technologies for their DADE context.
Don't Trash Your Spam!
Authors: Delfino Manuela
Published: August 2017

Some activities that are typically regarded as “a waste of time” may inspire useful experiences in school contexts. This is the case of spamming. As competent users of digital technologies, we do everything we can in order to block spam messages (e.g., by choosing, training and updating anti-spam filters), but as teachers we can find that also in spam there is an educative potential that it is worth cultivating. This chapter presents a reflection based on an educational experience realized in a lower secondary Italian school during a course on Digital Literacy aimed at making students aware of different synchronous and asynchronous communication tools. In the activity presented here, the focus was on the analysis of different spam and phishing messages. Interacting within a wiki environment, students had the chance to reflect on the different elements that should be taken into account to detect strange and dangerous e-mail postings.
Terms of the Digital Age
Authors: Rosenfeld Kimberly N.
Published: August 2017

This chapter defines terms of the digital age as they relate to digital media literacy. The changing landscape of society is demonstrated through the recalibration occurring in media processes and the cultural forms they generate. These conditions have fostered cultural paradigms unique to the digital age: paradigms aligned with either humanistic or capitalist perspectives, and marketing playing a role with respect to this tension. An analysis of two policies in the form of new curricula reveals that more must be done to prepare, protect, and empower a digitally literate citizenry. The chapter closes with an argument that the first step in this direction must involve both establishing digital media literacy as a discipline as well as deepening and extending current media literacy frameworks.
Digital Literacy for Effective Communication in the New Academic Environment
Authors: Vasilescu Ruxandra , Epure Manuela , Florea Nadia
Published: August 2017

“The fixity” of knowledge - the accumulation of fixed elements of knowledge - no longer meets the requirements of nowadays society. The capacity of change, adaptation, and constant updating of these elements according to individual needs, but also to the needs of the various contexts the knowledge, must be used as a prerequisite of social integration for the graduate. Education stepped into the era of deep reforms based on new concepts: student-centered learning, informal education, and personal learning environment. Thus, to teach means to model and to demonstrate; to learn means to practice and to consider. The information technology provides the new student with the learning environment he/she needs in the new context, and it connects him/her rapidly to the up-to-date information and to the rest of the world. Finding new ways of recreating student community on the background of the change of the student structure, the profile of the new student, his/ her interests and individual learning habits, on the one hand, and the main challenges of the workforce training/retraining for the current and future information society, on the other hand are the main concerns of this chapter. Due to the spectacular extension of the Internet use, the blog is a solution for the development of the student community, for social interaction and serves as an alternative or extension of classroom discourse.
Arts Teachers' Media and Digital Literacy in Kindergarten
Authors: Zhao Pei , Li Xiaojun
Published: August 2017

Children live in a media oriented world, and media skills need to be taught already starting from the early years. Practicing media production can be seen as a core activity for media education in early childhood. The idea is linked to the 21st century definition of media: instead of thinking of media and digital culture as a simple, one-to-one way communication, it is better to consider media as parts of systems of actions and activities. In other words, it should be seen as a form of social processes. In this case study, the authors investigated children's shared blogging in a kindergarten in two different countries. The public blog was operated between Finland and China in order to build communication between those countries and get children's viewpoints from a different culture and shared communication. Arts education (visual art) was used as a tool for the online communication and blog's content production. On the basis of this study, a shared blog could be a pedagogically functional way to teach children the social media use and interaction as a part of their early childhood education. Pedagogically organized use of social media is also the way to give young children own voice in digital media culture, and to connect other children around the world.
Formalized Informal Learning
Authors: Levinsen Karin Tweddell , Sørensen Birgitte Holm
Published: August 2017

Longitudinal research projects into social practices are both subject to and capture changes in society, meaning that research is conducted in a fluid context and that new research questions appear during the project's life cycle. In the present study emerging new performances and uses of ICT are examined and the relation between network society competences, learners' informal learning strategies and ICT in formalized school settings over time is studied. The authors find that aspects of ICT like multimodality, intuitive interaction design and instant feedback invites an informal bricoleur approach. When integrated into certain designs for teaching and learning, this allows for Formalized Informal Learning and support is found for network society competences building.
Fostering Digital Literacy Between Schools and the Local Community
Authors: Petrucco Corrado
Published: August 2017

This article proposes the use of a conceptual framework for developing digital skills at school using Service Learning and Project-Based learning approaches. In this context, an important role is played by “digital citizenship” understood as a stimulus for participation in the community also through social software. The author also presents the results of a project carried out by students in technical high school on a very sensitive local issue: the installation of new antennas for mobile phones and the dangers of radiation. The students measured cell phone emissions and created videos that were distributed in a blog, accessed by both the local community and the general online community. The project results were positive on various levels, both at school, evidenced by an improvement in student performance and the motivation to learn, and socially, by satisfying the knowledge needs of the community.
Evaluating Sampling Strategies for Visualizing Uncertain Multi-Phase Fluid Simulation Data
Authors: Hummel Mathias , Jöckel Lisa , Schäfer Jan , Hlawitschka Mark W. , Garth Christoph
Published: August 2017

With Eulerian Method of Moment (MoM) solvers for the CFD simulation of multi-phase fluid flow, the positions of bubbles or droplets are not modeled explicitly, but through scalar fields of moments. These fields can be interpreted as probability density functions describing the distribution of bubble locations. To enable intuitive visualization that allows direct visual comparisons between simulation and physical experiment, explicit instances of the bubble distribution are required. In this work, we examine one sampling-based method for obtaining sets of bubble positions from density fields. Based on an example dataset, we study the influence of the main parameter, the kernel size, on the resulting bubble set. We identify a tradeoff between numerical accuracy and temporal continuity for the visualization.
Reactive Production Control - Information to Control a Production
Authors: Kasakow Georg , Aurich Jan Christian
Published: August 2017

Sustainable protection and expansion of the competitiveness of the industrial location Germany is an important topic of current research. How can manufacturing companies in high wage countries counter the challenges of market turbulences? Crucial for the competitiveness of these companies is the compensation of wage and salary costs through highly efficient processes. A promising approach is to increase the responsiveness of a company. Responsiveness means, to react as quickly as possible to events or changes of the market, which are not yet evident and can not be foreseen at the time of production system planning. An increase of responsiveness enables companies to react quickly and flexible to market turbulences. The question arises, which market information are relevant, to which a company has to react as quickly as possible in order to handle market turbulence. This paper addresses this issue and identifies relevant information, that are already known during the phase of product development, and the unknown information of the market, to which an existing production system has to react in order to compensate market turbulences. The interplay of known and unknown information enables a responsive production control. The origin and usage of this information, which enables reactive production control, are a part of this article and are explained therein.
Integration of a Physical Model into the Realization of Engineering Changes in Manufacturing Systems
Authors: Cichos Daniel , Aurich Jan Christian
Published: August 2017

Manufacturing companies have to implement engineering changes in manufacturing systems to remain competitive in changing conditions. Physical influences like collisions or load capacities have to be considered for a proper planning of these changes by modeling and simulating the influences. To consider these physical influences, a concept is presented for the integration of physical model into realization of engineering changes. The concept provides information for the feasibility of the work steps for the execution and enables an efficient planning. Hence, planning mistakes can be detected before changes are executed and the negative impact on ongoing manufacturing can be avoided.
Dependency Graph Based on User Taxonomy and Related Parameters for more Efficient Collaborative Work
Authors: Rupprecht Franca Alexandra , Torner François M. , Seewig Jörg , Ebert Achim
Published: August 2017

Collaboration, performed by a large group of experts of diverse fields and competences, is a time-demanding and complex process. It is crucial to provide tools to facilitate the identification and manipulation of interdependencies as well as the active collaboration process. Dependency graphs of the participants can help to improve processes, to plan tasks, and to identify potential for more efficient cooperation. Such a dependency graph comprises clear defined entities, which are linked with each other based on defined relationships [1]. In the course of this work, a taxonomy of users in industrial corporations will be introduced, which is needed to define the entities and relationships of the dependency graph and is easily adaptable to specific corporations. Such a taxonomy cannot be found in the literature, but is important for the design and development of software products under the rules of user centered design [2]. However, there is still the big challenge to display a meaningful relation between those entities and to give an easy understandable overview of the whole relationship with the goal to solve complex tasks and to improve a groups’ performance. Therefore, a set of parameters will be introduced, which help to find out how good tasks and work packages are distributed within the network. State-of-the-art techniques are used to visualize and recognize interdependencies and information flow. Based on a case study, the findings of this work are embedded and combined in an interactive and intuitive user interface that facilitates planners to recognize and explore complex multi-dimensional networks.
Numerical Solution Strategies for a Dynamic Phase Field Fracture Model
Authors: Schlüter Alexander , Kuhn Charlotte , Noll Timo , Diewald Felix , Müller Ralf
Published: August 2017

This work discusses the efficiency of six strategies for the numerical solution of the coupled system of partial differential equations that arise from a phase field description of dynamic fracture. Efficient numerical treatment of the dynamic phase field fracture model is a prerequisite for the simulation of failure due to brittle fracture in realistic scenarios such as manufacturing.Firstly, the phase field description of fracturing of brittle solids is introduced. Afterwards, three monolithic as well as three staggered finite element solution strategies are outlined and their performance is studied in two benchmark problems.
Particle Finite Element Simulation of Chip Formation in Cutting Processes
Authors: Sabel Matthias , Sator Christian , Müller Ralf , Kirsch Benjamin
Published: August 2017

The formation of chips in cutting processes is characterised by large deformations and large configurational changes and therefore challenges established modeling techniques. To overcome these difficulties, the particle finite element method (PFEM) combines the benefits of discrete modeling techniques with methods based on continuum mechanics. In this work an outline of the PFEM, as well as an explanation of the finite element formulation are provided. The impact of the boundary detection on the structural integrity is studied. The numerical examples include a tensile test as well as cutting simulations. The paper is concluded by a comparison of cutting forces with analytical results.
CATEGORIZATION OF BRAZILIAN INTERNET USERS AND ITS IMPACTS ON THE USE OF ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT SERVICES
Authors: Araujo Marcelo Henrique de , Reinhard Nicolau
Published: August 2017

This paper aims to categorize Brazilian Internet users according to the diversity of their online activities and to assess the propensity of these Internet users´ groups to use electronic government (e-gov) services. The Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach was adopted as the theoretical framework for its consideration of people’s freedom to decide on their use of available resources and their competencies for these decisions, leading to the use of e-gov services. Multivariate statistical techniques were used to perform data analysis from the 2007, 2009 and 2011 editions of ICT Household Survey. The results showed that Internet users belonging to the advanced and intermediate use groups were more likely to use e-gov services than those who belong to the sporadic use group. Moreover, the results also demonstrated that the Internet user group of intermediate use presented a higher tendency to use e-gov services than the Internet user group of advanced use. This tendency is possibly related to the extensive use of interactive and collaborative activities of leisure and entertainment performed by this type of user. The findings of this research may be useful in guiding public policies for the dissemination and provision of electronic government services in Brazil.
The adoption of Big Data Services by Manufacturing firms: An empirical investigation in India.
Authors: Verma Surabhi
Published: August 2017

Although some leading companies are actively adopting Big data services (BDS) to strengthen market competition , many manufacturing firms are still in the early stage of the adoption curve due to lack of understanding of and experience with BDS. Hence, it is interesting and timely to understand issues relevant to BDS adoption. The empirical investigation reveals that a firm’s intention to adopt BDS can be positively affected by the quality and benefits of BDS. Surprisingly, a firm’s absorptive capacity in utilizing big data and risks and costs associated with implementation and maintenance does not impact the adoption intention of BDS.
Intercomparison of NOx emission inventories over East Asia
Authors: Ding Jieying , Miyazaki Kazuyuki , van der A Ronald Johannes , Mijling Bas , Kurokawa Jun-ichi , Cho SeogYeon , Janssens-Maenhout Greet , Zhang Qiang , Liu Fei , Levelt Pieternel Felicitas
Published: August 2017

Abstract. We compare nine emission inventories of nitrogen oxides including four satellite-derived NOx inventories and the following bottom-up inventories for East Asia: REAS (Regional Emission inventory in ASia), MEIC (Multi-resolution Emission Inventory for China), CAPSS (Clean Air Policy Support System) and EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research). Two of the satellite-derived inventories are estimated by using the DECSO (Daily Emission derived Constrained by Satellite Observations) algorithm, which is based on an extended Kalman filter applied to observations from OMI or from GOME-2. The other two are derived with the EnKF algorithm, which is based on an ensemble Kalman filter applied to observations of multiple species using either the chemical transport model CHASER and MIROC-chem. The temporal behaviour and spatial distribution of the inventories are compared on a national and regional scale. A distinction is also made between urban and rural areas. The intercomparison of all inventories shows good agreement in total NOx emissions over mainland China, especially for trends, with an average bias of about 20 % for yearly emissions. All the inventories show the typical emission reduction of 10 % during the Chinese New Year and a peak in December. Satellite-derived approaches using OMI show a summer peak due to strong emissions from soil and biomass burning in this season. Biases in NOx emissions and uncertainties in temporal variability increase quickly when the spatial scale decreases. The analyses of the differences show the importance of using observations from multiple instruments and a high spatial resolution model for the satellite-derived inventories, while for bottom-up inventories, accurate emission factors and activity information are required. The advantage of the satellite-derived approach is that the emissions are soon available after observation, while the strength of the bottom-up inventories is that they include detailed information of emissions for each source category.
CCl4 distribution derived from MIPAS ESA v7 data: intercomparisons, trend, and lifetime estimation
Authors: Valeri Massimo , Barbara Flavio , Boone Chris , Ceccherini Simone , Gai Marco , Maucher Guido , Raspollini Piera , Ridolfi Marco , Sgheri Luca , Wetzel Gerald , Zoppetti Nicola
Published: August 2017

Abstract. Atmospheric emissions of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) are regulated by the Montreal Protocol due to its role as a strong ozone-depleting substance. The molecule has been the subject of recent increased interest as a consequence of the so-called mystery of CCl4, the discrepancy between atmospheric observations and reported production and consumption. Surface measurements of CCl4 atmospheric concentrations have declined at a rate almost 3 times lower than its lifetime-limited rate, suggesting persistent atmospheric emissions despite the ban. In this paper, we study CCl4 vertical and zonal distributions in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (including the photolytic loss region, 70–20 hPa), its trend, and its stratospheric lifetime using measurements from the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS), which operated onboard the ENVISAT satellite from 2002 to 2012. Specifically, we use the MIPAS data product generated with Version 7 of the Level 2 algorithm operated by the European Space Agency.The CCl4 zonal means show features typical of long-lived species of anthropogenic origin that are destroyed primarily in the stratosphere, with larger quantities in the troposphere and a monotonic decrease with increasing altitude in the stratosphere. MIPAS CCl4 measurements have been compared with independent measurements from other satellite and balloon-borne remote sounders, showing a good agreement between the different datasets.CCl4 trends are calculated as a function of both latitude and altitude. Negative trends of about −10 to −15 pptv decade−1 (−10 to −30 % decade−1) are found at all latitudes in the upper troposphere–lower stratosphere region, apart from a region in the southern midlatitudes between 50 and 10 hPa where the trend is positive with values around 5–10 pptv decade−1 (15–20 % decade−1). At the lowest altitudes sounded by MIPAS, we find trends consistent with those determined on the basis of long-term ground-based measurements (−10 to −13 pptv decade−1). For higher altitudes, the trend shows a pronounced asymmetry between the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and the magnitude of the decline rate increases with altitude. We use a simplified model assuming tracer–tracer linear correlations to determine CCl4 lifetime in the lower stratosphere. The calculation provides a global average lifetime of 47 (39–61) years, considering CFC-11 as the reference tracer. This value is consistent with the most recent literature result of 44 (36–58) years.
Characterising energy budget variability at a Sahelian site: a test of
NWP model behaviour
Authors: Mackie Anna , Palmer Paul I. , Brindley Helen
Published: August 2017

Abstract. We use observations of surface and top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) broadband radiation fluxes determined from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program Mobile Facility, and GERB/SEVIRI,and a range of meteorological variables, at a site in the Sahel to test the ability of the ECMWF Integrated Forecasting System cycle 43r1 to describe energy budget variability. The model has daily average bias of −12 W m-2 and 18 W m-2 for outgoing longwave and reflected shortwave TOA radiation fluxes, respectively. Using multivariate linear models of observation minus model differences, we attribute radiation flux discrepancies to physical processes, and link surface and TOA fluxes. We find that model biases in surface radiation fluxes are mainly due to a low bias in ice-water path (IWP), poor description of surface albedo, and model-observation differences in surface temperature. At the TOA, the low IWP impacts the amount of reflected shortwave radiation while biases in outgoing longwave radiation are additionally coupled to discrepancies in the surface upwelling longwave flux and atmospheric humidity.
Measurements of aerosol and CCN properties in the Mackenzie River delta (Canadian Arctic) during Spring-Summer transition in May 2014
Authors: Herenz Paul , Wex Heike , Henning Silvia , Kristensen Thomas Bjerring , Rubach Florian , Roth Anja , Borrmann Stephan , Bozem Heiko , Schulz Hannes , Stratmann Frank
Published: August 2017

Abstract. Within the framework of the RACEPAC (Radiation-Aerosol-Cloud Experiment in the Arctic Circle) project, the Arctic aerosol, arriving at a ground based station in Tuktoyaktuk (Mackenzie River delta area, Canada), was characterized during a period of 3 weeks in May 2014. The observations of basic meteorological parameters and particle number size distributions (PNSDs) were indicative for the rapid transition from Arctic spring to summer that took place during the measurement period. Two distinct types of air masses were found. One type were typical Arctic haze air masses, termed as spring-type air masses, characterized by a mono-modal PNSD with a pronounced accumulation mode at sizes above 100 nm. These air masses were observed during a period when back trajectories indicate an air mass origin in the north east of Canada. The other air mass type is characterized by a bi-modal PNSD with a clear minimum around 90 nm, and with an Aitken mode consisting of freshly formed aerosol particles. Back trajectories indicate that these air masses, termed as summer-type air masses, originated from the northern Pacific. Generally total particle number concentrations (NCN) ranged from 20 to 500 cm−3, while cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentrations were found to cover a range between less than 10 up to 250 cm−3 for a supersaturation (SS) between 0.1 and 0.7 %. The hygroscopicity parameter κ of the CCN was determined to be 0.23 on average and variations in kappa were largely attributed to measurement uncertainties. Furthermore, simultaneous PNSD measurements at the ground station and on the Polar 6 research aircraft were performed. We found a good agreement of ground based PNSDs with those measured between 200 and 1200 m. During two of the four overflights, particle number concentrations at 3000 m were found to be up to twenty times higher than those measured below 2000 m, and for one of these two flights, PNSDs measured above 2000 m showed a different shape than those measured at lower altitudes. This is indicative for long range transport from lower latitudes into the Arctic that can advect aerosol from different regions in different heights.
New approach to the retrieval of AOD and its uncertainty from MISR observations over dark water
Authors: Witek Marcin L. , Garay Michael J. , Diner David J. , Bull Michael A. , Seidel Felix C.
Published: August 2017

Abstract. A new method for retrieving aerosol optical depth (AOD) and its uncertainty from Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) observations over dark water is outlined. MISR’s aerosol retrieval algorithm calculates cost functions between observed and pre-simulated radiances for a range of AODs (from 0.0 to 3.0) and a prescribed set of aerosol mixtures. The previous Version 22 (V22) operational algorithm considered only the AOD that minimized the cost function for each aerosol mixture, then used a combination of these values to compute the final, best estimate AOD and associated uncertainty. The new approach considers the entire range of cost functions associated with each aerosol mixture. The uncertainty of the reported AOD depends on a combination of a) the absolute values of the cost functions for each aerosol mixture, b) the widths of the cost function distributions as a function of AOD, and c) the spread of the cost function distributions among the ensemble of mixtures. A key benefit of the new approach is that, unlike the V22 algorithm, it does not rely on arbitrary thresholds imposed on the cost function to determine the success or failure of a particular mixture. Furthermore, a new Aerosol Retrieval Confidence Index (ARCI) is established that can be used to screen high-AOD retrieval blunders caused by cloud contamination or other factors. Requiring ARCI ≥ 0.15 as a condition for retrieval success is supported through statistical analysis and outperforms the thresholds used in the V22 algorithm. The described changes to the MISR dark water algorithm will become operational in the new MISR aerosol product (V23), planned for release in 2017.
OpenDrift v1.0: a generic framework for trajectory modeling
Authors: Dagestad Knut-Frode , Röhrs Johannes , Breivik Øyvind , Ådlandsvik Bjørn
Published: August 2017

Abstract. OpenDrift is an open-source Python-based framework for Lagrangian particle modeling under development at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute with contributions from the wider scientific community. The framework is highly generic and modular, and is designed to be used for any type of drift calculations in the ocean or atmosphere. A specific module within the OpenDrift framework corresponds to a Lagrangian particle model in the traditional sense. A number of modules have already been developed, including an oil drift model, a stochastic search and rescue model, a pelagic egg model, and a basic module for atmospheric drift. The framework allows for the ingestion of an unspecified number of forcing fields (scalar and vectorial) from various sources, including Eulerian ocean, atmosphere and wave models, but also measurements or subjective estimates of the same variables. A basic backtracking mechanism is inherent, using sign reversal of the total displacement vector and negative time stepping. OpenDrift is fast and simple to set up and use on Linux, Mac and Windows environments, and can be used with minimal or no Python experience. It is designed for flexibility, and researchers may easily adapt or write modules for their specific purpose. OpenDrift is also designed for performance, and simulations with millions of particles may be performed on a laptop. Further, OpenDrift is designed for robustness, and is in daily operational use for emergency preparedness modeling (oil drift, search and rescue and drifting ships) at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
Assessment of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model for Extreme Rainfall Event Simulations in the Upper Ganga Basin
Authors: Chawla Ila , Osuri Krishna K. , Mujumdar Pradeep P. , Niyogi Dev
Published: August 2017

Abstract. Reliable estimates of extreme rainfall events are necessary for an accurate prediction of floods. Most of the global rainfall products are available at a coarse resolution, rendering them less desirable for extreme rainfall analysis. Therefore, regional mesoscale models such as the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model, are often used to provide rainfall estimates at fine grid spacing. Modelling heavy rainfall events is an enduring challenge, as such events depend on multiscale interactions, and the model configurations such as grid spacing, physical parameterization and initialization. With this background, the WRF-ARW model is implemented in this study to investigate the impact of different processes on extreme rainfall simulation, by considering a representative event that occurred during 15–18 June 2013 over the Ganges basin in India, which is located at the foothills of the Himalayas. This event is simulated with ensembles involving four different microphysics (MP), two cumulus (CU) parameterizations, two planetary boundary layer (PBL), and two land surface physics options; and different resolutions (grid spacing) within the WRF model. The simulated rainfall is evaluated against the observations from 18 rain gauges and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Multi-Satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) 3B42RT version 7 data. From the analysis, it is noted that the selection of MP scheme influences the spatial pattern of rainfall, while the choice of PBL and CU parameterizations influence the magnitude of rainfall in the model simulations. Further, WRF run with Goddard MP, Mellor–Yamada–Janjic PBL and Betts–Miller–Janjic' CU scheme is found to perform best in simulating this heavy rain event. The model performance improved through incorporation of detailed land surface processes involving prognostic soil moisture evolution in Noah scheme as compared to the simple Slab model. To analyze the effect of model grid spacing, two sets of downscaling ratios – (i) 1 : 3, Global to Regional (G2R) scale; and (ii) 1 : 9, Global to Convection-permitting scale (G2C) are employed. Results indicate that higher downscaling ratio (G2C) causes higher variability and consequently, large errors in the simulations. Therefore, G2R is opted as a suitable choice for simulating heavy rainfall event in the present case study. Further, the WRF simulated rainfall is found to exhibit least bias when compared with that of the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) data and the NCEP FiNaL (FNL) reanalysis data.